KROGER
“ IN THE PAST , INNOVATIONS WERE
BIG BETS WITH POTENTIALLY BIG
REWARDS CREATED DURING LONG DEVELOPMENT
PERIODS . TODAY ,
WE INCREMENTALLY DELIVER MEANINGFUL INNOVATIONS MUCH
MORE RAPIDLY BY LIMITING THEIR SCOPE ” company , a banking company . We get great insights from that ,” he says .
In addition to Kroger ’ s close working relationship with universities and colleges in its backyard , the company seeks out opportunities to collaborate with academia across the American Midwest and elsewhere that can offer important insights .
Retail ’ s unparalleled science and technology pathfinder According to Rhodes , the Kroger team ’ s commitment to diversity and a forwardthinking digital approach opens the door to new ideas .
“ Diversity of thought is key to creating real change . It allows you to see the problem from different perspectives then seek out and test the best solutions ,” he says . “ R & D thrives in an environment with different
WESLEY RHODES VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFORMATION AND R & D , KROGER
backgrounds , experiences , education , and specialties . We tell our team members that they can come to Kroger and get something they won ' t find anywhere else – freedom to solve the problem .”
Each group of interns at Kroger Labs is tasked with the same challenge : storyboard what you think the grocery shopping experience looks like in ten years . In each cohort , interns will come to Kroger with a wide range in age , previous work experience , professional disciplines and much more . Each team member brings a different world view to their ideal experience and their individual aspirations for the future – from making stores more environmentally friendly to exploring additional ways to make shopping more convenient . kroger . com 15