Albertsons CEO Susan Morris used the company's Q2 2026 earnings call on October 13, 2026 to lay out where each of the grocer's four AI initiatives stands — and to push back against any suggestion that the company is waiting on infrastructure before it moves.
"AI is absolutely essential, complementary, and we're not waiting," Morris said. "Some of it will come later, but some of it's helping us right now."
Morris described the four bets in direct response to an analyst question about whether Albertsons has the right technology in place to execute its current priorities.
Each initiative, she said, is specifically designed to support improvements in store standards. The operational baseline the company is focused on as it works through a challenging sales environment.
Merchandising intelligence is aimed at enabling faster, smarter decision-making on category management, covering assortment, pricing, and promotions.
Store labor productivity is focused on driving efficiency in one of the business's most significant cost lines. Demand forecasting, which Morris described as running "end to end, from farm to table," is designed to improve in-stock results by strengthening the company's planning capabilities upstream.
The fourth initiative, inventory optimization, was referenced in the context of demand planning but not separately detailed on the call.
Executive Chair Meg Whitman added a top-line frame: "We've built a strong e-commerce platform and see AI as critical to our success." No AI-specific financial results, cost savings, or investment figures were disclosed on the call.
The broader financial picture for the quarter was mixed. Net sales of $18.89 billion were down 0.1% year over year, while digital sales grew 11% and digital penetration reached 10.5%.
Adjusted EBITDA came in at $784 million. Management withdrew its full-year outlook and said a multiyear plan would be presented by the fourth-quarter call.