Faced with lower spending by consumers, who are being cautious in their budgets due to the high cost of food, goods and services, among others, this week the Albertsons supermarket chain indicated in its report on sales and profit forecasts for fiscal year 2026 that it expects the first quarter results to be negative due to the drop in its sales.

In this regard, CEO Susan Morris noted in the company's earnings release that, "in the first quarter, our digital and pharmaceutical businesses continued to post strong growth, while the core grocery business faced increasing pressure due to weaker sector trends and a more cautious consumer," she said.

In this sense, the company forecast a decrease in its sales between 0.5% and 1.5%, and foresees a reduction in adjusted earnings to between $1.75 and $1.85 dollars per share, after knowing that first quarter net income decreased 17 cents per share, about $84.7 million dollars.

However, the supermarket highlighted that it has been accelerating its investments in order to improve the proposals for its customers. “We have decided to accelerate investments in our customer value proposition and customer experience before realizing the expected productivity benefits, because we believe these actions will improve our growth trajectory, strengthen our competitive position and create long-term value for shareholders,” Morris said.

Likewise, the chain announced the restoration and consolidation of 11 divisions in four regions of the country with the aim of improving its premises, the relationship with its suppliers and marketing strategies.