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THE ADVERTISER MAY USE THIS SPACE FOR A RELATED TEXT

June/July 2026 Volume 105, Number 5

C-SUITE INSIDER: ALBERTSONS’ BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH CANNY INVESTMENTS Shelf-stable products lean into the latest trends AN END TO LABOR PAINS New workforce solutions balance tech, human interaction IT PAYS TO INTEGRATE Unified POS systems enable seamless experiences

June/July 2026 Volume 105, Number 5 www.progressivegrocer.com

CPG TRAILBLAZER

Pamela Stewart The Coca-Cola Co.

RETAIL TRAILBLAZER

Valerie Jabbar The Kroger Co.

The Power of Progress

Contents

105 06/07.26 Volume Issue 5

16 COVER STORY

Progressive Grocer’s 2026 Top Women in Grocery RETAIL TRAILBLAZER

The Power of Progress

Valerie Jabbar The Kroger Co.

This year’s honorees are pulling out all the stops to keep food retail moving forward.

112 C-SUITE INSIDER

116

Albertsons Creates a Blueprint for Growth

The grocer’s new Merch United operating model aims to deliver long-term success.

116 CENTER STORE

Shelf-Stable Genius

112 Departments 4 EDITOR’S NOTE

From Vancouver to Bentonville: A Season of Industry Connection 6, 8 IN-STORE EVENTS CALENDARS

August and September 2026 2 progressivegrocer.com

These grocery stalwarts are responding to consumer trends to spark renewed interest.

10 NIELSEN’S SHELF STOPPERS

12 MINTEL

Health & Beauty Care

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverages

14 ALL’S WELLNESS

Store Tours and Other In-Store Nutrition Activations 137 AHEAD OF WHAT’S NEXT

Embracing the World

CPG TRAILBLAZER

Pamela Stewart The Coca-Cola Co.

120 FRESH FOOD

Why Brioche Keeps Outgrowing the Bakery Case

Senior-Level Executives

Rising Stars

Store Managers

120

Brioche sales keep climbing as shoppers chase premium indulgences.

126 TECHNOLOGY

Closing the Gap Between Intent and Impact

Retail success means managing labor’s collision of tech with sweat equity.

134 TECHNOLOGY

Amalgamating Contactless Payments

Exponential growth of payment apps is prompting grocers to install integrated, flexible POS systems.

126

138 EQUIPMENT & DESIGN

The Clean Scene

A roundup of recent news from suppliers and a solution provider.

134 PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026

EDITOR’S NOTE By Emily Crowe

8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 225, Chicago, IL 60631 Phone: 773-992-4450 Fax: 773-992-4455

From Vancouver to Bentonville: A Season of Industry Connection

THE PG TE AM HAS BEEN BUSY TR ACKING THE L ATEST RE TAIL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIONS.

t was a busy spring here at Progressive Grocer, punctuated by big industry news and even bigger industry events. It’s been a boots-onthe-ground few months for our team, and we’re energized by the sights and sounds we’ve experienced. At the end of April, I attended and spoke at Grocery & Specialty Food West in Vancouver, British Columbia, a show put on by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. I took the stage with Canadian and American indies to discuss how to stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace by offering top-notch service, keeping close to consumers, staying relevant and providing meaningful community connections. May took me down south to San Antonio for my first Western Association of Food Chains conference. What a treat it was to hear so many food retailers, ranging from Raley’s and Northgate González Market to Albertsons Cos. and Stater Bros. Markets, discuss their innovative ideas, current successes and future ambitions. Later in May, the whole Progressive Grocer team converged in Charlotte, N.C., for our fourth annual GroceryTech event. Unsurprisingly, AI of all sorts was top of mind this year, with attendees learning about Kroger’s multi-layered AI strategy from CIO Jim Clendenen, Northeast Grocery’s agentic AI transIt’s been a boots-on-the-ground formation from CIO Scott few months for our team, and Kessler, and AI-powered we’re energized by the sights technology at Good Food and sounds we’ve experienced. Holdings, Lowes Foods, Dollar General and more. Last among my journeys this spring was a trip to Northwest Arkansas for Walmart Associates Week. The retailer showed off in-store technology at both Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the area, as well as sharing its own learnings and aspirations regarding AI tools for shoppers and associates. Meanwhile, Managing Editor Bridget Goldschmidt ventured to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Nourishing Change conference – a joint venture between Hy-Vee and Kroger that aims to shape the future of retail health. Additionally, our intrepid Associate Editor Sam Schober did some trendspotting at her first International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Show, in Orlando, Fla. Needless to say, PG editors are consistently on the ground learning about the industry and connecting with the people who work tirelessly to make it run seamlessly and successfully. If you see us out and about at events this summer or fall, come and say hi – we’d love to talk shop!

Emily Crowe Editor-in-Chief ecrowe@ensembleiq.com

4 progressivegrocer.com

www.ensembleiq.com BRAND MANAGEMENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR Eric Savitch esavitch@ensembleiq.com VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT Lisa Johnston ljohnston@ensembleiq.com EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Emily Crowe ecrowe@ensembleiq.com MANAGING EDITOR Bridget Goldschmidt bgoldschmidt@ensembleiq.com SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Marian Zboraj mzboraj@ensembleiq.com SENIOR EDITOR Julia Tabisz jtabisz@ensembleiq.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Samantha Schober sschober@ensembleiq.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jim Dudlicek, Mike Duff, Debby Garbato, Meg Major and Barbara Sax ADVERTISING SALES & BUSINESS ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Tammy Rokowski (INTERNATIONAL, SOUTHWEST, MI) 248-514-9500 trokowski@ensembleiq.com REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Theresa Kossack (MIDWEST, GA, FL) 214-226-6468 tkossack@ensembleiq.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Johanna Lupardus (CT, DE, MA, ME, RI, SC, TN, NH, VT, MD, VA, KY) 330-990-4635 jlupardus@ensembleiq.com PROJECT MANAGEMENT/PRODUCTION/ART PRINT DESIGNER Catalina Carrasco cgonzalezcarrasco@ensembleiq.com ADVERTISING/PRODUCTION MANAGER Maria del Mar Rubio mrubio@ensembleiq.com SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Nicola Tidbury ntidbury@ensembleiq.com SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES LIST RENTAL mbriganti@anteriad.com SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS contact@progressivegrocer.com

CORPORATE OFFICERS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jennifer Litterick CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jane Volland CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Derek Estey CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Ann Jadown

PROGRESSIVE GROCER (ISSN 0033-0787, USPS 920-600) is published monthly, except for January/February, July/August and November/December, which are double issues, by EnsembleIQ, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 225, Chicago, IL 60631. Single copy price $18.20, except selected special issues. Foreign single copy price $21.80, except selected special issues. Subscription: $134 a year; $246 for a two year supscription; Canada/Mexico $182 for a one year supscription; $249.90 for a two year supscription (Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40031729. Foreign $182 a one year supscription; $249.90 for a two year supscription (call for air mail rates). Digital Subscription: $78 one year supscription; $144 two year supscription. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL 60631 and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send all address changes to brand, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 225, Chicago, IL 60631. Copyright ©2024 EnsembleIQ All rights reserved, including the rights to reproduce in whole or in part. All letters to the editors of this magazine will be treated as having been submitted for publication. The magazine reserves the right to edit and abridge them. The publication is available in microform from University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations.

IN-STORE EVENTS

Calendar S

08.26

Get Caught Reading Month Global Employee Health and Fitness Month National Dental Care Month National Mental Health Awareness Month

National Military Appreciation Month National Strawberry Month Older Americans Month Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Colorado Day. Now is the time to showcase food and beverages from the Centennial State.

National Sisters Day. Siblings should celebrate with a food shopping spree.

Melon Day. Warm weather calls for easy recipes with these signature summer fruits.

International Homeless Animals Day. Raise money for charities that house, feed and rehome these unfortunate creatures.

National Hashtag Day. Does your business use easy-toremember ones?

Frankenstein Day. This scientist and his monstrous creation continue to capture the imaginations of millions – as well as inspiring an iconic kids’ cereal.

Clean Your Floors Day. Direct shoppers to the appropriate aisle so they can start mopping.

National Lazy Day. Sounds like a good time for some nofuss prepared food options.

Baby Boomers Recognition Day. There’s life in this influential generation yet!

National Knife Day. In a cooking demo, demonstrate superior slicing skills and the importance of maintaining a sharp blade.

International Day for People of African Descent. Celebrate the cuisines of your shoppers whose ancestry traces back to this continent.

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National White Wine Day. Urge customers to fill their glasses with vintages found on your shelves.

National Face Mask Day. Instruct shoppers how to create a beauty treatment with items from your shelves.

Pinot Noir Day. Hold a wine-tasting event to promote this beloved varietal among your offerings, complete with foodpairing suggestions.

Musicians Gene Simmons, Elvis Costello and Billy Ray Cyrus were all born on this day, making for an interesting song mix to play in the aisles.

Blogger Day. Enlist influencers to tout their favorite products purchased at your business.

National Sewing Machine Day. Those who sell notions can promote them as solutions for sudden wardrobe malfunctions.

National Potato Day. Remind shoppers that they don’t just have to fry or mash this ubiquitous veggie.

National Toilet Paper Day. What would we do without it?

Finish Your Degree Day. With online spotlights, salute associates and shoppers who are working to complete their formal education.

K-Pop Day. Demon hunters welcome!

World Mosquito Day. Provide advice and products to keep these insects from biting customers as they enjoy the great outdoors.

National Burger Day. What constitutes a great one? Have your shoppers weigh in online.

Professional Speakers Day. Engage an inspiring orator to motivate your employees to achieve even more.

Shop Online for Groceries Day. Show users that your website can deliver a seamless customer experience.

National Spumoni Day. For those who want more than just one ice cream flavor at a time, this classic Neapolitan concoction is the answer.

Radio Commercials Day. Consider how you advertise over the airwaves.

National Mochi Day. Highlight this sweet treat of Japanese origin, which is usually combined with ice cream in the United States.

World Honey Bee Day. Promote everyone’s favorite natural sweetener with a range of tasty recipes.

National Bao Day. These Chinese steamed buns featuring a range of fillings are growing ever more popular in the United States.

National Beach Day. Offer food, drink and supplies for shoppers on their way to the shore.

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C E L E B R A T I N G

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FOODS INC.

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IN-STORE EVENTS

Calendar S

09.26

Baby Safety Month Disaster Preparedness Month Global Company Culture Month Happy Cat Month

National Tofu Day. Encourage flexitarian shoppers to substitute this versatile fermented bean curd for meat in recipes.

Healthy Aging Month National Chicken Month National Condiment Month National Food Safety Education Month

VJ Day. Mark the date when World War II finally ended with a special discount for veterans of that historic conflict.

Victor Jorgensen

U.S. Bowling League Day. Does your company sponsor one?

Bring Your Manners to Work Day. Politeness matters, whether dealing with associates or customers.

World Beard Day. Let your hirsute shoppers know where they can pick up grooming supplies.

Fight Procrastination Day. Don’t wait another minute!

National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day. Get families cooking together with simple, fun recipes.

National Queso Day. Devise a sure-fire cheesy dip recipe to enliven any gathering.

National Crush a Can Day. This is a good time to remind customers of the importance of recycling.

Labor Day

National Eat a Hoagie Day, or a hero or a grinder or a submarine sandwich, depending on where you’re from.

Wife Appreciation Day. Spouses, take note: Going grocery shopping with your bride is a good way to foster togetherness.

International Poke Day. Provide shoppers with the right ingredients to assemble their own bowls at home.

8 progressivegrocer.com

International Literacy Day. Urge your employees to support this worthy cause by volunteering with groups that help people learn to read.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins, running through Oct. 15.

Emergency Services Day. Provide a special discount for those who help us when we need it most.

Mexican Independence Day. No, it’s not Cinco de Mayo.

National Autumnal Equinox. Centenarian’s Day. Have a great fall! Honor those of your customers who have reached the 100-year mark.

International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. Publicize your efforts in this area and provide guidance for shoppers to do their bit at home.

International Podcast Day. You might want to think about launching one to promote your business.

Are You Okay Day. Look out for those who may be struggling in silence.

International Country Music Day. There’s a wide range of tunes to choose from here, but beware of line dancing in the aisles!

National Horchata Day. This sweet, creamy beverage has myriad versions, including alcoholic and non-dairy.

Patriot Day

National Video Game Day. Provide snack suggestions Start of Rosh for gamers that won’t Hashanah, which runs through the 13th. leave consoles greasy.

National Respect Day. Model this behavior with everyone you interact with.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Originating in China, this occasion is celebrated with varying customs across many Asian countries, as well as in the West.

Oktoberfest starts now and runs through Oct. 6 in Munich, so if you want to create an authentic experience, you can hold your own beer festival on the same days.

National Situational Awareness Day. Always good to have in a grocery store.

192 1 92

t h i n

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c r i s p y

l a y e r s

FRONT END

Shelf Stoppers

Average Unit Price

Health and Beauty Care Dollar Sales

% Change Year Ago

Unit Sales

%% Change Year Ago

Vitamins/Supplements

$13,381,083,369

1.2%

1,139,656,689

1.8%

Hair Care

$13,267,953,025

1.8%

1,978,458,147

-1.5%

Oral Hygiene

$11,156,036,309

0.8%

2,110,182,227

-1.0%

Upper Respiratory

$10,590,037,142

-7.0%

1,067,748,140

-6.6%

Bath and Shower

$9,284,707,146

5.0%

1,874,353,510

2.7%

$118,240,414,874

-0.1%

15,968,405,873

-0.9%

Category

Total Category

$7.40

for all health and beauty care products, up 0.8% compared with a year ago

$11.74

for vitamins and supplements, down 0.6% compared with a year ago

Source: NIQ, Total U.S. (all outlets combined) during the 52 weeks ending April 18, 2026

Index by Number of Persons in Household Household Size

Vitamins/ Supplements

Hair Care

Oral Hygiene

Upper Respiratory

Bath & Shower

1 Person

2 Persons

126

111

112

3 Persons

111

104

110

116

4 Persons

125

111

110

128

5+ Persons

137

110

135

104

$6.71

for hair care, up 3.4% compared with a year ago

$5.29

for oral hygiene items, up 1.8% compared with a year ago

Source: CAM Household Demographics

Value Per Occasion What is the value per occasion for vitamins and supplements versus the year-ago period per generation? Greatest Generation

Boomers

Gen X

Gen Z/Gen Y

$21.86

$19.54

$17.37

$15.72

up 0.1% compared with a year ago

down 0.2% compared with a year ago

down 1.0% compared with a year ago

Source: NIQ, Total U.S. (all outlets combined) during the 52 weeks ending March 28, 2026

10 progressivegrocer.com

$9.92

for upper-respiratory products, down 0.5% compared with a year ago

$4.95

for bath and shower items, up 2.3% compared with a year ago Source: NIQ, Total U.S. (all outlets combined) during the 52 weeks ending April 18, 2026

MINTEL CATEGORY INSIGHTS

Global New Products Database

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverages What You Need to Know

Market Predictions

 Consumers choose RTDs for their convenience, wide range of flavors and ability to fit into different social occasions. Millennials and Gen Z remain the driving force, seeking flexible options that match their evolving social habits and wellness goals. As the market matures, affordability and lifestyle fit will become more important to keep RTDs in alcohol repertoires.

 Now: saturation point as consumers demand more depth: The market is cooling after years of growth, with hard seltzers declining and overall volume slipping as tariffs, inflation and economic strain push alcohol further down the grocery list. Consumers, especially Gen Zers and Millennials, are becoming more selective, shifting toward global flavors and flexible alcohol-by-volume (ABV) options that better match curated, home-based socializing.

 Consumer interest in RTDs is diverse, making it impossible to rely on a single strategy. Preferences differ by factors like alcohol content, flavor variety and health considerations. Rather than one dominant driver, this fragmentation highlights what consumers value most: the flexibility to customize their drinking experience.  The RTD market is slowing after a period of rapid growth driven by novelty, signaling a saturation point as product launches peak and excitement fades. Brands will have to rethink strategies by expanding usage occasions and targeting new segments. Economic challenges and tariffs will further pressure the category, as alcohol remains a discretionary purchase.

12 progressivegrocer.com

 Next: innovation, premiumization and flexibility: Modest stabilization returns as brands pivot toward broader usage occasions and more diverse audiences, including older generations and niche interest groups. Innovation will center on bold flavor experimentation, premium cocktail-style offerings, and expanded low/no-alcohol formats that align with sober-curious but still-drinking younger consumers. RTD cocktails and wine-based RTDs will continue to gain ground as hard seltzers settle into a mature role.  Future: fully segmented, lifestyle-driven alcohol ecosystem: As economic pressures ease, RTDs regain momentum, driven by personalization and global flavor exploration. The category will become more segmented, with clear lanes for high-ABV cocktails, functional RTDs and fully alcohol-free alternatives. RTDs will continue to compete with traditional beer and wine by offering convenience, flavor variety and formats tailored to evolving social rituals and lifestyle flexibility.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.MINTEL.COM OR CALL 800-932-0400

Opportunities Younger consumers have traditionally been the primary target market for alcoholic RTD beverages, but their perceptions of them are changing. Millennials and Gen Z are refining their tastes and becoming more knowledgeable about alcohol as they mature. This shift in preferences is one reason that RTD cocktails are gaining popularity, while hard seltzers and flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are seeing a decline. Younger consumers are reshaping how they socialize, favoring intentional, home-based, or activity-driven gatherings over traditional bars or clubs. They still value connection but prioritize experiences that feel meaningful, curated and purposeful. Most RTD marketing from leading brands primarily focuses on themes like sports, clubbing and partying. While this strategy has its merits, it often neglects alternative audiences such as gamers, women, pop culture enthusiasts, music fans and those seeking in-person connections in “third spaces.” Flavor is the top factor influencing RTD purchases, and ranks high in consumer interest for innovation. Unlike beer and wine, which have limited flexibility, RTDs, often made with neutral spirits/bases, offer greater versatility to fully explore bold and unique flavor profiles. These beverages don’t need to mimic traditional cocktails, giving brands the freedom to experiment and innovate with new and exciting flavors.

TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY HONOREE

Celebrating Excellence in Grocery Julie Lyle

President, North America, TCC Global TCC Global is proud to celebrate Julie Lyle, President, North America, on being recognized as a Top Women in Grocery honoree. Through her leadership and commitment to helping retailers create stronger shopper relationships, Julie continues to make a lasting impact across the grocery industry. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. tccglobal.com

ALL’S WELLNESS

By Diane Quagliani, MBA, RDN, LDN

Store Tours and Other In-Store Nutrition Activations

DIE TITIAN-LED E VENTS CAN NE T PROFITS. etail dietitian-led store tours and other in-store activations benefit both shoppers and retailers. Shoppers receive convenient access to a trusted nutrition expert, help for special diets, education to improve skills such as label-reading and meal planning, science-based information to clarify the facts about viral food and ingredient myths, and the opportunity to ask questions. Retailers enjoy increased foot traffic that can lead to added sales, more customer loyalty, differentiation from competitors, and an enhanced reputation in the community as a store that cares about shopper well-being. Work with your dietitians to customize events that meet your goals, as well as the interests and needs of your shoppers, and to set metrics for success.

Work with your dietitians to customize events that meet your goals, as well as the interests and needs of your shoppers, and to set metrics for success.

General Nutrition Tours: What Dietitians Do

Retail dietitians cover a lot of ground during general nutrition tours. They teach shoppers about label reading to help them understand the Nutrition Facts panel, ingredient lists, and health and nutrient-content claims, and how to use nutrition shelf tags and rating systems. They show shoppers how to compare products to make the best choices for their nutrition needs, offer budget-friendly shopping tips, and point out the value and nutrition parity of store brands versus more expensive name brands. They also provide meal-planning and cooking tips, recipes, and product samples. During tours for kids, dietitians use age-appropriate activities to teach kids about the nutritional value of foods and their relationship to health, the basics of label-reading, and how to make healthy food and beverage choices by examining the nutrients and ingredients in different products. Some activities let kids practice their math and reading skills. Examples are comparing product unit prices to find the best value, finding the highest nutrient amounts on the Nutrition Facts panel and searching for various listed ingredients. Dietitians provide interesting and healthful food samples, such as unusual fruits and vegetables, to broaden kids’ palates, encourage healthy snacking and increase their willingness to try new foods.

Tours for Special Diets and Health Concerns

Dietitians also lead specialized tours geared toward health issues such as diabetes and prediabetes, heart health, weight management, ingredient allergies, and prenatal, vegetarian and gluten-free diets. For instance, during a diabetes-themed tour, dietitians typically focus on label reading to manage portion sizes and carbohydrate intake, other important nutrients such as sodium and saturated fat, creating balanced meals and snacks for blood glucose control, healthful shopping and cooking tips, and guidelines for balancing food intake with physical activity.

14 progressivegrocer.com

Retail dietitians cover a lot of ground during general nutrition tours.

Dietitians often pair up with pharmacists who cover medication management, how to use blood glucose-tracking equipment and the importance of monitoring hemoglobin A1C levels.

More Than Tours

In addition to store tours, retail dietitians are experts at creating and implementing many other in-store activations that are science-based and measurable, meet shoppers’ needs, align with sales goals, and are integrated with other departmental initiatives and marketing channels. Just a few examples are nutrition counseling, healthy-cooking demos, product sampling, classes on special nutrition topics, and seasonal and health-themed events. Your retail dietitians are ready to be your resource.

Diane Quagliani, MBA, RDN, LDN, specializes in nutrition communications for consumer and health professional audiences. She has assisted national retailers and CPGs with nutrition strategy, web content development, trade show exhibiting, and the creation and implementation of shelf tag programs.

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COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

The Power of Progress This year’s honorees are pulling out all the stops to keep food retail moving forward. By PG Editorial Staff

rogress is defined in many different ways, but for the purposes of this year’s class of Top Women in Grocery honorees, let’s call it “gradual betterment,” or the process of developing “to a higher, better or more advanced stage.” These women are living, breathing examples of the progress occurring across their organizations, the progress happening in their own careers and the progress being made within their individual stores. Progressive Grocer’s 2026 Top Women in Grocery also represent the progress happening across the food retail industry as a whole. This year, our honorees have helped manage the shift toward digital transformation, with several winners spearheading e-commerce initiatives and technological integrations. They’re leading innovation and strategic growth, and they’re outperforming goals across the board. An important distinction among this year’s honorees is the fact that a majority of them are also tirelessly working to help others make progress, be it through community outreach, philanthropic leadership or talent development. Our judges found examples of all sorts of local engagement, charitable giving, sustainability efforts and even initiatives with global impact, as well as inclusive leadership and an intentional investment in developing and mentoring those still coming up through the ranks. Each and every one of this year’s Top Women in Grocery has a unique story to tell, often punctuated by resilience, growth and a desire to keep our industry moving forward. Read on to find out about their achievements.

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COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

2026 RETAIL TRAILBLAZER

Valerie Jabbar The Kroger Co.’s now-retired SVP of retail divisions gives parting advice for young professionals. By Emily Crowe

rogressive Grocer: What led you to food retail, and how has your career played out over the past several decades? Valerie Jabbar: I started in food retail in 1987 as

a clerk in Fry’s, and at the time, I don’t think I fully understood that I was beginning a lifelong career. What drew me in was the people. Grocery is such a personal business. You are part of people’s everyday lives – their family dinners, holidays, celebrations, hard seasons and ordinary routines. Over time, one opportunity led to another. I worked in stores, merchandising, district leadership, division leadership and eventually senior executive roles. I led multiple divisions and worked with thousands of associates. My career is really a story of learning, staying curious, working hard and having people believe in me along the way. PG: How did managing different customer bases and regional operations shape your leadership style? VJ: Moving across markets taught me that leadership can-

not be one size fits all. Customers in Arizona, California, the Mid-Atlantic, Cincinnati, Texas or the Southeast all have different expectations, traditions and shopping habits. The same is true of associates and communities. Those experiences taught me to listen fi rst. The best leaders respect local knowledge, ask good questions and empower the people closest to the customer. I became a more adaptable, humble and people-centered leader because every market taught me something different. PG: What must companies do next to keep the pipeline strong for future female executives? VJ: Companies have to be intentional. It is not enough to

hire talented women; organizations have to sponsor them, give them stretch assignments, advocate for them in rooms they are not in and make sure compensation and opportunity are equitable.

“Do not believe the myth that caring about your family or personal life makes you less ambitious. The things that ground you are the same things that sustain you through a long career.” 18 progressivegrocer.com

Women need access to operating roles, P&L responsibility, merchandising, stores, supply chain and strategic assignments that prepare them for senior leadership. Representation matters, but accountability matters even more. The next generation of female executives will grow where leaders are measured by how well they develop diverse talent. PG: What boundaries or mindsets helped you maintain work-life balance? VJ: I learned that balance is not perfect every

day. Some seasons required more from my career, and some seasons required more from my family. What mattered most was being present, knowing my priorities and not apologizing for having a full life outside of work. My advice to young professionals is this: Do not believe the myth that caring about your family or personal life makes you less ambitious. The things that ground you are the same things that sustain you through a long career. PG: What human skills does the next generation need to become successful grocery leaders? VJ: Empathy, communication, resilience and

humility. Grocery will continue to become more digital and data-driven, but it will always be a people business. Leaders must know how to connect with associates, understand customers, create clarity and stay calm through change. The best grocery leaders are not just technically strong. They care about people, make good decisions under pressure and build teams that believe in the mission. PG: How has your perspective on mentorship evolved? VJ: Early in my career, I thought mentorship

meant getting advice from someone more experienced. Over time, I learned that the best mentors do more than give answers. They challenge you, stretch your thinking and help you see potential in yourself that you may not recognize yet.

“The best leaders respect local knowledge, ask good questions and empower the people closest to the customer. I became a more adaptable, humble and people-centered leader because every market taught me something different.”

Young professionals often think they need a mentor to tell them the next step. What they really need is someone who will be honest with them, advocate for them, give feedback and help them build confidence through experience. PG: What is your ultimate hope for Kroger and the wider food retail industry? VJ: My hope is that the industry never loses sight

of its purpose. Grocery is about feeding families, serving communities and creating opportunities for associates. Technology, digital growth and innovation will continue to change the business, but people must remain at the center. For Kroger, my hope is that it becomes a place where someone can start as a clerk and build an extraordinary career. That possibility is what can make a journey so meaningful. PG: What parting advice would you give young professionals entering food retail today? VJ: Do not underestimate where a fi rst job can

take you. Work hard, stay curious, raise your hand, learn the business and treat every person with respect. Be willing to take the assignment that scares you a little. That is often where the growth happens. Most importantly, lead with integrity. Titles come and go, but your reputation, your relationships and the impact you have on people will last much longer.

“Representation matters, but accountability matters even more. The next generation of female executives will grow where leaders are measured by how well they develop diverse talent.” PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

2026 CPG TRAILBLAZER

Pamela Stewart The Coca-Cola Co.’s chief customer officer reflects on her road to success at the CPG powerhouse and shares the lessons she’s learned along the way. By Bridget Goldschmidt

rogressive Grocer: Describe your journey to working in the CPG industry and finding your home at The Coca-Cola Co. What attracted you to working in this area? Pamela Stewart: I have always thought of myself as a

creative person who chose a logical career. I started in a discipline that taught me structure, rigor and accountability, but I have been consistently drawn to the human side of business: the ideas, the relationships, the energy and the moments that connect people. When I fi rst came to Atlanta, I remember driving into the city and seeing the Coca-Cola sign glowing above the skyline. I had this clear thought: “I am going to work there one day.” It was not loud or dramatic. It was just certain, and it stayed with me. When I eventually had the opportunity to join The Coca-Cola Co., it felt like the beginning of something much bigger than a job. Over the years, my journey has taken me through many different parts of the business, from fi nance to sales to operations to franchise leadership and now to leading our retail customer partnerships. Each role gave me a broader view of our business, our system, our customers, our bottlers, our consumers and the extraordinary people who make it all possible. What attracted me to the CPG industry is what still inspires me today: how real and close to life this business is. Our work shows up in everyday routines and meaningful moments like the quick stop before work, the family meal, the celebration, the game day, the road trip and the quiet moment of refreshment. We are part of people’s lives in ways that are both simple and powerful. That is what has kept me here. Coca-Cola has always felt like more than a company to me. It has felt like a place where purpose, people, brands and possibility come together. PG: How have you dealt with difficulties or setbacks as you climbed the career ladder? PS: I do not think anyone builds a meaningful career with-

out facing hard moments. Setbacks are part of the journey. The question is not whether you will encounter them; the question is who you become because of them. For me, setbacks have taught resilience and the importance of knowing who you are before you walk into the 20 progressivegrocer.com

room. They have reminded me to stay grounded in my values even when the environment is complex or uncertain. I have learned that leadership is about embracing challenges and accepting the growth that results from doing so. It is also about responding with conviction, consistency, humility and grace. Difficulties have not defi ned my career – they have refi ned it. They have made me more intentional, more empathetic and more committed to creating safe spaces for others to thrive. PG: How important has mentoring been to you in your professional life? PS: Mentoring has been a meaningful part of

my career. I believe leadership is not measured only by what you accomplish personally. It is measured by how many people you help stretch beyond their own perceived potential. I have been fortunate to learn from so many people I have encountered, especially those who challenged me and helped me see possibilities I may not have seen on my own. Those experiences shaped how I show up for others. As a mentor, I try to lead with genuine care. I often say I am a chief caring officer fi rst. That is not a title, it is a responsibility. When people know you truly care about them, they are more willing to step into their own potential.

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©2026 CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) is an independent network member of CLA Global. See CLAglobal.com/disclaimer. Investment advisory services are offered through CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Mentoring is not just about giving advice. It is about helping someone feel seen, valued and capable. It is about reminding them that their voice matters and that their journey has meaning. That kind of impact lasts far beyond a single moment. PG: How did you develop your leadership style? PS: My leadership style has been shaped by experience,

shop, engage and connect. Partnerships are becoming more dynamic, more strategic and more important than ever. That pace of change excites me because it asks me to be both disciplined and creative, both thoughtful and fast, both strategic and deeply human. It challenges me to keep listening, keep learning and keep asking better questions. I also draw energy from the privilege of working in a business that touches people’s lives every day. The decisions we make, the partnerships we build, the brands we steward and the teams we develop all have the potential to create moments of connection for millions of people. For me, the work has never been just about products on a shelf, regardless of whether they’re physical or digital. It is about people, possibility, progress and purpose. That is what keeps me motivated. That is what keeps the industry exciting.

adversity, intention and the people who have taught and challenged me. Over time, I have come to believe in being bright, gentle and bold. Bright means not shrinking from who you are but using your voice and perspective to elevate the room and shift people forward. Gentle means giving space and grace to yourself and to others. Bold means having the courage to take smart risks, challenge the status quo and lean into hard unabashedly. I do not see these qualities as separate. I believe the most authentic and effective leaders bring all three. A big part of my leadership is creating safe spaces for people. When you give people both support and set high PG: How important is work-life balance to expectations, you unlock something powerful. They feel a successful career, and how have you aptrusted. They feel accountable. They feel encouraged to proached it? bring their best thinking, take smart risks and grow beyond PS: My greatest realization is that I am not in what they thought was possible. pursuit of the traditional defi nition of work-life Empathy is also central to how I lead. I put myself in the balance. Instead, I have chosen a profession I shoes of my team, our customers, our bottling and indusam passionate about and try partners and our a purpose for which I “Embrace what makes you unique. Do not consumers. When you understand what others spend your energy trying to disappear into was designed. This has afforded me the chance are experiencing, you the room or become a version of someone to redefi ne balance in a create better outcomes else. Understand what you bring, own it unique way: I am comthrough the accelerant of mitted to living life to the trust. and use it with intention.” fullest and being present At its core, people are where my feet are planted. the key strategy. When you invest in culture and talent, the business becomes stronger and more resilient. To me, success is not just climbing higher. It is elevating the room and making sure others can PG: Now that you have attained your current position, see a path forward because you walked it with how do you keep alive the excitement for the industry? intention. What keeps you motivated? PS: I keep the excitement alive by staying grounded in a few

beliefs that have guided me throughout my career: All is solvable, always see what is possible by asking what needs to be true and what are you willing to live with, and always ask for what you want. These are more than sayings for me. They are reminders to stay curious, courageous and focused on possibility. Not every day is easy, but every day gives me another opportunity to be a better version of myself. I am motivated by the chance to leave the business and the people better than I found them. I love seeing people grow into their own confidence and watching teams fi nd their rhythm and flow. I am also deeply motivated by learning. I see myself as a lifelong learner. Our industry is changing every day. Consumer expectations are evolving. Retail is being reimagined. Technology is reshaping how people discover, 22 progressivegrocer.com

PG: What advice would you give a woman just entering the CPG industry out of college? PS: Embrace what makes you unique. Do not

spend your energy trying to disappear into the room or become a version of someone else. Understand what you bring, own it and use it with intention. Your perspective, your background, your experiences, your voice and even the way you see the world can become part of your decisive leadership advantage. Most importantly, be intentional about the impact you want to have and live life on your terms. Your career will not be defi ned only by the roles you hold. It will be defi ned by the people you lift, the rooms you influence, the courage you show and the legacy you build.

We proudly recognize your dedication, leadership, and impact. Your commitment to excellence elevates our industry and makes a meaningful difference for our teams, customers, and communities.

Albertsons Companies Celebrates our Top Women in Grocery

Thank you for your outstanding accomplishments!

