Albertsons ve čtvrtletí končícím v srpnu 2026 utržil 18,89 miliardy USD, což je meziročně o 0,1 % méně, zatímco zisk na akcii (EPS) klesl z 0,44 USD na 0,36 USD.
For the quarter ended August 2026, Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) reported revenue of $18.89 billion, down 0.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.36, compared to $0.44 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.37% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $18.83 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.33, the EPS surprise was +9.09%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Albertsons Companies performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
Number of stores at end of quarter: 2,240 versus 2,238 estimated by four analysts on average.Same - Store Sales (Identical sales, excluding fuel): -0.8% compared to the -1% average estimate based on four analysts.Retail Square Feet (Based on Square Footage) - Total stores: 111.9 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of 111.73 million.Net sales and other revenue by product type- Fuel: $1.04 billion versus $985.5 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +14.2% change.View all Key Company Metrics for Albertsons Companies here>>>
Shares of Albertsons Companies have returned +8.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Albertsons pozastavil finanční výhled a zahájil komplexní revizi podnikání; při zveřejnění výsledků za čtvrté čtvrtletí chce představit víceletý plán a nové cíle v oblasti úspor.
On its second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, held on Oct. 13, 2026, Albertsons (ACI +1.19%) announced a comprehensive business review and a pause on financial guidance. For long-term investors, the grocery retailer's decision to pause forward estimates signals a structural turnaround aimed at cutting operational costs and reducing shelf prices. Three things management said stand out.
1. Aggressive Cost Cuts Will Fund Price ReductionsManagement recognized that sales and market share trends lagged despite holding prime store locations across local markets. The business is accelerating cost reductions across procurement and administrative overhead to fund lower prices and protect long-term market share.
We must move faster to reduce costs, reinvest much of those savings into lower prices, improve the store experience for customers, grow traffic and share in core markets, drive ID sales and revenue, and improve returns for shareholders.
-- Meg Whitman, Executive Chair2. Operational Complexity Is Being Cut to Speed Up ExecutionOver recent years, multiple corporate initiatives created layers of complexity that slowed store execution and raised operating expenses. Management is pausing non-essential projects to sharpen focus on store standards, customer service, and cost discipline.
Going forward, our focus will be much narrower. Our resources will be concentrated on the right projects that most accelerate our results, and our expectations and accountability for results will be significantly higher.
-- Susan Morris, Chief Executive Officer3. Financial Guidance Is Paused Ahead of a Comprehensive ReviewAlbertsons paused updates to its financial outlook while evaluating its banner portfolio, cost structure, and capital plans. The company plans to present a refreshed customer strategy, expanded cost targets, and a multiyear outlook by its fourth quarter earnings call.
Instead, we believe the better path is to look closely at the business, establish clear priorities, and come back to investors with a comprehensive plan and multi-year financial outlook.
-- Cody Perdue, Interim Chief Financial OfficerLooking AheadOperating results reflect economic pressure on lower-income shoppers, yet local banner positions, digital reach, and pharmacy customer loyalty provide structural advantages for future value creation. Leadership is focusing on pricing discipline, store execution, and inventory control to rebuild customer traffic.
Albertsons is now fully engaged in a turnaround. The company has strong assets, talented associates, and significant potential.
-- Susan Morris, Chief Executive OfficerManagement is streamlining operations through its restructuring initiative, called ACI Edge, to centralize procurement and unlock savings for price reinvestment. Capital allocation remains supported by $1.2 billion in first-half operating cash flow while leadership prepares its updated strategic framework.
Until then, our focus is simple: drive execution, accelerate cost out, and improve the customer value proposition.
-- Susan Morris, Chief Executive OfficerThis article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Albertsons plánuje na jaře 2028 otevřít ve Valley Center novou prodejnu o rozloze zhruba 51 000 čtverečních stop s lékárnou a službami elektronického obchodování.
FULLERTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® today announced plans to build a new Albertsons grocery store in Valley Center, bringing fresh food, pharmacy services, ecommerce services and everyday essentials closer to residents in a growing San Diego County community.
Scheduled to open in spring 2028, the new approximately 51,000-square-foot store will be located on property owned by the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation. The project represents a significant investment in the Valley Center, a community of approximately 22,000 residents where many families currently travel several miles to access a full-service grocery store.
