Kroger CEO Depends On Up-Close And Personal Consumer Research To Improve Company's Retail Strategies

Kroger Co. chairman and CEO Dave Dillon regularly interacts with shoppers and staff at the retailer’s stores to keep track of consumer behavior and determine the effectiveness of his company’s merchandising strategies. Kroger’s emphasis on monitoring consumer behavior has enabled it to deliver sales growth recently while rivals Safeway and Supervalu have seen sales fall. Rather than relying solely on accurate consumer data provided by its partner, the marketing research firm Dunnhumby, which collects and studies data collected from millions of shoppers using Kroger loyalty cards, Dillon and other company top executives also conduct personal research by interacting with customers. This enables his company to adjust personnel management and technology to improve in-store experience, customer services, and store presentations.