RISING STAR

Sherri Ahlgrain Front End Operation Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Christine Bittermann Deli Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Courtney Ammons Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Sasha Anderson

JJ Apat

Alyssa Arnest

Marcella Baloga

Sr. Data Scientist Corporate

Accounting Manager, Team Lead Portland Division

Asst. Grocery Sales Manager Portland Division

District Pharmacy Manager Mid-Atlantic Division

Amanda Boaldin

Sarah Brannon

Tina Browen

Megan Buenzow

Helen Carver

Director, Front End Operations Jewel-Osco Division

Asst. Sales Manager SoCal Division

Sr. Director, Marketing Jewel-Osco Division

Asst. Grocery Sales Manager Jewel-Osco Division

District Manager NorCal Division

Stephanie Diliberto

Claudia Dominguez

Bonnie Eckstein-Medvetz

Asst. Sales Manager General Merchandise Jewel-Osco Division

Division Maintenance Manager SoCal Division

Sr. Manager, Talent Acquisition Corporate

Erica Dawsen

Teresa Dick

Grocery/Liquor Operations Specialist SoCal Division

Director, Floral Merchandising and Execution Corporate

Keyona Fletcher

Macy Fong

Kristyn Foust

Amanda Frost

Kristen Gaskey

Toni Gauf

Deli Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Director, Product Design Corporate

District Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Service Deli Operation Specialist SoCal Division

Asst. Sales Manager General Merchandise Jewel-Osco Division

Service Deli Operations Specialist SoCal Division

Yana Hansen

Katie Hanus

Tracey Hartford

Chelsea Hulin

Chelle Jackson

Jessica Jarrett

National Category Director Corporate

Center Store Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

District Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Floral Operations Specialist Southern Division

Center Store Operations Specialist Seattle Division

Sr. Marketing Manager Corporate

Anupama Dande Director, Engineering Corporate

Rachana Belavigi Manager, Engineering Corporate

Viviana Bernal Director, Maintenance Southern Division

Kristy Chadbourne

Ashley Charfauros

Pricing Manager Shaw’s Division

Meat Operational Specialist SoCal Division

Anupama Bhalerao Sr. Manager Engineering Corporate

Dana Cruz IT Manager Corporate

Nikki Esguerra

Sabrina Fair

Roseed Felix

District Asset Protection Manager SoCal Division

Replenishment Manager United Division

Sr. Supervisor, Operations Finance Corporate

Stephanie Giangreco

Charnita Gordon

Sharon Greco

Center Store Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Deli Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Debra Jensen

Ranae Jonsson

Jennifer Keane

Bakery Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Director, Portfolio Information Security Ofﬁcer Corporate

Human Resources Manager Mid-Atlantic Division

District Pharmacy Manager Shaw’s Division

Alina Link

Heather Lovato

Sr. Department Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Center Store Operations Specialist Mountain West Division

Debra North

Ashley Odom

Antonetta Oteri

Service Deli Operations Specialist Seattle Division

National Category Director Corporate

Front-End Operations Lead Shaw’s Division

Tamara Kirby

Lubna Lasne

Ashley Lawliss

Jenny Layugan

Tammy Lemnah

Lisa Letch

Center Store Operational Specialist SoCal Division

Director, Technical Program/Project Corporate

Sourcing Manager Corporate

Asst. Director Corporate

District Manager Shaw’s Division

Floral Sales Manager Shaw’s Division

Sowjanya Naidu

Ronnie Nault

Tracy Newman

Sr. Manager Corporate

Sr. Human Resources Manager Portland Division

Sr. Director, Communications Corporate

Alpina Patel

Laura Petersen

Amber Radcliffe

Abie Rampy

Brandi Reiser

Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Sr. Director, Supply Chain Human Resources Corporate

Director, eCommerce Mountain West Division

Director, Public Relations United Division

Sr. Manager, Loyalty Corporate

Nadine Lynch

Sheila McKay

Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Construction Manager Shaw’s Division

Asst. Sales Manager Shaw’s Division

Hannah Parsons

Deepthi Parthasarathy

Yara Lucht

Asst. National Category Manager Corporate

Director, Product Management Corporate

Patty Rodriguez

Jennifer Rupert

Rachel Russell

Tina Schmitz

Tobi Seriki

Deli Production Center Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco Division

Director, Catering Mid-Atlantic Division

Patient Care Service Manager Jewel-Osco Division

District Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

National Category Director Corporate

Ashley Starke

Bonnie Stephen

Sarah Stolz

Krista Sullivan

Neetu Sultan

Sr. Manager Customer and Market Intelligence Corporate

Service Deli Operations Specialist SoCal Division

District Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Asst. Produce Sales Manager SoCal Division

Sr. Director, Technology & Engineering Corporate

Michelle Tomy

Michelle Tonkovich

Stefanie Toomey

Magdalena Tokarz Asst. Deli Sales Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Director, Merchandising Operations Corporate

Sr. Director Engineering Corporate

Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Kathryn Limoanco Sr. Manager Corporate

Lavanya Ramadoss

Atmika Ramanath

Sr. Director, Marketing & Personalization Corporate

Sr. Product Manager Corporate

Brenda Shetrone

Crissy Snyder

Wendy Stahl

Strategic Partner Director Corporate

Retail Integrity Analyst Jewel-Osco Division

Bakery/Starbucks Operations Specialist SoCal Division

Rosita Szatkowska District Manager SoCal Division

Dragana Stamenkovic Director, Warehouse Management Technology Corporate

Andrea Telang

Sierra Tijerino

Angelica Tinga

Sr. Director, Technology & Engineering Corporate

Service Deli Operations Specialist Southwest Division

Sr. Manager Corporate

Mary Wade

Dana Ward

Kim Watson

Shelia Whitiker

Abby Wojnicki

Micro-Market Sales Manager NorCal Division

Director, Communications & Public Affairs Mid-Atlantic Division

Bakery-Starbucks Operations Specialist Shaw’s Division

District Manager Jewel-Osco Division

Sales Manager, General Merchandise Jewel-Osco Division

SENIOR LEVEL EXECUTIVE

Teresa Abreu

Vice President, Division Counsel Jewel-Osco Division

Kyla Cardillo

Area Vice President, Operations Southwest Division

Ramiya Iyer

SVP, Technology & Engineering Corporate

Rupangi Kadakia

CAO, Albertsons Companies India Corporate

Angela Levin Vice President, Regulatory Law Corporate

Eureka McCrae Vice President, Operations Southern Division

Hana Meyers Vice President, General Manager Retail Seattle Division

Teresa Whitney

Group Vice President, Fresh Merchandising Corporate

STORE MANAGER

Alexandria Bailey

Victoria Borzykowski

Asst. Store Director Seattle Division

Store Director Portland Division

Crystal Dominguez

Marty George

Johannah MacDonald

Sierra McArthur

Store Director United Division

Store Director SoCal Division

Store Director United Division

Store Director Seattle Division

Nycke Bozilovic

Store Director Jewel-Osco Division

Kelsey Brick

Asst. Store Director Shaw’s Division

Johanna Gomez Megan Gregarek Store Director Jewel-Osco Division

Store Director Seattle Division

Brittanie Miller

Destinee Ovalles

Store Director Seattle Division

Maura Sweeney-Reeve Store Director Shaw’s Division

Store Director Shaw’s Division

Allegra Tayebi Store Director SoCal Division

Jennifer Brown

Kathy Chin

Lisa Coash

Olivia Cotten

Store Director SoCal Division

Store Director Southwest Division

Store Director Shaw’s Division

Katherine Hanley

Gina Hernandez

Jamie Kenney Store Director Seattle Division

Store Director Jewel-Osco Division

Christine Perez-Waqas

Jessica Puls

Brittany Randall

Nancy Sanchez

Nicole Towns

Elaine Vorro

Store Director Shaw’s Division

Store Director Southern Division

Store Director Shaw’s Division

Store Director NorCal Division

Store Director SoCal Division

Store Director Shaw’s Division

Store Director SoCal Division

Raquel Welch

Store Director Jewel-Osco Division

Asst. Store Director Jewel-Osco Division

Erica Little

Store Director SoCal Division

Doreen DeRochemont Store Director Shaw’s Division

Annalisa Locke Store Director SoCal Division

Tammy Stock

Store Director Jewel-Osco Division

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Senior-Level Executives

Tina Kubala SVP, Acosta Group f Kubala integrat-

ed and accelerated more than $200 million in new Procter & Gamble business, delivering a seamless transition while negotiating a margin‐accretive contractual structure across selling teams that doubled Acosta’s bonus opportunity tied to key performance indicator (KPI) delivery. f Within the military division, she

elevated execution and strategic clarity, culminating in her team’s earning the prestigious Coke Main Street Cup Award for strong sales and KPI performance. f Kubala participated in NextUp,

leading lunch‐and‐learn sessions to inspire greater engagement in women’s leadership and professional development; outside of work, she and her family regularly volunteered at local food pantries.

Ramiya Iyer SVP Technology and Engineering, Albertsons Cos. f Iyer helped

bring to market two breakthrough AI-powered experiences: Ask AI, a conversational search feature, which has already contributed to a significant lift in basket size, and Plan AI, an advanced, AI‐driven planning and shopping assistant designed to reduce grocery planning and shopping time by as much as 75%. f She played a vital role in

expanding omnichannel convenience through the rollout of Flash 30‐minute delivery, bringing unprecedented speed and flexibility to shoppers across all divisions. f Iyer served on the Albertsons

Foundation Board, contributing to the strategic direction of the company’s charitable efforts, including its flagship Nourishing Neighbors hunger relief program.

26 progressivegrocer.com

Rupangi Kadakia CAO, Albertsons Cos. India VP, Technology and Engineering, Albertsons Cos. f Kadakia led one of the

company’s most sensitive and high-impact strategic programs, partnering closely with executive leadership to design and execute a three-year strategy delivering approximately $300 million in run-rate savings. f She helped advance technol-

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Rebekah Stewart

Courtney Talbott Hicks

VP Business Intelligence, Acosta Group

VP National Merchandising, Albertsons Cos.

f Stewart led an enterprise transformation in how insights are delivered to customers, expanding her influence to all vertical intelligence teams and allowing best practices and innovation to be shared and scaled. f By leading the launch and

adoption of the Kroger Insights Hub, she fundamentally changed how data is applied to decision‐making, supporting faster decisions and more strategic client engagement. f She led structured ca-

reer-pathing and aspiration discussions with her direct reports, supported strategic talent placements and developed leaders who could independently drive change and innovation; these efforts ensured sustainable, scalable progress.

f Her vendor negotiation skills

yielded substantial financial wins. In response to price increases from one vendor, she offset the impact with extra promotions and joint solutions to protect margins while maintaining customer value. f Away from work, Hicks reg-

ularly volunteered at local food banks in North Texas.

Angela Levin

Teresa Whitney

VP Regulatory Law, Albertsons Cos.

Group VP Fresh Merchandising, Albertsons Cos.

f Levin saved

Albertsons more than $2 million in Oregon alone by identifying misreporting related to Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) legislation; she managed legislative proposals for EPR in nine states, navigating potential costs of $3 million-$10 million per state for Albertsons’ own-brand product packaging.

ogy-enabled operational excellence, working cross-functionally to ensure delivery of technology dependencies for 40-plus business AI and automation initiatives, contributing to an estimated $120 million in savings.

f She protected more than

f Kadakia also found time to

legal committee on the internal Extended Producer Responsibility task force, Levin was a member of Albertsons’ Personalized Pricing Communications and Government Affairs task force.

lead a highly successful intern program, converting 50% of interns into full-time employees, and has continued to mentor new graduates and individuals re-entering the workforce.

f To ensure future growth, Hicks addressed underperforming segments and spearheaded major assortment resets, with significant results: Her skin care reset simplified assortments and increased value, leading to greater market share, while in baby essentials, she expanded everyday low-price funding from top vendors to keep key items affordable, leading to an uptick of shoppers in critical categories.

$100 million in loyalty rewards for California customers by working tirelessly to hold over Assembly Bill 446, which threatened the foundation of loyalty programs. f As well as leading the

f Whitney drove

significant revenue increases in produce, meat and seafood, and floral, outpacing internal plans and prior-year performance; by Q3 2025, her fresh initiatives had realized $73 million in incremental sales. f She forged joint business plans

with major vendors, including a groundbreaking agreement with a beef supplier to lock in protein costs, and hosted a supplier summit that yielded exclusive product launches and increased vendor funds for promotions, resulting in record seasonal sales for holiday promos, with minimal margin impact. f Beyond her job, Whitney was

actively involved in Albertsons’ Pride Alliance and Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource groups.

COVER FEATURE

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Teresa Abreu

Hana Meyers

Eureka McCrae

Kyla Cardillo

VP Division Counsel, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

VP General Manager Retail, Albertsons Cos./Seattle Division

VP Operations, Albertsons Cos./ Southern Division

Area VP Operations, Albertsons Cos./ Southwest Division

f As lead

f Leading the

f McCrae led the

f Cardillo

counsel for two of Albertsons’ largest divisions, Jewel-Osco and Safeway Northern California, supporting 71,000 associates, Abreu’s responsibilities included legal oversight for distribution center and supply chain operations. f She negotiated a high-risk

employment case that significantly reduced business impact; developed ADA compliance training for the Jewel-Osco division, enhancing awareness and reducing risk of violations; and resolved 30-plus agency cases with a 90% win rate, meeting organizational goals and minimizing risk exposure. f Abreu provided specialized

training to loss prevention teams on criminal law and investigative techniques, enhancing operational integrity and reducing liability.

Haggen marketing, pricing, merchandising and operations team, Meyers was promoted to her marketing role in January 2025 and became interim GM of Haggen in October 2025. f She helped drive total

division sales of nearly 5% and increased gross profit exceeding 3% year over year, launched seasonal center store savings programs that drove double-digit sales and unit increases, and led several fresh initiatives, including fresh juice and cut fruit, a kitchen meal program, and hundreds of scratch-made items. f Within Meyers’ first year at the

helm, communication, meeting prep and sales action improved, and sales set another record for the Haggen stores.

opening of two stores in Sunnyvale and Sanger, Texas, introducing the brand into growing markets; through localized staffing, merchandising and marketing strategies, these openings contributed to a 3% increase in overall division revenue, establishing a strong foundation for long-term performance. f By strengthening labor align-

has delivered measurable improvements in product availability and customer experience by leading comprehensive training programs and reinforcing accountability in the use of forecasting and replenishment processes, reducing store out-of-stocks by more than 25%. f She spearheaded initiatives

ment and inventory discipline, she exceeded financial targets while maintaining service standards, leading to a 2% increase in profitability.

that delivered a 13% reduction in repair expenses across the division, and continued to champion this focus by sharing results and success stories during weekly conference calls.

f At Albertsons, McCrae was

f Under Cardillo’s guidance,

president of the Diversity Board, shaping initiatives that fostered equitable leadership opportunities across the organization; she also actively pursued deeper industry engagement through membership in the Western Association of Food Chains.

the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network at Albertsons has grown significantly in both engagement and impact, creating meaningful development opportunities and strengthening the culture of inclusion across the division.

Emily Detwiler

Anna Mancini

Liz Napier

Dale Abbascia

VP, AWG Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers

VP, Division Manager, Nashville, Associated Wholesale Grocers

SVP Sales Development, C.A. Ferolie

f Detwiler led

f Mancini was the

Director, Club Systems and Platform Engineering, BJ’s Wholesale Club

the initiative to onboard Topco’s private brands into AWG’s family of brands; she added 10 brands to the private-brand portfolio, which will add millions of additional sales to the product line. f She identified the opportunity

and led the launch of a new wellness brand of more than 50 protein, protein-plus and nutraceutical products with scientifically based, clinically studied ingredients that will help position AWG member retailers in the wellness product space. f Detwiler helped organize a

fund challenge that raised more than 14,000 pounds of food for a Kansas City food pantry.

driving force behind AWG’s Improved Member Support multi-year initiative that has already delivered $13 million in incremental sales on a plan of $6.78 million; she led a team that focused on knowledge sharing, strategic support, retail best practices and growth ideas for members’ stores. f Her team developed new

models for category execution to include vendor monetization and analyzed optimal organization structure to better support merchandising, market and product expertise consultation, execution and customer service. f Mancini partnered with several

organizations focused on food security, including The Nashville Food Project, Hands of Hope Food Pantry and The Branch of Nashville.

f A visionary tech-

nology leader, Napier oversaw fuel and club software and hardware, along with a broad portfolio of club systems supporting 120,000-plus hardware devices across hundreds of locations. f Many of these systems

powered in-club experiences, including same-day delivery; Buy Online, Pick Up in Club; and digital coupon wallet redemption at the point of sale, propelling app adoption and member engagement; more than half of active members used the app to clip coupons, helping drive 31% digitally enabled comparable-sales growth in fiscal 2025.

f Abbascia iden-

tified unmet customer needs, evaluated category gaps and partnered with clients in the club warehouse channel to bring new, high‐velocity items to market; her ability to shape strategic solutions rooted in data, market insights and operational realities drove 41% year‐over‐ year sales growth in the channel. f She onboarded new client

partners, broadening Ferolie’s portfolio and unlocking incremental revenue streams; this expansion strengthened the organization’s market position, diversified business opportunities and enhanced long‐term growth potential for all.

f Napier was widely recognized

f A sought‐after mentor,

for building high-performing teams and delivering reliable, scalable technology solutions across the BJ’s enterprise.

Abbascia coached internal colleagues, guiding them in business planning, strategic thinking and customer engagement.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 27

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Melissa Vit VP, Human Resources, Consumer Brands Division, CJ Schwan’s f Vit optimized hiring practices

and job postings to elevate candidate quality and streamline decisions; the HR initiatives that she worked on delivered $7 million in savings in 2025, while the policy revisions, data availability, audits and position evaluation that her team executed delivered $5.2 million in savings to the company. f She was instrumental in

leading a business integration of more than 100 employees, identifying synergies to better serve overall business needs and facilitating talent development and career-pathing opportunities within commercial teams. f Vit received the CJ Schwan’s

Founders Award and served as a board member for the Enactus Career Connections Network.

Jennie Coleman President and CoOwner, Equifruit f Coleman

Elmira Abbaspour EVP of Retail and Grocery Sales, Denali f After Abbaspour

restructured a division to provide clear accountability, national pricing alignment and data-driven revenue modeling, retail revenue increased 87.6% in the second half of 2025 versus the first half of the year, with the grocery segment achieving a 122% increase post-Q3. f She introduced financial

dashboards, revenue forecasting discipline and performance accountability frameworks that strengthened EBITDA visibility while improving cross-functional alignment across sales, logistics, legal, marketing and operations. f Abbaspour ensured store-level

standard operating procedures, scalable deployment processes and operational consistency across the sales team and other departments.

Anina von Haeften Chief Brand Officer and Co-Founder, Farm To People

led Equifruit to achieve impressive year-on-year growth, earning the business a spot on The Toronto Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Companies list for the past four years; in 2025, Equifruit came in at No. 174 with 195% three-year revenue growth, the company’s highest position on the list yet.

ensured brand clarity and consistency across new markets while adapting Farm To People’s messaging to suburban customers — enabling efficient expansion without brand dilution and leading to 100% year-overyear growth.

f Under her leadership, Equifruit

f She reinforced farm boxes

organic Fairtrade banana availability has expanded to include 80% of Costco warehouses in Canada and is overindexing in contract volumes at Walmart Canada. f Committed to improving the

lives of banana famers, Coleman spearheaded action against gender-based violence and sexual harassment in the banana industry and publicly spoke out about the issue.

28 progressivegrocer.com

f Von Haeften

as the primary retention engine while supporting profitable à-lacarte shopping, contributing to stronger repeat rates, increased basket depth and improved lifetime value during accelerated growth. f What’s more, von Haeften

translated Farm To People’s sourcing and animal welfare standards into clear customer-facing narratives, elevating the brand from “local grocery delivery” to a differentiated, values-led food system platform.

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Sandra Stanley

Melissa Kruse

Chief Data Science Officer, dunnhumby

VP Human Resources, Epic Sales Partners

f Stanley led

her team on AIfocused products, setting direction through the development of a range of GenAIpowered applications designed to improve the way that grocery shoppers discover and learn about products online. f During her tenure, employee

engagement improved significantly across every metric, while attrition dropped from 35% to 11% per year, and she improved the diversity of the data science leadership team, increasing the ratio of female executives within the team from 21% to 45% within three years. f Stanley was a governor for a

local secondary school and gave talks on AI as a career at other educational institutions.

f Kruse rebuilt

Epic’s HR function from scratch, bringing in previously outsourced incremental revenue streams; this expansion strengthened the organization’s market position, diversified business opportunities and enhanced long‐term growth potential for the company and its partners. f She designed and led Epic’s

phased AI adoption strategy, expanding the scope and scale of work delivered by her lean team without increasing headcount and demonstrating its impact as a business multiplier. f By establishing frameworks,

building buy-in and equipping leaders with the tools to activate people as a competitive advantage, Kruse ensured that talent strategy consistently supported measurable business results.

Emily Turner

Caron Sanders

Chief Marketing Officer, The Fresh Market

VP, Human Resources, Giant Food

f Turner engi-

f Under Sanders’

neered exceptional e-commerce growth by expanding delivery partnerships and piloting a highly successful holiday floral program on DoorDash. f To counteract softening con-

sumer activity, she repositioned the brand message, adjusted localized pricing markups and guided the development of the company’s first native mobile application to great effect. f In addition to serving as a

GroceryNEXT advisory board member, Turner was a board member for her regional Alzheimer’s Association chapter, actively participated in retail thought-leadership panels and directed the team that secured the Vertex Awards Retailer of the Year accolade.

leadership, HR achieved record-setting outcomes that strengthened organizational performance: She achieved a 98% staffing rate for exempt retail leaders and implemented new interview guides focused on identifying customer-first and growth mindsets. f She launched leadership

behavior training across all locations as well as a supervisor training program at the distribution center, which ensured enterprise-wide leadership readiness. f Sanders led the launch of

Giant’s first Grow campaign, which helped decrease turnover by 8%, improve overall engagement by 1% and boost employee survey scores across all categories – including growth and inclusion – by 2%.

CELEBRATING OUR R E C O R G E IV S S E R G O R 2026 P

N I N E M O W P O T

GROCERY

CARON SANDERS

BRIANA HILL

MELANIE BUTLER

HUMAN RESOURCES

CENTER STORE GROCERY

LOYALTY STRATEGY

VICE PRESIDENT

ANALYST

MANAGER

RYEN MILLS

MEG MACAVOY

KIM KELM

MANAGER

BRAND STRATEGY

CENTER STORE GROCERY

SOCIAL MEDIA

CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT!

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Andrea Nickerson

Stephanie Jenkins

VP of Retail Operations, Hannaford

VP, Strategic Planning and Operations, The Kroger Co./Kroger Technology

f Nickerson

spearheaded a surge in pharmacy sales, driving growth of 24%plus by seizing opportunities created by competitive closures and making investments in pricing and capital projects – her efforts culminated in Albany, N.Y., rising from second to first in market share.

f Jenkins expanded her

organization’s digital reach by forging strategic e-commerce partnerships with major delivery platforms and securing early placement on artificial intelligence shopping networks. f To enhance operational veloc-

piloted merchandising and resource allocation strategies that resulted in a 90-basis-point improvement; these pilots were scaled across the brand.

ity, she orchestrated a comprehensive turnaround of the technology and digital operating model that successfully dismantled organizational silos and increased investment precision.

f Nickerson played a pivotal

f Beyond her job, Jenkins drove

f Tackling shrink reduction, she

role in developing and launching the first-ever Retail Leadership Academy, connecting mind and heart in leadership development; additionally, she worked with the New York Regional Food Bank and supported LGBTQ+ and veterans’ organizations. Sonya Hostetler Division President, The Kroger Co./ Nashville Division f Under

Hostetler’s leadership, Kroger’s Nashville division exceeded sales and profitability targets while outperforming company benchmarks for shrink control and customer friendliness. f She successfully launched the

modernized Bakery of the Future pilot program and prioritized talent development by mentoring multiple leaders who advanced into enterprise roles. f Hostetler served as vice chair

of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee board and led her division to be recognized as an outstanding corporate partner by the regional Urban League.

30 progressivegrocer.com

regional economic vitality by serving on the executive board committee of Cintrifuse, a venture firm that backs high-potential local startups, and mentoring the founders of such companies.

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Julie Auflick

Kate Mora

VP of Merchandising, The Kroger Co./ Michigan Division

Division President, The Kroger Co./MidAtlantic Division

f Auflick guided

f Mora accelerat-

strategic merchandising adjustments across her division that maximized sales per square foot, decluttered product assortments and enhanced the overall shopping experience for customers.

ed a fresh-centric strategy and aligned in-store and digital operations, driving record sales growth, increased profitability and improved e-commerce performance across a multi-state territory.

f She also prioritized long-term

f She spearheaded the regional

talent-bench development by directly mentoring emerging leaders, which ultimately resulted in the elevation of a merchandiser from her team to a district manager position.

introduction of Flashfood, an app that enables users to purchase surplus food nearing its best-by date at a discount, to advance the Kroger’s affordability, sustainability and food waste reduction initiatives.

f Beyond serving on the

Gleaners Community Food Bank board, Auflick participated in NextUp and acted as the executive sponsor for Kroger’s Michigan EDGE associate resource group.

f Mora championed talent

development as an associate resource group executive sponsor while actively supporting hunger relief through board service with multiple regional food banks.

Catherine Cosby

Julie Smolyansky

Senior Director, Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance, The Kroger Co./Store Support Center

President and CEO, Lifeway Foods Inc.

VP, Sales Growth and Capabilities, Mars Snacking

f Smolyansky

f Galvao strength-

f Cosby drove improved retail

food safety performance scores to meet enterprise goals while significantly reducing critical violations and enhancing temperature compliance processes. f Expanding the food safety or-

ganization under her leadership, she championed multiple associate promotions to senior roles to drive implementation and develop a strong talent pipeline. f Named a Queen City Game

Changer as part of a women’s leadership program supported by Cincinnati-based companies and organizations, Cosby served as co-chair for the North American local group of the Global Food Safety Initiative and volunteered with Ronald McDonald House Charities.

officially established June 18 as National Kefir Day, marking the occasion with the first-ever kefir drone show; the day is now recognized as an annual observance, celebrating the cultural and nutritional significance of kefir while honoring Lifeway’s 40-year legacy. f She also spearheaded the

launch of four smoothie collaborations with retail partners, elevating awareness of functional dairy within practical retail environments while expanding Lifeway’s reach among wellness-focused consumers. f Led by Smolyansky’s strategic

vision, Lifeway successfully expanded the national distribution of its farmer cheese to 2,000 Walmart locations nationwide, significantly increasing consumer access to functional cultured dairy products.

Clare Galvao

ened promo effectiveness across all categories, audited and enforced revised swell rates, and led governance of a bracket pricing program, resulting in unprecedented compliance. f She launched sales enable-

ment tools to streamline account teams’ preparation for customer meetings and ensure efficient retail sales calls, including automated, retailer-ready storytelling decks with XP3; partnering with 24Slides to save hours on deck prep; and a one-stop-shop dashboard for all sales key performance indicators. f Additionally, Galvao stream-

lined assortment management from 200-plus SKU priority lists to 40 and introduced a tiered prioritization system and a proprietary ecosystem for scorecard data and more.

COVER FEATURE

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Kate Adams

Hannah Pollack

Chris Druce

Lina Gonzalez

VP of Marketing, Mike’s Hot Honey

CEO and CoFounder, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches

Senior Director, Sales, Niman Ranch

Chief Executive and Operations Officer, OHLA US

f Adams launched

the brand’s first national marketing campaign, establishing a scalable platform that unified creative, media, PR, retail programming and experiential; the campaign elevated brand awareness while reinforcing Mike’s Hot Honey as the category creator. f She oversaw the launch

of 11 licensed collaborations, extending the brand into new categories and usage occasions while maintaining strong brand alignment; this expanded reach, drove trial and reinforced cultural relevance. f Adams’ integrated marketing

approach drove nearly 40% year-over-year retail velocity growth, supported by consistent brand moments and disciplined retail execution; this marked the fourth consecutive year of retail velocity growth since she joined the company.

f Pollack drove

exceptional enterprise performance, delivering 80% yearover-year revenue growth, 190% retail distribution expansion and 300%-plus improvement in net profit and EBITDA while preserving Nightingale’s craftsmanship and product integrity. f She scaled manufacturing

and quality systems to support national demand, overseeing capital investments, capacity expansion and process optimization that strengthened operational resilience and longterm enterprise value. f Pollack elevated Nightingale’s

industry presence through award-winning innovation, national brand recognition and community leadership, including major philanthropic initiatives and honors such as inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list.

f Druce delivered

exceptional retail growth, leading her team to a 29% increase in pounds sold and a 44% increase in revenue through trusted partnerships with such major national retailers as Whole Foods Market, Albertsons and Kroger. f She secured two major cat-

egory-advancing wins: the first placements of Niman Ranch’s Certified Angus Beef Grass Fed program, and the brand’s inaugural Whole Foods Market deli placement of 400 legs of Iberian Duroc Prosciutto per month. f Druce strengthened Niman

Ranch’s mission-driven impact while mentoring emerging women in the meat industry through the Women’s Meat Industry Network.

Erica Grundish

Kelly Pearse

VP-Sam’s Club, PepsiCo

Chief Human Resources Officer, Sendik’s Food Markets

SVP, Marketing Strategy and Performance, Shipt

f Pearse achieved

f Kirkpatrick

f Grundish grew

PepsiCo’s Sam’s Club business by $35.6 million in 2025, gaining category share in six major beverage segments, and accelerating digital revenue by 26% to $510 million, with digital now representing 20% of total sales. f She spearheaded innova-

tion and portfolio expansion, launching 21 omnichannel items, 15 digital-first items and five exclusive club-channel offerings while restoring key core distribution and driving major growth in better-for-you products. f Grundish strengthened long-

term strategic partnerships and organizational capability by piloting new go-to-market models, upgrading leadership talent and championing community impact through her service on the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank board and multiple philanthropic initiatives.

a decisive turnaround in retention, reducing turnover to 37.7% — a 10% year-overyear improvement — through a data-driven recognition strategy that strengthened engagement and visibility; her Signature Rewards program generated 3,600-plus real-time redemptions, while a new enterprise-wide Associate of the Month platform honored 145 employees in 2025. f She revitalized milestone cele-

brations, coordinating 80 service anniversaries and eight retirements, and launching high-energy engagement campaigns that boosted recognition sentiment by 14% within six months. f Pearse elevated employer

branding through a refreshed LinkedIn strategy that increased impressions by 52.9%.

Emily Kirkpatrick

f Gonzalez scaled

OHLA US from a six-state operation to national coverage, tripling the employee base, doubling weekly field hours, and strengthening onshelf availability and merchandising across 100-plus retailers, directly improving visibility, conversion and execution for multicultural brands. f She developed Walmart’s

first-ever virtual in-store consultant program, extended from a four-week pilot to a 12-week run due to exceptional engagement, strong conversion and store demand. f Gonzalez built a data-driven

commercial engine that generated 25% annual sales growth for a key national account, expanding into adult beverages and securing national partnerships that unlocked incremental revenue and improved retailer ROI. Katie Stratton Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, Shipt f Stratton deliv-

restructured the company’s full-funnel marketing strategy and spearheaded an ungated search engine optimization initiative that unlocked previously inaccessible traffic by expanding indexable pages.

ered transformative marketplace growth via no price markups across 100-plus retailers, driving 2.5 times more weekly orders from Target Circle360 members and 2.5 times more member activations on the Shipt Marketplace.

f She streamlined agen-

f She accelerated national

cy relationships to secure operational savings through workflow optimization, led a critical enterprise resource pivot for a major fee-elimination initiative and established a new data-driven performance center of excellence.

expansion by scaling alcohol delivery into 40-plus states and increasing drive-time capacity across 43 major metros, giving households access to five additional retailers on average.

f Selected for the Female

Quotient’s inaugural year-long leadership program focused on women in technology, Kirkpatrick also volunteered her time with the Prospect Park Alliance.

f Stratton strengthened partner

ecosystem performance by activating thousands of new store locations and advancing AIdriven innovation, including “chat to cart,” while elevating Shipt Media’s analytics capabilities to improve brand conversion and retailer ROI.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 31

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Niousha Zadeh

Lynn Brook

Lynn Blasio

Crystal Brennan

VP of Product, Marketplace, Shipt

Senior Director, Product Marketing, Simbe Robotics

VP, Supply Chain, SpartanNash, Part of the C&S Family of Companies

VP, Transportation, SpartanNash, Part of the C&S Family of Companies

f Blasio managed a network inventory control transformation that standardized supply chain processes, reduced error rates and lowered customer credits through cross-functional project execution.

f Brennan maximized logistics efficiency across a nationwide network of distribution centers by improving customer on-time delivery metrics and rolling out an updated electronic logging device system.

f Zadeh led the

strategic evolution of Shipt and Target’s end-to-end grocery marketplace, improving discovery, relevance and conversion for customers; under her leadership, Target-to-Shipt cross-shop performance exceeded 2025 enterprise goals by 20%. f She expanded retail me-

dia network capabilities by launching new ad products and privacy-safe targeting that improved retailer ROI and drove incremental revenue, while advancing data governance across customer and retailer datasets. f Zadeh modernized catalog

and intelligence platforms to deliver scalable personalization, higher content accuracy and improved intent-based recommendations; she additionally launched a forward-looking AI and agentic roadmap.

f Brook spear-

headed the go-tomarket strategies and launches for multiple innovative retail robotics and store intelligence platforms to expand corporate relevance across fresh and merchandising departments. f She executed a comprehen-

sive enterprise website revamp to clarify the company value proposition and successfully introduced a structured customer advisory board for leading global retailers to influence future product roadmaps.

f She spearheaded a technolo-

f After completing advanced

f As an active corporate citizen,

training through the Product Marketing Alliance, Brook continued to mentor emerging women leaders in retail technology and marketing.

gy-driven radio frequency-scanning process that increased outbound order audits, improved count compliance and significantly reduced on-hand case inventory while lifting fill rates. Blasio served on SpartanNash’s employee award nomination teams and volunteered with its specialized women’s network focused on recruiting, developing and retaining female talent.

Liz Bleakley

Sarah Boddy

Lisa Martinelli

Global Head of PR and Communications, St Pierre Groupe

Managing Director, St Pierre Groupe

VP of Marketing, Stop & Shop

f Boddy estab-

f Martinelli reset

f Bleakley de-

signed a bold U.S. promotional campaign featuring commissioned research and a Californiabased filmed stunt, generating dozens of editorial placements in high-profile media outlets. f To boost internal workplace

engagement, she organized multiple large-scale company events. f A past winner of multiple

industry awards, Bleakley organized more than 60% of the company’s volunteering opportunities in 2025, led St Pierre’s charity fundraising efforts, and honored the memory of a beloved colleague by running in the Manchester Half Marathon last October, personally raising an additional £1,020 (USD $1,361) for a cancer organization.

32 progressivegrocer.com

lished a newly formed U.S. sales team and appointed a general manager to accelerate brand scale, leading to major new listings with several prominent retail accounts.

her company’s marketing strategy by introducing a unifying brand platform that effectively engaged consumers and revitalized internal associate pride across multiple states.

f She spearheaded the expan-

f She completely transformed

sion of the international business beyond its traditional domestic markets, successfully guiding a newly created team into multiple fresh territories and strengthening the overall global footprint.

the organization’s digital content framework by moving social media production in-house, which successfully amplified platform engagement and optimized paid media efficiency.

f Boddy embedded compa-

f Serving as the executive spon-

ny-funded volunteering targets directly into the business plan; with a target of 110 volunteering days required to achieve 100% uptake, the team exceeded expectations under her leadership, delivering 121 days of time and support to local community projects and initiatives.

sor for the Health and Wellness associate resource group, Martinelli championed school food pantry campaigns and led regional volunteer service days.

f She oversaw a massive reduc-

tion in unsafe driving incidents and eliminated license violations entirely by enhancing compliance monitoring and driver coaching routines. f Along with her corporate

mentoring, Brennan served on the board of governors for the National Private Truck Council and actively engaged with the Women in Trucking organization.

