Editor’s note: This interview was conducted prior to Albertsons Companies’ announcement that it was restructuring its 11 divisions into four regions. The new South Region contains the Southern Market, formerly the Southern Division.
About nine months into her role as VP of retail operations for Albertsons’ Southern Division, now the Southern Market, Eureka McCrae oversees 146 Albertsons, Tom Thumb and Randalls stores and more than 14,000 associates across four states.
McCrae came to the division after more than two-and-a-half years as area VP of operations for the Safeway banner in Northern California, where she oversaw half of that region.
“I’ve spent my career leading retail operations, developing leaders, improving execution and delivering strong financial results,” she said. “That work has always been in service of our company’s mission to help people across the country live better lives.
“My passion is building high-performing teams that create exceptional experiences for our customers and bring that mission to life in every store, every day.”
Her top priority for the division reflects that focus.
“Our top priority is driving consistent execution across every store,” McCrae said. “That means improving fresh performance, reducing shrink, growing e-commerce and delivering a great customer experience.
“That priority is a direct extension of our companywide strategy to be locally great and nationally strong, and we do this by using the scale and resources of Albertsons Companies to support strong local execution in each of our communities.
“When we execute the fundamentals well every day, we improve profitability, strengthen customer loyalty and support the kind of profitable, sustainable growth our company is working toward.”
Getting stores right
The division recently opened new stores in Argyle and Midlothian, Texas, and remodeled store No. 120 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. McCrae, who has been involved with those grand openings and remodels, said getting a store right begins well before the doors open.
“It starts with understanding the community,” she said. “Every market has different customer needs and shopping habits, and our company’s approach has always been to make a meaningful difference neighborhood by neighborhood, not with a one-size-fits-all model.
“We focus on the right assortment, strong operational execution and the development of great teams so customers immediately see that we’re invested in serving their community. Freshness, quality and community are at the center of that work, and they’re what customers should feel the moment they walk into an Albertsons, Tom Thumb or Randalls.”
From an operations perspective, new stores and remodels each bring their own energy and their own hurdles – from the age and size of a building to navigating construction.
“The new stores are pretty fun because they’re from the ground up,” McCrae said. “You get to see it from beginning to the end stages, and there’s so much excitement and momentum built around those.
“The overall excitement from the community and the customers outweigh any type of challenge that we face, whether it’s a new store or remodeled store. The folks and the communities are so excited to see it come alive.”
When the division enters a new community, McCrae said, much of the groundwork happens backstage. “A lot of that research and heavy lifting comes from our construction and our public relations team,” she said, pointing to data science, community involvement and council meetings that take place before store teams step in to execute the plan.
Evolving with customers
Meeting customers where they are also means meeting them online. McCrae said the operations side has evolved along with shopping habits.
“Today’s customer expects convenience, quality and consistency, whether they’re shopping in the aisle or on their phone,” she said.
It’s an expectation she understands firsthand. “I know for sure, being a mom and when my kids have soccer and football, you’re time starved. You just want convenience,” she said.
“Our teams balance outstanding in-store execution with a growing digital business, while using technology and data to improve inventory, labor and the overall customer experience,” McCrae added.
“We certainly have a commitment to innovation and are continually enhancing our digital and product offerings to make it easier and more convenient for customers to get what they need, wherever they are.”
Nationally strong
Running three banners across four states requires balancing consistency with local relevance, McCrae said – the division’s “locally great, nationally strong” philosophy in action.
“While every banner has its own identity and customer base, our operational standards remain consistent across the company,” she said. “Our job is to execute those standards while allowing each banner … to serve its local community in a meaningful way. That balance is what lets us operate at national scale while still feeling like the neighborhood grocer our customers know and trust.”
Keeping it simple
Translating the division’s growth strategy into day-to-day execution comes down to clarity, she said.
“We keep it simple. We establish clear priorities, measurable expectations and consistent accountability. I spend a lot of time in stores coaching leaders and removing obstacles, because great execution at the store level is what ultimately drives growth.
“Our associates are the ones who bring our mission to life for customers every single day, and building lasting relationships with our customers starts with building strong, well-supported teams. When our leaders are equipped and accountable, that translates directly into the kind of consistent, locally great experience our customers expect, and it’s what keeps our division growing in a sustainable way.”