Corporate & Cart: Kroger Doesn't Know Your Name

Lyrics

[Intro]
Key performance indicators.
Customer journey mapping.
Q3 projections, nominal.

[Verse 1]
Somewhere in Cincinnati, a PowerPoint glows on a wall.
Store four-three-seven, on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
The report notes consistent foot traffic,
a slight dip in dairy sales for October.
Inventory shrinkage: point-two percent above average.
The numbers are clean.
The columns are straight.
Everything accounted for in the quarterly review.

[Chorus]
But the spreadsheet doesn't have a column for ghosts.
The inventory system doesn't track a memory.
Corporate calls it an asset, a line on a map.
They don't know your name.
They'll never know your name.

[Verse 2]
Store six-two-one, on Pharr Road.
Data shows a curious spike in frozen pizza and glitter sales after midnight.
A note for the regional manager to investigate supply chain efficiency.
Store five-eight-nine, Cheshire Bridge.
High velocity on energy drinks and single-serve salads.
The algorithm suggests a targeted promotion.
It sees the transaction, not the tired smile.
Not the cash, still warm.

[Chorus]
The spreadsheet doesn't have a column for ghosts.
The inventory system doesn't track a memory.
Corporate calls it an asset, a line on a map.
They don't know your name.
They'll never know your name.

[Bridge]
What do you call a story on a balance sheet?
What's the SKU for a legend whispered in the parking lot?
Murder. Disco. Stripper. Kroghetto.
Lady. Soviet. Frat Boy.
These are not assets.
They are not data points.
They are us.
They are the city, talking to itself.

[Outro]
This concludes our report.
All metrics are within acceptable parameters.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Have a pleasant and productive day.