Diana GarfoldBarr VP, Customer Insights, SymphonyAI f Garfold-Barr coordinated a full organizational restructuring of her globally distributed account teams to successfully reduce lead times and increase output while maintaining high workplace engagement. f She navigated a complex

platform transformation by establishing specialized training frameworks, seamlessly transitioning internal delivery teams and retail partners from a legacy system to a modern analytics platform. f After earning a promotion

to VP and joining the senior leadership team, Garfold-Barr continued to dedicate her spare time to community advocacy as an active member of United Way’s Women United.

Congratulations! to our C.A. Ferolie Honorees

Tammy Bennett Sales Development Manager

Dale Abbascia Senior Vice President of Sales

Hannaford salutes our Top Women in Grocery

Andrea Nickerson VP of Retail Operations

Leigh Chase Director of Category

Melanie Laflamme Category Manager

Sara Lane Manager of Pharmacy Clinical Services

Sarah Ouellette Category Manager

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Julie Lyle

Jennifer Aguirre

Jody Barrick

Karen Ryan

President, North America and Board Member, TCC Global

SVP Human Resources and Talent Management, UNFI

SVP Meat, Seafood, Bakery, Deli, UNFI

VP, Employment and Retail Law, UNFI

f Lyle expand-

f Aguirre designed

f Barrick played

f Ryan navigated

ed multi-banner partnerships with regional and national grocers by launching new loyalty campaigns that successfully drove incremental customer baskets and improved shopper retention. f She championed digital

integration by combining reward-based campaigns with first-party retailer data, allowing grocery partners to protect value perceptions without eroding their profit margins. f Aside from serving as a TCC

Global board member and committee chair, Lyle acted as an advisor to several tech organizations and mentored underrepresented talent to build a diverse pipeline of future industry leaders.

talent strategies to strengthen the retention of top performers and introduced such initiatives as speed mentoring and capability connects to improve employee engagement.

a critical role in restructuring teams while maintaining positive morale, achieving budget targets and launching an innovation summit for customers and vendor partners.

f She optimized operational ef-

f She led her categories to

ficiency by leading a cross-functional task force to redesign the commercial team and co-led a technology-partnered initiative to reduce costs while maintaining excellent service. f Aguirre collaborated with

industry peers in FMI – The Food Industry Association and served as a board member for both the UNFI Assist Relief Fund and Loaves & Fishes.

significant sales growth that outperformed the industry, and she restructured the sales organization to provide specialized, effective support to retailers. f Serving as chair of the

International Dairy Deli Bakery Association board, Barrick helped shape the future of the bakery and deli industry through collaboration, advocacy and leadership.

complex safety-related challenges to broker a favorable resolution that protected employees, and she provided proactive legal guidance during unprecedented changes in federal immigration enforcement. f She spearheaded the imple-

mentation of an auction-based platform for the legal department to secure aggressive pricing from law firms and drove adoption to significantly reduce outside spending. f Serving on the board of

directors for the Cub Foundation, Ryan founded Holiday Helping Hands to grant wish lists for local children and was VP of the Coaching for Change board.

Melissa Sax

Eleanor Hayden

Leslie Meyer

Brooke Rice

SVP of Human Resources, UNFI

Founder and CEO, Veriti

f Sax successfully

f Hayden exe-

Senior Director of Merchandising, The Winn-Dixie Co.

VP, Own Brands and Supply Chain, The Winn-Dixie Co.

f Meyer deliv-

f Rice led the

overhauled the retail leadership team by recruiting top executive talent, including a new CEO and a new chief growth officer. f She guided extensive orga-

nizational transformation work across the retail segment and implemented strict administrative controls that resulted in significant company savings. f Holding a board seat on the

Cub Foundation, Sax served as an executive sponsor of the Built Big Innovation Group and volunteered with Feed My Starving Children.

34 progressivegrocer.com

cuted a complete company rebrand and transformed her agency into a premier shopper marketing firm for emerging clean-label brands. f She deepened partnerships

with major grocery retailers by having her company serve as a beta testing agency for new shopper marketing platform features and collaborating with executives to brainstorm enhanced capabilities. f The recipient of a 40 Under 40

award from Progressive Grocer sister publication the Path to Purchase Institute, Hayden served as an advisory board member for Vizer, an omnichannel digital incentives and retail analytics platform, and she led a major fundraising effort for Feeding America.

ered exceptional same-store sales growth and increased gross profit while reducing shrink through disciplined brand rationalization, space optimization and improved inventory management. f She successfully evolved mer-

chandising strategies to reflect diverse communities by leading a cross-functional initiative that embedded authentic Hispanic flavors into everyday category planning. f Meyer served on the com-

pany’s AI and 401(k) committees and actively participated in Winn-Dixie’s Women’s Development Network and Working Parents Network to foster an inclusive environment.

development and successful launch of WinnDixie’s Know & Love brand to offer clean-label products while maintaining rigorous quality standards. f She drove strategic brand

coherence by modernizing packaging and repositioning established private label lines to achieve stronger sales velocity and higher customer satisfaction. f Inducted into the Private Label

Hall of Fame by the Private Label Manufacturers Association, Rice served on multiple FMI committees and previously chaired a local school board of trustees.

congratulates our 2026 Top Women in Grocery Award Winners! Clare Galvão

Ashleigh Gage

Vice President, Sales Growth & Capabilities

Senior Director-Portfolio Development

We are proud to honor Clare Galvão and Ashley Gage for their exceptional achievements!

COVER FEATURE

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

2026 Top Women in Grocery Season Chavez

Kristin Popp

President, WiseChoice Foods LLC

President, Woodman’s Food Market

f Chavez led the

f Popp provided

development of a new artisan pizza production line that provided a premium product while supporting an underserved community through job creation and local economic development. f She successfully transi-

tioned the business into a C Corporation to position it for investor-funded expansion and achieved strong bottom-line performance by implementing efficient production schedules and reducing operational waste. f Selected for the national

Project W program for female entrepreneurs, Chavez served as board chair for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Mexico and volunteered as a youth coach for Girls on the Run.

Rising Stars

enterprise-wide leadership to guide her employee-owned company through ongoing operational complexity while maintaining a strong culture and customer loyalty. f Her people-centered initiatives

significantly reduced employee turnover and helped her organization debut as a top grocer in a prestigious national retailer preference index. f Newly promoted to her

present position at Woodman’s, Popp recently completed her term as president of Women Grocers of America, an organization operating under the NGA Foundation that is dedicated to advancing women in independent grocery through leadership development, networking and recognition, and she moderated an industry podcast to promote leadership principles. Michelle Bernard

McKenna Borrell

Business Account Manager, Acosta Group/Crossmark

Manager Vendor Compliance, ADUSA Distribution

f Bernard execut-

f Borrell delivered

ed four successful web blasts by partnering with Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) on co‐investment opportunities, generating $3.3 million in sales; she also collaborated with Clorox and AWG on a blast that delivered an additional $1.7 million in sales across multiple Clorox business units.

significant, results-oriented improvements in inventory accuracy, shrink reduction, receiving processes and cross-functional operational performance throughout the distribution network. f She drove a 10.6% reduction

a category review that added 13 items to the independent grocer’s dressing and condiment planograms, driving a 10% increase in category sales.

in total distribution center-driven shrink with action plans addressing damage, spoilage, mis-rotations and process gap, and she introduced inventory scorecards that provided visibility into damage drivers and enhanced accuracy.

f Bernard developed a solution

f Borrell’s work contributed to a

for direct delivery of products ahead of Labor Day after the traditional program was disrupted by SAP upgrades, securing $1.3 million in sales.

4.75% year-over-year improvement in forecast performance by addressing root causes such as selector mispicks, receiving errors, replenishment issues and damage-processing delays.

f She supported Coborn’s in

36 progressivegrocer.com

RISING STARS

Crystal Lentz HR Business Partner, ADUSA Distribution f Lentz played a

key role in advancing associate engagement survey results across all locations; each site achieved more than 90% participation within the first week. f She achieved significant

reductions in turnover, reflecting stronger hiring practices, leadership coaching and associate support; the Bethlehem, Pa., site further strengthened its talent pipeline by promoting two internal associates into leadership roles, reinforcing a culture of development and internal growth. f Leading the successful

relaunch of the Mountville, Pa., site, Lentz helped recruit, hire and develop a full workforce from zero staffing to full operational readiness within five months.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Nyah MillerHines Senior Automation Engineering and Design Manager, ADUSA Distribution f Miller-Hines led automation

initiatives that delivered measurable operational impact while advancing long-term network modernization and automation maturity. f She played a key role in

planning and execution for the Burlington, N.C., distribution center, helping define automation requirements, translate operational needs into technical design criteria and perform detailed data analysis. f Miller-Hines supported deploy-

ment of lift telemetry technology across multiple distribution centers, driving a 65% reduction in alarms and a 55% reduction in warnings, thereby improving safety visibility, enabling proactive coaching and strengthening preventive maintenance practices. Christine Phillips Keefe Director Retail Programs, Advantage Solutions/ SAS Retail Services f The total volume that Phillips

Jessica Onore

Rose Simpson

Operations Manager, ADUSA Distribution

Director of Operations, ADUSA Distribution

f Under Onore’s

leadership, inventory accuracy improved 3.67% year over year to a sustained 98% average, exceeding network performance benchmarks, and inventory damage declined 22.25% year over year, contributing to an overall network shrink reduction of 11.8%. f She also generated signifi-

cant financial impact through ownership of vendor compliance performance, delivering $2.5 million in income, exceeding forecast by 2%; internal quality assurance audit performance improved 5.83% year over year to 91.27%. f Through targeted coaching

and consistent feedback, Onore strengthened financial and operational decision-making within her team; two direct reports earned promotions as a direct result of this development focus.

f Under her leadership, loss pre-

vention and operational controls contributed to a 28% reduction in store claims, while operational excellence initiatives delivered a 26% reduction in shrink. f Simpson concluded the

fiscal year under budget by 9% while maintaining operational performance and supporting continued business growth; her ability to deliver results reinforced operational excellence and long-term sustainability.

f Honcharik’s promotion to

director reflected sustained leadership in elevating safety as a strategic business priority: Total claims improved by 13%, overall incident rate improved by 14% and lost-time cases improved by more than 10%. f She launched forklift training

within the learning management system across eight distribution centers and established a network-wide powered industrial truck rollout schedule supported by performance dashboards. f Honcharik co-developed

an ergonomics safety school and strengthened compliance by supporting OSHA audit readiness efforts, improving regulatory activity tracking and launching an electronic program to enhance front-line safety conversations.

Sasha Anderson

JJ Apat

Senior Data Scientist, Albertsons Cos.

Accounting Manager, Team Lead, Albertsons Cos.

f Chickrell played

f She improved top-line volume

f Her teams delivered a

by nearly 10% versus the prior year, due largely to her innovative approach to scheduling work across the Tops and Price Chopper banners; a cross-banner training program allowed her team to do more work for the customer and stay within pre-determined budgets.

substantially higher volume of campaign requests and channel deployments, including triple digit year-over-year growth in ad hoc campaigns, while maintaining strong operational rigor and performance quality; her leadership contributed to significant incremental program sales, improved efficiency and increased household reach.

38 progressivegrocer.com

initiatives that produced significant safety improvements, including a reduction in OSHA-recordable injuries, reinforcing a strong safety culture; associate engagement also improved under her leadership, resulting in a 12% increase in associate experience survey response rates and a 30% reduction in turnover.

Safety Director, ADUSA Distribution/ ADUSA Transportation

Megan Chickrell

was responsible for grew to a budget of more than $10 million, due in part to the innovative approaches that she took to improve efficiencies.

onboarding processes to hire higher-quality merchandisers, reducing team turnover by more than 30%, a company best.

f Simpson led

Elizabeth Honcharik

Manager Loyalty Personalization, Ahold Delhaize USA Services LLC

a critical role in the company’s first unified loyalty and customer relationship management operating model, laying a scalable foundation for future capacity planning and enterprise growth.

f Phillips developed new

RISING STARS

f Chickrell led the execution of

an in-store kiosk pilot designed to expand offer activation to non-digital customers, demonstrating the potential of inclusive, omnichannel loyalty innovation.

f For $35 billion

f Apat led the

of Albertsons’ business in center store retail sections, Anderson and her team improved third-party vendor forecasts by 500 basis points across 44 million item-store combinations, using advanced analytics and machine learning.

end-to-end migration of the allowance billing function from Phoenix to Manila, accomplishing a transition of significant scale and complexity despite having entered the retail industry with no prior sector experience.

f Her team’s work directly

f Her ability to balance speed

contributed to improving the in-stock rate for center store items beyond 97.5%, which yielded more than $240 million in incremental sales through the reduction of lost sales, due to improved in-stock conditions. f Anderson hosted Rotary

International exchange students, supporting cultural exchange, mentorship and community engagement, and contributed to workforce and academic development by delivering data science and analytics talks at community colleges.

with accuracy resulted in outstanding performance outcomes: The team achieved peak efficiency of 160 invoices per hour, a level that significantly exceeded initial expectations, while maintaining strict quality controls, and error rates were consistently below 1% of total volume and dollar value. f As a Sunday school super-

intendent, Apat coordinated teachers, youth assistants and women’s-ministry volunteers to deliver structured lessons and meaningful engagement.

Congratulations! Thank you for your leadership and impact. Your work shaping personalized, omnichannel customer engagement makes you a deserving honoree in Progressive Grocer’s 2026 Top Women in Grocery Awards, celebrating 20 years of extraordinary women in our industry.

Megan Chickrell

Senior Manager, Loyalty Personalization

www.adusa.com linkedin/company/ahold-delhaize-usa

Congratulations to Our Top Women in Grocery!

McKenna Borrell

Crystal Lentz

Vendor Compliance Manager

HR Business Partner

Elizabeth Honcharik

Jess Onore

Rose Simpson

Operations Manager

Operations Director

Safety Director

ADUSA Distribution and ADUSA Transportation proudly celebrate our TWIG winners. Your contributions reflect everyday excellence and power safe, reliable performance across our network. Thank you for the leadership, commitment and pride you bring each day as we continue building the future together. Companies of Ahold Delhaize USA

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Rachana Belavigi

Anupama Bhalerao

Manager, Engineering, Albertsons Cos.

Senior Manager, Engineering, Albertsons Cos.

f Belavigi

f Bhalerao

launched an Audience Management Platform with new GrowthLoop integration, leading to the shutdown of a LiveRamp Safe Haven-based third-party platform and helping save millions of dollars in licensing costs. f She pioneered the setup of

Albertsons’ first-party cleanroom environment, a key milestone that facilitated key partner onboarding and enabled closed-loop measurement methodologies with the required privacy compliance. f Belavigi’s teams have earned

three internal awards for engineering excellence and business impact, highlighting their consistent contributions to technical quality, operational reliability and business outcomes; she also volunteered to help support food security efforts. Teresa Dick Director, Floral Merchandising and Execution, Albertsons Cos. f Dick drove

Albertsons’ floral e-commerce business to record heights, achieving a 50% increase in e-commerce sales; part of how she did this was expanding the third-party e-commerce business to 313 new store locations, which resulted in 18% unit growth and a 17% sales lift. f She partnered with

cross-functional teams and third-party partners to introduce enhancements and technologies that improved in-store order fulfillment, and she negotiated eight seasonally aligned, nationally scaled promotions that increased basket size, household penetration and overall gross profit. f Dick served on the

International Fresh Produce Association’s Blooming Plant Committee.

40 progressivegrocer.com

spearheaded the delivery of high-impact mobile features that included app clips and live activities, enabling customers to engage instantly and stay informed in real time as their orders progressed, and she guided enhancements like real-time substitutions and order amendments, giving shoppers greater visibility and control during fulfillment. f She also played a key role in

simplifying the mobile path to purchase by introducing such friction-reducing capabilities as Apple Pay and selective cart-tocheckout. f The Albertsons mobile app

team led by Bhalerao received the Webby Award for Best Shopping and Retail App, a respected industry honor for excellence in digital experiences. Bonnie EcksteinMedvetz Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, Albertsons Cos. f Eckstein-Medvetz led

digitalization and automation projects for California-required notices that saved approximately 280,000 labor hours annually and achieved annual ROI of $694,000-$801,000. f She automated pay transpar-

ency, saving recruiting and hiring teams between $116,000 and $232,000 annually in productivity hours, and spearheaded an I-9 compliance pilot that moved a division to 100% compliance and reduced the time to complete Form I-9 by 50%. f A living kidney donor who

donated to a stranger through a paired exchange, EcksteinMedvetz served on the product advisory board for Upwage and belonged to Indeed Leaders Connect, contributing to AI and talent acquisition innovation.

RISING STARS

Dana Cruz

Anupama Dande

IT Manager, Albertsons Cos.

Director, Engineering, Albertsons Cos.

f Cruz’s collabora-

f Dande designed

tive leadership and strategic partnerships enabled the establishment of site reliability engineering capabilities at Albertsons Philippines; this effort generated annual cost savings of $376,000.

and executed a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy for critical shopper experience applications, materially reducing business risk and avoiding an estimated $4 million in potential annual revenue loss from downtime.

f She and her team designed

and implemented a solution that reduced account issues resolution time from seven days to an average of nine minutes at first contact with Level 1 support, drove a 50% reduction in operational support tickets, and increased Service Level Agreement by 25% while improving overall operational efficiency. f Cruz received a Living Our

Purpose core values award for her contributions as the communication pillar lead of her organization’s Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network.

f She led high-impact bot

mitigation efforts in partnership with InfoSec and Imperva; by implementing advanced detection and blocking policies, she significantly reduced harmful automated traffic, improved system reliability and lowered infrastructure load — enhancing security, stabilizing customer experience and reducing operational costs. f Dande volunteered at her

local Hindu temple, supporting a range of cultural, spiritual and community activities and, with the Alameda Food Bank, contributing to food security efforts.

Roseed Felix

Macy Fong

Senior Supervisor, Operations Finance, Albertsons Cos.

Director, Product Design, Albertsons Cos.

f Felix delivered

f Under Fong’s

transformational, enterprise-level impact by strengthening Albertsons’ global finance operations during a period of significant organizational change; she played a central role in stabilizing critical workflows while rapidly scaling the Manila hub into a high-performing extension of U.S. finance. f One of her most extraordinary

achievements was expanding the team from six to 23 analysts – a 283% headcount increase – while simultaneously building the structures, processes and controls required to maintain consistent performance at scale. f Felix led enterprise learning

and capability-building initiatives, including Power BI and Power Automate sessions, enabling more than 80 colleagues to improve their analytics and automation skills.

leadership, Albertsons Cos.’ app became the heartbeat of the company’s omnichannel ecosystem, serving more than 13 million active monthly users and earning a 4.8 App Store rating. f She introduced Flexible Basket

Building, enabling customers to add items to orders up until shopping begins; this enhancement exceeded annual operating plan targets, delivered an approximately 14% improvement in order edit behavior and drove incremental e-commerce sales growth. f Fong was a member of the

Figma Design Leadership Collective, an invitation-only group that brings together senior executives and emerging leaders to exchange insights on strategy, organizational design, AI adoption and scaling innovation.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Yana Hansen

Ranae Jonsson

Lubna Lasne

Ashley Lawliss

National Category Director, Albertsons Cos.

Director, Portfolio Information Security Officer, Albertsons Cos.

Director, Technical Program/Project, Albertsons Cos.

Sourcing Manager, Albertsons Cos.

f Hansen

achieved yearover-year candy sales growth of 3%-4%, translating to tens of millions in incremental revenue and outpacing industry forecasts; for example, under her assured leadership, summer seasonal products saw a 28.9% jump in sales and a 21% increase in units. f As a core leader for the

f Jonsson led the

development of a new operating model for how portfolio information security officers present risk to portfolio leaders; this model provides a standardized, risk-based view that aligns security control performance with business impact, improving clarity, consistency and executive engagement.

f To ensure that

defects were identified early in development to improve code quality and accelerate delivery, Layugan consulted industry experts across Asia and the United States; the platform she ultimately recommended significantly reduced effort in automating and maintaining test cases. f Apart from internal knowl-

edge-sharing sessions regularly conducted by the team, she leveraged industry conferences with her team to learn best practices and innovations that could be applied at Albertsons. f Layugan established an

annual Software Testers’ day in Manila to emphasize how ensuring quality is everyone’s responsibility; she also used the event to recognize and celebrate the testing teams’ wins and accomplishments. 42 progressivegrocer.com

f She expanded her team, im-

f As the vice chair of the Asian

Jonsson held various leadership roles in the Minnesota chapter of the Information Systems Security Association, including president and VP; she also served as a mentor through the Executive Women’s Forum.

Assistant Director, Albertsons Cos.

f She delivered strong bot-

f Outside of her corporate role,

f A graduate of the Cornell Food

Jenny Layugan

third-party backhaul initiative that streamlined workflows and improved team collaboration, and when disruptions threatened operations, her swift coordination of strike coverage bids ensured uninterrupted service, protecting customer satisfaction and revenue streams.

ships with security stakeholders, she contributed to governance initiatives that helped reduce aged critical vulnerabilities in the environment by more than 90%.

f Additionally, through partner-

Kathryn Limoanco Senior Manager, Albertsons Cos. f Due to her

proven excellence, Limoanco was entrusted with the entire call center team of more than 450 employees, overseeing multiple teams and operational functions and ensuring alignment across quality, training, workforce planning and customer experience goals. f She helped lead one of the

center’s biggest transformations: the integration of 17 new business lines; despite the complexity, she ensured transitions happened seamlessly, with little to no disruption for customers. f Outside of her core role,

Limoanco mentored future women leaders and participated in outreach programs; her influence went beyond operations, extending into the community and the personal growth of those she led.

f Lawliss led a

a pivotal role in spearheading the strategy, planning and execution of the Global Capability Center in India; partnering with the engineering leadership, HR and talent teams, she enabled the rapid hiring and onboarding of 100-plus engineers in record time. tom-line impact by leading a strategic workforce optimization initiative, reducing the contractor workforce by more than 15% and generating multimillion-dollar annual savings while preserving delivery momentum.

enterprise-wide In-Stock Growth initiative, she helped design and drive multiple workstreams to attack out-of-stocks; the project achieved $25.4 million in cumulative impact (sales recaptured) in just seven weeks. Executive Program, Hansen was a product innovation judge for the Sweets & Snacks Expo and a National Confectioners Association panelist.

f Lasne played

Network associate resource group, Lasne fostered cultural inclusion and employee belonging and helped organize companywide celebrations for Diwali, Eid and Lunar New Year.

plemented tailored development plans and cultivated a high-performance culture; blending data analytics with strategic foresight, she served as a trusted advisor in sourcing decisions, driving cost savings and operational resilience. f The recipient of the 2023

Albertsons Rock Star Award and multiple Traffic Analyst of the Quarter awards, Lawliss was active in community engagement through food bank initiatives and various charitable events.

Wan Liu

Sowjanya Naidu

Manager Analytics, Strategic Partnerships, Albertsons Cos.

Senior Manager, Albertsons Cos.

f Liu led a

complex analysis with Instacart to diagnose unexpected price inflation; identifying root causes in catalog accuracy and search optimization, she worked with the e-commerce platform to correct these issues, resulting in stabilized average unit prices and an improved year-over-year sales trajectory. f She also introduced a new

f In support of

Albertsons’ strategic growth in the loyalty sector, Naidu architected and delivered the Account Linking Platform, a scalable, reusable API framework that allows seamless customer account linking with partners, enabling high-value collaborations with Alaska Airlines, DoorDash and Chevron, and significantly reducing the engineering time to market for future onboarding.

methodology for measuring incremental return on ad spend; this approach, now used across partners, allowed teams to optimize investments by understanding true campaign effectiveness.

f She also managed the launch

f Liu took charge of the plan-

f Outside of her professional

ning for Albertsons’ Lunar New Year celebration in 2025, an event for 200-plus employees, and was asked to lead it again in 2026.

of custom cake ordering on Albertsons Experience platforms, which included design-your-own capabilities and 300-plus new designs, significantly enhancing the digital bakery experience. obligations, Naidu regularly volunteered at her local temple, dedicating personal time to supporting community events and service activities.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Tracy Newman

Ashley Odom

Hannah Parsons

Senior Director, Communications, Albertsons Cos.

National Category Director, Albertsons Cos.

Assistant National Category Manager, Albertsons Cos.

f Newman piloted

f Odom was a

f Parsons estab-

and launched the Retail Leadership Development communications campaign across two divisions to engage hard-to-reach audiences, achieving a 72% open rate that exceeded the worldwide corporate average.

principal architect of the 2025 Elevate supplier program, securing a deal with a top warehouse supplier that included an additional $10.75 million in price investment funds and a $10 million annual marketing budget.

f She created the “Leading

f She identified consumer de-

Ambition” officer playbook for leaders, providing tools and templates that reinforced values-driven behaviors; the playbook saw strong adoption, with a 75% open rate and a 14.3% click-through rate. f In 2024, Newman’s leadership

enabled the Living Our Purpose Culture Enrollment Campaign to win the International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Award of Excellence in Employee Engagement; she also participated in family-forward service organizations. Laura Petersen Senior Director, Supply Chain Human Resources, Albertsons Cos. f Moving into a

f Designed under Parthasarathy’s leadership, ShopAssist, an in-house capability that allows customers to communicate in real time with in-store associates during order picking, drove measurable improvements in customer trust and order quality.

mand for bold and international flavors, leading to the expansion of emerging pickle and pepper brands that grew 9.3% in 2025, far exceeding the category average.

f Her focus on value optimi-

f She also led initiatives that

zation generated more than $5 million in cost savings, enabling reinvestment in strategic pricing, promotions and differentiated product offerings.

reduced customer wait time and improved timely order handoff by 280 basis points, enhancing the curbside pickup experience.

f Having earned a Food Retail

f Parsons played a central role

Executive Certificate from the Cornell Food Executive Program, Odom participated in NextUp and Albertsons’ Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group, serving as a mentor and speaker to advance diversity and inclusion.

in the Packaging Task Force and graduated from the year-long Southeast Produce Council’s Next Generation Leadership Academy program, the latter of which develops emerging produce industry leaders by strengthening competencies in the category.

Lavanya Ramadoss

Atmika Ramanath

Senior Director, Marketing and Personalization, Albertsons Cos.

Senior Product Manager, Albertsons Cos.

f Ramadoss drove growth for

f With her focused plan, one

f She formally assumed re-

distribution center not only reduced turnover to below 100%, but also had the largest year-over-year improvement in the network.

sponsibility for digital marketing strategy and execution for the e-commerce and loyalty business lines while also taking on official ownership of personalization, shifting her role from functional customer relationship management leadership to broader enterprise digital go-tomarket ownership.

Resources Association of the Treasure Valley to strengthen her connection with the local Idaho HR community and engage with emerging trends and best practices through participation in networking events, professional development programs and community-driven efforts.

Director, Product Management, Albertsons Cos.

lished the Fresh Cut Innovation Group, partnering with the produce assistants at four divisions – SoCal, Portland, Mid-Atlantic and Jewel-Osco – to develop and execute initiatives that strengthened category performance and expanded customer reach.

new role, Petersen used relationship building and influence to establish herself as a go-to partner in the supply chain organization, quickly progressing from an outsider to someone routinely asked for her input and guidance.

f Petersen joined the Human

Deepthi Parthasarathy

customer engagement channels reaching more than 20 million customers, notably expanding the marketing text program from under 1 million to more than 7 million customers in less than two years.

f Ramadoss volunteered weekly

with interfaith youth education programs and was an active member of the University of Pennsylvania alumni association.

f In 2025, Parthasarathy was

invited to join Neythri Leadership Circle, a curated network of senior South Asian women leaders selected for their professional accomplishments, influence and commitment to giving back; Neythri is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering, engaging and advancing South Asian professional women. Brandi Reiser

f Ramanath built

the operating model that transformed the food-as-medicine business into a true enterprise growth engine; the business delivered approximately quadruple year-over-year growth, driving roughly 75% incremental sales, fueled directly by her onboarding and scaling of five new health plan and benefits partners. f She scaled Albertsons’

strategic grocery marketplace partnerships, approximately tripling growth by establishing a repeatable operating model for partner onboarding, order flow and store execution. f In October 2025, Ramanath

received Albertsons’ We Raise the Bar award for setting higher execution standards, solving hard problems the right way and delivering meaningful business impact.

Senior Manager, Loyalty, Albertsons Cos. f Reiser launched

initiatives to simplify the $5 billion-valued deals platform, leading to a 31% reduction in customer complaints. f She coordinated multiple

workstreams to drive the launch of Albertsons’ new forU Travel platform powered by Expedia; this was Albertsons’ first major partnership launch in years, with her involvement also extending to the creation of a scalable partner framework that will serve as the blueprint for all future Albertsons integrations. f In April 2025, Reiser received

the forU Star Award for her leadership and strategic thinking; additionally, she volunteered with Friendship Circle, a nonprofit organization focused on creating inclusive experiences for children with special needs.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 43

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Seriki National Category Director, Albertsons Cos. f Seriki’s catego-

ries achieved double-digit sales growth and reached record volume increases, outpacing total store sales. f She led a first-of-its-kind en-

terprise merchandising program that secured millions in vendor-funded support for 15,000plus new product displays; this initiative placed health-and-wellness products in nontraditional store areas like alcohol and pharmacy departments. f Seriki graduated from the USC

Food Industry Management program in 2024 as Class Spokesperson and received the 2024 Byron Allumbaugh Scholarship to support her MBA pursuit; further, as an immigrant from Nigeria, she volunteered her time conducting career workshops for other immigrant women through a Dallas nonprofit.

Crissy Snyder Strategic Partner Director, Albertsons Cos. f Having identified

that an incumbent pharmacy marketing partner wasn’t delivering optimal value to Albertsons, Snyder proactively sourced and negotiated an alternative capability, ultimately increasing Albertsons’ annual value by more than $400,000.

RISING STARS

Dragana Stamenkovic Director, Warehouse Management Technology, Albertsons Cos. f Over the past year,

Stamenkovic succeeded in transitioning six distribution centers to the new warehouse management system solution and set a goal to deliver eight this year. f She also worked with both

decade-old contract that was outdated and unfavorable to Albertsons; through her initiative and collaboration with sourcing, she was able to transform the agreement, increasing its value by more than 200%.

internal and vendor teams to improve the business efficiency being realized from the new solution; this required a broad set of technical changes and business process revisions, in addition to system configuration and training.

f Running every morning before

f In 2025, Stamenkovic received

f She also uncovered a

work, Snyder transformed her personal fitness routine into a purposeful commitment by supporting local Cincinnati chapters of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and Girls on the Run; she additionally volunteered as a marketing chair.

an Equity Award for her performance, leadership and contributions to the organization’s success; beyond her professional responsibilities, she focused on supporting individuals with disabilities and assisting elderly members of her community.

Ashley Starke Senior Manager, Customer and Market Intelligence, Albertsons Cos. f Starke built and scaled the “Knowledge Hub,” an AI-enabled strategic insights engine that centralizes proprietary and syndicated research into a single enterprise-wide platform; the hub achieved significant time savings, with 55% of users saving two or more hours per week. f Additionally, she integrated

an AI assistant that, according to 97% of users, made insights easier to find; by early 2026, 277 users had already generated more than 3,900 AI prompts for insight generation and presentation drafting. f Beyond her demanding work-

load, Starke and her family have fostered numerous homeless pets for several years as a means of teaching her children empathy and responsibility.

Neetu Sultan

Andrea Telang

Angelica Tinga

Michelle Tomy

Senior Director, Technology and Engineering, Albertsons Cos.

Senior Manager, Albertsons Cos.

Director, Merchandising Operations, Albertsons Cos.

f Sultan strength-

f Known for lead-

ened the stability and scalability of Albertsons’ mobile apps and web platforms, supporting 28.6% year-over-year e-commerce revenue growth and $113 million in on-site media revenue while maintaining consistent performance.

ing complex, enterprise-wide initiatives and bringing cross-functional teams together, Telang delivered an improved customer privacy experience that complied with the California Consumer Privacy Act while eliminating any backlog of requests and improving turnaround time.

f She also launched Frictionless

Account Creation & Validation, a modernization effort targeting 14.3 million-plus guest browsers and 6 million in-store club card members without digital accounts; this effort drove an 11% increase in verified registrations and enabled $4.3 million in incremental revenue. f During a period of workforce

transition, Sultan personally mentored affected co-workers, helping them review and refine their resumes and assisting with job search preparation.

44 progressivegrocer.com

f She delivered an innovative,

home-built solution to monitor and manage smart energy equipment in the retail environment, resulting in $7 million in energy savings and increased operational efficiency. f Telang introduced such innova-

tive approaches to problem solving as robotics and advanced test automation, the latter of which earned her team Eggplant Software’s “Automate Anything” Eggy Award.

f Tinga helped

lead a major transformation at the call center, introducing full containment solutions like form creation, cutting down call volumes and making it easier for customers to get things done on their own. f She also championed Agent

Assist, which listens to calls in real time and provides agents with instant solutions; this breakthrough was powered by her team’s overhaul of the knowledge base, ensuring that AI recommendations were accurate and useful. f Recognized internally for her

groundbreaking work in AIdriven customer support, Tinga somehow found the time to mentor colleagues and share knowledge to help her team embrace new technologies.

f Tomy led a comprehensive review of the company’s category reset process, which reduced the execution cycle time from four weeks to two; this transformation improved operational agility, enabled more efficient scheduling across divisions and ensured that merchandising updates reached customers twice as fast. f She delivered double-digit pro-

ductivity improvements, enabling the creation of a $40 million reinvestment fund for 2026 priorities, and drove a reduction in post-reset cleanup timelines by five additional days. f Tomy was a board member of,

and active participant in, Love Tracy, a nonprofit dedicated to community outreach, and led a 4-H horticulture group for kids ages 9-16.

Harris Teeter would like to congratulate our 2026 Top Women in Grocery Winners!