The new Albertsons store will offer residents a convenient destination for fresh produce, quality meat and seafood, bakery and deli offerings, pharmacy services and a wide selection of grocery and household products.
“Albertsons is proud to expand our presence in Valley Center and help meet the community’s need for greater access to fresh, affordable food,” said Wayne Denningham, EVP of the California Region. “This new store will provide greater convenience for families, create local jobs and serve as an important community resource for years to come."
The project reflects a collaborative effort between Albertsons and the San Pasqual Economic Development Corporation to support the long-term growth and well-being of the Valley Center community.
In addition to expanding access to fresh food, ecommerce services and pharmacy services, the new store is expected to create local employment opportunities and contribute to economic development in the region. Albertsons has a long history of serving communities throughout Southern California and remains committed to providing customers with quality products, exceptional service and meaningful community engagement.
Additional information regarding construction milestones, hiring opportunities and grand opening celebrations will be shared as the project moves forward.
About Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions
Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions, part of Albertsons Companies, operate 325 stores and have over 33,000 employees in Southern California. Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of Sept. 12, 2026, the Company operated 2,240 retail stores with 1,709 in-store pharmacies, 408 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, ACME Markets, Shaw's, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Randalls, Star Market, Kings Food Markets, Haggen, Carrs and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2025, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed $497 million in food and financial support, including $56 million through its Nourishing Neighbors Program, to ensure those living in its communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.
Albertsons, Safeway, Amigos, Andronico’s, Balducci's, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Market Street, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Vons are registered service marks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACME, Carrs, Kings, Shaw's, Star Market and United Supermarkets are service marks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Albertsons associated logos, product names and services are trademarks or service marks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Albertsons (ACI.N) withdrew its fiscal 2026 forecasts on Tuesday as the grocer launched a broad review of its business aimed at cutting costs, lowering prices and reversing sluggish sales.
The company has been facing cautious consumer spending, particularly by lower-income shoppers, as food and fuel costs climb, as well as market share losses to mass retailers including Walmart (WMT.O), discount chains and private-label brands.
The review builds on a restructuring, announced in July, and is expected to finish during the fourth quarter ending February 2027.
Albertsons plans to provide refreshed short- and long-term financial targets alongside a "comprehensive turnaround plan" by its fourth-quarter earnings call.
Executive Chair Meg Whitman said Albertsons' market-share trends had lagged and that despite individual successes across the business, the company was not delivering results consistent with the quality of its assets.
"We must turn things around," Whitman said on a post-earnings call, adding that the grocer needed to move faster to cut costs and reinvest much of those savings to lower prices and improve store experience.
Whitman, the former eBay and Hewlett-Packard CEO, was named Albertsons' executive chair last month in a newly created role aimed at helping the grocer "sharpen its strategy and strengthen execution."
CEO Susan Morris said Albertsons had accumulated too many initiatives, processes and layers of complexity over time, slowing the organization and increasing costs.
"Simply put, we're not satisfied with the results and the current trajectory of our business," she said.
The expanded turnaround effort comes nearly two years after Albertsons' proposed $24.6 billion merger with Kroger (KR.N) collapsed after a federal court blocked the deal in December 2024 on antitrust grounds. Albertsons subsequently terminated the agreement.
Shares rose 2% on Tuesday, reversing premarket losses. They had fallen 27% this year as of last close.
In July, Albertsons outlined plans to expand private-label offerings and improve e-commerce, while restructuring its 11 divisions into four regions and centralizing merchandising. Albertsons now describes those changes as the first step in its broader turnaround.
"We'll exit areas that are underperforming," Morris said on Tuesday.
Albertsons had slashed its annual target prior quarter, forecast fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings per share in the range of $1.75 to $1.85 and said it expected annual identical sales to decline in the range of 0.5% to 1.5%.
Michael Gunther, an analyst at Consumer Edge, said that the research firm's credit and debit card data shows that "traditional supermarkets, including Albertsons, have continued losing grocery market share to specialty and discount format."
The grocer on Tuesday reported that its same-store sales in the second quarter ended September 12 fell 0.8%.
