KEY POINTS
  • Shares of Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart fell on Tuesday, as investors worried that omicron-fueled worker shortages and supply chain delays would hurt major grocers.
  • Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran said on an earnings call that the latest spike in Covid cases has delayed the recovery to more typical levels.
  • The omicron variant has exacerbated worker shortages in nearly every industry, from airlines to restaurants.

In this article

Bread aisle shelves at a Target are seen nearly empty as the U.S. continues to experience supply chain disruptions in Washington, U.S., January 9, 2022.

Empty shelves have returned at supermarkets as grocery employees call out sick and truckloads of food arrive late.

That's one of the latest outcomes of the omicron variant, which is straining the workforce. Investors are seeing the pressure and bracing for a longer period of high costs for labor, transportation and food.

In this article