What's behind the Kroger Co.'s recent push to invest in Louisville?

Jake Cannon, Louisville division president for Kroger, is on this week's Access Louisville podcast to explain that and much more.

LBF has been reporting on major investments from Kroger in the market during the last few years. In March we had a story about a $1.8 million remodel of the West Broadway location. Before that, we covered a $2 million renovation of the Outer Loop Kroger. Those are just to name a few recent examples.

As Cannon explains on the show: "it takes capital dollars invested into our brick and mortar stores to make sure layout of the store is right and that we have the right assortment [of products.] Thousands of items are introduced into the market each year."

For example, he noted, that when he ran a Kroger store in the 2000s, there was only one energy drink on the shelves: Red Bull.  

"Now it's an aisle ... everybody in the world has an energy drink and that's what the customers are looking for," he said.

Late last year, Kroger also announced a $40 million new marketplace store on Beulah Church Road.

The company is facing new competition in town, including Publix's entry and expansion into Louisville. Cannon talks about competition as well — including what he looks for when he visits Kroger's competitors. As well as companies that he personally admires, including Starbucks and Chik-fil-a.

Cannon, originally from Utah, started working in a grocery store when he was 16 as he explained in this 2023 profile story in Business First. That store wasn't a Kroger location but he found his way to the company from there. He worked for Kroger in Utah, Las Vegas and at the company's general office in Cincinnati, before coming to Louisville. 

Cincinnati-based Kroger has served the Louisville community for 95 years now at 27 stores across Jefferson County. Kroger Louisville Division operates 116 retail stores in Kentucky, Southern Indiana and Southern Illinois. Kroger Co. is one of the largest employers in Greater Louisville.

Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.