But it posted second-quarter adjusted profit of 36 cents per share, beating estimates of 33 cents per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Analytici očekávají, že Albertsons Companies ve 2. čtvrtletí vykáže upravený zisk 0,33 USD na akcii, což představuje meziroční pokles o 25 %, při tržbách ve výši 18,83 mld. USD.
Wall Street analysts expect Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) to post quarterly earnings of $0.33 per share in its upcoming report, which indicates a year-over-year decline of 25%. Revenues are expected to be $18.83 billion, down 0.5% from the year-ago quarter.
Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial projections during this period.
Ahead of a company's earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to gauge how the business may have fared during the quarter, examining analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics often helps gain a deeper insight.
In light of this perspective, let's dive into the average estimates of certain Albertsons Companies metrics that are commonly tracked and forecasted by Wall Street analysts.
Analysts expect 'Revenues- Fuel' to come in at $985.50 million. The estimate indicates a change of +8.1% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Number of stores at end of quarter' reaching 2,238 . The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 2,257 .
The consensus estimate for 'Total Square Footage - Retail Square Feet' stands at 111.73 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 112.50 million.
View all Key Company Metrics for Albertsons Companies here>>>
Shares of Albertsons Companies have demonstrated returns of -0.9% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1.4% change. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), ACI is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Albertsons snížil výhled na fiskální rok 2026 po slabší poptávce po potravinách a zklamání v 1. čtvrtletí. Nyní očekává pokles srovnatelných tržeb o 1,5 % až 0,5 % a upravený zisk na akcii 1,75 až 1,85 USD.
Key Takeaways Albertsons cut fiscal 2026 guidance after weaker grocery demand and a first-quarter earnings miss.ACI is rolling out ACI Edge to simplify operations and improve execution across the business.ACI continues investing in digital, stores and shareholder returns despite near-term pressure. Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) entered fiscal 2026 with two clear strengths: digital sales growth and pharmacy resilience. Those positives were not enough to offset softer core grocery trends.
The first-quarter earnings shortfall, reduced outlook and launch of ACI Edge now frame fiscal 2026 as a reset year. The company is trying to move faster, sharpen value and improve store-level execution while protecting cash returns.
Albertsons’ Q1 Results Reveal the Core PressureNet sales and other revenues increased 0.2% year over year to $24.94 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Identical sales declined 0.8%, showing that reported sales growth was not supported by broad-based demand strength.
Adjusted earnings fell to 42 cents per share from 55 cents a year earlier. Digital sales increased 13%, and pharmacy remained a source of growth, but softer industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer weighed on core grocery performance.
ACI Edge Reshapes Albertsons’ Operating ModelACI Edge reduces Albertsons’ structure from 11 divisions to four regions and centralizes center-store merchandising under one enterprise team. The goal is to simplify operations and improve accountability.
The new model is designed to speed decision-making, strengthen banner consistency and better align supplier relationships with enterprise scale. The Kroger Co. (KR - Free Report) remains a relevant food-retail benchmark, as investors also watch how pricing, pharmacy and private-label execution shape supermarket demand. Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) adds another competitive reference point, especially on value, where grocers must protect traffic without giving up too much margin.
Albertsons Cuts Its Fiscal 2026 OutlookAlbertsons now expects identical sales to decline 1.5% to 0.5% in fiscal 2026 compared with its prior expectation of flat to 1% growth. Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be in the range of $3.550 billion to $3.625 billion.
Adjusted earnings are now expected to be $1.75 to $1.85 per share, down from the prior $2.22 to $2.32 range. The revision reflects a decision to accelerate customer-value investments before expected productivity benefits fully materialize.
ACI Balances Reinvestment With Shareholder ReturnsAlbertsons spent $522.1 million on capital expenditures in the first quarter. That included 15 remodels, four new stores and continued investment in digital and technology platforms.
Shareholder returns remain part of the plan. The board raised the quarterly dividend 13% to 17 cents per share, while Albertsons repurchased 13.4 million shares for $226.5 million and had a $2.0-billion remaining authorization.
ACI Trades Near the Bottom of Its Valuation RangeACI trades at 5.33X forward 12-month earnings, close to its one-year low of 5.08X and well below its one-year median of 8.35X. That gap is large enough to draw attention from investors focused on depressed consumer staples names.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The stock also trades at a deep discount to the Zacks sub-industry at 18.93X. Still, a low multiple does not automatically mean undervaluation. In ACI’s case, the market is also pricing in lower earnings visibility.
