The Wall Street Journal evaluates how leading US corps stack up in 6 areas: AI readiness, innovation, talent readiness, financial fitness, resilience and agility.
Kroger ranks #384 overall with an Overall Score of 43.6, placing it 4th out of 4 Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail companies. Its best factor is Resilience Rank #159, but the rest of the profile is weak: AI #226, Innovation #345, Talent Readiness #401, Financial Fitness #401, and Agility #410.
The data reads Kroger as a legacy retail and grocery incumbent with limited future-readiness momentum. The strategic issue is not that grocery is irrelevant, but that the company does not screen well on the factors the model rewards: innovation, speed, talent readiness, and financial flexibility. Relative to stronger consumer and retail names, Kroger looks defensive but not strategically advantaged.
Source:
https://www.wsj.com/rankings/best-companies-for-the-future/full-rankings-2026