Taura Cooper

Jarilyn Sims-Roddey

Store Director

Kirsten Barner

Tish Mills

Director Shopper Marketing & Planning

Sr. HR Business Partner

Jenny Stout Store Director

Jennifer Smith

Sr. Manager AP & Safety - Distribution

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Michelle Tonkovich Senior Director, Engineering, Albertsons Cos. f Tonkovich implemented a multi-modal, multi-model AI platform for asset generation, achieving more than 50% faster time to market while scaling to 10 times more assets, from brief to publication. f She built a self-service

marketing portal that enabled end-to-end campaign planning, authoring, proofing, intake, prioritization and activation with robust reporting; the platform reduced manual proofing effort by 80% and overall campaign operations by 50%. f Tonkovich received a Silver

Globee Award in the Women in AI Innovation category from the Globee Awards for Impact, honoring her pioneering work in driving rapid AI adoption to transform retail marketing, operational efficiency and customer experiences. Christine Bittermann Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division f Bittermann trained all 21 deli

managers in her district on the Afresh AI tool, with the district achieving 100% adoption and accuracy from day one, a direct reflection of her unrivaled ability to build confidence across diverse teams. f Her leadership also played a

key role by achieving the highest number of chicken wing bucket sales in the division during Halloween, outperforming every other district, with a gain of 113% year over year. f Bittermann trained and

mentored new deli operation specialists in multiple districts, and she also supported the Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group.

46 progressivegrocer.com

RISING STARS

Jessica Jarrett

Sherri Ahlgrain

Senior Marketing Manager, Albertsons Cos./Albertsons Media Collective

Front End Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

f Jarrett rebuilt the Albertsons Media Collective client and partner-facing website, leading the entire marketing campaign, including an internal automation update that leveraged in-house engineering and technology to enhance the landing page creation process; the relaunched channel generated 51,000 views, a 400% yearover-year increase.

f Ahlgrain led an initiative to improve performance standards, delivering targeted training and coaching to front end managers on interpreting GS1 reports and understanding their strategic importance.

f Under Ammons’ management, prescriptions and sales made double-digit gains year over year; she captured market share and new patients from her competition, transferring in at least 700 scripts.

f She spearheaded a project to

f She drove profitability through

f She was a key contributor to

critical marketing campaigns throughout the year, among them the inaugural Alby Awards, which recognized top-performing CPG partners that delivered the strongest year-over-year return on ad spend with Albertsons Media Collective. f Jarrett volunteered with the

Idaho Food Bank.

upgrade outdated lottery kiosks across four Indiana stores, driving an increase in lottery sales, and she further drove improvements in self-checkout, store net promoter scores and overall customer service. f Ahlgrain facilitated the pro-

motions of four new front end managers and recruited 10 managers in training; she also mentored the newest operations specialist as well as a front end manager toward promotion to assistant store director.

Courtney Ammons

immunization administration in what has historically been a challenging demographic area, outpacing last year’s flu shot performance by more than 30%, and she grew new community relationships to capture 32 new clinics and developed partnerships with local nursing homes and schools. f Ammons received the 2025

Presidents Award for JewelOsco in recognition of her dedication to the company and to improving patient care in her community.

Amanda Boaldin

Tina Browen

Megan Buenzow

Director, Front End Operations, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Senior Director, Marketing, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Assistant Grocery Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

f In collaboration with the operations team, Boaldin increased lottery sales by 6%, maintaining Jewel-Osco as the top lottery retailer in Illinois and extending multi-year growth; she worked with district managers to add additional Pokemon kiosks, driving an increase in Pokemon commission of more than 780%.

f Responsible for marketing programs across 189 stores, Browen helped plan and execute all media and parade involvement to drive community recognition, gaining more than 21 million earned-media impressions and a 25% increase in community donations.

f Overseeing 189 stores in three states through team and division leadership, vendor relations, data analysis and compliance, Buenzow achieved more than double the enterprise profit growth rate across all desk categories, driving 19% year-over-year growth holistically, underscoring disciplined pricing, mix and margin management.

f She and her teams improved

GS1 scanning by more than 7% to improve overall division produce shrink by 4%. f Due to Boaldin’s leadership,

Jewel-Osco improved nearly 2% in both front end and total store customer satisfaction metrics, and her teams improved self-checkout service ratings by nearly 5%.

f She built and sold nine vendor

programs, driving sales more than 30% year over year, with participating vendors seeing 20% unit and sale increases; vendors expected to see double-digit growth on a two-year stack. f Browen’s success set strategy

for 2026 from a marketing and merchandising perspective and helped build strategy for 2026-tiered sales growth programs.

f She delivered 15% year-over-

year growth in energy drinks, outpacing the enterprise by 3%, and played a pivotal role in premium sparkling category success with 11% sales growth and a 32% increase in profits. f Buenzow partnered with major

CPG companies to support local organizations such as Caring Patriots, Chicago Jesuit Academy and Northern Illinois Food Bank.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

Stephanie Diliberto Assistant Sales Manager, General Merchandise, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division f In leading GM category man-

agement, Diliberto drove paper club pack sales up nearly 70%, household and cleaning nearly 5%, and bumps in food prep, tabletop, dog food and laundry detergent, with an overall positive sales trend approaching 4%.

2026 Top Women in Grocery Keyona Fletcher

Kristyn Foust

Kristen Gaskey

Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

District Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./Jewel-Osco Division

f Responsible for 21 stores and deli managers, as well as more than 300 deli associates, Fletcher achieved 4.7% in sales growth year over year and drove a 7% increase in hot food sales through focused execution, merchandising and team engagement.

f Overseeing 42 pharmacy locations across Chicago-area suburbs, Foust drove market share and new patient numbers despite significant competition, rallying her teams to grow prescriptions by 8% and sales by 20% year over year.

Assistant Sales Manager, General Merchandise, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

f Under her direction, immuni-

with the national team to execute a new category strategy in laundry, including a multicategory reset resulting in sales and unit increases year over year.

Monday performance to an average weekly sales increase of 11% year over year and led her district in new dollar menus, setting the benchmark with a 4% increase over the other districts.

zations grew 8.5% to more than 130,000 shots, with double-digit gains in hepatitis and travel health vaccinations; she also secured more than 50 new off-site vaccine clinics to drive incremental growth in flu shots.

f Diliberto volunteered at her

f Fletcher participated in the

f Foust continued to build

Jewel-Osco Black Inclusive Network of Diversity and the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource groups.

Jewel-Osco’s bench, hiring four new pharmacists from the competition; she also served as a mentor and resource for peers as an expert in store operations, clinical services and compliance.

f She successfully partnered

local food bank, was a member of the Carol Stream Women’s Group and participated in the Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group.

Charnita Gordon Center Store Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division f Under Gordon’s leadership

of more than 600 associates in five departments at 21 stores in Chicago and its suburbs, sales have consistently increased at the seven Latin American- and six Middle Eastern-targeted stores, with overall annual sales up nearly 3% year over year. f She was instrumental in the

training and development of several store directors and assistant directors this past year. f Gordon played a key role in

the planning and execution of several events; her district won multiple sales contests with the store teams, including the Nabisco Fall Festival, St. James, Fall Werther’s, Pepsi Gatorade and Red Bull.

f She led Cheep Chicken

f Gaskey’s sphere of influence

spanned the full breadth of general merchandise category management, leading product assortment strategy, promotional planning and performance execution across baby, cosmetics, skin care, health and nutrition. f She ran an own-brand

value initiative, which increased store-branded unit sales by 12% year over year, and she created new local partnerships with national brands to improve JewelOsco’s dollar market share in hair care, active nutrition, hand soap and baby food. f Additionally, Gaskey support-

ed the Safeway Denver Division as a team lead, managing 10 assistant store directors and front end managers.

Sharon Greco

Katie Hanus

Tracey Hartford

Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Center Store Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

District Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

f Responsible

f Hanus’ district

for 20 delis, Greco consistently drove sales and units, with her district outpacing total deli in the division; under her leadership, Holiday Bucks collected through the service deli increased nearly 5% year over year. f She mentored and coached

three manager training program associates who were promoted to deli managers and a grocery assistant. f A member of the Jewel-Osco

Pride Alliance associate resource group, Greco also participated in the Northern Illinois Food Bank Holiday Packing Drive and represented service deli operations at the fall store walks.

f Providing

was best in class for decreasing out-of-stocks by nearly 40% year over year; through disciplined execution and sound strategic decision-making, she consistently aligned store performance with corporate objectives while maintaining focus on customer experience and operational excellence.

direct operational leadership for 21 stores in Illinois, leading six operations specialists and supporting more than 4,000 associates, Hartford consistently delivered positive year-overyear sales growth, exceeding prior-year results by more than 200 basis points in sales and 300 basis points in units each fiscal quarter.

f Thanks to her leadership, the

f She led significant e-com-

district also achieved an EBITDA increase of 5.5% year over year. f During her recent time as a

store director, Hanus engaged with community partners, local organizations and neighboring businesses, building trust-based relationships that enhanced her store’s reputation as a dependable, community-focused destination; these efforts contributed to sustaining customer loyalty and long-term brand equity.

merce growth, increasing sales by more than 30% and orders by more than 35% year over year; her district also achieved an all-time high in the company’s five-star certification metric. f Hartford drove holiday fund-

raising initiatives, helping the district reach 19% of the divisional fundraising goal; she also spearheaded several job fairs.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 47

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Debra Jensen

Alina Link

Yara Lucht

Alpina Patel

Bakery Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Senior Department Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

f Jensen oversaw

f Link implement-

f Leading 41

f Providing strate-

21 bakery departments and six Starbucks locations in District 1, an area that serves a wide range of demographics; under her leadership, hot bakery sales increased 1.12% year over year, with bakery tray sales up 17.5%, the second-highest increase in the company.

ed a streamlined file setup and imposition method, allowing the print shop to increase color signage output by 34% and increase printing volume with nominal labor time.

f She introduced Afresh order-

ing, improving consistency and efficiency with the store order process; she also served as a key liaison between merchandising and in‐store management to ensure alignment, communication and operational excellence. f A results‐driven leader with

an ability to drive sales and strengthen financial performance, Jensen trained and coached bakery teams in effective merchandising, sales execution and expense control strategies.

f She completed setup and

production of seven bulk mailers containing 60,000 pieces and led four iterations of rush signage reprints on 24-hour deadlines over the course of two weeks, and she created a system for direct ordering of business cards, speeding up the timeline and decreasing costs. f Link twice took over signage

layout duties for the Jewel-Osco J4U loyalty program, allowing for the speedy turnaround of proofing and production of signage.

pharmacy locations, Lucht delivered strong district-level performance through disciplined execution across Districts 1 and 2, with scripts up 8.5% year over year and sales up more than 20%, by leveraging scorecard metrics, coaching and performance reviews. f She delivered year-over-year

flu shot growth while planning and executing more than 20 flu clinics through community outreach and partnerships that expanded access to care for immigrant populations. f Lucht mentored students at

six pharmacy schools through hands-on clinical training, professional development and career guidance; she also supported foreign-educated pharmacists by providing guidance on obtaining Illinois licensure.

gic leadership for patient-centered pharmacy services across 41 store locations, Patel planned and executed 225 vaccination clinics during the most recent respiratory season. f Through community outreach

and strategic partnerships, she drove a nearly 19% increase in flu vaccines, leveraging company resources to bring flu vaccine clinics to underserved communities and driving new pharmacist prescribing services for flu, strep and pink eye to expand access to care and boost incremental revenue. f Patel executed key metrics

that drove Q3 sales and yearover-year growth for her districts, including more than 20% in total immunizations and nearly 60% in travel health services.

Patty Rodriguez

Rachel Russell

Tina Schmitz

Wendy Stahl

Deli Production Center Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Patient Care Service Manager, Albertsons Cos./Jewel-Osco Division

District Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./Jewel-Osco Division

Retail Integrity Analyst, Albertsons Cos./Jewel-Osco Division

f Under Rodriguez’s leader-

ship, the Deli Production Center expanded from 19 stores in 2022 to supporting more than 90 stores by the end of 2025; during this period, daily production volume increased by more than 450% in units. f She doubled the center’s

workforce while increasing items produced per labor hour, and she assumed direct ownership of hiring and training, leveraging her bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish to expand applicant pipelines and tailor training programs. f Rodriguez implemented a new

daily production planning system as well as increasing productivity with a new industrial slicer that drove a 25% year-over-year sales increase.

48 progressivegrocer.com

f Overseeing 181 locations across Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, Russell built strong relationships within the community, securing more than 300 new vaccine clinics, and with institutions of higher learning. f Noticing a shift in vaccination

interest, she partnered with multiple drug companies and implemented new education tactics to ensure that teams were up to date on all recommendations for patients, driving double-digit growth in immunizations and travel vaccines. f Ranked as the top patient care

services manager among all divisions at Albertsons Cos., Russell actively participated in the Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group.

f Overseeing 36 Chicago city and suburban pharmacy locations, Schmitz managed to capture market share and new patients amid competitor disruption. f She grew script ID by 7% and

sales by 21% year over year, attracting 7,300 scripts from the competition; her teams administered more than 106,000 flu/ COVID/pneumonia/RSV shots, an 8.5% increase in sales, along with boosts in hepatitis vaccines. f Schmitz drove new phar-

macy-based services and HIV specialized care based on local need, and she partnered with Malcolm X College’s studyabroad program to be its sole provider of travel vaccines for up to 200 students per year.

f Stahl enhanced accessibility and usability for store teams, driving tangible efficiencies and better customer service. f She supported the pilot

rollout of electronic shelf labels, allowing teams to redirect time to higher-value tasks; introduced the scanning department to Microsoft Teams, creating an outlet for questions, collaboration and process clarity; and collaborated with the merchandising team to ensure accurate pricing before file cutoff. f Stahl volunteered at the

Northern Illinois Food Bank and was an active member of the Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network and Pride associate resource groups.

Congratulations to our 2026

IN GROCERY

ELLEN CIARIMBOLI

LAURA EDWARDS

EMILY HUGHES

WHITNEY LARSON

JILL TOALE

Director, Retail Compliance & Food Protection

Asst. Vice President, Training & Engagement

Director, Creative Services

Store Director

Asst. Vice President, Financial Reporting

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Sarah Stolz District Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Co./Jewel-Osco Division f Overseeing 20

RISING STARS

Magdalena Tokarz

Stefanie Toomey

Assistant Deli Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./Jewel-Osco Division

Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division f Toomey won

pharmacies in the Chicago area and northwest Indiana, Stolz led a district that outpaced other areas in market share and new patients despite competitor disruption.

f Tokarz worked closely with

f Her district was up 7.5% in

f Since joining the deli team

scripts and more than 20% in sales, and drove an increase in immunizations year over year, leading the division, with partnerships for back-to-school vaccinations a contributing factor.

in July 2025, she has overseen significant improvement in financial performance, with growth in units, sales and profits; additionally, she launched a $1 breakfast menu, working with vendors to secure the best value for customers.

f She spearheaded a generic

f Outside of work, Tokarz

f Toomey administered more

f Stolz administered Jewel-

Osco’s Pharmacist Opportunity Program, focused on mentoring and developing future leaders in the business; the program featured classes covering such topics as P&L management, team building, patient care services, people management, inventory and shrink, compliance, and leadership.

district managers and operations team members to ensure proper execution of programs that she developed for 189 stores across three states.

coached elementary school basketball, worked with the elderly for the Chicago Housing Authority, and helped organize sandwiches for Northeastern Illinois University’s School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising Program.

Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery Meijer congratulates these team members who are bringing more good to food retail.

market share and new patients from competitors, transferring 400 scripts and continuing to capture market share; CORE scripts were up nearly 7% and sales were up more than 26% year over year. conversion program, increasing generic dispensing and ultimately driving margin, and she also decreased the district’s return-to-stock rate, increasing sales and improving medication adherence. than 6,300 vaccinations in a year, driving sales and margins, and grew new relationships within the community, as well as establishing an immunization partnership with the University of Chicago.

Lynda Farris

Yadira Jones

Area Leader Grand Rapids, MI

Elona Musaka Store Director Shelby Twp, MI

Carol Lester Store Director Medina, OH

f Whitiker’s district

experienced significant e-commerce growth, increasing sales nearly 40% and orders 44.1% year over year; her district achieved an all-time high in the company’s five-star certification metric; and she consistently delivered positive year-over-year sales growth, exceeding prior-year results by 3% each fiscal quarter. f She energized her district

during the holiday season by leading building and community fundraising initiatives, including volunteer events and bowling and golf outings, helping the district reach 88% of the divisional fundraising goal. f To support long-term staffing

and community stability, Whitiker hosted multiple job fairs to create meaningful employment opportunities.

Abby Wojnicki

Marcella Baloga

Sales Manager, General Merchandise, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

District Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./Mid-Atlantic Division

f Wojnicki led the general merchandise sales team to achieve 17%-plus growth in ovenware, surpassing all previous performance benchmarks; through strategic vendor negotiations and promotional planning, she drove a more than 19% increase in category revenue, positioning the division as a top contributor to overall company profitability.

f Overseeing operations for 27 Safeway pharmacy locations across Maryland and Washington, D.C., Baloga strengthened Safeway’s pharmacy operations, expanded community health access and elevated the company’s visibility in the region.

f She drove a 16%-plus

Market Director Illinois/Wisconsin

Shelia Whitiker District Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

increase in online shopper penetration, strengthening the company’s digital presence and customer engagement. f Wojnicki significantly strength-

ened a key local relationship with a national vendor that led to the creation of a one-of-a-kind program tailored specifically for the Chicago-area market, delivering significant sales and unit lift.

50 progressivegrocer.com

f She emerged as a trusted

public health voice during the 2025-26 immunization season, appearing on TV news shows to discuss strategies to increase flu vaccination rates and address barriers to care. f Baloga launched the first

Vaccine for Children program in Washington, D.C., making Safeway the area’s first community pharmacy authorized to provide essential childhood vaccines; she also strengthened school‐based outreach efforts.

RISING STARS

Jennifer Keane

Jennifer Rupert

Human Resources Manager, Albertsons Cos./Mid-Atlantic Division

Director, Catering, Albertsons Cos./MidAtlantic Division

f Providing HR

support to store teams across Connecticut, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Virginia, Keane was instrumental in significantly driving a 12% reduction in total store turnover, coaching store directors to deliver consistent orientation and recognition. f She supported two district

managers moving to new territories, providing hands-on support with regular store visits, weekly coaching calls and clear, actionable communication. f Through Keane’s leadership as

its chair, the Mid Atlantic Pride Alliance doubled its membership among associates; she coordinated its meetings and three major events, leading to its receiving the Rainbow Sponsor Award by the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County, Pa.

f Rupert signifi-

cantly strengthened the gift basket and catering businesses, leading a modernization of the basket program that upgraded its digital and operational foundation with server and software improvements, refreshed photography, a more streamlined and relevant assortment, and enhanced pricing transparency. f She rewrote recipes, in-

troduced seasonal offerings, improved merchandising and customer engagement, and expanded value-added accessories, driving a 30% performance lift. f Rupert introduced hyper‐sea-

sonal online menus, standardized tasting tables and extended holiday lead times, and she also deployed practical tools that improved communication and conversion.

Dana Ward

Heather Lovato

Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Albertsons Cos./MidAtlantic Division

Center Store Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Mountain West Division

f Directing comms for four retail

f Overseeing 23 stores, Lovato

banners and 295 stores across seven states and Washington, D.C., Ward executed a multi-pillar hunger relief strategy that transformed how the division supported food access.

achieved a 5.40% pre-substitution out-of-stock rate, reflecting her disciplined approach to execution, effectiveness in coaching teams and deep understanding of center store processes.

f She launched a divisional

f Recognizing the unique

pharmacy communications platform that elevated health access visibility across all markets, building an earned-media strategy specifically for pharmacy and public‐health initiatives, and positioning Acme and Safeway pharmacists as trusted community health leaders.

challenges of ski resort locations, she implemented a custom operational strategy that enabled these stores to achieve all-time sales highs; she also played a pivotal role during two labor stoppages, providing stability, resources and guidance to affected stores.

f Ward led a partnership with

f Lovato served as a respect-

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown to distribute $25,000 in gift cards in underserved neighborhoods, with reach that included HBO, national sports coverage and social media.

small & mighty

ed and frequently consulted specialist division-wide, with a willingness to mentor, train and assist others, elevating divisional capability and strengthening leadership pipelines.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 51

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COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Amber Radcliffe

Helen Carver

Mary Wade

Alyssa Arnest

Director, E-Commerce, Albertsons Cos./ Mountain West Division

District Manager, Albertsons Cos./ NorCal Division

Micro-Market Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./NorCal Division

f Managing

f Overseeing 285

Assistant Grocery Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Portland Division

f Under Radcliffe’s leadership,

the division delivered 30% yearover-year e-commerce sales growth, significantly outpacing expectations, with key operational metrics seeing major improvement; her work fueled expanded e-commerce penetration across the division. f Through her coaching, stream-

lined processes and daily operational oversight, the division’s consumer experience score improved from around 13% in 2024 to nearly 23% in 2025. f Radcliffe initiated and led on-

going cross-functional meetings focused on strengthening execution, elevating customer experience and accelerating sales growth, creating a culture of shared ownership and accountability that delivered measurable and lasting improvements.

21 stores in her district, Carver exceeded district sales targets by $230,000 year to date and led one of the top three districts in e-commerce volume; under her leadership, the district also ranked among the top three in the division for customer service. f She made a significant impact

through talent development and leadership, mentoring numerous store directors, district managers and executives. f Widely regarded as a trusted

advisor and servant leader, with influence extending beyond business through meaningful community engagement, Carver celebrated 50 years of service with Safeway, exemplifying longterm commitment, institutional knowledge and sustained excellence in leadership.

stores across Northern California, northern Nevada and Hawaii, Wade was instrumental in guiding promotional funding and investment decisions, driving market share gains of 37 basis points in dollars and 96 basis points in units while meeting or exceeding profit targets. f When she assumed respon-

sibility for her grocery desk, the categories were experiencing a year-over-year unit decline, but within a few months, she reversed this trend; additionally, she led planning and execution for several complex micro-market launches, including Hispanic, halal and Asian concepts. f A strong mentor, Wade played

a pivotal role in developing department specialists toward becoming assistant sales managers.

Ronnie Nault

Chelle Jackson

Debra North

Senior Human Resources Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Portland Division

Center Store Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Seattle Division

Service Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Seattle Division

f Nault took on the role of interim HR leader for her division to advise the newly appointed division president and partnered closely with legal counsel to stabilize operations while maintaining associate focus, delivering strong strategic initiatives and exceptional execution under pressure.

f With her departments contributing more than $440 million annually across 23 stores in the greater Olympia, Wash., area, Jackson made a meaningful and measurable impact on the district and division.

f Celebrating 46 years with the company, North drove performance across 16 stores by mentoring department managers and store directors, developing future leaders and executing strategic initiatives that consistently elevated results.

f She launched Project GM/

turnover in the division by 10% year over year, enhancing leadership continuity and protecting the bottom line.

HBC, which addressed significant opportunities in GM sales and shrink by focusing on reducing out-of-stocks and emphasizing seasonally relevant push items, beating shrink projections and saving more than $270,000.

f Nault redesigned the cen-

f Jackson fostered a collabora-

tralized store director training program, which strengthened the leadership bench, addressed an urgent talent development need and improved program effectiveness for the future.

tive and motivated environment by hosting workshops, creating development opportunities and introducing friendly performance-driven challenges; her ability to inspire participation and build healthy competition elevated execution and strengthened alignment throughout the district.

f She successfully reduced

52 progressivegrocer.com

f Leading 16 deli operations that

generated $32 million in sales, she led her district to a thirdbest district ranking in the division, with deli sales increasing 1.50% year over year, leading the division in basket growth and driving own-brand penetration and category sales. f North introduced a best

practices initiative that boosted gross profit by more than 2%, positioning her team among the division’s top performers in gross margin and shrink reduction.

f Arnest drove a 100-basis-point improvement in total units, a 227-point improvement in profitability, 305 points in cost of goods and 1,084 points in vendor allowances, growing the total division. f In addition to growing the

dairy department, she helped to coach and develop three new assistant sales managers, developed reporting and tools that assisted the team in using more data for each task, and managed several projects beyond her assigned duties. f Arnest participated in local

events for food bank donations, at elementary schools and a local farm; she also assisted with several Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network events at Albertsons to mentor others.

Kristy Chadbourne Pricing Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Shaw’s Division f As a pricing investment program launched at Shaw’s – one of only three Albertsons Cos. divisions selected to participate – Chadbourne was recognized internally as the initiative’s ambassador, serving as a key representative and subject-matter expert across the organization. f She also played an active

role in testing and piloting new pricing tools designed to improve workflow, accuracy and efficiency, with her feedback helping shape how these tools were refined and scaled. f To support the development

of new pricing managers, Chadbourne provided guidance, shared frameworks and mentored peers, living up to her reputation as one of the organization’s most trusted leaders.

Congratulations to our 2026 TWiG winners! Your leadership, growth and success is an inspiration. We are so proud to have you on our team! Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery (TWiG) award is the most prestigious honor for female leaders in the grocery industry.

STORE MANAGERS Meyka Albright

Store Manager Market 32 and Price Chopper

Emily Schwartz

Store Manager Market 32 and Price Chopper

Lisa Nowicki

Sally Weaver

Store Manager Tops Friendly Markets

RISING STARS Tanya Underwood

Jacqueline Wilcox

Shana Lenhardt

Patricia Bianco

Jennifer O’Malley

Laura Lingle DePlato

Michelle Karlsen

Courtney Mailhot

Director of Procurement Northeast Shared Services

Human Resource Business Partner Market 32 and Price Chopper

Director HR Analytics Northeast Shared Services

Human Resources Manager (Distribution) Tops Friendly Markets

TWIG Senior Executive

TWIG Store Manager

VP Brand Experience

Store Manager

Lisa Martinelli

Brandy Coccia

TWIG Store Manager

TWIG Rising Star

Store Manager

Manager of Distribution Services

Felicia Furino

Joelle Smith

Carol Ann Mora

TWIG Rising Star

Amanda Uniacke Learning Advisor

Data Integrity Manager Northeast Shared Services

Customer Experience Specialist Tops Friendly Markets

District Manager Tops Friendly Markets

Community Relations Manager Tops Friendly Markets

Congratulations to Stop & Shop’s 2026 Top Women in Grocery Award Winners!

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Stephanie Giangreco Pharmacy District Manager, Albertsons Cos./Shaw’s Division f Overseeing 25

pharmacy locations, Giangreco was the company’s top district pharmacy manager for flu shot administration, driving a 22.4% increase in sales and achieving the highest flu shots per store, representing a critical public-health achievement and key business driver. f Under her leadership, the

district consistently met profit and margin objectives while expanding clinical programs and elevating customer engagement; she also strengthened talent pipelines and implemented strategic initiatives that improved operational efficiency and advanced community health outcomes. f A top performer and emerging

RISING STARS

Tammy Lemnah

Lisa Letch

Nadine Lynch

District Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Shaw’s Division

Floral Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Shaw’s Division

Construction Manager, Albertsons Cos./Shaw’s Division

f Overseeing

f With responsibil-

f In charge of

the operations of 21 stores in Vermont, Lemnah helped drive sales growth, earnings and e-commerce; reduce shrink; and boost customer satisfaction. f Dedicated to developing her

colleagues’ skills and advancing their careers, she promoted various store directors and specialists. f A Vermont Grocers

Association board member, Lemnah partnered with the Vermont Food Bank, volunteered with the American Cancer Society, organized a partnership with Safe and Happy Childhoods of Vermont, and organized teams and volunteers for Wreaths Across America in Vermont.

leader, Giangreco was also VP of the Massachusetts Chain Pharmacy Council.

ity for 146 stores across New England, Letch led the full integration of wire service across the floral department, expanding floral accessibility beyond in-store shopping and positioning the category as a relevant contributor to omnichannel growth.

planning, budgets and construction oversight for 146 stores in five New England states, Lynch completed 12 remodels throughout her territory, managing the plans and schedules for general and subcontractors throughout each project.

f She led the implementation of

worked closely and successfully with general contractors and dozens of companies from the trades, as well as senior leadership for project approval and expense projections.

a floral design center focused on mass production, which improved efficiency, consistency and execution quality, and enabled standardized production, allowing store teams to focus more effectively on customer service and selling. f Under Letch’s leadership, the

floral business generated more than $500,000 in market share gains and 16 basis points of dollar share growth.

f Well respected in her field, she

f An alumna of the Next-

Up Rising Stars Leadership Development program, as well as a Massachusetts state-licensed construction supervisor and a 15-year volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Lynch received Shaw’s prestigious President’s Award.

STORE MANAGER

Amber Allbright

Fatima Alvarez

Cherrie Amaradio

Bambi Barborek

Lucy Boche

Lynisha Booker

Dillons

Fry’s

Michigan

Mariano’s

Atlanta

King Soopers

Cincinnati

Ashley Merrill

Justina Pedigo

Kirby Swick

Annelise Thom

Yara Trombley

Megan Tyndall

Columbus

Nashville

QFC

Food 4 Less

King Soopers

Connie Jewell Central

Monique Maritza Jones-Murphy Martinez Columbus

Fry’s

Jenn Leslie Kellie Garrard Hamilton-Hurst Hoskins

Congratulations to our Top Women in Grocery! Thank you for your leadership & dedication to creating best-in-class experiences for our associates, customers & communities. SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVE

Julie Auﬂick

Catherine Cosby

Sonya Hostetler

Stephanie Jenkins

Kate Mora

Michigan

Store Support Center Merchandising

Nashville

Store Support Center Kroger Technology & Digital

Mid-Atlantic

RISING STAR

Jami Barker

Karen Bird

Loretta Bronk

Samantha Bungert

Ruby Clement

Marisa Cranswick

Michelle Davison

Whitney DuBois

Lydia Horito

Mid-Atlantic

Michigan

Store Support Center Sourcing

Roundy’s

Atlanta

Store Support Center Marketing

Fred Meyer

Store Support Center Kroger Health

Supply Chain Logistics

Jenn Leae

Michaela Markert

Christina May

Kelsey McAfee

Danielle Midili

Melissa Miller

Jennie Morelos

Niki Perkins

Jennifer Pope-McNeil

Fred Meyer

QFC

Texas South

Dillons

Texas South

Central

QFC

Nashville

Delta

Micke Roberts

Kim Schutte

Maryah Sowal

Donna Tanori

Holly Taylor

Allie West

Catie Doebler

Dillons

Store Support Center Merchandising

King Soopers

Fry’s

Food 4 Less

King Soopers

84.51°

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Sheila McKay

Antonetta Oteri

Kim Watson

Sarah Brannon

Assistant Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./Shaw’s Division

Front End Operations Lead, Albertsons Cos./Shaw’s Division

Assistant Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./SoCal Division

f McKay oversaw

f Oteri was a

Bakery-Starbucks Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Shaw’s Division

the dairy department for 146 Shaw’s and Star Market locations across New England; under her leadership, dairy grew 17 basis points in dollar share while gaining 20 points in unit share, despite a highly pressured environment.

subject-matter expert for the rollout of a cash process automation program at multiple store locations, ensuring a smooth implementation by training and coaching front-end teams and guiding compliance with new standards.

f She strengthened executional

f She demonstrated leadership

consistency across the division by partnering with operations teams and district leadership, prioritizing disciplined execution to drive performance amid market volatility.

during a critical period when she stepped in for the manager of customer satisfaction for three months, overseeing customer service initiatives, monitoring satisfaction metrics and ensuring the continuity of programs designed to enhance the overall shopping experience.

f Honored as a Support Center

Super Star of the Month and widely regarded as a resourceful problem solver with a leadership style emphasizing collaboration, accountability and clarity, McKay invested time in mentoring and supporting partners across the organization.

Ashley Charfauros Meat and Seafood Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division f Charfauros delivered more than

$700,000 year-over-year sales growth and reduced seafood shrink by $80,000 year over year. f She led a cross-depart-

ment merchandising initiative after identifying a high-potential grocery item, driving $13,000 in incremental sales through product placement, demos and store-level execution; introduced a brand’s beef to select stores, generating $40,000 in annual sales; and piloted Kurobuta pork in two locations, adding $1,400 in incremental revenue. f Charfauros volunteered with

the San Diego Food Bank, sorting produce and building boxes for families in need, and supported the March Air Force Base Military Picnic, serving lunch to active-duty service members.

56 progressivegrocer.com

f Oteri participated in multi-

ple NextUp events where she engaged with industry peers and explored strategies for advancing women in leadership roles within the grocery sector.

Erica Dawsen Grocery/Liquor Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division f Thanks to her planning and execution in the crucial area of vendor partnerships, Dawsen and her team sold more than $100,000 in a week during a recent sales event – finishing first in SoCal and selling more than 40% more than any other district. f Not only did she achieve

outstanding sales, but she also ensured a healthy profit margin, with the area under her leadership generating a profit of $33 million-plus, an increase of 1.97%. f Away from her job, Dawsen

volunteered at multiple events to work with young children on how to turn the food they grow into heathy and tasty meals.

f Watson’s ability

to anticipate challenges and mobilize resources resulted in record-breaking results across her territory: Her bakery department ran more than a 38.4% margin rate better than the division average, and she posted a shrink performance of 5.7%, also better than the division average of 5.8%.

f Brannon drove

standout promotional performance and sales growth through a strategic vendor collaboration: Partnering with Colgate to enhance a Softsoap Pick 4 promotion, she delivered a 41% increase in sales and a 68% increase in units in just one week. f She took the initiative to

reopenings simultaneously, coordinating teams, merchandising and execution without disruption to ongoing operations; both events went off flawlessly, strengthening brand presence and driving incremental sales.

work with the VP of corporate merchandising to identify and recover missing vendor funds on the general merchandise desk; her diligent follow-through in this regard not only drove financial accuracy for SoCal, but also strengthened processes that benefited every division.

f Watson was a board member

f Brannon was selected to

f She oversaw two major grand

of the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group, where she advocated for initiatives that empower women across the organization. Claudia Dominguez Division Maintenance Manager, Albertsons Cos./SoCal Division f Dominguez expanded Albertsons Cos.’ first ever in-house equipment repair department to cover 99% of SoCal stores in fiscal 2025; this in-house program is now being shared as a model for other divisions across the company. f She also launched a surplus-

attend the USC Food Industry Management Program, which she successfully completed.

