Personnel Updates
• Albertsons named Narayan Iyengar Senior VP Digital Marketing and E-commerce, responsible for “leading all aspects of digital marketing including loyalty programs, shopper marketing and the overall digital presence, as well as the e-commerce business, including home delivery.”
• Ahold Delhaize named Don Sussman Exec VP of Merchandising, succeeding Andrew Iocobucci, who is leaving the company. Bob Yager would be rejoining the Stop & Shop New York Metro division as Senior VP and division lead. Nick Bertram, current Senior VP of Merchandising will expand his responsibilities to include day-to-day merchandising operations, the ongoing integration work with Delhaize America and vendor collaboration, the company said.
• The Golub Corporation promoted Blaine Bringhurst to the position of Exec VP Marketing, Merchandising and Store Operations and Leo Taylor to the position of Exec VP Administration.
• Kroger named Matt Perin Head of Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, based in Washington.
• Kroger said that Jerry Clontz, Senior VP of Operations at the company’s Harris Teeter division has been named President of its Mid-Atlantic division. Clontz succeeds Joe Fey, who is retiring from Kroger after 44 years with the company.
• Loblaw announced the ascension of Galen G. Weston to Chairman and CEO of George Weston and Sarah Davis to President of Loblaw.
• Pilot Flying J hired Shannon Johnson as its new VP of Food Innovation.
• ShopRite Supermarkets, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern Food Corp, named Brett Wing as President.
• Supervalu named Anne Dament Senior VP Retail, Merchandising and Marketing reporting to CEO Mark Gross.
Industry Insight
• Save-A-Lot announced it would be closing all 13 of its existing stores in California and Nevada and the distribution center servicing them; the stores are expected to close in a matter of weeks. The company said 12 the 13 stores are corporately owned.
• Publix has a number of new initiatives kicking off this year, including a delivery partnership with Instacart, in-store Starbucks kiosks and an enhanced social media strategy.
• Kroger announced it will hire 10,000 permanent store employees across its banners nationwide this year, including Ralphs, Fred Meyer and Harris Teeter stores.
Real Estate
• Aldi is remodeling 1,300 of its U.S. stores at a cost of $1.6 billion. The upgrades include sleeker refrigerator doors and windows to bring in more natural light, a widened first aisle, an expanded front of the store and raised ceilings while also adding more organic produce, fresh meat and alcohol products.
• RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. plans to open 50 new stores and remodel 70 stores in Central Florida by the end of 2017; new and remodeled stores will offer frozen yogurt stations, expanded coffee areas, additional seating and free Wi-Fi.
• Whole Foods Market will close nine stores and change its new-store strategy, a drastic departure from its previous plan to open more than 1,200 US stores. The company will also focus on assessing the performance of 100 stores that are newly opened or scheduled to open soon.