Albertsons’ Mixed Signals Favor Investor PatienceThe bottom line is that ACI’s reset carries both urgency and risk. Digital and pharmacy momentum show that the model still has productive assets, but weaker grocery units, lower guidance and investment pressure make fiscal 2026 harder to underwrite.
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). It also has a Value Score of A, a Momentum Score of A and a VGM Score of A, alongside a Growth Score of C. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Those scores point to favorable valuation and market-characteristic signals, while the Growth Score reflects a more mixed earnings-growth profile. For now, ACI’s setup favors patience as investors wait for clearer evidence that ACI Edge can convert reinvestment into steadier sales and margin performance.
Albertsons ve 1. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 zvýšil digitální tržby o 13 % a dál staví na AI, loajalitě a privátních značkách. Cílem je 30% podíl Own Brands na tržbách.
Key Takeaways Albertsons is expanding AI to improve merchandising, labor planning and supply-chain efficiency.ACI is using its 51.2 million-member loyalty program to strengthen personalization and retail media.ACI aims to grow Own Brands to 30% sales penetration to support value and higher-margin growth. Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) is trying to modernize a traditional grocery model without losing the local-store convenience that anchors its business.
The strategy rests on digital sales growth, loyalty data, artificial intelligence and Own Brands. Those levers can improve personalization and productivity, but they also bring fulfillment costs, technology spending and execution risk.
ACI’s Digital Sales Growth Changes the Revenue MixAlbertsons’ first-quarter fiscal 2026 digital sales increased 13%, extending the role of e-commerce in its grocery model. The company’s delivery and Drive Up & Go curbside pickup services are built around store-based fulfillment, allowing stores to support online orders rather than relying only on separate warehouses.
That convenience can deepen customer engagement and support more frequent trips across grocery, pharmacy and digital channels. The offset is margin pressure. Gross margin declined in the quarter, with higher delivery and handling costs tied to digital sales growth among the primary factors.
Albertsons Uses AI to Fund Customer InvestmentAlbertsons is advancing technology across digital experience, merchandising intelligence, labor optimization and supply-chain efficiency. These tools are intended to improve shopping journeys, promotional planning, workforce scheduling, forecasting and replenishment.
The effort ties directly into a three-year, $2 billion productivity program. Albertsons expects savings to help fund pricing, fresh execution, personalization, digital convenience and store standards, rather than simply flowing through as short-term cost cuts.
ACI Turns Loyalty Data Into Personalized GrowthAlbertsons’ loyalty ecosystem gives the company a larger base for targeted promotions and customer insights. At the end of fiscal 2025, the loyalty program had 51.2 million members and supported personalized offers across digital and in-store channels.
That data also supports Albertsons Media Collective, its retail-media business. Better personalization can improve offer relevance, lift marketing efficiency and connect grocery, pharmacy and digital shopping into a more integrated customer relationship.
The Kroger Co. (KR - Free Report) and Walmart Inc. (WMT - Free Report) provide useful peer context because grocery retailers are increasingly competing on value, omnichannel convenience and retail-media monetization. Their presence raises the bar for Albertsons to turn data scale into measurable traffic and margin benefits.
Albertsons Expands Own Brands as Consumers Seek ValueOwn Brands remain another lever in Albertsons’ value strategy. The portfolio spans value, mainstream, premium and better-for-you products, including brands such as Signature Select, Lucerne and O Organics.
Management is targeting Own Brands sales penetration of 30% over time. Higher private-label adoption can improve differentiation, reinforce loyalty and support higher-margin growth, while helping cautious consumers manage grocery budgets.
ACI Stock Sell-Off Widens the Performance GapAlbertsons stock plunged 32.6% in the year-to-date period, sharply underperforming the Zacks sub-industry's growth of 3.3%. The Zacks Consumer Staples sector is up 10.1%, and the S&P 500 is up 8.1% over the same period.
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ACI’s Scores Reflect Promise With Uneven GrowthThe bottom line is that Albertsons has a credible technology and value agenda, but investors still need proof that digital scale and productivity savings can translate into stronger earnings growth. The latest outlook reflects pressure from weaker industry unit trends, a cautious consumer and the need for accelerated customer investment.
