Albertsons Cos. is reorganizing its operating structure, consolidating its 11 retail divisions into four geographic regions while centralizing center-store merchandising under a single enterprise team as part of a broader initiative to streamline decision-making and improve execution across the company.
The company announced July 23 that the changes are part of its ACI Edge strategy, which is designed to simplify operations, increase accountability, and better leverage Albertsons’ scale, technology, and data capabilities. The reorganization does not include store or district realignments, and the company’s retail banners will continue operating under their existing local identities.
Under the new structure, the company will operate in four regions — East, Central, Mountain West, and West. Each region will be led by a regional president responsible for store operations, fresh merchandising, pharmacy, e-commerce, and other customer-facing functions.
Albertsons also said it is advancing the next phase of its Merch United strategy by fully centralizing center-store merchandising, including procurement, pricing, promotions, assortment, and merchandising strategy under a single enterprise organization. Fresh merchandising will remain managed at the regional and local levels to allow for market-specific decisions.
Albertsons New Model to Boost Execution, Keep Local Decision-Making
CEO Susan Morris said the new operating model is intended to accelerate execution while preserving local decision-making where it matters most.
“With the ACI Edge, we are creating a simpler, more agile organization that strengthens accountability, accelerates decision-making, and better leverages our scale,” Morris said in a statement. “At the same time, we are preserving what makes our banners special by keeping fresh merchandising and customer engagement rooted in local markets.”
Albertsons said the centralized merchandising organization will be supported by expanded use of data analytics and artificial intelligence to improve assortment planning, inventory management and promotional effectiveness. The company said the changes are intended to improve in-stock performance, speed decision-making, and create a more consistent customer experience across stores and digital channels.
The company said no stores or districts will be consolidated as part of the transition, and regional teams will continue supporting stores while tailoring fresh assortments and customer offerings to local preferences.
The announcement comes as Albertsons seeks to improve operational performance amid a more challenging grocery environment. Earlier Thursday, the company reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results showing identical sales declined 0.8%, while digital sales increased 13%. The retailer also lowered its fiscal 2026 outlook, citing softer industry unit trends and more cautious consumer spending.
Albertsons operates approximately 2,240 stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 banners, including ACME, Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Star Market, Vons, Tom Thumb, Randalls, and Kings Food Markets.