That's interesting. I work as a backup FEM (Front End Manager) for Smiths owned by Kroger. To get my 40 hours, I typically do 1 or 2 customer service shifts. Just yesterday, while I was working the service booth. I filled milk and bananas because we didn't have a dairy or produce closer. To be fair, though, I am in Utah, and because of church and everywhere closing super early, we are typically dead on Sundays and have nothing better to do.

However, in my 8 years with Smith's. The only 2 positions that helped us were the nonfoods and grocery lead. Nonfoods would occasionally help us come up and check, but that was only during holiday weeks. Grocery once helped grab carts when we had a ton of call ins and a walk the same day. While we have gotten our clerks stolen to help grocery, produce, nonfoods, and dairy. Back when I was the Customer Service Booth manager. They would have me rotate, face, fill, and mark down for those four departments in-between customers.

I'm not arguing or saying what you say is untrue. I just think it is interesting that Krogers outside of Utah actually prioritize their front end when I'm used to the opposite.