Nikki Esguerra District Asset Protection Manager, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division f Esguerra implemented targeted security strategies in liquor cabinets, gates/rails, Gatekeeper Systems technology and closed-circuit TV, with a focus on full functionality and upkeep, reducing shrink from 6.23% to 4.36% across her assigned stores.

and retired-asset program selling retired and removed assets through auctions, delivering more than $75,000 to the SoCal division in 2025 while also avoiding waste disposal expenses by diverting equipment from landfills or recycling centers.

f She also increased policy and

f Dominguez was active in

f Despite her busy work sched-

several associate resource groups, including the Hispanic Leadership Network, the African American Leadership Council and the division’s Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network.

procedure adherence, achieving 95% overall on internal audits and fostering a sense of healthy competition, as well as improving incident resolution time by 50% and repeat-offender incidents by 25%. ule, Esguerra carved out the time to coordinate well-received Coffee with a Cop events with Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., law enforcement, thereby strengthening trust and community ties.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Amanda Frost

Antonette Gauf

Tamara Kirby

Service Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division

f Frost drove consistent year-over-year growth in deli and ready meals and delivered the district’s highest growth in King’s Hawaiian Rolls for Thanksgiving – a 14.65% increase, outperforming the SoCal division average of 7.31%.

f Gauf turned around early-year performance by Q3, finishing $523,000 over projection, delivering $8 million in sales and achieving $4,735,015 Line 40 EBITDA year to date.

Center Store Operational Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division

f She introduced process

enhancements, including refined production practices and seasonal merchandising resets, that improved efficiency and customer experience across 24 locations. f Frost has been singled out

for praise as the first operations specialist in her district to receive the Frank Madden Crystal Apple Award, a peer-voted honor given for leadership, results and community impact; she also received the $5 Friday Sales Medal in recognition of her top-performing stores.

f Her cheese departments typi-

cally average $13,000 in weekly sales, but during the Christmas holiday they delivered $570,000 in total sales, averaging $18,000 per store and achieving a 6.63% identical-sales increase. f Gauf traveled to Denver to

support that division during a labor dispute, working 12-14 hours a day stocking, cleaning, cashiering and ordering to keep the stores running smoothly; in her home division, she trained service deli teams, supporting a corporate initiative to develop future leaders.

Bonnie Stephen

Krista Sullivan

Service Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division

Assistant Produce Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division

f Stephen played a pivotal role in

achieving a division‐wide shrink reduction of 3%-5% per store by standardizing best practices, improving production planning and strengthening accountability. f She expanded B2B sales

by more than $100,000 in new revenue and co-launched the Division Operations Team Council, collaborating with the VP on strategic initiatives. f Stephen created a Deli

Operations Specialist Training Program and launched a district-level development initiative for deli managers to identify and mentor high-potential associates; she also extended her impact beyond her district by collaborating with NorCal deli operations on best practices, merchandising strategies and innovative ideas to drive sales and profitability.

f Sullivan developed new snacking and size options in collaboration with counterparts and suppliers to better compete with club retailers and key competitors; the resulting offerings drove customer engagement, more trips and bigger basket size, with the snacking category delivering a 9% sales increase. f She revitalized the refrigerated

grab-and-go snacking set by redesigning the assortment to better reflect emerging snacking trends, achieving a 12% sales increase and 4% unit growth in Q4. f A graduate of Albertsons Cos.’

mentorship program, Sullivan found time to volunteer at a Build a Bed event in July 2025, helping construct beds for local kids in need.

f Kirby delivered a 12% reduc-

tion in stockouts and a 20% improvement in inventory turnover, lifting sales and category rankings. f Additionally, she targeted

high-shrink zones with schematic fixes and a partnership with category managers, achieving measurable shrink improvement across District 44, a historically high-shrink urban district, and she led signature brand and holiday merchandising initiatives that drove a 25% increase in seasonal sales. f Outside of work, Kirby’s

volunteerism is deeply personal: The Special Olympics is near to her heart, as her grandson is on the lower end of the autism spectrum, and she and her family support the organization’s events annually. Rosita Szatkowski District Manager, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division f Overseeing 22 stores, Szatkowska transformed deli operations in her district from a steady performer to a top-tier leader, exceeding P&L goals and excelling in sales contests. f She created weekly, targeted

deep-dive sessions for store directors and department managers, using digital tools and data; this program significantly reduced shrink in fresh departments and was adopted by other districts wishing to replicate its success. f In addition to her involvement

with various associate resource groups, Szatkowska served as a trusted media spokesperson for San Diego County, representing the SoCal division in interviews and public segments highlighting hunger relief efforts and key store programs.

Brenda Shetrone Bakery-Starbucks Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division f Shetrone delivered the sec-

ond-highest hot bakery margin (more than 47%) and the highest commercial bread margin in the SoCal division (more than 31%). f Additionally, she and her team

ranked No. 1 in identical-store sales compared to the previous year, making their district the only one in the division to garner positive sales. f When not excelling at her

highly demanding job, Shetrone volunteered with the Kern County Food Bank and the Bakersfield, Calif., Police Department’s HaLAWeen project, as well as supporting Helping One Woman Bakersfield; she also found the time to complete the Retail Management Certificate Program, earning the coveted blue name badge.

Viviana Bernal Director, Maintenance, Albertsons Cos./ Southern Division f Within her first week on the job, Bernal addressed a vendor accounts-receivable claim exceeding $2 million; through detailed analysis, use of internal tools and close partnership with the legal and corporate teams, she successfully negotiated the forfeiture of $545,000 while resolving additional accruals. f She restructured the main-

tenance operating model by assigning stores directly to maintenance specialists and coordinators, shifting dispatch authority away from vendors; this addressed more than $3 million in unnecessary vendor trip charges incurred prior to her arrival. f Bernal maintained a strong

professional network across retail, construction and facilities organizations.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 57

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Chelsea Hulin

Sierra Tijerino

Sabrina Fair

Abie Rampy

Floral Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Southern Division

Service Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Southwest Division

Replenishment Manager, Albertsons Cos./United Division

Director, Public Relations, Albertsons Cos./United Division

f Hulin consistent-

f Overseeing

f Fair’s team

f Rampy devel-

ly advocates for her associates and creates an environment where people are heard, valued and empowered to succeed; as a result, the districts that she supported saw meaningful improvements with regard to execution, engagement and overall performance. f She exceeded her projections

in various categories, including year-to-date sales by $802,314, 8.37% better than the previous year, and shrink 1.89% better than the projection and 3.16% better than the previous year.

22 deli managers in District 1, which encompasses Tucson and outlying southern Arizona stores and brings in about $500,000 in weekly sales, Tijerino achieved division-leading deli sales increases by empowering her managers and creating consistently excellent conditions through structure, ownership and accountability. f During her time in this position,

she brought down the deli shrink percentage of 12.8% to only about 2%, as well as increasing unit growth and deli EBITDA.

f Hulin was a member of the

f Outside of work, where

Recipe for Change Alliance, volunteered at the Food Bank of Baton Rouge and the Red Cross, and also developed and mentored existing and future leaders.

she earned the district’s Peak Performer award for her outstanding accomplishments, Tijerino somehow found the time to volunteer at local schools and with the Girl Scouts.

Ashley Yu Senior Director-Retail Sales, AnheuserBusch f Under Yu’s

Heather Standifer Executive Director, AIM Ad Group, Advertising and Marketing, Associated Wholesale Grocers

direction, Michelob ULTRA became the fastest-growing top-five beer brand at Kroger in 2025, gaining share through disciplined pricing, optimized display strategy and high-performing shopper programs; Busch Light also became the No. 1 value beer brand nationally at Kroger, growing 10%-plus year over year in dollar sales – significantly ahead of the total value beer segment.

streamline the implementation of digital offers, resulting in a 15% increase in successful offer redemption rates for member retailers by simplifying the execution process; she also developed a cross-functional training program that significantly reduced errors in weekly ad planning.

f She accelerated future-facing

f She proactively spearheaded

growth by scaling Cutwater Spirits, which became the No. 1 ready-to-drink spirits brand family at Kroger in 2025, and developed cross-category partnership programs that expanded shopper occasions and increased basket size. f Yu contributed time and leader-

ship to Junior League community empowerment initiatives.

58 progressivegrocer.com

f Standifer led an initiative to

the launch of a new ethnic ad group dedicated to serving and meeting the specific needs of member-retailers’ Hispanic customers. f Away from work, Standifer

assisted survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, helping to secure employment, vehicles, financial support and new identities to those affected.

achieved an overall service level goal of 95% while meeting quarterly targets for inventory dollars, inventory turns, days of supply on hand (DSOH), and shrink; within the Market Deli and bakery categories, yearto-date performance reflected notable gains. f Beyond her day-to-day

responsibilities, she played a pivotal role in leading her team through a highly complex ACI conversion, an enterprise-wide initiative requiring the adoption of multiple new systems. f Fair joined United

Supermarkets’ organized Meals on Wheels delivery efforts back in the early 2000s and has remained an active, consistent volunteer ever since, delivering meals to Lubbock, Texas, residents in need.

oped and implemented a comprehensive client management system in HubSpot, creating a centralized, division-wide platform for managing community engagement partners across all regions; the system improved transparency, efficiency and stewardship while enabling more strategic allocation of resources and stronger partner relationships. f She reimagined the Holiday

Made Easy Expo, transforming it into a results-driven customer and community engagement event that significantly increased store traffic and elevated awareness of holiday offerings. f Rampy served on the com-

pany’s Engagement Council, strengthening relationships between the organization and the communities it serves while modeling leadership qualities.

Monica Wu

Dianne Le

Director of Client Development, Vestcom, Avery Dennison

Director, Omni Shopper Marketing, Avocados From Mexico (AFM)

f The white-space strategy that Wu developed to identify untapped categories and under-optimized accounts where Vestcom solutions can provide the highest ROI led to 25% revenue growth within her 18-state territory; revenue growth is on track to increase another 20% by the close of the current 12-month cycle. f Her work last year transformed

her territory into a blueprint for modern sales leadership; her focus on “turning conversations into actions” resulted in a large increase in technology adoption across her accounts, directly correlating to a measurable reduction in operational waste for clients. f When not at work, Wu volun-

teered with 7 Hills Homeless Day Center.

f Le led a strategy for the exclusive customized program to drive incremental avocado purchases at Kroger by positioning avocados as heart-healthy superfoods during American Heart Month, expanding category penetration by attracting new and lapsed buyers to the produce department through emotionally resonant health messaging that moved beyond functional benefits; unit sales increased 2% year over year and AFM achieved a 2.2-point gain in share of wallet. f She received the 2025

Marketing Maverick award from the American Marketing Association Dallas-Fort Worth. f Le worked on strategy devel-

opment of AFM’s fifth annual partner program with Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization.

Congratulations to Our 2026 Top Women in Grocery!

Charlotte Roy Rising Star Key Account Manager, Bakery

The grocery industry moves forward because leaders like Charlotte Roy and Melissa Kruse drive it. We are so proud to celebrate two of our own!

Melissa Kruse Senior Level Executives Vice President, Human Resources

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Lori Bryant

Kathy Premo

Megan St. Hilaire

Larissa Bryant

Manager of Construction, Big Y Foods Inc.

Manager of Pharmacy Services, Big Y Foods Inc.

Continuous Improvement Engineer II, Blount Fine Foods

Senior Manager, Procurement, C&S Family of Companies

f Bryant complet-

f Premo devel-

f In her previous

f Despite the scale

ed two ground-up builds and six major internal/ external remodel projects, and she oversaw 50-plus sales and operations department projects throughout the chain. f She lived up to her reputa-

tion for turning challenges into opportunities and paying close attention to details, qualities that helped lead her teams to find smarter, more cost-effective solutions; her commitment to continuous improvement delivered meaningful savings and long-term value to the company. f A founding member of Big

Y’s Building Firm Foundations, Bryant assisted employees experiencing hardships by supervising and participating in home projects that helped ensure a quality standard of living and safety for staff members.

oped a new policy and procedure for the drug-receiving process, designed to maintain a strong, collaborative relationship with regulators while continuing uninterrupted pharmacy operations; the new process resulted in 2,200-plus compliant and timely store-level pharmaceutical deliveries from the company’s generic drug warehouse and allowed for lower costs and better pharmacy access in medically underserved communities. f She led the development of

a proactive customer program that enabled first-in-the-nation administration of the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine in response to evolving federal guidance.

role as continuous improvement business partner at UNFI, St. Hilaire delivered Lean Six Sigma training to equip front-line teams with the tools to identify waste and strengthen process discipline while maintaining the foundation of a continuous-improvement culture. f By deploying Lean Daily

Management across multiple UNFI distribution centers, she enhanced operational visibility and used advanced data analysis to implement standardized corrective actions that significantly reduced warehouse damage costs. f Honored with UNFI’s Better

delivered home-cooked meals to families through the nonprofit organization Lasagna Love.

Every Day company recognition, St. Hilaire held elected leadership positions with Toastmasters International and volunteered for environmental cleanups and local food bank donation drives.

f Premo also prepared and

and complexity of her portfolio – representing approximately 48% of the company’s total annual volume – Bryant achieved a 4.90% year-over-year improvement in weighted forecast accuracy; this directly contributed to stronger service levels, healthier inventory positions and improved operational efficiency across the supply chain. f She led demand planning

support for complex customer transitions and new customer onboardings without compromising performance for existing customers, and ensured stability and continuity while integrating new business into the company’s network. f Bryant led the creation and

implementation of department-wide key performance indicators across all levels of the organization.

Estra Otero

Carolyn Simmet

Tammy Bennett

Jenna Smith

Retail Specialist, Food Safety and Compliance, C&S Family of Companies

Warehouse Operations Manager, C&S Family of Companies

Sales Development Manager, C.A. Ferolie

Sales Team Lead, Chicory

f Bennett turned

f Smith drove

f As the leader

f Simmet focused

of the Safety Committee, Otero established a Safest Store Award Program, formed a slip-resistant shoe program and conducted more than 10 annual preventive trainings – protection measures that reduced C&S’ employee injury cost by 92% year over year. f She developed trainings relat-

ing to recently passed regulations on workplace violence policies and successfully trained 400 employees within three months; this past year, all stores received satisfactory internal audit scores, which helped the locations maintain their Grade A rating from the applicable regulatory agency. f Beyond her professional duties,

Otero coordinated and executed 160,000 pounds of food donations to local agencies.

60 progressivegrocer.com

on building a scalable leadership bench through formalized leadership development, holding daily and weekly coaching meetings for team members, and monthly leadership development and trainings with structured debriefs; by assigning ownership of high-impact projects, she drove accountability and improved subject-matter expertise among team members. f She also led her team to de-

velop inventory control improvements that reduced problem pallets to an average of two per shift. f Simmet contributed to net-

work-wide success by supporting customer tours, creating a playbook for future launches and hosting teams from other warehouses to share best practices.

insights and relationships into measurable top‐line results for Ferolie and its customers; at Harris Teeter, she led the confection portfolio to 12.7% annual growth, generating $1.05 million in incremental revenue. f She executed high‐impact

wins at Food Lion, where she successfully placed 2,600 shippers for Mount Franklin and secured three Feastables checkout SKUs, gaining exposure in one of the most competitive areas of the store; she also drove acceptance of 10 new Ferrara and Ferrero items at Harris Teeter and added four new Ferrara items at Ingles, reinforcing Ferolie’s category leadership. f Bennett participated in and

raised funds for the Make‐A‐ Wish Trailblaze Challenge.

significant growth within Chicory’s enterprise retailer business; she exceeded her individual revenue target, delivering 107% to goal and contributing more than 17% of total company revenue. f She developed deep expertise

in media mix modeling, allowing her to translate complex measurement data into actionable recommendations for both clients and internal teams; this led her to achieve measurable return-on-ad-spend improvements for retailer partners. f As a dedicated volunteer

in Chicory’s Chicobuddy Onboarding Program, Smith mentored multiple new hires during their first two months at the company, helping them feel informed, supported and ingrained in the company culture as they ramped up.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

Tiffani Norman Principal Architect, CSHQA f Norman’s ability

to build relationships with current and new clients and become a trusted partner enabled her company to increase its grocery/retail studio revenue by 8%, while revenue was on track to increase by 15% to 20% in 2026. f For one national grocery

client, her team developed new grocery criteria that used automated technology to improve coordination of construction documents across engineering disciplines. f Beyond her demanding

professional commitments, Norman volunteered at food kitchens and pantries across several states and participated in a variety of community service projects through her church.

Charlotte Roy

2026 Top Women in Grocery Lauren Ressel Castro Lead Director, Healthy Consumables and Grocery, CVS Health f Castro led a strategic overhaul

to create an innovation- and health-forward assortment that delivered shopper value, contributed to the transformation of CVS Pharmacy into a destination for better-for-you food and beverages, and ultimately helped strengthen the grocery category in CVS Pharmacy’s front-store business. f Her pricing and promotional

strategies helped make grocery a strategic traffic and growth driver for CVS Pharmacy. f Castro helped drive notable

growth for the brands she championed, guiding go-to-market strategy; brands nurtured under her guidance graduated into national sets at a higher rate than any prior year, and she created a long-term pipeline of future better-for-you brand innovation.

Amy Alexander Senior Director of Sales, Denali f Alexander

helped national grocery customers redirect approximately 523,047 tons of food waste from landfills by leading large-scale depackaging and food-recycling programs across multiple store outlets, brands and regions. f As director of customer

success, she created customer onboarding and training playbooks, closing execution gaps between stores and operations, and building escalation and support models. f Alexander helped design

and continued to lead Denali’s Animal Feed Recovery Program, giving grocers a practical solution for food that can’t be sold or donated, but can be safely repurposed as animal feed; the program now supports approximately 60 animal sanctuaries and wildlife parks across the United States.

Key Account Manager, Epic Sales Partners

Rebecca Bouche

Jessica Fontenot

Lead Buyer, Festival Foods

f Roy’s focus

f Bouche elevat-

Senior Director of Deli and Bakery, Festival Foods

on high-performing segments and evolving consumer preferences, and her disciplined category stewardship in a highly labor-dependent and execution-sensitive segment of retail, led to bakery portfolio dollar growth of 4.92% alongside unit growth; additionally, 11 of her 19 vendor partners delivered double-digit growth. f She reinforced training,

accountability and execution consistency across her technician team, implementing promotional initiatives, seasonal programs and new-item launches with precision to protect brand equity while driving retailer profitability. f Roy volunteered with the

East Texas Food Bank, supporting communities served by her retail partners.

ed the Pizza Fest promotion into an immersive instore and digital experience; the week-long merchandising and promotional event contributed to a 27% increase in sales for the pizza category, exceeded $1 million for the week and significantly outperformed the previous year’s promotion. f She conceptualized and

led the first Ice Cream Fest, another week-long promotional and merchandising campaign that delivered strong category growth and cross-department impact; during this event, ice cream sales jumped 17% and generated more than $100,000 in incremental revenue. f Partnering with vendors,

Bouche developed month-long display programs focused on key seasonal items during high-impact selling seasons.

f Fontenot designed and implemented Chef Inspired Meals, high-quality, trendy, ready-to-heat solutions focused on quality ingredients and protein options that generated $2.9 million and 309,000 units in sales, and delivered immediate financial gains. f She also introduced value-fo-

cused offerings, such as the $5 Kretschmar Smoked Ham, which sold 39,000 units and generated $200,000 in sales in just five months; further, her focus on execution and waste reduction drove $775,000 in reduced deli shrink dollars in 2025. f Fontenot expanded part-

nerships with more than 25 Wisconsin-based vendors, representing more than 1.7 million annual retail units and about $12 million in annual sales.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 61

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Candice Bailey Category Manager, Health, Food Lion f Bailey’s ability to

anticipate and respond to evolving customer needs led the health category to achieve 6% sales growth, 4% unit growth and nearly 7% profitability improvement, and to expand market share over the previous year. f She led her team through

structural change when the formerly merged health and beauty care business was split into two separate categories, managing both teams in the interim and ensuring continuity and performance during the transition. f Responding to consumer

trends, Bailey collaborated with other functions to enhance protein options and scaled the sports nutrition subcategory, a strategy that achieved double-digit increases in both sales and units.

Javen HodgeMcLeod Food Lion To Go Specialist, Food Lion f Hodge-McLeod

identified the partner, spearheaded the software deployment and resolved all technical issues for an initiative to eliminate the need for cellular line plans within the Food Lion To Go department; the initiative reduced associated total organizational cellular plan operational expenses by 48% and generated almost $2 million in savings. f In the Charlotte, N.C., market,

she oversaw plans and proposals to expand e-commerce room space by almost 40%, improving associate productivity by creating faster customer handoff experiences and quick parking lot access. f Hodge-McLeod executed a

targeted improvement plan that increased total shopped order volume in targeted stores by more than 80%.

62 progressivegrocer.com

Jelena Baltić Manager, Finance, Food Lion f Baltić synthe-

sized changes in assumptions, performance trends and cost structures into actionable insights that enabled leaders to respond quickly while maintaining financial discipline; as a result of this rigor and clarity, the company achieved 52 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, representing 13 years of sustained performance. f She also helped implement a

new planning tool that improved how expenses are allocated to all stores; the enhanced allocation model, built within the business-planning and consolidation system, streamlined planning processes and improved efficiency across the finance team. f Baltić was selected to partic-

ipate in the 2025 Rising Stars NextUp leadership development program.

RISING STARS

Debbie Bowers

Karen Gadwah

Director of Operations, Food Lion

Assistant Merchandising Manager, Deli/ Bakery/Home Meal Solutions, Food Lion

f To enhance

the omnichannel shopping experience for customers, Bowers’ region led the implementation of Food Lion’s proprietary platform; this increased e-commerce sales by almost 20% over the prior year. f She was selected to help

design Food Lion’s winning leadership behaviors for directors and store managers; the strategic initiative was subsequently implemented across the entire retail organization to guide Food Lion’s next chapter of growth. f Beyond the workplace,

Bowers actively volunteered to aid multiple regional organizations focusing on addressing food insecurity, including the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, for which she served as a board member.

f Gadwah spearheaded the

expansion of Food Lion’s storemade hand-battered chicken program to 260 stores and wing bars to more than 20 stores; these actions generated a minimum sales lift of more than 5% per store within the department. f Partnering with the strategic

implementation team, vendors and category teams, she expanded the in-store sushi program to 160-plus store locations, and she also introduced and refined three new bakery merchandising fixtures that improved merchandising flow and expanded bakery selling space across the department. f In the area of sustainability,

Gadwah helped the company reduce plastic waste by more than 450,000 pounds in 2025.

Stephanie Holt

Nicole Hulstein

Marissa King

Shopper Marketing Manager, Food Lion

Loyalty Campaign Development Manager, Food Lion

Social Media Manager, Food Lion

f Holt and her

team maximized Food Lion’s marketing investment, overperforming by millions of dollars above the original plan while upholding exceptional execution across 1,100-plus stores; vendor participation in shopper marketing events exceeded 90%. f Her marketing programs

maintained an execution error rate of less than half a percent, a critical achievement, given the scale and complexity of in-store execution. f For the Summers Without

Hunger campaign, Food Lion’s largest annual effort to address food insecurity, Holt volunteered at food distribution and packing events, including the organization and distribution of food and water to families affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and Tennessee.

f Hulstein reinvig-

orated the Shop & Earn program and drove gains across key performance indicators (including engaged customer count, sales growth, trip frequency, basket size and loyalty metrics); the program achieved an industry-leading retention rate for a monthly program that requires active customer participation. f Using customer data and in-

f King champi-

oned increased investment in TikTok, which drove a nearly 20% increase in incremental profit year over year in the first half of 2025; from February through November 2025, paid social contributed a significant amount in e-commerce and brick-and-mortar revenue. f She also worked to diversify

sights, she developed a focused action plan that achieved its objectives during the campaign period and sustained momentum afterward without requiring incremental marketing investment.

the company’s influencer program, broadening the initiative to include creators across a wider range of demographics, age groups and varied content styles to better engage previously untapped audiences.

f Hulstein led the evolution of a

f King’s volunteer efforts includ-

targeted loyalty sub-campaign to capture a greater share of customer spending in key categories; this strengthened category performance and increased customer relevance.

ed serving meals at Jeannie’s Kitchen at Rowan Helping Ministries and supporting annual backpack programs providing local families with nonperishable foods for students.

u t a l r a g t i ons n o C to our 2026

Top Women in Grocery Senio rExecu Level tive

Autumn Wolfe

Stor Mana e ger

Fiona Reinhardt

Vice President, Tax, Treasury & Capital Management

Store Manager

Risin g Star

Amanda Stewart

Shannon Grogg

Director, Pharmacy Services

Pharmacy Regional Manager

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Katherine Kirby External Communications Manager, Food Lion f Kirby led internal/

external communications for Food Lion Feeds’ milestone achievement of 1.5 billion donated meals; she created a press release, coordinated with media and secured 64 placements, reaching an estimated 2.6 billion people – a record-setting demonstration of hunger relief impact. f Supporting Food Lion’s $480

million-plus investment to upgrade more than 150 stores, she ensured associate, customer and media engagement by developing a multi-faceted earned media strategy highlighting the investment, showcasing remodel features and celebrating associate human-interest stories. f On the first anniversary of

Hurricane Helene, Kirby helped distribute food donated by Food Lion Feeds in Asheville, N.C.

Bruna Spealman Merchandising Director, Mid-Atlantic Division, Food Lion f Spealman

created a holiday meal package deal of affordable suggested essentials that helped drive top-line and private-brand sales during the activation’s two-week run while also helping to deliver record sales during Thanksgiving week. f Her market achieved a nearly

4% increase in sales over the previous year and a strong average of positive weekly sales, surpassing the three-year pro forma goals by more than 4%. f Spealman also proposed

changes to limited-time-only (LTO) offerings in the perishable department, which led to a bestof-all-time for LTO items and delivered 75%-plus sell-through, minimized shrink and mitigated inventory and product-handling inefficiencies.

64 progressivegrocer.com

Ronda Pendergrass

RISING STARS

Sherry Ritenour

Hillary Smith

Category Manager, Bakery, Food Lion

Director of Operations, Food Lion

Manager, Media, Food Lion

f Pendergrass

f Under Ritenour’s

and her team negotiated better vendor-funding terms to support category and business needs; this vendor support allowed her to make a strategic price investment within the company’s bakery category, driving sales and unit growth. f Her team achieved three

top-10 sales weeks in 2025 for the bakery category, and she also drove innovation within the dessert subcategory, delivering a sales increase and a unit movement increase over 2024. f Pendergrass also pioneered

conversations with market-leading vendors, connecting them with the retail monetization team to access more dollars for retail media space, a move that helped enhance visibility for bakery items.

leadership, the region delivered nearly 5% sales growth for the full year, leading her division in total sales volume and average store sales; this performance ranked second across the entire banner, despite the entry of five new competitors into her market. f Her region ranked among the

best in the company for performance in the fresh category, delivering the highest produce sales volume, fifth-highest market sales and 10th-highest deli sales out of 50-plus regions; customer count and item growth both increased by nearly 3%. f Ritenour’s region contributed

more than 700 volunteer hours in 2025, a substantial increase year over year.

f Smith optimized

full-funnel media campaigns to generate a 10%-plus year-over-year increase in incremental sales within her first six months at the company. f Her media strategies delivered

a sizable return on ad spend and more than two times the return on investment holistically; she also reduced agency contract spend by 20% through strategic negotiations. f Smith spearheaded the launch

of new digital flyer offerings, including a personalized digital flyer and coupon program using loyalty data and first-party insights to identify opportunities for increasing basket size; this initiative increased e-commerce sales and delivered an ROI improvement while deepening customer loyalty through one-toone, relevant messaging.

Joy Williams

Rachael Bubnov

Neha Pokharna

Assistant Category Manager, Floral, Food Lion

Senior Business Analyst, The Fresh Market

Senior Financial Analyst, The Fresh Market

f Williams

f Bubnov rede-

f Pokharna cre-

increased the floral category’s sales by almost 10% over the previous year; her proactive planning, forecasting and attention to unit movement improved shrink, which has consistently decreased over the years. f Despite limited floor space,

she enabled the category to finish 2025 with nine-figure sales results, and she also led the category to its highest selling year in 2025, with Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day maintaining their spots as peak selling windows. f Williams spearheaded the

addition to all new stores of the consumer bunch program, which offered an affordable selection of flowers for customers to create their own bouquets.

signed complex financial reporting packages for internal senior executives and global partners, integrating diverse data streams to enhance operational transparency. f She independently navigated

strict forecasting cycles by collaborating directly with leadership to clarify assumptions and eliminate data discrepancies. f A dedicated member of her

department’s volunteer and team-building committee, Bubnov supported foster families by sorting and preparing holiday donations for the Children’s Home Society.

ated a comprehensive, real-time ROI tracking system that serves as the corporate source of truth for loyalty investments and optimization. f She scaled an enterprise

personalization engine to achieve email open rates nearing half of recipients, and she dynamically optimized an underperforming marketing campaign mid-cycle to improve redemption rates. f Pokharna’s extensive

business accolades include a Stevie Award and a Women of Excellence Award from the Path to Purchase Institute (a sister publication of Progressive Grocer), complemented by her volunteer work with student financial literacy programs.

Congratulations

to our Top Women in Grocery!

Tiffany Amos

Candice Bailey

Jelena Baltic

Amelia Barton

Debbie Bowers

Store Manager

Category Manager, Health

Manager, Finance Planning and Reporting

Store Manager

Director of Operations

Kathy Castle

Stacie Coltrane

Karen Gadwah

Tina Hamrick

Rita Hanley

Store Manager

Retail Recruiting Specialist

Assistant Merchandising Manager, Deli/Bakery/Home Meal Solutions

Store Manager

Javen Hodge-McLeod

Stephanie Holt

Nicole Hulstein

Marissa King

Katherine Kirby

Specialist, Food Lion To Go

Manager, Shopper Marketing

Manager, Loyalty Campaign Development

Manager, Social Media

Manager, External Communications

Wendy Neeley

Sandy Moore

Sherri Morgan

Candy Munn

Heidi Nguyen

Store Manager

Ronda Pendergrass

Sherry Ritenour

Hillary Smith

Bruna Spealman

Joy Williams

Category Manager, Bakery

Director of Operations

Director, Media & Integrated Planning

Director, Merchandising

Assistant Category Manager, Floral

Thanks for all you do to make Food Lion a great place to work and shop.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Judy Culleeney

Karen Pool

Kristen Ready

Liz Robb

Human Resources Generalist, Fresh Thyme Market

Accounts Payable Manager, Fresh Thyme Market

f Through

f Pool convert-

Director of MerchandisingGrocery, Fresh Thyme Market

Senior ManagerSupply Chain and Receiving, Fresh Thyme Market

strategic staffing, robust engagement initiatives, enhanced communication frameworks and comprehensive training programs, Culleeney was able to drive distribution center turnover down to 115% by March 2025 and to 73.5% by January 2026; this demonstrated an extraordinary improvement in workforce retention not only over a 12-month period, but also a sustained and steady improvement over the past 24 months.

ed vendors to electronic data interchange, implementing a major software upgrade for the distribution center, optimizing store receiving processes, streamlining the travel and expense policy, integrating vendor management systems, and refining the vendor billback process. f By implementing a sophisti-

engagement events that fostered camaraderie, uplifted morale and enabled a positive, inclusive culture to flourish within the distribution center.

cated AI-driven workflow system, she optimized operations across departments, resulting in projected company-wide time savings of 150-plus hours per month; her efforts enhanced efficiency and improved accuracy, accountability and interdepartmental collaboration.

f Beyond work, Culleeney

f Pool founded an annual vol-

volunteered regularly at a local food pantry, providing essential resources to families in need.

leyball tournament to raise funds for the Eric Bykowski Memorial Scholarship at Waubonsee Community College, in Illinois.

f She introduced monthly team

Holly Waddington

Elizabeth Whiting

Regional Asset Protection Manager, Fresh Thyme Market

Senior Manager, IT Security and Operations, Fresh Thyme Market

f Through the

development of simplified procedures, targeted coaching and risk-based auditing, Waddington reduced variance, increased accountability and optimized reconciliation processes. f She enhanced safety

performance, resulting in a $737,000 improvement in the safety program; by concentrating efforts on high-risk areas and refining response and prevention strategies, she contributed to a measurable reduction in incidents and fortified the region’s safety culture. f Waddington spearheaded the

redevelopment and simplification of the company’s inventory preparation process; her leadership improved inventory accuracy, minimized preventable shrink and streamlined complex operations for store teams.

66 progressivegrocer.com

f Whiting led the 100% renewal

and upgrade of Halcyon anti-ransomware and Windows platform protections; these efforts measurably reduced vulnerability exposure and enhanced operational resilience during a time of increased cybersecurity threats. f She spearheaded multi-phase

security modernization initiatives, including identity and access management enhancements and comprehensive vendor risk assessments, and she optimized costs without compromising protection. f In addition to these achieve-

ments, Whiting supported team development by mentoring junior IT staff and cross-functional partners, accelerating onboarding and improving their confidence in managing complex security requirements.

f Ready delivered several high-impact contributions that drove strong business results and fueled growth, and she led her department to significantly exceed financial targets, with sales and margins finishing 6% ahead of plan and outperforming the prior year; this represented the strongest growth rate across all merchandising departments.

f Robb spearheaded a company-wide upgrade of Fresh Thyme’s inventory platform, redesigning processes and ordering parameters; stores now manually adjust fewer than 5% of system-generated orders – down from approximately 40% – freeing up substantial labor hours and increasing commitment to forecasts.

f She played a pivotal role in

f She transformed Fresh Thyme’s on-shelf availability (OSA) program and established an ambitious target to raise OSA from a 93% baseline to a 95% goal, aligning this initiative with the enterprise Key Performance Indicator Scorecard and customer experience strategy.

developing and managing joint business-planning calendars to enhance collaboration and alignment with key suppliers. f Ready took the lead on critical

cross-functional projects, including chairing the Produce Sales Action Committee, an initiative to foster sustained growth in a vital department through a clear, unified pricing and promotional strategy.

f Robb was also instrumental in

designing engagement programs and driving participation in recognition and development initiatives.

Jenna Busby

Jennifer Rush

Category Manager, Fruit, The Giant Co.

Category Manager, Baking and Meals, The Giant Co.

f Busby launched

her company’s private label greenhouse-grown packaged salads and organized a category reflow that improved the overall customer experience. f She increased unit movement

for produce beverages through secondary display pilots and co-developed an educational seminar to enhance corporate product knowledge. f Busby volunteered at Project

SHARE food distribution events, represented her organization at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and was selected for NextUp’s Rising Stars Program.

f Rush instituted a

disciplined review of promotional activities to eliminate non-productive spending and exceed corporate margin targets across her assigned categories. f She designed a targeted back-

to-school promotional campaign that boosted sales performance and successfully grew her department’s private-brand penetration by relocating item placement. f Along with speaking on a

vendor panel at her company’s supplier summit, Rush acted as a church group treasurer and logged extensive community service hours baking items for Meals on Wheels.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Katie Boris

Prudhvi Chekuri

Robyn Glenn

Amber Koehler

Senior Director, Center Store Grocery, Giant Eagle Inc.