ACI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It also has a VGM Score of A, Value Score of A, Momentum Score of A and Growth Score of C. The A-rated value and momentum indicators are supportive, while the C Growth Score points to a less even growth profile.
For investors, that mix fits the current setup. Albertsons has tools to improve engagement and efficiency, but the Hold rank suggests a more balanced near-term view as the market waits for clearer evidence of earnings acceleration.
Albertsons Companies zavádí nový regionální provozní model a centralizuje merchandising, aby zjednodušila řízení a rychleji reagovala na potřeby zákazníků. Firma zmenší 11 divizí na čtyři regiony.
Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) today announced a new regional operating model and the next step in its Merch United merchandising model, two connected changes designed to simplify how the company operates and position teams to respond more quickly to customer needs.
“We call it the ACI Edge. It combines the scale and capabilities of a national retailer with the accountability and local focus that have long distinguished our banners,” said Susan Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Cos. “By consolidating 11 divisions into four regions and centralizing center store merchandising, we can make faster decisions, improve in-stocks and move accountability closer to our stores, where fresh, service and local execution matter most to customers.”
The new operating model will move the company from 11 divisions to four regions. Each region will include local markets focused on strengthening customer connections, supporting stores and driving results in their communities.
The California Region will include the Southern California and Northern California markets. The West Region will include the Mountain West, Portland and Seattle markets. The South Region will include the Southwest, Southern and United markets. The East Region will include the Jewel-Osco, Mid-Atlantic and Shaw’s markets.
The company is also advancing Merch United by centralizing center store merchandising, bringing customer insights, supplier relationships, strategy, product, placement, promotion and price under a single enterprise team while continuing to combine national scale with local expertise. Merch United combines the buying power, data and analytics of a national retailer with the customer focus and local insights of Albertsons Cos.' market teams.
“Center store centralization is an important next step in Merch United and in how we build a stronger, more connected merchandising organization,” said Michelle Larson, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Albertsons Cos. “By bringing center store work together at the enterprise level, we can better leverage our scale, strengthen supplier partnerships and create more capacity for our regional and market teams to focus on fresh, local and the customer needs that make each community unique.”
Fresh merchandising decisions will remain in the markets and continue to be guided by the Merch United strategy, local customer preferences and market needs. Regional and market teams will continue to play an essential role in serving customers, supporting stores and delivering locally relevant experiences.
There are no plans to realign stores or districts as part of this transition. The company’s banners will continue serving customers with the local identity, history and community connections that have made them trusted shopping destinations.
Ultimately, these changes are intended to improve how Albertsons Cos. serves customers. A simpler operating structure, combined with the company's growing data and AI capabilities, will help teams respond more quickly to customer needs, improve in-stock performance and deliver a more consistent experience across stores and digital channels.
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of June 20, 2026, the Company operated 2,240 retail stores with 1,708 in-store pharmacies, 408 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2025, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed $497 million in food and financial support, including $56 million through its Nourishing Neighbors Program, to ensure those living in its communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.
Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Haggen and Balducci's Food Lovers Market are registered trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACME, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, Shaw's, and Star Market are trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. Albertsons associated logos, product names and services are trademarks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. The "forward-looking statements" include our current expectations, assumptions, perspectives and projections about our business and our industry. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "may," "should," "could," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "expects," "future" and "intends" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. In evaluating our forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties more fully described in the “Risk Factors” section or other sections in our reports filed with the SEC including the most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260723720139/en/
Shares of grocer Albertsons sank nearly 15% on Thursday after the company lowered its fiscal 2026 outlook, citing softer demand and a more cautious consumer.
The company said it is now "moving decisively" to invest in the customer experience because it believes that will improve its growth trajectory.
"In the first quarter, our digital and pharmacy businesses continued to deliver strong growth, while core grocery faced increasing pressure from softer industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer," CEO Susan Morris said in a statement.
The company's outlook cut comes amid broader signs that U.S. consumers have scaled back their grocery trips. Food inflation and tighter budgets due to high gas prices, among other factors, appear to be hurting spending.
For the full year, Albertsons said it now expects net income between $1.75 and $1.85 per share, down significantly from its previous expectation of between $2.22 and $2.32 per share.
