It'll be awhile before grocery shoppers see the impact of food inflation dipping and, in the meantime, consumers are buying smaller amounts of food and focusing on lower-cost store brands.

The insight, from KrogerCEO Rodney McMullen, was shared in an interviewwith the Wall Street Journal.

The news comes just about two months after Kroger announced it intends to acquire Albertsonsfor $20 billion. Kroger runs 2,700 stores and Albertsons has about 2,300 stores. Both also have secondary grocery brands.

Inflation has been a hot topic for the second part of the year with industry analysts researching its impact on retailand shoppers with the holiday season.

McMullen said consumers have been adjusting buying habits in response to higher prices. Kroger is the top supermarket in the U.S. when it comes to sales.

"It is clear that inflation remains top-of-mind for our customers," McMullen said in a call with analysts, according to the WSJ.

McMullen said the chain will boost products and expand price ranges as well as add additional technology and data jobs.

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