Senior Manager, Application Engineering, Giant Eagle Inc.

Wholesale Customer Service Manager, Giant Eagle Inc.

Senior Manager, Quality Assurance, Giant Eagle Inc.

f Glenn’s focus on

f Koehler suc-

f Boris exceeded

her P&L budget by more than $5 million while delivering a $17.7 million improvement in total margin year over year. f She transformed the beverage

category’s go-to-market strategy, including a full redesign of the promotional mix and front-page advertising cadence, to improve promotional productivity while strengthening shopper engagement in highly competitive segments, and she secured $1.7 million in incremental supplier income to support these initiatives, along with additional trade funding. f Pairing new product introduc-

tions with strategic advertising, targeted digital marketing and high-impact front end displays, Boris helped grow share 50 basis points across competitive beverage categories. Sandhya Madireddy Director, Technology Systems, Giant Eagle Inc. f Madireddy over-

f Chekuri played

a pivotal leadership role in advancing ITEM MDM modernization, a foundational initiative for merchandising, supply chain and digital commerce; she aligned cross-functional teams, clarified decision paths, accelerated delivery timelines, improved data quality, reduced manual processes and strengthened item accuracy across the enterprise. f She also helped move AI-

driven creative capabilities into production, enabling personalized email messaging and automated content generation; these capabilities increased marketing speed, brand consistency and relevance. f Chekuri guided engineering

teams in building the frameworks, pipelines and governance needed to deploy AI safely and reliably.

f As a member of Southwestern

Pennsylvania’s Women United Leadership Group, Glenn helped to improve the lives of women and children through philanthropy, leadership and volunteerism.

f She established a recipe

approval program that reduced the risk for improperly labeled food products, with each ingredient reviewed for accuracy and included in a database that built an ingredient statement for each recipe, and she also incorporated elements of allergen handling into onboarding and ongoing team member training. f Koehler participated in Giant

Eagle’s partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Melanie Butler

Briana Hill

Manager, Loyalty Strategy, Giant Food

Category Analyst III, Health and Beauty, Giant Food

f During a major business

f She participated in the

sioning of a deeply embedded 30-year-old enterprise system, a high-risk initiative critical to reducing technical debt and enabling modernization.

cies that empowered her team, introducing standard operating procedures and ongoing refresher training to ensure consistency, accuracy and continuous improvement; her strategic approach resolved critical issues and positioned the team for long-term success.

Director, Own Brands Center Store Management, Innovation and Design, Giant Eagle Inc. f In her role as the Own

f Madireddy led the decommis-

f She implemented efficien-

cessfully transitioned several independently owned stores to corporate-owned locations, converting each of the store’s unique recipes to corporate recipes to ensure that all products met Giant Eagle’s corporate food safety standards.

Carly Simonetti

saw the modernization of the enterprise loyalty platform, which was originally planned as a threeyear phased effort; instead, she created a plan to complete the transformation in just 12 months, enabling the business to realize value two years earlier. transition, she safeguarded and extended the value of the myPerks loyalty program, designing a new service showing myPerks to be an integrable product; this enabled Circle K to incorporate perk redemption at its fuel locations.

root-cause analysis delivered $500,000 in cost savings for the organization; she also drove cross-functional collaboration by partnering with IT, loss prevention and warehouse teams to strengthen research and problem-solving capabilities.

Brands representative in the Retail Leadership 3.0 program, Simonetti communicated strategic imperatives directly to retail leaders to build advocacy, alignment and momentum for own-brand growth. Leadership Pittsburgh 2025–26 cohort, designed to cultivate executives committed to driving positive community and economic impact, and she was appointed Giant Eagle’s representative on the Private Label Manufacturers Association Retail & Wholesale Advisory Board. f Simonetti volunteered with

Junior Achievement, contributing her time and expertise to help students build financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurial thinking.

f Butler estab-

lished innovative rewards experiences by creating weekly chances to win suites for sporting games, increasing shoppers’ engagement with experiential rewards. f She also led the pilot of in-

store kiosks, which increased access to additional coupons and offers; with a baseline expectation of 5%-7% of store traffic activation, Butler’s strategy led to a nearly 11% activation rate, and engaged customers saw a trip increase. f Butler reached the mainline

revenue goal of $5.0 billion in shopper spend, raising digital-engaging customers to more than 40% of Giant’s total shopping base and bringing in a pipeline of 350,000 new digital loyalty customers.

f Hill led a com-

prehensive spaceto-sales analysis that uncovered underleveraged subcategories, enabling a highly successful planogram reset that optimized space allocation, expanded key item distribution and improved performance. f She played a central role in

strengthening vendor partnerships by authoring data-driven recommendations that fueled more effective strategies and alignment, resulting in increased support and improved ROI on key events. f Hill contributed to the

Women’s Inclusion Network at Giant Food and helped to partner with vendors to secure support for key community efforts, including the grocer’s participation in World Pride and the Giant BBQ Battle.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 67

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Kim Kelm

Meg MacAvoy

Ryen Mills

Leigh Chase

Social Media Manager, Giant Food

Category Manager, Multicultural and Kosher, Giant Food

Brand Strategy Manager, Giant Food

Director of Category for Center Store, Hannaford

f Kelm led the

strategic transition to bring organic social media fully in-house, eliminating the need for external agency support; this shift resulted in seven-figure annual savings while improving content quality, speed to market and team collaboration. f She developed a custom-

er-first, insight-driven organic strategy that contributed $1.5 million in attributed sales by mid-year; content supported a wide range of business priorities, including e-commerce, value, healthy living and private brands. f Kelm also spearheaded the

creation and execution of bestin-class content that drove a 108% year-over-year increase in engagement, a 2.1% increase in audience growth and a phenomenal 732% increase in content shares.

Melanie LaFlamme Bakery Category Manager, Hannaford f Under

f MacAvoy’s

f Mills played a

canned beans reset resulted in a right-sized planogram and stronger alignment between space and demand, growing the category 5.1% in units and 3.6% in dollars year over year; dry beans delivered 13.9% dollar growth and 12.4% unit growth.

critical role in supporting enterprise e-commerce and value-driven initiatives, partnering with internal teams and external marketplaces to respond to evolving customer expectations, and contributed to delivery and pickup offer strategies rooted in direct customer feedback.

f She also led a major reset of

f Her strategic judgment helped

the Asian categories, adding more than 90 new items and restructuring the assortment around innovation and emerging trends; category sales were up 10.4% in dollars and 11.1% in units versus the prior year, gaining buyers weekly. f In the Hispanic categories,

MacAvoy improved performance of the spice and seasoning, baking, and juice and beverage categories.

align creative execution to enterprise goals, ensuring that campaigns complemented in-store messaging and merchandising. f Mills also worked with mer-

chandising and category teams, including beer and wine, to support roadmap-driven programs such as non-alcoholic resets, private label wine promotion and value-based offers; her work ensured that marketing support was directly tied to business objectives.

Bets” platform, driving growth in pizza, vegetables, fruit and potatoes; initiated the Frozen Portfolio Ice Breaker end cap strategy; and improved forecasting accuracy through revisions to pricing category relationships. f A volunteer with Good

Shepherd Food Bank in Maine, Chase also advocated for improved working conditions in the dairy and agricultural sectors by providing testimony to legislative bodies.

Sara Ouellette

Kirsten Barner

Category Manager, Hannaford

f Lane improved

f Ouellette was

Director of Shopper Marketing and Planning, Harris Teeter LLC

f She helped launch private label

f She partnered with state CDC

products, introduced creative cake designs and onboarded numerous hyperlocal suppliers, delivering bakery sales growth of 2.5% and unit movement of 3% – outpacing the rest of the store and the broader market.

leaders to support outbreak response efforts, including vaccine acquisition and administration during localized hepatitis outbreaks, and helped bring vaccination services to low-income areas and individuals experiencing homelessness.

f Recognizing the rise of the

f Lane testified before legislative

f Ouellette represented the

bodies to expand the scope of vaccine prescribing and administration in community pharmacies, helping expand pharmacy technicians’ authority to administer vaccines; she also led efforts to improve access to naloxone by ensuring that every Hannaford pharmacy stocked Narcan.

company at Pet Rock in the Park, supporting local animal welfare organizations, and she was deeply involved in initiatives addressing food insecurity, including as an active volunteer at the Saco Food Pantry, in Maine.

68 progressivegrocer.com

f She piloted the Frozen PB “Big

Sara Lane

LaFlamme’s leadership, the bakery shrink rate decreased by 72 basis points year over year, reaching its lowest level since the height of COVID-19.

um holiday boule, partnering with a local supplier to donate a dollar for every loaf sold to regional Boys & Girls Clubs; this initiative not only drove sales, but also reinforced Hannaford’s commitment to supporting its local communities.

the Dairy Hub, enhancing supplier partnerships, and implemented improved vendor accountability mechanisms that ensured Hannaford captured its fair share of volume and promotional investment, contributing to $1.7 billion-plus in annual sales and exceeding vendor allowance targets.

Manager of Clinical Services, Hannaford

medication adherence through the Refills Made Simple program, which included 43% of eligible prescriptions; this increase supported chronic care patients by reducing gaps in therapy.

f LaFlamme developed a premi-

f Chase advanced

instrumental in resetting the baking section early to drive incremental sales, strategically blocking private brands to maximize their movement and actively managing shelf space to optimize category performance. protein trend, she challenged vendors to innovate, resulting in new sugar-free and high-protein offerings, such as private-brand protein pasta, that met the needs of today’s health-conscious shoppers.

f Barner designed and launched Harris Teeter’s first fully integrated omnichannel shopper marketing organization, unifying in-store and digital programming under a single strategic framework to strengthen collaboration across marketing, merchandising, vendors and operations. f She implemented a structured

joint-planning model between marketing and merchandising, ensuring that promotional programs directly supported category strategies and business objectives. f Barner developed and

launched new omnichannel marketing initiatives that generated an annualized revenue stream of $13.6 million through vendor-funded programming.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Tish Mills

Jennifer Smith

Amanda Benson

Ellen Ciarimboli

Senior HR Business Partner, Harris Teeter LLC

Senior Manager Asset Protection and Safety-Distribution, Harris Teeter LLC

Information Systems Manager, Houchens Food Group

Director, Retail Compliance and Food Protection, HyVee Inc.

f Mills assisted in

establishing a human resources metric analytics report for organizational leaders to improve compliance in various areas while also enhancing associate morale; these insights helped the company to become an Employer of Choice. f She achieved a 52.93% quar-

terly year-to-date turnover rate for the Northern region, its lowest in four years, and played a key role in a full department restructure, including the development of teams designed to streamline support for associates and store leaders. f Mills volunteered at food banks

in her area and coordinated an annual toy drive to support CASA Inc., a nonprofit advocating for children.

f Smith reduced

workers’ compensation-incurred expenses for the Central region by 16.7% compared with the prior year and helped develop materials for department leadership training; she also assisted with rolling out the new case management system, including developing forms and reports. f She revised auditing protocols

to more effectively identify gaps in safety, security and waste, and implemented department-specific safety walks focused on unsafe behaviors, conditions and targeted training opportunities. f A dedicated member of Harris Teeter’s Women’s Empowerment Group, Smith participated in company-sponsored volunteer initiatives; she also supported local animal rescue organizations through food and supply donations.

f Benson accel-

erated a pointof-sale (POS) loyalty program launch, boosting customer engagement and driving sales: Loyalty members averaged 16.92 units per transaction, versus 10.75 for non-loyalty customers, and achieved an average basket size of $46.29 per visit, versus $29.60 for non-loyalty members. f She led the POS integration

of healthy benefit cards and over-the-counter providers, creating a sales opportunity and reducing friction for store teams; this became a top payment type, supporting 150,000-plus transactions annually. f Benson spearheaded the inte-

gration of random-weight scale pricing management, elevating price transparency, sharpening marketing insights and bolstering loss prevention.

f Ciarimboli developed Behind the Aisles safety checklists for store leaders, launched an anonymous internal OSHA safety hotline and partnered with IT to create a support ticket process standardizing allergen and ingredient labels for store-prepared foods. f She established a food safety

program for Hy-Vee’s local vendors, connecting them with health departments and university extensions while coordinating documentation and securing grant funding to support responsible farming practices. f Collaborating with the

Conference for Food Protection, FMI and the Iowa Food Protection Task Force, Ciarimboli advocated for retailers to optimize regulations, clarify government guidance and foster industry-wide connections.

Laura Edwards

Emily Hughes

Jill Toale

Kaitlin Reed

Assistant VP of Training and Engagement, Hy-Vee Inc.

Director, Creative Services, Hy-Vee Inc.

Assistant VP, Financial Reporting, Hy-Vee Inc.

Sales Director, Independent Grocery Northeast, KeHE

f Toale led

f Reed executed

f Edwards led

the training and engagement strategy for HyVee’s brand relaunch, designing and overseeing the training and retraining of all employees; she created employee tools and leader-led strategies that aligned with refreshed customer service standards. f She spearheaded end-to-

end execution of the annual employee engagement survey, overseeing strategy, communications and activation; survey participation increased 5.2 points over the prior year and 238 retail locations participated, a 50% increase, with overall engagement scores six points above the U.S. retail benchmark. f Edwards led Great Place To

Work survey execution, with the result that Hy-Vee earned the prestigious certification for the second time in company history.

70 progressivegrocer.com

f Hughes brought

a new brand campaign’s commercials to life across every major customer touchpoint – in stores and online – through digital-first storytelling and customer engagement. f She led the creative devel-

opment of a company-wide initiative to provide free kids’ meals and discounted meals amid a SNAP funding delay; the campaign generated some of the highest social engagement in company history. f Hughes helped evolve

Hy-Vee’s digital platforms to bring greater personalization, inspiration and simplicity to the e-commerce experience; she improved the Discover content, an immersive culinary and shopping experience that attracted 2.6 million users in its first year and has continued to generate organic traffic.

efforts that shifted financial statement activities to earlier in the month, rebalanced workloads to ensure focus on critical close activities, and eliminated outdated and redundant processes; the accounting team reduced the close timeline by nearly 50%, significantly improving Hy-Vee’s agility and decision-making capabilities. f She helped the accounting

department implement system controls to prevent incorrect postings and establish clear guardrails to reduce recurring errors and labor. f Besides spearheading the

launch of an accounting internship program, Toale served on the board of directors for Goodwill of Central Iowa, a nonprofit empowering individuals through employment, regardless of any barriers they may face.

multiple primary supply agreements representing more than $60 million in business and led the onboarding of a significant new partner from a sales leadership perspective, overseeing the integration of 300-plus stores. f She closed fiscal year 2025

with 17% year-over-year sales growth and 18% unit growth; through tighter management of operational credits, customized retailer agreements, improved sales strategy efficiency and refined operational cost management, her team delivered a contribution margin 51 basis points higher than the prior year. f Reed streamlined sales and

distribution communication, refined standard operating procedures with distribution center leadership and launched monthly vendor meetings.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Catie Doebler

Ruby Clement

Melissa Miller

Director, Merchandising and E-Commerce Strategic Initiatives, The Kroger Co./ 84.51°

District Manager, The Kroger Co./Atlanta Division

Senior Regional Food Safety Manager, The Kroger Co./Central Division

f Doebler established a new

strategic initiatives team, transforming a conceptual corporate restructure into a tangible data practice that successfully delivered long-range customer strategies. f She accelerated the automa-

tion of standard customer insights by integrating advanced AI capabilities and providing reverse mentoring to senior executives. f A graduate of the WE Lead

program, Doebler served as an AI summit speaker and the leader of a corporate associate resource group for female colleagues.

Kelsey McAfee Deli/Bakery Field Specialist, The Kroger Co./Dillons f McAfee

launched a custom made-to-order culinary initiative that successfully curbed product waste while simultaneously driving a year-over-year sales lift. f By closely partnering with the

human resources and store management teams, she bolstered labor utilization and systematically mentored numerous associates into advanced departmental leadership positions. f McAfee leveraged her adaptive

leadership skills externally by volunteering as a host family mentor for the Program of Academic Exchange to support international students.

72 progressivegrocer.com

f Clement

strengthened corporate retention efforts by reducing associate turnover and implemented process discipline that successfully decreased fresh and center store shrink metrics across her retail locations.

f Miller guided her division to its best overall food safety year on record by executing targeted coaching for underperforming stores and initiating real-time performance review calls.

f She fortified her district’s talent

Jennifer PopeMcNeil Division Floral Field Specialist, The Kroger Co./Delta Division f Pope-McNeil authored the

weekly operational guidance documents that directly helped propel her division to a top-ranking national position in total produce growth.

f She successfully advanced

f She expanded vital commer-

pipeline by guiding multiple assistant store leaders and store leaders into promotions at higher-volume locations or into advanced management roles.

enterprise zero-waste commitments by driving her multi-state territory to reach absolute food waste recycling metrics for the entire year.

cial partnerships and systematically upskilled department teams through multiple specialized training sessions to exceed holiday floral budgets.

f A participant in Kroger

f A respected educator and

f Pope-McNeil remained

industry contributor, Miller devoted her time away from work to serving as a master trainer for AllerTrain, a trainer for FMI’s SuperSafeMark and a test administrator for the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, helping to develop the next generation of food safety leaders.

highly active in Kroger’s African American associate resource group and Delta Promise Team, and she has secured multiple corporate Employee of the Month accolades over the years.

NextUp and Kroger’s Young Professionals associate resource group, Clement helped plan regional public affairs events and volunteered with a nonprofit organization supporting children with cancer.

Deborah (Micke) Roberts Division Health Leader, The Kroger Co./Dillons f Roberts helmed

a strategic business-to-business vaccination initiative and completed numerous off-site clinics to expand health care access across rural and metropolitan areas alike. f By establishing strong process

controls and accountability across dozens of pharmacies, she secured the top EBITDA growth percentage in the entire corporate enterprise. f Beyond work, Roberts served

on the Kansas Pharmacy Association professional affairs committee, advocated for policy solutions with state legislators and volunteered her time at the Kansas Food Bank.

Holly Taylor Division Assistant HR Leader, The Kroger Co./Food 4 Less f Taylor designed

and launched interactive store leader development days to bridge operational gaps, enhance role clarity and boost task-execution confidence. f She championed corporate

people and support day initiatives that established repeatable development frameworks and elevated overall associate engagement survey scores. f A member of the Women’s

EDGE associate resource group at Food 4 Less, Taylor also founded a women’s mentorship circle and volunteered her personal time to support the San Fernando Rescue Mission, in California.

Michelle Davison District Manager, The Kroger Co./Fred Meyer f Davison led her region to become the top sales performer in the company while implementing strategic shrink training and tools that were eventually adopted across the corporate organization. f She established a district men-

torship program, achieved the highest associate retention rate across the banner and identified a multimillion-dollar billing error. f Apart from her leadership roles

in multiple associate resource groups and professional organizations, Davison supported homeless youth and local shelters through quarterly nonprofit partnerships and was honored with an American flag flown over Camp Arifjan, a central hub for U.S. armed forces in the Middle East, located in Kuwait City.

Congratulations to our

2026 TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY

Holly Waddington

Liz Robb

Elizabeth Whiting

Regional AP Manager

Sr. Manager, Supply Chain & Receiving

Sr. Manager of IT Security & Ops

Judy Culleeney

Kristen Ready

Angela Jones

Human Resources Generalist

Director of Merchandising Grocery

Store Director

Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and leadership

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Jenn Lea’e

Donna Tanori

Maryah Sowal

Alina West

Operations Specialist, The Kroger Co./Fred Meyer

Division HR Leader, The Kroger Co./Fry’s

Division Floral Field Specialist, The Kroger Co./King Soopers

Natural Foods and Ethnic Category Manager, The Kroger Co./King Soopers

f Sowal sustained top-tier operational standards by securing perfect end-to-end audit scores for nearly a year while simultaneously piloting her team through a major facility renovation.

f West spearheaded merchandising strategies and streamlined operational mapping for more than 100 stores, positioning her division at the top for overall sales growth.

f Lea’e managed

f Tanori spent a

multi-unit operations across various departments and successfully opened two new coffee kiosks while planning seven store grand re-openings.

third of her week conducting store walks alongside operations executives to identify workplace concerns early and then directly coach store leaders.

f She optimized product

f She also oversaw onboarding

assortments to drive year-overyear category improvement and mentored department managers to strengthen organizational bench depth. f An FMI Future Leaders grad-

uate and associate resource group committee member, Lea’e earned the Starbucks Partnership Award and carved time out of her busy schedule to volunteer at community youth events and local parades.

transformations that elevated training completion scores well above corporate targets and maintained consistent division retention goals. f Serving on the Arizona Food

Marketing Alliance Education Foundation board and previously on the NextUp Phoenix board, Tanori also volunteered at food banks and community equality coalitions.

f She maintained associate mo-

rale during a tense 12-day labor disruption and later leveraged distribution data to rebuild the division’s holiday forecasting strategy. f Sowal previously served on

the Presidential Advisory Council to present actionable store-level feedback directly to the president of King Soopers.

f She also navigated complex

state-level legislative restrictions on product displays and digital coupon platforms by swiftly pivoting her promotional plans to capture market share. f Beyond the demands of her

job, this category leader dedicated her spare time to the grocery industry as a volunteer member of the NextUp Mountain Region Chapter.

Karen Bird

Jami Barker

Niki Perkins

Division Grocery Field Merchandiser, The Kroger Co./ Michigan Division

District 4 Human Resource Leader, The Kroger Co./MidAtlantic Division

District HR Leader, The Kroger Co./ Nashville Division

District HR Leader, The Kroger Co./QFC

f Bird successfully

f Drawing on

f Perkins im-

f Under Markert’s

advocated for a new, dedicated leader to advance regional private label growth while employing market analysis to guide corporate assortment adjustments.

operational expertise, Barker improved associate turnover, boosted daily engagement with the company’s internal-communications app and maintained zero critical staffing needs.

f She introduced cross-mer-

f She demonstrated exceptional

chandised fixtures in fresh departments and tailored segmented display plans to distinct customer bases, driving double-digit growth for those products.

change leadership during a special assignment supporting store transitions, partnering with union leadership to seamlessly place associates in new roles.

f Actively involved in talent

development and community outreach, Bird served as a panelist and mentor for the Women’s EDGE associate resource group and volunteered with local organizations like Gleaners Community Food Bank, in Southeast Michigan.

74 progressivegrocer.com

f An active member of the

Women’s EDGE associate resource group who holds a Food Industry Association certificate, Barker regularly volunteered at a local food pantry.

proved overall turnover and exceeded retention targets by using intentional hiring, regular listening sessions and a disciplined approach to associate feedback. f She reinforced strong oper-

ational habits that kept compliance training completion rates well above expectations and led her district to achieve the top engagement score in the division. f A member of NextUp who

holds a Wicklander-Zulawski certification in workplace investigative interviewing strategies, Perkins frequently volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Hands On Nashville.

Michaela Markert

guidance, the district achieved the lowest turnover in company history and recorded an engagement score that far exceeded the division average. f She proactively managed

candidate flow to maintain the fewest open-hiring needs and ensured that all locations surpassed training compliance goals. f Armed with a retail manage-

ment certificate, Markert actively participated in the Women’s EDGE associate resource group and coordinated volunteers for such community events as Pride in the Park and Food Lifeline.

2O26

Celebrating our Top Women in Grocery

Rebekah Stewart VP, Business Intelligence Acosta

Tina Kubala SVP Acosta

Michelle Bernard Business Account Manager CROSSMARK

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Jennie Morelos Division Financial Analyst, The Kroger Co./QFC f While the finance

Samantha Bungert Deli/Bakery Sales Manager, The Kroger Co./Roundy’s

department faced multiple vacancies, Morelos maintained full continuity of operations by independently supporting budgeting and period-end reporting.

f Bungert achieved impressive sales and margin growth by developing and rolling out new bakery and deli assortments that simplified processes for store teams.

f She rebuilt the inventory

f She enhanced department

process from the ground up and uncovered significant billing discrepancies to recover funds and prevent ongoing losses.

knowledge through targeted training and boosted associate pride by hosting a divisional cake-decorating challenge and showcasing bakery talent at a regional grocers’ expo.

f Frequently praised by her divi-

sion president for her efficiency and reliability, Morelos was an active member of the multicultural associate resource group and participated in church-based service projects that included food and clothing drives.

f Armed with a Food Retail

Leadership Certificate from FMI, Bungert actively contributed to the Women’s EDGE associate resource group and volunteered with an organization supporting families affected by congenital heart disease.

RISING STARS

Loretta Bronk Corporate Enterprise Sourcing Manager, The Kroger Co./Store Support Center f Bronk navigated a highly constrained beef supply environment by building diversified supply channels and aligning cross-functional teams to safeguard product availability and customer trust. f She advanced responsible

sourcing initiatives by transitioning pork suppliers to group housing systems while simultaneously securing supply agreements that generated measurable cost savings. f Bronk actively mentored youth

through her volunteer work with 4-H, dedicated time to the preservation of the local St. John’s Mission Church and volunteered to maintain the legacy of her family’s farm.

Marisa Cranswick Senior Manager, Integrated Media Strategy, The Kroger Co./Store Support Center f Cranswick drove custom-

er-centric media strategies and tied paid media investments to business outcomes to deliver significant incremental sales and attract new omnichannel households. f She spearheaded the adoption

of dynamic creative optimization within the marketing organization to drastically reduce trafficking and creative turnaround times while boosting overall effectiveness. f Honored with such industry

accolades as the ANA Genius Award, Cranswick served on committees for the Marketing & Media Alliance and volunteered with Junior Achievement to teach financial literacy.

Whitney Dubois

Kim Schutte

Lydia Horito

Christina May

System Acquisitions, Divestments and Data Operations Manager, The Kroger Co./Store Support Center

Category Manager II, Bakery-Sweet Goods, The Kroger Co./Store Support Center

Senior Continuous Improvement Manager, The Kroger Co./Supply Chain

Produce/Floral Merchandising Field Specialist, The Kroger Co./Texas Division

f Dubois revamped the phar-

macy file acquisition strategy by implementing an integrated clinical documentation platform and establishing new outreach protocols to increase patient retention. f She integrated a querying

service with state vaccination registries to provide pharmacists with accurate patient histories and developed a centralized dashboard to streamline data collection. f Recognized by Progressive

Grocer sister publication Drug Store News and the Ohio Pharmacist Association for her excellence, Dubois served as an adjunct associate professor and volunteered at a local charitable pharmacy.

76 progressivegrocer.com

incremental growth by launching innovative bakery products and executing high-impact promotional strategies that expanded the sweets desk.

f Horito supported a successful warehouse management system go-live and operational stabilization to ensure continuity in daily operations and align performance across distribution centers.

f Her data-driven assortment

f She implemented direct load-

f Schutte drove significant

decisions and pricing optimizations successfully reversed a declining trajectory to achieve positive market share across all of her categories. f Honored with the Champion

of Change Award by the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, Schutte served as a volunteer executive leader for a March of Dimes signature fundraising event.

ing strategies that significantly improved dock flow, as well as structured innovative reporting platforms that enabled proactive planning and reduced reliance on manual reporting. f Frequently acknowledged by

senior leaders for advancing warehouse modernization, Horito served as an active mentor to industrial engineers and continuous-improvement leaders to help build future supply chain talent.

f Under May’s guidance, the

division delivered outstanding financial results by achieving significant sales increases, improving gross profit and ranking among the best in the company for shrink reduction. f She mentored struggling floral

leads to achieve measurable performance improvements and organized major community events like the Houston Floral Expos to build brand awareness and generate qualified sales leads. f Honored as Office Staff

Associate of the Month, May participated in NextUp and served as a Women’s EDGE associate resource group leader to organize health awareness events and community vaccine clinics.

Congratulations on being named Top Women in Grocery!

Top Executives Category Emily Detwiler

Rising Stars Category Heather Standifer

Vice President, AWG Brands

Executive Director, Advertising, Marketing, & AIM

CELEBRATES OUR

TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY 2026

ALICIA ATKINSON

NANCY HATSELL

STORE MANAGER KJ’S MARKET

FIELD MERCHANDISER LOWES FOODS

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Danielle Midili Deli/Bakery Merchandising Field Specialist, The Kroger Co./Texas Division f Midili pioneered an inclusive

cheese training workshop and earned a prestigious American Cheese Society certification while guiding associates to achieve their own professional credentials. f She delivered top-tier business

results by achieving sales increases and significant shrink reduction across her departments and leading an enterprise-wide initiative to improve tortilla sales. f Selected to lead official test

sites for a modernized bakery rollout, Midili was an active associate resource group leader who represented the company at local community events.

Elizabeth Pickett Manager Branding and Packaging, Lidl US f Partnering with

IT, Pickett identified opportunities to repurpose existing software, transforming it into a dynamic project management platform that replaced outdated Excel tracking; this modernized workflows and improved transparency, data accuracy and speed to market, without requiring new system investments. f She led large‐scale brand

transitions and label unification projects spanning 150-plus SKUs across diverse supplier networks; her cross‐department collaboration ensured that departments remained aligned throughout the process. f Pickett volunteers with her

neighborhood homeowners’ association, the Rollingwood Citizens Organization in Chevy Chase, Md., helping to strengthen community engagement.

RISING STARS

Nancy Hatsell

Kasey Jorenby

Field Merchandiser, Lowes Foods

Category Manager, Lunds & Byerlys

f Hatsell achieved

f Jorenby added

a 2.50% year‐over‐ year sales lift in bakery, demonstrating strong execution of merchandising, promotional strategy and fresh presentation; she also earned top sales performance in all bakery sales contests across the entire Lowes Foods banner. f In the produce/floral category,

she delivered a 0.45% year‐over‐ year sales increase, reflecting disciplined focus on in‐stock conditions, quality standards and seasonal execution. f Hatsell was a consistent top

performer in shrink results, and her attention to detail and proactive coaching helped stores protect margin while maintaining exceptional product quality and customer trust – all while serving as mayoress in her community.

to her sets 140plus new items that specifically targeted top-performing attributes and drove an additional $330,000 in sales in her categories alone; this, in turn, led to an additional $12 million in sales across all departments. f She redefined in-store baking

and holiday sale categories by shifting the focus from value-driven private label to premium quality brands; these strategic choices drove customers to better products, generating 4.5% category growth. f Jorenby actively supported her

community through L&B Cares, prepping meals for Open Arms of Minnesota and fundraising for United Way, while advocating for local startups via the Natural Network.

Ashleigh Gage

Lynda Farris

Yadira Jones

Angel Anderson

Senior DirectorPortfolio Development, Mars Snacking

Market Director Illinois-Wisconsin, Meijer

Service Area Leader, Meijer

National Wholesale Sales Director, Moran Foods/Save A Lot

f In addition to

launching the sales learning toolkit, Gage created and/or transformed tools to improve how sales and category management interact with customers; she also conducted a quick assortment analysis exercise to uncover the company’s assortment opportunities and risks. f She revamped the XP3

platform, leading to a tenfold increase in usage within two months, quadrupling downloads and saving significant user time – with a continued pipeline of content planned to support sales. f Besides onboarding 24Slides,

a new slide design vendor that drove time savings across teams, Gage simplified and standardized assortment management and scorecards for better clarity and action.

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f Under Farris’

leadership, mCulture scores improved with 100% leadership survey participation; market retention improved significantly, dropping below 70% in fiscal year 2025 from 100%-plus in 2024; and financial performance exceeded expectations, with her market achieving 105% to plan and generating more than $620 million in total sales. f Operationally, her market

ranked sixth company‐wide and third in the region year to date, with five stores placing in the top 150 company-wide. f In addition to supporting

the Daisie Foundation to help Milwaukee‐area schools and students, Farris helped develop future‐ready leaders by designing market‐wide leadership summits focused on cultivating a talented workforce.

f Jones managed

f Anderson deliv-

operations for Meijer’s highest-volume Pickup and Express locations at one of the company’s flagship stores, maintaining strict efficiency while leading a team that fulfilled approximately 2 million items over the past year.

ered exceptional commercial performance across Save A Lot’s alternate sales channels, generating $44.8 million in revenue with 10% yearover-year margin dollar growth in a sharp inflationary environment.

f On Dec. 23, 2025, her store

f She transformed the scalability

exceeded $1 million in single-day sales, reflecting her strong operational planning, effective labor execution and consistent leadership during a high-volume period. f A member of Women at Meijer

and mVets, Jones was featured in a My Meijer Story highlighting her 18-year military career and how military leadership principles – discipline, accountability, teamwork and resilience – translated into her leadership approach in the workplace.

and efficiency of the wholesale model by reshaping network flow — moving 300 truckloads via direct and cross-dock routes, reducing handling costs, improving cost-to-serve, and enabling a capital-light growth engine. f Anderson added 40 new

wholesale customers, projected to contribute 50% of 2026 revenue, expanding Save A Lot’s reach across domestic, international, institutional and emergency-feeding channels.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Shana Lenhardt Manager, Data Integrity, Northeast Grocery Inc. f Lenhardt led

critical data-integration efforts for the Northeast Grocery merger, overseeing the successful migration and validation of hundreds of thousands of items and driving completion of more than 90% of key IT consolidation projects while reducing data discrepancies by 99%. f She expanded and guided a

13-member data integrity team across two operating companies, fostering a collaborative, resilient culture grounded in accountability, support and continuous improvement. f Lenhardt delivered major

cost savings by consolidating tag-vendor relationships, negotiating a solution projected to save $300,000-$400,000 annually, with the potential to reach $1 million per year.

Jancey Cefaratti Director, Customer Supply Chain, PepsiCo f Cefaratti led the

PepsiCo-Kroger supply chain transformation, architecting the end-to-end in-stock foundation across order, service, space and backroom, and tightening alignment between the commercial and supply chain teams. f She established a new biweek-

ly cross-functional operating cadence with Kroger leadership, accelerating decision-making and enabling such initiatives as enhanced display mandates, new backroom standards and Kroger University. f Cefaratti helped Frito-Lay

achieve a top-five on-shelf availability (OSA) position among direct store delivery suppliers, and she enabled Pepsi beverages to deliver a 33-point OSA improvement and nearly 50% fewer weekly out-of-stocks.

80 progressivegrocer.com

RISING STARS

Tanya Underwood

Jacqueline (Jackie) Wilcox

Director, Procurement, Northeast Grocery Inc.