It also lowered its adjusted EBITDA guidance to a range of between $3.55 billion and $3.625 billion, compared to a previous projection of between $3.85 billion and $3.925 billion. It also now expects identical sales, a metric similar to comparable sales, to be in a range of down 0.5% to 1.5%, compared to a previous expectation of flat to up 1%.
For the first fiscal quarter of the year, the company reported that identical sales fell 0.8%. Albertsons reported net income of $84.7 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to $236.4 million, or 41 cents per share, in the year-ago period.
Still, Morris said on a call with analysts that while the pressure on consumers is weighing on near-term earnings, the company aims to "improve traffic, units, loyalty and the overall trajectory of the business over time."
Albertsons schválila hotovostní dividendu za 2. čtvrtletí fiskálního roku 2026 ve výši 0,17 USD na akcii. Vyplacena bude 7. srpna 2026 akcionářům, kteří budou držet akcie k 24. červenci 2026.
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) (the “Company”) today announced its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 of $0.17 per share of common stock. The cash dividend is payable on Aug. 7, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 24, 2026.
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of Feb. 28, 2026, the Company operated 2,244 retail stores with 1,713 in-store pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2025, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed $497 million in food and financial support, including $56 million through its Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in its communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.
Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Haggen and Balducci's Food Lovers Market are registered trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACME, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, Shaw's and Star Market are trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. Albertsons associated logos, product names and services are trademarks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations, perspectives and projected financial performance, are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan” and similar expressions, when related to the Company and its subsidiaries, indicate forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions that the risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The Company also cautions that undue reliance should not be placed on any of the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no responsibility to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect actual outcomes. Certain potential factors that could affect our business and financial results and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements are described in the “Risk Factors” section or other sections in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 27, 2026, and in reports subsequently filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Albertsons spustil s Criteo integraci, která v konverzačním AI vyhledávání zobrazuje sponzorované produkty. Cílem je přiblížit reklamu nákupu a zlepšit objevování zboží v aplikaci.
Albertsons has launched a new integration with commerce intelligence platform Criteo.
The partnership, announced Thursday (June 25) by the grocery giant’s retail media arm Albertsons Media Collective, is designed to bring product discovery into Albertsons artificial intelligence-powered conversational search.
“As customers increasingly turn to AI-driven tools for inspiration and guidance, Albertsons Media Collective is helping brands participate in key planning and shopping moments that are closer to purchase,” the company said in a news release. “The integration modernizes the app search experience by surfacing ads naturally within conversational discovery.”
With Criteo, eligible sponsored products can appear inside AI-powered conversational search product carousels, directing customers to relevant items while offering advertisers a natural way to appear within the shopping journey, the release added.
“As shoppers use AI and conversational experiences to explore options, brands have an opportunity to put customers first by connecting them to the right products in the moments that matter, meeting their needs with relevance while making retail media feel effortless and organic,” said Jill Pavlovich, Albertsons senior vice president for digital customer experience.
“This integration is about creating retail media that helps customers along their shopping journey, showing up in ways that are useful and additive to their experience, while giving advertisers a new path to engage closer to the moment of purchase.”
The new partnership is the latest example of Albertsons’ embrace of AI. The company last month launched Intelligent Quality Control, a tool for the chain’s distribution centers designed to visually inspect grapes and berries to determine if they are still fresh.
“Produce quality inspection has always been a human problem with a human-shaped flaw,” PYMNTS wrote. “The same item might grade differently depending on the inspector, the shift, the warehouse or the hour. Across a network like Albertsons’ 22 distribution centers and 2,244 stores, small inconsistencies can compound.”
And during an earnings call at the start of the year, Albertsons said that its Ask AI search capability was yielding a 10% increase in basket size for those customers using it.
Meanwhile, PYMNTS wrote earlier this year about one of the challenges facing businesses when it comes to retail media: nearly half of all retail shoppers did not notice an offer made via these channels during their most recent purchase.
“Among those who do find them, most offers require multiple steps to redeem, and only a small minority are automatically applied at checkout,” PYMNTS wrote in April. “That gap directly affects whether retail media can do what it is designed to do — which, in a nutshell, boils down to changing consumer behavior.”