Personnel Updates
• Albertsons Cos. has promoted Jonathan Mayes to the role of Senior VP, External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer.
• Fairway Market hired Abel Porter as its new CEO, following Jack Murphy’s departure.
• Publix Super Markets announced the promotion of Bob Balcerak VP of Real Estate Strategy.
• SpartanNash announced that it has promoted Mike Pahud, CFO at its Caito Foods division, to COO of the company.
• Metropolitan Markets announced that CEO Todd Korman is stepping down from that role to be succeeded by current COO Ron Megahan.
• Kroger announced that it has named Joe Grieshaber, President of Kroger’s Columbus division, to be president of Fred Meyer Stores. At the same time, Kroger said that Dan De La Rosa, who has been VP of Merchandising for Fred Meyer Stores, has been named President of Kroger’s Columbus division.
• Kroger named Todd A. Foley its new Chief Accounting Officer succeeding the retiring Mary Elizabeth Van Oflen. Carin Fike will replace Foley’s current role.
• QuickChek promoted Don Leech to VP of Real estate and Development and Robert Porcelli to Director of Operations for Region 2. John Schaninger, VP of Sales and Marketing has left the company, replaced by Rob Easley as Senior VP of Merchandising and Marketing.
• Smart & Final named Derek Jones President of its Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice division.
• Wegmans announced that Colleen Wegman, the company’s President, now is taking on the additional responsibilities of CEO of the company; Danny Wegman, now assumes the title of Chairman.
• Weis Markets announced the hiring of William England as VP of Asset Protection.
Industry Insight
• Costco has partnered with Shipt for a home grocery delivery test in the Tampa, FL area. Costco offers the service in the San Francisco market through a partnership with Instacart.
• Harps Food Stores has rebranded an underperforming Price Cutter store in Arkansas to its 10 Box Cost-Plus store format. Shoppers bag their own groceries in exchange for an estimated 10% savings passed on to the customer.
• Plumb’s Valu-Rite Foods is rebranding its stores to the Great Lakes Fresh Market banner after being acquired by L.M. Foods; the company is also adding Associated Wholesale Grocers’ Best Choice private label products at its stores and increasing its focus on fresh and organic foods.
• Publix Super Markets will open a new store under its GreenWise natural specialty banner in Tallahassee late next year, evolving the concept to fit consumer tastes and market trends, the company said. Current Publix GreenWise stores are in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton and Tampa, FL.
Real Estate
• Sprouts Farmers Market will open 11 new stores in California, Nevada, Tennessee, Arizona, New Jersey and Florida in the second half of the year to total 32 new locations for the year.
Financial Focus
• Weis Markets reported fiscal 2016 sales of $3.14 billion.
• Tops Markets reported fiscal 2016 sales of $2.45 billion.
Mergers and Acquisitions
• Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. parent company of 7-Eleven Inc. has agreed to acquire the convenience stores and gasoline retail business of Sunoco LP for $3.3 billion.
• Supervalu agreed to acquire Unified Grocers for $375 million representing $114 million in cash and the assumption of $261 million in debt.