Director, HR Analytics, Northeast Grocery Inc.

f Underwood

f Wilcox played

helped unify procurement operations across Price Chopper, Market 32 and Tops Markets, serving as the primary liaison connecting merchandising, IT, distribution, procurement and external consultants to streamline systems, processes and cross-banner execution during a period of major organizational transformation.

a pivotal leadership role in Northeast Grocery’s transition to a single HR and payroll platform, serving as the primary point of contact for system issue resolution, communications and change management during an exceptionally complex go-live that unified processes for nearly 30,000 teammates.

f She oversaw more than $180

f She led a 14-member HRIS,

million in warehouse inventory, strengthening forecasting accuracy, improving inventory turns and ensuring consistent product flow to stores while simultaneously assuming responsibility for an additional operating company and leading a 20-member procurement organization. f Underwood elevated organi-

zational and community impact through service as a school board member.

payroll and compensation team across Schenectady and Buffalo, N.Y., guiding them through the adoption of new integrated workflows while strengthening accuracy, efficiency and service delivery across the organization. f Wilcox championed major

strategic initiatives, including the enterprise-wide implementation of DailyPay, thereby enhancing employee financial wellness.

Natalia Mira Market Manger, OHLA US f Mira led large-

scale, multi-market retail field operations across 13 states and 14plus grocery banners, overseeing 3,475 in-store activations and managing a 271-member field workforce while elevating execution quality, team performance and shopper engagement. f She transformed traditional

demos into experiential retail activations, including driving approximately 25% year-over-year category growth for a national beauty brand through improved shopper conversion, stronger aisle engagement and data-driven activation strategies. f Mira strengthened organi-

zational performance through structured coaching, key performance indicator-driven accountability and real-time analytics dashboards.

Sara Herman

Elisa Young

Ashley Hartson

Director of SalesKroger, PepsiCo

Director of Sales, PepsiCo

f Herman de-

f Young deliv-

Director of Sales, Costco North America, PepsiCo Beverages

livered standout commercial performance for PepsiCo’s $354 million Gatorade business at Kroger, driving positive volume and net revenue growth, gaining 1.08 points in category share and securing record-setting merchandising wins, including 22% point-of-distribution growth and 15.8% more shelf space.

ered exceptional commercial results across a $500 million-plus Texoma grocery portfolio, driving a net return increase of 2.5%, 1.1-point margin expansion, and a net operating profit before tax up 5.6% in a highly disrupted year while growing key brand platforms.

f She led the launch of Gatorade

solo Pepsi Kroger Truckload Sale, a nationally recognized breakthrough that became a scalable model, and extended the playbook across Crest and Absco with multi-week activations.

LSNA, aligning formulation, packaging and a 360° activation plan that earned Kroger’s Platinum Launch status and is projected to drive 5.8% more incremental volume in 2026. f Herman strengthened

execution across 2,800-plus stores and led a cross-functional, multi-division team with a coaching-driven leadership style that elevated analytical rigor and improved field performance.

f She architected the first-ever

f Young elevated customer

partnerships and organizational capability by leading award-winning retail execution, building Key Account University, launching the Women of Texoma network and developing a high-performing, disciplined team.

f Hartson delivered exceptional performance across a $337 million direct store delivery portfolio, driving 16.3% total business growth, overdelivering on the plan and gaining 1.4 points share in carbonated soft drinks. f She strengthened PepsiCo’s

partnership with Costco and independent bottlers by leading the joint business-planning process, improving forecast accuracy and ensuring a smooth transition through critical SAP system changes with minimal customer disruption. f Hartson earned a PepsiCo

performance award in 2025, actively participated in the PepsiCo mentorship program and coached talent internally and externally to build a stronger commercial organization.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Erika Dyer

Kristen Wilk

Corrin Bowers

Senior Director of Retail-North Central Region, PepsiCo Beverages U.S.

Senior Director, Walmart Field Sales, PepsiCo Foods

Key Account Manager, PepsiCo/ Frito-Lay

f Wilk improved

f Bowers deliv-

f Across a $3

billion, 12-state region, Dyer navigated major portfolio and pricing transitions while driving a 1.1% net revenue increase, a 5.6% increase in net operating profit before tax, a 1.1-point margin expansion and meaningful share gains, with carbonated soft drinks increasing 0.7 points and functional hydration up 1.1 points. f She secured 850 incremental

racks at Jewel-Osco, expanded Food Deserves Pepsi placements and implemented new rack and display programs across Cub, Woodman’s and key Kroger banners. f Dyer improved execution key

performance indicators and led the region’s organizational health work while serving as a regional co-chair of PepsiCo’s Women’s Inclusion Network. Jennifer (Jen) O’Malley Human Resource Business Partner, Price Chopper/ Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery f O’Malley drove people and cul-

ture excellence across 15 stores in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, leading hiring, development, engagement and teammate relations while serving as a trusted strategic partner to zone and regional leadership. f Her strong talent pipeline, pro-

active coaching and people-first leadership delivered standout results, including the lowest turnover in the entire chain and the highest number of internal trainees promoted into advancement programs. f O’Malley designed a chain-

wide recognition program that transformed teammate appreciation into a visible, cultural cornerstone, strengthening pride, connection and engagement.

82 progressivegrocer.com

PepsiCo’s Walmart service performance by leading nationwide Walmart Universities, deploying image-recognition and automated service tools and galvanizing teams across six regions and six Walmart divisions, culminating in Walmart’s naming PepsiCo its No. 1 Direct Store Delivery Supplier in 2025. f She drove commercial mo-

mentum across the $9 billion Walmart and Sam’s Club business, exceeding goals while rebuilding category leadership and strengthening execution through disciplined operator engagement and cross-functional alignment. f Wilk elevated organizational

capability and culture by coaching 30-plus field leaders and contributing to PepsiCo’s mentorship and inclusion efforts while serving as an Equal employee resource group leader.

ered exceptional commercial results across a $56 million multi-state portfolio, growing salty and savory dollar, unit and volume share through a highly effective joint businessplanning process. f She secured major merchan-

dising and space gains, including 1.5 feet of in-line gondola, 273 XD pallets, 25 Doritos & Dew fixtures, 108 Hispanic aisle placements, 138 dip power panels and premium endcap relocation, expanding visibility and accelerating category growth. f Bowers grew customer

partnerships through senior-level engagement and extensive market time, enabling compression selling, improved execution coaching and activation of new merchandising programs resulting in an expanded direct store delivery footprint.

Chrissy Arsenault Director of Marketing, Pompeian f Arsenault led

Pompeian’s most influential brand initiative of the year – the JOY campaign – unifying messaging, visual identity and storytelling across the organization; deepening consumer affinity; strengthening retailer partnerships; and earning a 2025 Netty Award for best brand video. f She shepherded the success-

ful Pompeian Squeeze launch, driving 2 billion-plus earned media impressions through integrated PR, creator partnerships and high-performing content that reached younger, health-focused shoppers and influenced purchase behavior at scale. f Arsenault boosted Pompeian’s

marketing capability through data-driven leadership, cross-functional alignment and people-first team development while mentoring industry colleagues.

Camille Boykins

DeDe Reynolds

Kristin Galloway

Senior Manager, Customer Supply Chain, Procter & Gamble

Director, Customer Supply Chain, Procter & Gamble

Senior Manager, Community Relations, The Save Mart Companies

f Boykins

f Reynolds led

delivered strong operational results across transportation and on-shelf availability, leading her team to achieve the highest on-time delivery performance in six months and setting a new benchmark for customer satisfaction.

major initiatives that improved promotional forecast accuracy, optimized product transitions, strengthened in-store availability and drove some of the highest fill rates in years – even navigating a major port strike with minimal disruption and rapid service recovery.

f She helped overhaul a

f She redesigned fulfillment and

customer shelf reset process, engaging allied stakeholders and categories to build a streamlined, enterprise-wide model that reduced reset timing and enabled all categories to meet or exceed savings targets versus budget. f Known for her strong people

leadership, Boykins served as a co-leader of the P&G Kroger culture team, contributed to the company’s African Ancestry Leadership Network and earned multiple quarterly and annual awards for her impact.

transportation strategies by implementing new sourcing models, elevating on-time delivery performance and digitizing processes that generated time savings while significantly improving efficiency, responsiveness and customer satisfaction. f Besides mentoring a high-per-

forming team, Reynolds earned such honors as P&G’s Great Manager of Others award and a retailer’s Best in Class Paper Supplier nod, reflecting her credibility and industry-wide impact.

f Galloway led the implementation of new grant-processing software that modernized Save Mart’s CARES Foundation application and review process to improve efficiency and maximize community impact. f She facilitated a record number

of community grants and events to significantly expand the company’s philanthropic footprint while serving as a trusted resource for store teams. f Honored with the JPG Award

for her outstanding community contributions, Galloway organized support for such nonprofits as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the African American Community Service Agency.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Nellie Carlson

Renee Cirksena

Miranda Nonn

Nikki Schriever

Senior Director of Retail Strategy, Corporate, Schraad Sales & Marketing

Business Development Manager, Des Moines, Schraad Sales & Marketing

Fresh Business Development Manager, New Orleans, Schraad Sales & Marketing

Senior Director of Center Store, Minnesota, Schraad Sales & Marketing

f Delivering transformative results within her first months at Schraad, Carlson restructured the Texas retail organization into a vertical model that improved focus and accountability; within a month, coverage for a major retailer increased 58%. f She redesigned retail task

structures and reporting to better align with key performance indicators, improving insight quality and uncovering new growth opportunities; her leadership also enabled the launch of five new retail-only contracts, including one that expanded to four additional accounts based on strong early performance. f Carlson strengthened field ca-

pability through training, communication and alignment between sales and retail teams, building confidence and consistency.

f Cirksena delivered strong busi-

f Nonn steered exceptional

ness results at Schraad, driving record sales and profitability for the company across multiple client partners through strategic expansion into new retail accounts and improving performance with existing customers.

growth across the Gulf Coast region by executing tailored promotional strategies that strengthened client performance and improved in-store execution.

f She secured executive

meetings with high-growth and emerging brands, opening pathways for deeper partnerships and long-term revenue opportunities, and used her operational and leadership experience to align cross-functional teams and resolve growth barriers. f Cirksena demonstrated a

long-standing commitment to community service through her consistent involvement across a wide range of organizations, including GiGi’s Playhouse/Down Syndrome Achievement Center.

f She helped launch 12-plus

leading brands, generating $20,000-$80,000 in incremental sales per retailer and expanding fresh-category assortments. f Nonn resolved complex billing

and program discrepancies across clients, distributors and retailers, protecting profitability and ensuring seamless execution of high-impact programs; beyond work, she volunteered with Visiting Angels of Mandeville, La., befriending elderly community members and providing such weekly support services as planning and preparing meals and running errands.

f Schriever led standout performance across the North Central business, achieving 100% for fiscal year 2025’s budget across a portfolio representing 15% of company revenue while onboarding new clients and improving execution consistency through streamlined processes and enhanced trade management. f She drove breakout innovation

success by launching a brand whose category volume skyrocketed within four weeks, later expanding to eight additional SKUs and delivering an impressive 303% increase. f At Schraad’s annual

meeting, Schriever presented on “Mastering Difficult Conversations,” reflecting her ability to apply effective communication strategies in real-world business situations.

Dosie Shakour

Kelly Smunk

Aspen Stough

Lexie Myers

Senior Director of Product Marketing, Shipt

Director, Data Platform, Shipt

Director, Digital Merchandising, Shipt

f Smunk achieved

f Stough led end-

Head of Growth Marketing, Simbe Robotics

major stability and efficiency gains by migrating all historical-data users to an evolved platform state, increasing adoption of semantic-layer objects to 47% of all referenced assets and strengthening reliability across the ecosystem.

to-end digital strategy for a premier same-day delivery marketplace, driving a triple increase in order volume and total sales through data-driven curation, optimized storefronts and a redesigned seasonal and evergreen content strategy that significantly lifted engagement.

f Shakour guided

the high-stakes launch of no price markups for Target Circle 360 members, building the business case that secured Shipt and Target alignment, compressing a sixmonth go-to-market cycle into 45 days and delivering results that included quintuple growth in third-party order volume and 70% cross-shop growth. f She drove major retention

gains by integrating cohort intelligence into marketing strategy, reversing engagement decline by 16 percentage points, increasing order frequency by 27 percentage points and lifting average order value. f Shakour also unlocked Shipt’s

long-stalled gifting initiative, driving 30% new-customer orders, outperforming non-gift acquisition and establishing a scalable seasonal growth engine.

f She accelerated data opera-

tions by launching a self-service ingestion tool that reduced processing timelines from two to four weeks to just hours, while implementing an automated data-inventory system that improved accuracy and streamlined audits and data requests. f Smunk transformed data-shar-

ing governance by redesigning the approval workflow across legal, security and data governance, cutting cycle times from weeks to days and enabling nine new use cases.

f She founded and led a

high-impact cross-functional Tiger Team for priority grocery retailers, delivering immediate performance gains that included a 34% increase in sales and 140% growth in order volume through targeted site experience enhancements. f Stough also found time to

develop a high-performing team of 13 and launch culture-building initiatives that raised team culture scores 10 points above the company average.

f Myers scaled

Simbe’s growth marketing function into a high-return revenue engine that generated substantial closed revenue and an open pipeline during global market expansions. f She spearheaded the brand’s

first AI search optimization program, introduced a data monetization initiative and established a centralized swag store that evolved into an ongoing revenue stream. f Frequently recognized internal-

ly by sales and marketing leadership for executing high-priority initiatives, Myers also actively participated in the professional growth and field marketing communities to advance Simbe’s data-driven strategies.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 83

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Sarah Brown

Connie Cink

HR Business Partner, SpartanNash, Part of the C&S Family of Companies

District Manager, SpartanNash, Part of the C&S Family of Companies

RISING STARS

Jennifer O’Malley Customer ExecutiveEast, St Pierre Groupe f O’Malley

f Brown coordinated workforce

f In her role as district manager,

planning and associate relations across two multi-state retail banners, ultimately expanding her human resources responsibilities to integrate dozens of newly acquired locations.

Cink engineered a significant financial turnaround for multiple underperforming acquired stores by establishing operational discipline, returning those locations to profitability within three months.

f Her strategic talent cultivation

f She integrated several regional

enabled her largest district to surpass its corporate retention goals and substantially lower employee turnover while simultaneously improving workplace safety recordable-incident rates.

grocery locations onto corporate systems, minimized district-wide employee turnover, drastically cut packaging costs and lifted total customer satisfaction metrics.

f Brown was honored at her

company’s annual leadership conference with the Leadership in Action Award, participated in an associate resource group and volunteered at the Center for the Homeless.

Joelle Smith Manager, Distribution Services, Stop & Shop f Smith served as

a key subject-matter expert in designing and implementing a new warehouse management system to ensure scalability and labor efficiency across multiple distribution centers. f She designed enhanced

f Beyond her weekly commit-

ment teaching Sunday school at a local church, Cink has maintained a five-year seat on the St. Peter, Minn., Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

Amanda Uniacke Learning Advisor, Stop & Shop f Uniacke man-

aged onboarding and development for exempt leaders across dozens of stores, achieving perfect retention among the assistant store managers she personally coached. f She conducted hundreds of

financial reporting tools and established cross-functional shrink reviews, helping senior leadership optimize labor costs and total operating expenditures.

career development conversations with store associates, identifying dozens of candidates for advancement and creating training materials for a multi-store systems rollout.

f Named Operator of the Year at

f Along with earning certification

the Freetown, Mass., distribution center, Smith also earned the Dale Carnegie Highest Award of Achievement, joined the women’s associate resource group at Stop & Shop and volunteered with Plymouth Helping Hands for Animals.

84 progressivegrocer.com

from the Association for Talent Development, Uniacke actively supported Wreaths Across America and volunteered with a nonprofit organization focused on ending homelessness.

Ani Reilly National Accounts Manager, West, Stateside Brands f Reilly success-

researched regional sales opportunities and developed targeted brand strategies to capture untapped retail accounts across her East Coast territory.

fully secured distribution for Surfside beverage products across every large-format grocery chain within multiple Western states in a span of just three months.

f She engineered double-digit

f Her execution leadership en-

growth across nearly all existing accounts by establishing collaborative distributor partnerships and custom trade programs.

abled her to capture a prominent national display program with Trader Joe’s and expand the brand’s footprint into Southern California Costco locations.

f Repeatedly recognized by

internal logistics and marketing colleagues for her exceptional cross-functional delivery, O’Malley also completed a corporate social responsibility triathlon to raise research funds for the Maine Cancer Foundation.

Patricia Bianco District Manager, Tops Markets, Division of Northeast Grocery f Following her promotion to district manager, Bianco delivered standout operational results and led her district to be selected as the test market for a new computer-assisted ordering rollout. f She cultivated a powerful

f Recognized as the top national

account manager at her company, Reilly also managed to find the time to lead the charge on a multi-state fundraising and volunteer initiative alongside distributor and retail partners.

Michelle Karlsen Customer Experience Specialist, Tops Markets, Division of Northeast Grocery f Karlsen assumed responsibility

for an additional district and successfully led retraining efforts and the enforcement of operational standards to significantly improve key performance indicators.

pipeline of internal promotions by identifying leadership potential and empowering multiple assistant store managers to graduate from the company’s leadership academy.

f She was instrumental in rolling

f Bianco transformed her district

f Karlsen actively volunteered

into a hub for community engagement by hosting high-profile local sports events and volunteering for organizations like the United Way and Children’s Miracle Network.

out new cash recyclers in the Eastern region to optimize funds, and she created a scalable template to train associates on new bookkeeping processes. at the annual Taste of Syracuse event in New York state and spearheaded store efforts for the local Food for Families program to support those in need.

Congratulations to UNFI’s Top Women in Grocery Alicia Cole

Alissa Bessette

April Kwong

Cheri Julian

Crystal McMilleon

Elizabeth Schmitz

Sr. Manager Sales

Senior Brand Manager

Product Development & Quality Assurance Manager

Sales Operations Analyst

Senior Manager HR

Sr. Product Business Manager

Emily Herman

Erin Graff

Jenny Aguirre

Joanna Carley

Jody Barrick

Karen McOwen Ryan

Transportation Supervisor

Sr. Category Manager

SVP HR & Talent Management

Director of Automation Integration

SVP Bakery Deli/Meat/Seafood

VP - Employment & Retail Law

Kate Walker

Katie Kallemeyn

Kelly Steffens

Kerry Ann Catinella

Lauren Hays

Lori Kelso

Director of Information Technology Cyber

Director - Center Store Merchandising

Sr. Corp Counsel, Corp & Strategic Transactions

Sr. Manager Sales Operations

Senior Director of HR - Natural

Senior Director of Human Resources

Mandee Puente

Meghan Hannon

Melissa Sax

Roxanne Vincent

Sherry Huckaby

Teresa Kennell

District Manager

Sr. Director HR, Talent & Culture

SVP of HR

Sr. Category Manager

Senior Business Development Manager

HR Manager

Thank you for helping bring better food to more people—and for shaping a better future for all.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Laura LingleDePlato

Courtney Mailhot

Human Resource Manager, Tops Markets, Division of Northeast Grocery

Community Relations Manager, Tops Markets, Division of Northeast Grocery

RISING STARS

Alissa Bessette

Joanna Carley

Senior Brand Manager, Brands+, UNFI

Director of Automation Integration, Supply Chain, UNFI

f Bessette

f Lingle-DePlato successfully

f Following a promotion, Mailhot

prepared the management team for numerous union grievances and arbitrations, which resulted in favorable outcomes for the company, and often found mutually agreeable solutions to avoid lengthy proceedings.

successfully transitioned her department into human resources and led Tops’ Giving Tree program to support associates and their families during the holidays.

led innovation strategy and execution for key private label brands by driving cross-functional collaboration and launching new items that generated incremental sales during major shopping periods.

f She launched new product

f She successfully managed

f She improved policy un-

derstanding by creating new employee handbooks for all associates, and she facilitated smooth scheduling adjustments during a major operational reduction to deliver significant cost savings. f Selected to attend a pres-

tigious company leadership academy for high-potential employees, Lingle-DePlato actively volunteered with local schools and the Boy Scouts and led a United Way winter clothing drive.

Kerry Ann Catinella Senior Manager Sales Operations, Brands+, UNFI

partnerships, with proceeds supporting a nonprofit providing beds for children in need, and she spearheaded the grocer’s sponsorship of a major local food festival. f A graduate of the company’s

leadership academy, Mailhot served on the Roswell Park Alliance Community Advisory Board, in Buffalo, N.Y., and volunteered with philanthropic organizations like Children’s Miracle Network.

86 progressivegrocer.com

f An active member of her

f Honored with the company’s

company’s Women’s Integrated Network, Bessette volunteered her time with local food pantries and such community organizations as the Oregon Food Bank and SOLVE.

Circle of Excellence Award, Carley served on the events committee for the DREAM BIG employee resource group, mentored associates and acted as a safety coordinator for a local community meetup.

Erin Graff

Meghan Hannon Senior Director HR, Talent and Culture, UNFI

f Cole significantly

f Serving as a cabinet member

ership training program, Catinella was active in her organization’s Women’s Integrated Network and mentoring program, and she regularly donated to her local blood bank.

on key project deliverables by setting new performance rate records for the provider while exceeding expectations for fulfillment accuracy, fill rates and productivity.

Senior Category Manager, Conventional Grocery Merchandising, UNFI

f By rolling out an updated

f Selected for a wholesale lead-

the transition from print to digital coupons by redesigning processes and training support teams while also elevating retailer presentations and selling tools.

Senior Account Manager, UNFI

oped customized tools to pursue new items for unique customers and launched cross-functional meetings to collaborate on and drive sales growth for critical programs. store-brand initiative, she encouraged retailers to expand their assortments and successfully helped her team exceed sales and profitability budgets.

f Her solutions overachieved

Alicia Cole

exceeded her sales budget and drove substantial revenue growth for the company while successfully managing a large book of business across the e-commerce, alternate and foodservice channels.

f Catinella devel-

f Carley led the end-to-end design, testing and implementation of automated storage and retrieval installations that were completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

for the Women’s Integrated Network at UNFI, she spearheaded a leadership case study on supply chain waste reduction and collaborated with startup organizations to champion innovative brands. f A five-time Circle of Excellence

winner and an advocate for the SNAP initiative on e-commerce platforms, Cole volunteered with charities supporting victims of domestic violence, among them SAFE Austin and A Women’s Place.

f Graff drove strong seasonal

candy performance by managing assortment planning and navigating major operational changes to save significant sales for both customers and the company. f She delivered exceptional

f Hannon trans-

formed the company’s talent review process by implementing enhanced frameworks and tools that provided actionable insights to inform future succession planning. f She championed a culture

customer service to a national retailer by proactively addressing issues and refined the ordering process for Amazon to improve overall service levels.

of continuous development by creating a goal process ensuring that leaders focus on investing in the necessary skills and behaviors to drive long-term business success.

f An active member of her

f Hannon served as the co-chair

company’s Women’s Integrated Network and its mentorship programs, Graff served on the board for Maple Grove Youth Football, in Minnesota, and volunteered for the Youth Hockey Association.

for her company’s DREAM BIG employee resource group, participated in an internal mentorship program and volunteered with local youth sports associations and community organizations.

T O O U R 2 02 6

TOP WOMAN IN GROCERY and all the honorees.

BROOKE SEALS

Food City Store Manager Trenton, Georgia

Thank You

for your leadership, hard work and dedication.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Lauren Hays

Sherry Huckaby

Cheri Julian

Lori Kelso

Senior Director of Human ResourcesNatural, UNFI

Senior Business Development Manager, Brands+, UNFI

Sales Operations Analyst, Financial Planning and Analysis Sales, UNFI

Senior Director of Human Resources, UNFI

f Huckaby drove

f Julian developed

f Hays was the

human resources operations lead on a major software implementation project and spearheaded a network-wide workforce plan for indirect labor that realized significant synergies. f By developing people-first

initiatives focused on productivity and career development, she achieved record-low turnover results and partnered with operations to drastically improve inventory shrink. f Honored with her company’s

Circle of Excellence award, Hays served on the UNFI ASSIST board, participated in multiple employee resource groups and volunteered with Veterans Toys for Tots.

innovation and distribution growth across leading retailers by successfully launching new product lines and securing strategic placements at key accounts. f She consistently exceeded

her sales budget and achieved significant year-over-year growth through void closures and new-item authorizations while taking on new regional responsibilities and mentoring new sales associates. f A three-time winner of her

company’s top performance award, Huckaby served on an internal community team fostering volunteerism, food drives and clothing drives to help build team culture.

Teresa Kennell

April Kwong

Human Resources Manager, UNFI

Product Development and Quality Assurance Manager, Brands+, UNFI

f Kennell drove

measurable improvements in key workforce metrics by significantly reducing year-over-year turnover and overall terminations to cultivate a stable and engaged workforce. f She improved operation-

al efficiency by successfully decreasing overtime rates and open roles while acting as a cultural stabilizer and trusted advocate between associates and leadership. f An active participant in various

employee resource groups, Kennell organized community cleanups, provided necessities to local shelters and volunteered independently with a golden retriever rescue and sanctuary.

88 progressivegrocer.com

f Kwong played a pivotal role in

developing and launching new private label items that generated incremental revenue and advanced the category growth strategy for retail partners. f She safeguarded supply

and implemented a structured training program for new field sales supervisors to improve onboarding consistency and leadership readiness.

as the human resources lead on strategic projects that generated significant value creation and enhanced both profitability and customer service levels.

f She played a key role in a

f She redesigned network and

cross-functional initiative to transition field sales representatives to a new pay model while ensuring continuity in pay accuracy. f Recognized for her artistic

contributions to local cultural spaces through community belly dance performances, Julian also served as the events chair for her company’s PRIDE employee resource group.

email access for the hourly workforce to strengthen cybersecurity compliance and applied key data metrics to drastically reduce employee turnover and shrink. f Honored as a Circle of

Excellence winner, Kelso served on the board of the Rockdale Memorial Day Parade, in Aston Township, Pa., and volunteered to restore historic military graves and support local historical preservation efforts.

Crystal McMilleon

Elizabeth Schmitz

Senior Manager, Human Resources, UNFI

Senior Product Business Manager, Brands+, UNFI

f McMilleon partnered with legal teams to deliver comprehensive training on complex employment law and also launched collaborative initiatives that strengthened alignment among human resources managers.

f Schmitz successfully updated supplier contracts to secure significant savings and managed a major product relaunch program by developing effective tracking metrics and training tools.

continuity by onboarding a new supplier for recycled paper products and rapidly securing new egg suppliers during severe flock shortages to ensure consistent retailer inventory.

f She drove significant year-

f Honored with a company

f Selected for her company’s

award for accelerating product delivery, Kwong volunteered with such organizations as Habitat for Humanity and participated in a local college prep academy’s annual career fair.

f Kelso served

over-year improvement in overall employee retention and developed a peer support program to help leaders share best practices across distribution centers. inaugural Corporate Leadership Summit program, McMilleon held a cabinet seat in an employee resource group and volunteered to support troops overseas through Operation Winchendon Cares, in Massachusetts.

f She skillfully guided her team

through complex transitions and built robust strategic plans with merchandising partners to address shortfalls and drive overall business growth. f Schmitz served on the Women

Leadership Advisory Board at the University of Mankato, in Minnesota, and volunteered as a Girl Scout troop leader and a local parent-teacher organization board member.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

Kelly Steffens Senior Corporate Counsel, Corporate and Strategic Transactions, UNFI f Steffens pro-

vided critical legal support for the expansion of automation capabilities at distribution centers by drafting and negotiating complicated agreements alongside operations teams. f She spearheaded efforts to

2026 Top Women in Grocery Roxanne Vincent

Kate Walker

Katie Kallemeyn

Category Manager, UNFI

Director, Information Technology Cyber, UNFI

Director-Center Store Merchandising, UNFI/Cub Foods

f Vincent led the

f Walker led

f Kallemeyn

holistic management of the conventional coffee and tea categories during a period of economic turbulence, delivering significant dollar growth that outpaced most categories. f Navigating organizational

enterprise-wide infrastructure cybersecurity by orchestrating a coordinated response to system disruptions and driving the rapid stabilization and restoration of core operational systems.

enhance internal processes by developing a new master services template agreement and successfully managed a complex project to outsource information technology functions.

restructuring, she served as a steady mentor to her teammates, and championed strategic cross-selling efforts between natural and conventional product segments to unlock incremental sales opportunities.

f She spearheaded major

f Nominated for an internal

f Recognized internally as a

f Honored with her company’s

leadership program, Steffens served on the board of directors for Rise, which supports adults with disabilities in jobs, transportation and living a fulfilled life; acted as secretary for her local Association of Corporate Counsel chapter; and was a member of her company’s Women’s Integration Network.

trusted leader who represented the organization at major trade shows, Vincent actively volunteered her time to support the Salvation Army Angel Tree and Silver Bell toy drive.

improvements to identity and access management defenses by modernizing multifactor authentication and executing a massive deployment of phishing-resistant security keys. Circle of Excellence award and selected for an executive leadership program, Walker also mentored a local high school student on a professional business track.

Mandee Puente

Emily Herman

Audrey Cera

District Manager, UNFI/Cub Foods

Transportation Supervisor, UNFI/ Tony’s Fine Foods

Pharmacy Merchant Manager, Village Super Market Inc.

f Herman

f Cera provided

f Puente took

on a second low-performing district during a staffing gap and restored the district to positive sales growth with a 500-basis-point impact, as well as improving customer satisfaction scores by 400 basis points. f She led key strategic initiatives,

including shrink reduction and store standards implementation; achieved labor key performance indicator targets immediately in fiscal 2026; increased sales year over year; and developed her team to deliver high standards. f Puente served on the boards

of Hometown Hero Outdoors and United Way of Washington County East, in Minnesota; she was nominated for the UNFI Leadership Program and recognized by United Way for her community service.

optimized fleet execution by creating detailed load maps that improved weight distribution and product placement for greater safety and offloading efficiency. f During a total system shut-

down caused by a cyberattack, she led her team to manually cube and route every truck so priority customers received their products without delay. f Selected to participate in her

company’s Women’s Integrated Network-sponsored Operations Leadership Development Program, Herman also took part in the Women in Supply Chain forum.

executed a total redesign within the cereal categories and implemented new promotional strategies across dry grocery to drive significant yearover-year sales increases. f Serving as a de facto leader

during a transformational period, she helped onboard new executives and coached her peers to ensure a customer-focused mindset; she quickly established herself as the “go-to” person for the new leadership team and earned a promotion to director. f The founder and executive

director of New Leash Rescue, Kallemeyn has fostered shelter animals for years.

Kimberly Shelton Director Human Resources, Village Super Market Inc.

strategic and operational leadership for multiple pharmacies, achieving significant year-over-year sales growth that outperformed category benchmarks in a highly regulated environment.

f Shelton proactively redesigned her company’s merchandising leadership structure ahead of a major executive transition to ensure continuity and long-term organizational effectiveness.

f She oversaw the staffing and

f She launched a new engage-

development of a large number of team members, and successfully led clinics that administered numerous vaccines to expand community access to preventive care.

ment playbook to translate associate feedback into targeted action plans and executed internal executive search processes that reduced reliance on outside recruiting firms.

f Recognized as a trusted

f Shelton played a central role in

cross-functional leader, Cera served on the Wakefern cooperative’s pharmacy subcommittee to drive enterprise-wide initiatives, programs and best practices.

a holiday community initiative by coordinating donation management and gift purchasing for local families while continuously cultivating supportive environments for female leaders.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 89

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2026 Top Women in Grocery Lindsey Morales

Shannon Grogg

Senior ManagerGrocery E-Commerce, Walmart

Regional Pharmacy Manager, Weis Markets

f Morales led a full

turnaround of the commercial bread business by redefining customer messaging and expanding category participation across site campaigns to restore momentum and exceed expectations. f She launched the first-ever

custom cake experience on the company’s website to enable personalized designs and spearheaded major seasonal campaigns that significantly improved online conversion. f An active member of her local

NextUp chapter, Morales contributed to member engagement and mentoring efforts to support the professional development of women navigating leadership paths in retail.

Store Managers

f Grogg led

Amanda Stewart Director of Pharmacy Services, Weis Markets

Autumn Wolfe Senior Director of Accounting, Tax and Treasury, Weis Markets

performance improvements that produced significant year-over-year increases in prescription counts, sales and net income within her operational area while also improving inventory control.

f Stewart played a pivotal role in transitioning new patients following competitor closures to ensure continuity of care while supporting system implementations for new pharmacy locations.

f Wolfe led federal and state structural planning that generated a significant cash tax benefit and completed a multi-year income tax project to produce substantial cumulative savings.

f She played a pivotal role in

f She drove significant prescrip-

f Serving as co-chair of her

pharmacy expansion efforts by successfully transitioning multiple prescription file acquisitions from competitor closures and directing operational components for brand-new locations.

tion and sales growth by leading major compliance initiatives and delivering self-led development seminars to support the adoption of new systems and workflows.

f A previous winner of her

f Selected to serve as the

company’s regional MVP award, Grogg served on a state Alzheimer’s disease council and acted as a legislative advocate while mentoring future pharmacy professionals.

pharmacy representative on her company’s profit improvement committee, Stewart contributed to national and state chain drug store associations and volunteered with local youth-focused organizations.

company’s profit improvement committee, she led the implementation of innovative ideas that yielded major unbudgeted savings, and she successfully defended the organization in complex tax audits. f Recently promoted to a VP

role, Wolfe served as treasurer for the World Trade Center Harrisburg and sat on a thought leadership committee for the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Megan Alexejun

Jennifer Brown

Marty George

Store Director, Ada Fresh Market Store #635, Ada, Mich.

Store Director, Albertsons Store #599, Upland, Calif.

f Alexejun

f Brown’s store

Store Director, Albertsons Market Store #3690, Roswell, N.M.

achieved top-tier district customer satisfaction scores, lowered store shrink and expanded new-hire retention metrics before advancing to a larger remodeled retail location.

averaged nearly $600,000 a week and delivered $1.672 million in EBITDA through the first 11 of 13 periods; she also boasted one of the lowest shrink results in the district.

f She served as regional safety

f She put in a lot of extra

captain to oversee district-wide training assignments while guiding her original small-format store to earn a top-five corporate award for operational improvement.

work as the writer/editor of the monthly district newsletter, which recognizes the achievements of district employees.

f Apart from managing local

holiday and bridge community events, Alexejun championed an upcoming regional recreation fundraiser to benefit a local trail project.

