Kroger loses a longtime exec after 38 years

A longtime Kroger lifer hangs up the apron

Kroger announced that Valerie Jabbar, senior vice president of Retail Divisions, retired in May after 38 years with the company. That’s a pretty full-circle exit: she started as a clerk at Fry’s in 1987 and worked her way up through district manager, merchandising, division president, and more before landing her current role in 2021.

Why investors should care

This isn’t a dramatic breakup or a boardroom knife fight. It’s more of a “the grown-up who’s been running the store for a while is moving on” situation. For a retailer like Kroger, the real question is whether the bench is deep enough to keep operations humming without missing a beat.

A few things to watch:

• Does Kroger name a clean successor, or does the role get shuffled around?
• Does the retirement signal broader leadership turnover, or is this just a planned handoff?
• Can the company keep execution tight in a business where tiny changes in margins can make a big difference?

Big picture

For now, this looks like a routine management change rather than a stock-moving plot twist. But in grocery, consistency is king — and investors usually like it when a company can swap out key leaders without making the whole thing feel like a soap opera.