90 progressivegrocer.com

STORE MANAGERS

f The recipient of the 2025 Most

Valuable Store Director at the SoCal Leadership Meeting, an honor voted on by the district’s store directors, Brown participated in the store director and assistant store director training program and was instrumental in growing the careers of high-potential leaders.

f Throughout the year, George leveraged local events, holidays and company-wide promotions to drive measurable financial results; a notable example was Mother’s Day 2025, when floral sales increased by 15% year over year, generating $43,000 in sales and establishing a foundation for continued category growth. f Her results-oriented ap-

proach extended beyond sales: Consistent achievement of goals in sales, labor, shrink, gross margin and earnings contributed to a healthy P&L. f In addition to heading store-led

volunteer efforts, George demonstrated long-standing leadership within the nonprofit sector by serving on the board of directors for the Chaves County, N.M., United Way since 2015.

CELEBRATING PROGRESSIVE GROCER’S 2026 TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY HONOREE

CPG TRAILBLAZER AWARD

PAMELA STEWART CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER – RETAIL, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, NORTH AMERICA OPERATING UNIT

Through visionary leadership and a commitment to advancing the industry, you continue to inspire those around you and shape the future of grocery. Congratulations on this outstanding recognition and all you’ve accomplished.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Christine PerezWaqas

STORE MANAGERS

Jessica Puls

Brittany Randall

Store Director, Albertsons Store #0036, Irving, Texas

Store Director, Albertsons Store #1569, Palm Springs, Calif.

Store Director, Albertsons Store #3280 Avalon, Calif.

f Within six

f Puls delivered

months of her promotion to store manager, Perez-Waqas reduced average out-of-stocks from 500 to approximately 300 at her store; she also delivered sustained sales growth while dramatically improving labor efficiency, cutting overtime from more than 100 hours per week to just 36 hours per week. f In Q3, her store ranked second

in the district for both sales versus projection and Line 5 gross profit versus projection. f Beyond their work improving

store performance, Perez-Waqas and her team demonstrated their commitment to community service by raising nearly $6,000 for Holiday Bucks, with all proceeds benefiting local North Texas food banks.

3.07% positive sales growth year to date at her store through strategic planning, targeted sales-building events and consistent merchandising execution. f She earned green/green food

safety and operational audits every quarter, maintaining a flawless compliance record that reinforced customer trust and operational reliability. f Puls represented her district

on the Store Director Council, serving as the north lead for 21 stores, in which role she collected peer insights, elevated field feedback and shaped recommendations for senior leadership; she additionally supported leadership development as a trainer for newly promoted department heads.

Jennifer Garrard

Aurorita Bridgemon

Store Leader, City Market Store #410, Moab, Utah

Store Director, D&W Fresh Market Store #1576, East Grand Rapids, Mich.

f Garrard

transformed her location into a high-performance hub by driving a significant increase in the store’s composite score and sustaining that average throughout the second half of the year. f Her intentional coaching and

mentorship fostered a culture of accountability that resulted in her team earning multiple operational awards and exceeding the associate retention goal. f Garrard earned the Senior Vice

Provost’s Honors Recognition after graduating with a 4.0 GPA from Dallas College and was inducted into The National Society of Leadership & Success.

92 progressivegrocer.com

f Bridgemon engineered

double-digit year-over-year sales growth at her flagship supermarket by refining in-stock standards, optimizing promotional readiness and strategically positioning high-demand merchandise. f She dramatically lowered

staff turnover, achieved an incident-free safety record and boosted overall store satisfaction scores through floor-based hospitality coaching and daily huddles. f As the district food safety

captain, Bridgemon participated in corporate women’s leadership cohorts and volunteered as a local theater supporter, sports booster and youth Little League coach.

f When Randall

took over the Avalon store in 2025, it faced significant challenges – low morale, poor conditions, high turnover and declining guest perception – but she surmounted those obstacles with determination and strong leadership, turning the store around and creating a culture focused on service and results. f Her store led the district in

identical-store sales growth, achieving an increase of more than 5%, and ranked among the highest in conversion rates across the SoCal division. f Alongside her work achieve-

ments, Randall was an active leader in the community, playing a vital role in strengthening local partnerships through her involvement in various organizations.

JJ SambaGreen Store Director, Big Y Store #036, Plainville, Conn. f Under her leadership, Samba-Green’s store exceeded its sales budget and increased sales by $1 million-plus over the previous year, broke two weekly sales records and won multiple sale contests; her store finished the year with a gross profit rate more than a point and a half higher than the chain average, a customer count increase of 2.6% and an average transaction increase of 0.7%. f She improved the perish-

able shrink percentage by 40 basis points over last year and improved her direct wage percentage by 12 basis points. f Samba-Green also played

a vital role in developing talent within her team, mentoring several employees into leadership positions.

Amber Allbright

Amy Berry

Store Leader, Dillons Store #007, Sterling, Kan.

Store Director, Family Fare Store #1580, Wyoming, Mich.

f Following her

f Berry managed

promotion to store leader, Allbright boosted customer traffic and maintained a stellar average composite score through rigorous operational discipline. f She expanded her influence

across the division by proactively coordinating product transfers with neighboring stores to combat supply chain challenges, and she mentored her peers. f Alongside receiving a regional

hospitality award from the local chamber of commerce, Allbright spearheaded food drives and holiday meal-bundling initiatives for multiple area nonprofits and community organizations.

operations at her banner’s high-visibility flagship retail location, implementing specialized corporate test rollouts while expanding year-over-year sales metrics and improving fresh margins. f She secured the highest inter-

nal audit score across the entire corporation, reduced center store inventory loss and sustained an incident-free workplace safety record through preventive routines. f To boost internal morale, Berry

coordinated team social cooking events, and she partnered with the SpartanNash corporate foundation to host local food pantry representatives for retail fundraising campaigns.

We Proudly Honor Our 2026 TWIG Honorees. Thank you for your commitment to leadership in our organization.

Audrey Cera

Pharmacy Merchant Manager Village Super Market, Inc.

Melissa Meier

Store Manager Village Super Market, Inc.

Krystal Nemeth

Assistant Store Manager ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc.

Jessica Ormsbee

Assistant Store Manager ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc.

we are here.

Kimberly Shelton

Director of Human Resources Village Super Market, Inc.

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Wendy Kruger

Tammy Sluck

Yara Trombley

Brooke Seals

Store Director, Family Fare Store #3115, Fargo, N.D.

Store Director, Family Fare Store #1511, Grayling, Mich.

Store Leader, Food 4 Less Store #382, Santa Ana, Calif.

Store Manager, Food City Store #233, Trenton, Ga.

f Kruger guided

f Despite man-

f Sluck drove ex-

f Trombley main-

her retail location to notable financial performance by exceeding both the prior year’s sales metrics and the established store budget through disciplined planning and strong merchandising execution.

ceptional financial performance at her high-volume location, elevated overall customer satisfaction scores and stepped up to manage regional district operations during leadership absences.

tained a highly visible, hands-on presence in daily store operations by engaging with associates on the floor to reinforce expectations and celebrate real-time wins.

f She established an exceptional

f She helmed a specialized fresh

benchmark for workplace safety by implementing rigorous associate training and preventive routines that successfully reduced her location’s recordable incident rate to zero.

food training initiative across her entire district to elevate operational standards while simultaneously leading her team to secure a national grocery finalist nomination.

f Along with participating in

f Sluck received state com-

corporate veteran-honoring events, Kruger supported several local organizations, among them the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Homeward Animal Shelter and a youth volleyball program.

mendation letters for supporting wildfire first responders, established a local veterans chapter and organized major community holiday events; additionally, her location was nominated by the local newspaper as the top grocery store in the area.

f She leveraged interactive

quizzes during team huddles to reinforce food safety standards and awarded customized lapel pins to incentivize her team. f Selected as an assistant store

leader program trainer for two consecutive years, Trombley also volunteered with local youth academies, toy drives and holiday food distributions for low-income elderly residents.

aging a store that remained fully operational during a significant remodel and expansion, Seals fostered a culture of adaptability and accountability that enabled associates to rise to the challenge and embrace change, think proactively and work diligently to support the remodel, grow sales and deliver exceptional customer service. f The store finished 2025 with

a 23.10% sales increase, expanded its customer base and maintained positive P&L results; it also showed notable improvement in customer satisfaction. f A member of her local Kiwanis

club, Seals participated in Food City’s EMPOWER program, which supports female associates through education, mentorship and fellowship.

Tiffany Amos

Amelia Barton

Kathy Castle

Stacie Coltrane

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1261, Woodbridge, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #2255, Charlotte, N.C.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #0438, Stuarts Draft, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1360, High Point, N.C.

f A sales leader in

f In less than two

f An early adopter

f Coltrane’s team

the region, Amos’ store increased same-store sales by more than 5% last year; that year-over-year sales growth, paired with an increase in customer transactions of more than 5%, grew shopper loyalty and trust.

years managing the highest-volume store in her region, Barton transformed it into one of the fastest-growing and best-executed in her division; her location achieved nearly 20% organic same-store sales growth year over year, making it one of the top-performing stores in the region.

of Food Lion’s proprietary e-commerce software, Castle helped her store increase e-commerce sales by more than 30%; total sales for the store were up nearly 5% over the prior year.

delivered financial results for the business by increasing same-store sales by more than 5% over the previous year and exceeding shrink goals in both fresh and center store departments.

f Her store safety score was

f She delivered food safety and

just shy of 100%, which helped move the region back above 98%; also, for three consecutive years, her store had a flawless Foundational Standard Review.

workplace safety scores of more than 90% and had a perfect Foundational Review, a comprehensive, structured assessment of core operational, physical and customer-facing elements; additionally, her associate learning score of almost 100% was the highest in her region.

f Focused on developing as-

sociates through education and coaching, she was able to lower turnover, improve morale and develop multiple associates into expanded leadership roles. f Amos organized a three-week

campaign to increase awareness of the challenges facing the unhoused, those returning to work after being released from prison and those who are food insecure in the community.

94 progressivegrocer.com

f Through strong routines,

accountability and associate engagement, she helped reduce shrink by 1% and earned a perfect in-stock audit; she also nearly doubled e-commerce sales and increased customer transactions and items per transaction. f Barton received the 2025

Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Award, the highest recognition given to Food Lion retail associates.

f When Augusta County, Va.,

schools were challenged with serving hundreds of children summer lunches, Castle’s team sprang into action to fund the lunches; her store also partnered with the local fire department on an annual fundraiser.

f Coltrane also volunteered

throughout the year with Little Pink Houses of Hope, an organization that provides retreats for breast cancer patients and their families.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

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NOV 4-6 2026

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MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SUPPORT OF OUR 2026 SPONSORS

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Tina Hamrick

Rita Hanley

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #0557, Norfolk, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1528, Harrington, Del.

f Hamrick’s store

f Hanley’s store

achieved impressive milestones, with more than 5% growth in same-store sales and an increase in total e-commerce sales of more than 30%; customer satisfaction remained robust, with Fast and Friendly scores above 90%. f She often stepped up to

support colleagues across her region: In coastal towns where store traffic can be high during the peak season, she helped fill the gaps by assisting with store coverage when needed and dispatching subject-matter experts to train new hires and conduct inventories. f Hamrick also volunteered for

Jump Start, an annual backto-school event that provides food and supplies to unhoused students.

achieved 5% sales growth and increased customer transactions by more than 4% while maintaining shrink under 3%; the store also passed a regulatory audit with only one minor risk. f Her willingness for her store

to be among the first regional testing hubs for technology software associates use to shop for online orders, along with her thoughtful feedback prior to the rollout of the new platform, helped strengthen the software for broader adoption. f Hanley’s store was recognized

as a talent hub in the region, with six team members advancing into various subject-matter expert roles, thanks to her coaching.

STORE MANAGERS

Wendy McDowellNeeley Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1475, Sumter, S.C. f In 2025, McDowell achieved

year-over-year sales growth, including approximately 9% growth in both the meat and produce departments, and an increase of more than 30% in e-commerce sales; she attributed this success to improved store conditions and a relentless focus on delivering the right product to customers every time. f Due to her adaptability and

strong leadership, McDowell was tasked with managing a high-risk store for several weeks to address serious compliance challenges; in under a month, she guided that location from ongoing regulatory issues to a perfect audit. f She took part in Food Lion

Sandy Moore Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1353, Pfafftown, N.C. f Moore led her

store to almost 5% sales growth, increased customer transactions and improved e-commerce sales by more than 40%; her store also maintained strong shrink control, improving year over year. f What’s more, her workplace

safety and food safety scores were nearly 100 for the year, customers rated the fast shopping experience and friendliness of associates in the 90s and associate engagement improved by almost 15% over two years. f A member of the Towns and

Cities Ambassador Council in her region for Food Lion Feeds, Moore regularly organized and participated in donation drives, food distribution efforts and community outreach activities.

Feeds initiatives to address food insecurity across the region.

Sherri Morgan

Candy Munn

Heidi Nguyen

Angela Jones

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1490, Cornelius, N.C.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #2150, Savannah, Ga.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #2511, Ayden, N.C.

f Morgan suc-

f Munn led her

f Nguyen’s store

Store Director, Fresh Thyme Market Store #302, Beavercreek, Ohio

cessfully led her team through the completion of a major omnichannel remodel, and during construction, she maintained strong performance while ensuring the store remained open and operational; the location became the No. 1 store in market meal sales in the region for most of the year.

team to deliver a multimillion-dollar revenue figure, with a 7% increase in same-store sales over the previous year and a unit movement increase of 5%; her store also achieved a perfect regulatory audit, receiving an “Excellent” score on product date checks, labeling pricing and more.

f Her team delivered more than

f Under her expert guidance,

5% positive same-store sales growth, increased customer count by more than 5% and improved same-store sales growth in e-commerce by more than 30%, one of the highest distribution rates in the company.

the meat department became a top-growing area in the store, with an impressive increase of nearly 15% in sales.

f Morgan and her team vol-

unteered more than 300 hours last year in support of Food Lion Feeds.

96 progressivegrocer.com

f Munn and her associates also

found time to take part in volunteering events with the Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia food bank; these activities included the Great Pantry Makeover.

logged 275-plus volunteer hours, leading her division and ranking sixth across the organization; this achievement reflected her ability to inspire her team to engage in meaningful local outreach. f She delivered more than 5%

year-to-date same-store sales growth – among the highest in her region – and positioned her store as a regional leader in e-commerce sales with an increase in home delivery sales of nearly 50% and store pickup of more than 15%. f Nguyen’s store operated with

no labor misses for more than two years and maintained an average variance of approximately two hours per week, the best in the region.

f Under Jones’ strategic guidance, her store achieved a 3.09% year-overyear sales increase, surpassing company averages and generating $1.9 million-plus in direct contributions; the store also achieved an employee satisfaction score of 92, the highest in the company. f She spearheaded the imple-

mentation of a data-driven inventory management system, which resulted in a 6% improvement in in-stock rates and a notable reduction in waste. f Recognizing the unique

preferences of her customers, Jones led a cross-functional team to launch the Community Fresh program, which customizes product offerings to local needs; this initiative led to a 15% increase in customer satisfaction scores for targeted categories.

COVER FEATURE

STORE MANAGERS

Fatima Alvarez Store Leader, Fry’s Store #656, Queen Creek, Ariz. f Alvarez lever-

2026 Top Women in Grocery Maritza Martinez Store Leader, Fry’s Store #083, Tucson, Ariz.

f Brown boosted

aged strategic merchandising and creative product displays to capture top district rankings for targeted sales items and promotional contests.

tained team morale and smooth operations during a major store remodel, successfully steering her location to achieve a perfect enterprise performance score.

her location’s financial metrics by generating a positive sales comparison rate and increasing store profitability through rigorous inventory controls.

f Her focus on the shopping ex-

f She piloted new corporate

f She led retail sustainability

perience yielded multiple perfect secret shopper scores, securing a formal designation as a top friendly store while driving high employee engagement.

initiatives, mentored future management candidates and built a collaborative store culture centered on accountability.

initiatives that decreased localized shrink and improved her store’s overall customer service score through consistent team coaching.

f Committed to community

nourishment, Alvarez coordinated food bank collections, fed local unhoused populations and partnered with a regional recreation center to prepare student lunch bags.

Taura Cooper Store Director, Harris Teeter Store #253, Fairfax, Va. f Cooper suc-

cessfully rebuilt her team and store after returning from leave during Q1 of 2025; under her guidance, the store achieved a remarkable turnaround, moving from underperforming in every measurable category in Q1 to leading the district in overall performance. f Her associates earned a 94

on their Q4 AP audit, strengthened food safety standards and operational processes, and drove sales growth with a 6.5% increase in Q3. f Cooper received the

President’s Safety Achievement Award and the Safety Achievement Certificate in 2025 and served as a board member for the Legacy Condominium Association and a volunteer with Capital-area food banks.

f Martinez main-

Brenda Brown Store Manager, Giant Store #6463, Gilbertsville, Pa.

f Recognized as a development

program trainer for assistant store leaders, Martinez also actively participated in a young professionals associate resource group focused on organizational leadership growth.

Jarilyn SimsRoddey Store Director, Harris Teeter Store #218, Charlotte, N.C. f Sims-Roddey’s

year-to-date EBITDA was $4.5 million, or 13.66% of sales, and she led the district with 100% of newly hired associates fully trained. f She helped her store become

one of the best-performing stores overall in Harris Teeter’s Southern region by significantly reducing overtime costs while growing sales; these improvements created a more positive work environment, leading to increased associate engagement and motivation.

f Brown’s associates nearly dou-

bled their annual volunteer hours supporting Preston’s Pantry, while, apart from work, she personally processed applications and conducted home checks for multiple animal rescue groups.

Claudia Handlovic Store Manager, Giant Store #6546, Walnutport, Pa. f Handlovic maximized her store’s operational efficiency by exceeding the underlying operational plan, improving its gross profit and recording the lowest overtime metrics in her region. f She prioritized talent advance-

ment by mentoring regional peers and promoting more than a dozen internal team members, leading to higher localized engagement scores. f Her team generated thousands

of dollars for the Feeding School Kids program, while Handlovic herself helped raise money for veteran mental health services and volunteered her musical talents at her church.

Jenny Stout

Whitney Larson

Store Director, Harris Teeter Store #96, Wilmington, N.C.

Store Director, HyVee Store #1401 and adjacent Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh, Maple Grove, Minn.

f Despite a major

store remodel and expansion, Stout exceeded expectations on her scorecards: Her store sales trend was up 3.76% compared with the prior year, and her year-to-date EBITDA totaled $3,022,071, or 7.13% of sales. f She broke a store sales

record during Christmas week, achieving $1.2 million; she also completed her North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Certificate in connection with adding a bar to her newly remodeled store.

f Sims-Roddey volunteered as

f Beyond her professional

a high school booster club president, supported the Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen through regular donations and organized and led her community’s 1st Annual Back to College Giveaway helping more than 200 college students in need.

obligations, Stout found time to support several area food banks, participate in Habitat for Humanity projects through her church and contribute to hunger relief initiatives through Harris Teeter.

f Under her expert guidance,

Larson’s store achieved three consecutive record-profit quarters, had multiple record-profit months and rose 16 spots in company sales rankings in just nine months, among other accomplishments. f In addition to significantly

expanding the store’s food rescue efforts, she took a popular annual event at her location – a bourbon raffle featuring sought-after rare bottles – and increased sales by 40% over the prior year. f Larson hosted a Girls Taking

Action event in partnership with the Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves basketball teams, providing store tours and mentorship to young girls.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 97

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Nycke Bozilovic

Olivia Cotten

Johanna Gomez

Erica Little

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #4308, Schaumburg, Ill.

Assistant Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3181, Chicago

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3454, Chicago

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3181, Chicago

f Serving a

f Under her lead-

f Bozilovic’s

store consistently increased sales year over year for multiple quarters while she focused on in-stocks, driving e-commerce business and developing her team to be future leaders. f She empowered her depart-

ment managers to help each other as a team to prioritize sales and customer loyalty, and she led her Drive Up and Go (DUG) team to the top three in weekly sales for her district, with an increase topping 21%. f Bozilovic hosted several major

in-store events, including Mind, Body & Soul, with more than 25 vendors, and Santa Paws, benefiting the Anti-Cruelty Society; she worked with vendors and demo teams to drive sampling as a way to increase sales.

f Cotten’s lead-

ership helped drive double-digit year-over-year sales gains in multiple key categories, including Nabisco Snacking, Gatorade, olives, pizza and Coke Monster. f Her store was the division-

al leader of the deli snacker category, which increased 26% year over year, and the sandwich category increased while outperforming the division. f Cotten received a 2025

Jewel-Osco President Award, graduated from the McKinsey Leadership Academy and participated in the Jewel-Osco Black Inclusive Network of Diversity associate resource group; additionally, she took part in the mentorship program at New Life Covenant Church on Chicago’s South Side.

community that’s 75% Hispanic, Gomez’s store at Western and Archer, where she’s been director for three years, benefited singificantly from her bilingual skills in English and Spanish that enabled her to communicate with customers as well as team members for whom English is a second language; this strengthened trust, engagement and overall store performance. f Under her leadership, sales

climbed consistently – as high as 11% year over year – placing the store in the top 10 in the division; focusing on specific community needs also drove unit sales and customer experience scores.

ership, Little’s store excelled under multiple metrics: 74% e-commerce sales growth; first in the district for flu shots, with 134% growth; 5% growth in liquor sales; and beating shrink by nearly 1.4% year over year. f Little trained, coached and

mentored multiple managers who went on to be promoted, including a trainee to an assistant store director and an assistant director to a deli operations specialist. f Little fostered strong working

merce team drove significant growth, increasing sales by as much as 130% in a single week.

relationships with leaders in the Chatham community; she also mentored at-risk youths at New Directions Grace Church and volunteered with senior citizens, and Chicago police awarded her for offering insights on neighborhood safety at town hall meetings.

f Additionally, Gomez’s e-com-

Tammy Stock

Raquel Welch

Megan Tyndall

Alicia Atkinson

Store Director, Jewel-Osco Store #3475, Deerfield, Ill.

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3340, Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Store Leader, King Soopers Store #79, Cheyenne, Wyo.

Store Manager, KJ’s Market Store #624, Union, S.C.

f Under Stock’s

f Welch was the

f Tyndall engi-

f After transferring

leadership, her store experienced four consecutive years with positive sales, most recently up 3% year over year; additionally, the location surpassed its EBITDA projection by nearly 3% through consistent standards, daily communication and a hands-on management approach. f On her watch, eight associates

were promoted, including a cake decorator to a bakery manager, a night crew chief to an assistant grocery manager, a clerk to a liquor manager and five clerks to full-time associates.

first store director in the division to certify two stores in e-commerce and drove an identical-sales increase of up to 90% year over year, and her store achieved a 4.5-star e-commerce rating after the location had previously struggled; customer satisfaction also improved substantially, and she exceeded earnings by more than four basis points and outperformed shrink projections. f She promoted five associates

across key departments and consistently exceeded labor percentage goals every quarter.

f Stock’s store has been rec-

f For her accomplishments,

ognized by Illinois’ Lake County for exceptional cleanliness, and the Chicago Bears have chosen the location for its consistently welcoming environment to film ads, taste tests and videos.

Welch was promoted to produce operations specialist for District 4 and recognized as a high-potential leader within the organization.

98 progressivegrocer.com

neered a high-energy store culture using monthly employee celebrations and spirit weeks to secure a significant year-over-year engagement increase. f She oversaw strong regional

execution by leading her district in end-to-end performance scores, improving inventory shrink and boosting produce sales through creative merchandising contests. f Outside of managing the lo-

cation voted Cheyenne’s top grocery store in a local poll, Tyndall dedicated her personal time to assembling weekly youth meal bags and preparing comfort food for families facing crisis.

to a new location mid-year, Atkinson generated significant sales growth by challenging her team to maintain excellent store conditions and consistently surpassed expectations during special sales events. f She successfully developed

multiple associates for advanced leadership roles and assisted with several store rebrand openings across her district, during which she ensured that visual merchandising standards were met. f Honored with parent company

W. Lee Flowers & Co.’s prestigious President’s Award and a Salvation Army Red Kettle Award, Atkinson regularly volunteered to support community holiday events in her town.

COVER FEATURE

STORE MANAGERS

Cherrie Amaradio Store Leader, Kroger Store #759, White Lake, Mich.

2026 Top Women in Grocery Lynisha Booker Store Leader, Kroger Store #461, Atlanta f Booker propelled

Leslie HamiltonHurst Store Leader, Kroger Store #477, Fort Mitchell, Ky.

Kellie Hoskins High-Volume Store Leader, Kroger Store #923, Centerville, Ohio

maintained strong store conditions and consistent execution, positioning her location as a benchmark training site for merchandising walks within the division.

her location to become one of the company’s top corporate composite performers by strengthening department accountability, surpassing annual sales budgets and passing all regulatory food safety inspections.

f Stepping into a high-volume retail role, HamiltonHurst established clear communication channels and quickly mobilized her associates to drive significant, immediate sales growth.

f After transitioning into her new leadership position, Hoskins strengthened fundamentals, empowered her team to take ownership and successfully raised her store’s associate engagement score.

f She fostered employee morale

f She regularly provided regional

f She prioritized talent devel-

f She also dramatically improved

f Amaradio

by acting as a district cheer captain and mentoring upcoming assistant store leaders. f Dedicated to community out-

reach, Amaradio combated food insecurity by volunteering with such organizations as Forgotten Harvest and Meals on Wheels while also leading store fundraising initiatives for the American Cancer Society.

Connie Jewell Store Leader, Kroger Store #973, Fort Wayne, Ind. f Jewell success-

fully stabilized a large-scale retail environment during a major leadership transition, implementing disciplined operational routines that generated positive sales and unit growth. f She completely transformed

the location’s digital services by enhancing management training, which ultimately triggered a major spike in digital fulfillment sales. f Outside of work, Jewell served

on the women’s ministry team at her church, sponsored a child globally and, along with her store team, participated in United Way’s annual Day of Caring.

oversight as a relief district manager and served as a store leader captain while exceeding corporate associate retention goals in a high-volume retail environment.

opment from day one, training multiple new department leaders to stabilize store operations and preparing numerous associates for promotions into higher-level positions across the district.

f A Store Leader of the Quarter,

f Hamilton-Hurst was named

Booker participated in Kroger’s NextUp cohort, sat on a young professionals resource group committee and volunteered her time to support a domestic violence survivors organization.

Monique JonesMurphy Store Leader, Kroger Store #842, Grove City, Ohio f Jones-Murphy

achieved excellent store conditions and steady operational consistency while managing a complex, high-traffic location. f Senior corporate executives

frequently selected her location to host high-level division walks and company leadership visits because of her reliable execution. f Jones-Murphy coordinated

a motivational meet-and-greet event featuring the WWE Women’s Champion to build community and associate engagement; she was also frequently relied upon to lead through high-demand periods, implement operational priorities and execute key company initiatives while sustaining strong performance and high team engagement.

Store Leader of the Year for her district, received the operational Best of the Best award and earned a seat on the President’s Council.

her store’s composite operational excellence score and routinely studied competitors’ best practices to drive strong sales results. f Beyond her professional

duties, Hoskins led a collaborative, top-ranking American Heart Association fundraising campaign, served as VP of the Brentwood Square board of directors and volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank.

Ashley Merrill

Justina Pedigo

High-Volume Store Leader, Kroger Store #511, Toledo, Ohio

Store Leader, Kroger Store #535, Bowling Green, Ky.

f Merrill success-

f Pedigo made

fully transformed a challenging, high-theft urban store into a best-in-class operation by elevating daily fundamentals and reducing inventory shrink. f Serving as the district store

training leader, she improved associate turnover and mentored a bench graduate into a store leader role to strengthen the company pipeline. f A former Division Store Leader

of the Year, Merrill actively participated in Kroger’s Women’s EDGE associate resource group and helped lead community initiatives.

associate development a core focus by creating a comprehensive succession plan and successfully reducing turnover. f She achieved record to-

tal-store sales weeks, elevated the e-commerce department to new heights and earned exceptional scores on every food safety audit. f A graduate of the FMI Future

Leaders Program, Pedigo actively participated in the Women’s EDGE group at Kroger and volunteered with the Nashville Women’s Rescue Center and the Second Harvest Food Bank.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 99

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Bambi Barborek Store Leader, Mariano’s Store #537, Naperville, Ill. f Barborek elevat-

Ligia (Lucy) Boche Store Leader, Mariano’s Store #533, Northbrook, Ill.

ed store morale and customer engagement by securing the highest associate insight scores in her division and establishing a popular weekly family program called Kids Corner.

f Boche boosted her location’s performance by unifying personnel from three distinct sites into a single cohesive team and steering substantial sales growth within her pharmacy department.

f She optimized operational

f She prioritized community en-

performance by minimizing out-of-stock items, exceeding the company’s pickup fill rate expectations and maintaining inventory shrink results well below the corporate objective.

gagement by leading her store to become the first in the division to exceed 1,000 milestone sales for a local hunger relief campaign.

f Barborek earned top honors

in her division for food safety and subsequently maintained exceptional compliance scores that exceeded enterprise goals for an entire year.

f Outside of work, Boche

supported regional philanthropic efforts by packing meal bags at the annual corporate Stuff-aPalooza event, contributing to a local women’s shelter and backing the Bright Promises Foundation.

STORE MANAGERS

Meyka Albright

Emily Schwartz

Store Manager, Market 32 by Price Chopper Store #159, Albany, N.Y.

Store Manager, Market 32 by Price Chopper Store #168, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

f Albright delivered exceptional financial and operational performance, leading her to earn a Store of the Year award with $60 million in sales, nearly $2 million favorable to budget and $7.48 million EBITDA – the second-highest EBITDA dollars and third-highest rate in the entire organization.

f Schwartz delivered exceptional financial and operational performance, earning the Platinum Profit Award with $4.7 million-plus EBITDA and finishing in the top quartile for customer service surveys.

f She built a high-performance,

high-engagement culture through best-in-class store conditions, front-line accountability and meaningful recognition. f Albright extended leadership

impact beyond her store by mentoring talent across the zone, developing future leaders and serving on the Store Manager Council, where she influenced operational priorities and represented her peers with credibility and heart.

f She demonstrated competitive

drive and growth leadership by winning the internal unit growth contest while developing future talent, including mentoring a co-manager who was promoted to store manager through her intentional coaching and readiness planning. f Schwartz influenced the

broader organization as the youngest Store Manager Council president in company history, representing peers, shaping operational priorities and partnering with senior leadership to drive communication, alignment and continuous improvement.

Katie Otte

Carol Lester

Elona Musaka

Gina Molby

Executive Store Leader, Market District Store #6552, Westfield, Ind.

Store Director, Meijer Store #335, Medina, Ohio

Store Director, Meijer Store #065, Shelby Township, Mich.

Store Lead, New Pioneer Food Co-op, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

f Under Lester’s

f Musaka drove

f Under Molby’s

f Otte’s store saw

exceptional first‐year performance, including outstanding audit results; she later moved to the Market District in Carmel, Ind. f She helped advance company

innovation by championing the pilot and troubleshooting of new digital tag technology prior to its broader rollout; this helped to refine processes, improve accuracy and enhance operational efficiency for future store implementations. f Otte established partnerships

with local organizations and engaged in community events, strengthening brand presence and fostering meaningful local impact; she volunteered for the Westfield Education Foundation, supporting programs providing food, school supplies, scholarships and classroom grants for students and educators.

100 progressivegrocer.com

leadership, her new store exceeded sales expectations, finishing 33% above plan and 11% over forecast; team member engagement remained strong, with engagement scores reaching 88% in spring and 70% in fall 2025, reflecting a resilient and committed workforce.

innovation and operational excellence to maximize profit, customer engagement, labor efficiency, food safety compliance and shrink reduction; her store achieved a 1.7% sales increase to plan and 3.8% growth over the previous year. f Her servant-leadership ap-

Score exceeded 70%, while customer satisfaction closed at an impressive 97.25%; she also delivered strong financial stewardship by outperforming shrink targets by 58 basis points.

proach and team development efforts led to high retention and low turnover, and by instilling trust and development, she improved her overall mCulture engagement score; this helped her location rank among Meijer’s top 10 stores in the region.

f Lester regularly volunteered

f Thanks to strong commu-

with Feeding Medina County Food Bank and partnered with Cup’s Café, an after‐school care organization; she also established a partnership with The Giving Place, a nonprofit resale store.

nication, front end customer engagement, in-stock items and emphasis on quality, freshness and store cleanliness, Musaka exceeded the customer experience goal by 5%.

f A year‐end Net Promoter

leadership, the Cedar Rapids store achieved multiple all-time sales records and averaged double-digit sales increases of 12.2%, and she helped the organization finish the year over budget, with gains in labor efficiency and overall profitability. f She spearheaded an initiative

with IT and marketing to standardize self-service signage, improving execution speed and customer experience. f Molby established such

high-cadence leadership rhythms as team huddles and store-wide meetings, and she developed onboarding and coaching frameworks that were adopted beyond her own store; additionally, her location was selected twice as a filming location for company commercials because of its retail readiness.

COVER FEATURE

STORE MANAGERS

2026 Top Women in Grocery

Kirby Swick

Annelise Thom

Store Leader, QFC Store #878, Redmond, Wash.

Store Leader, QFC Store #202, Portland, Ore.

f Swick delivered

f Under Thom’s

exceptional sales growth and profitability while improving shrink and achieving perfect food safety audit scores at her store. f Known for outstanding team

building, she mentored multiple associates through the assistant store leader training program and cultivated a supportive culture that led a company commercial film crew to use her location. f Swick actively participated in

the Women’s EDGE associate resource group, served on the Store Leader Cultural Council and volunteered her time at local schools and food-packing events.

Megan Gregarek Store Director, Safeway Store #1930, Lynden, Wash. f Gregarek led her store to a

5.3% sales increase, positioning the location as one of the district’s top performers; she also averaged nearly 85% proper production, the highest in the district, demonstrating her strong command of labor planning, production standards and operational efficiency.

capable leadership, her store achieved a total sales increase and outstanding composite scores through a sharpened focus on shrink management and meeting labor goals. f A trusted district leader and

certified trainer, she cultivated a teamwork-oriented culture that empowered her pharmacy lead to earn top recognition in a company-wide vaccine sales contest. f Chosen as a Certified Trainer

for her district, Thom served as co-chair of the Women’s EDGE associate resource group and actively supported local mutual-aid initiatives through her small business, Covenless Botanicals, established in 2018 and built from her long-standing passion for gardening, herbalism and sustainable practices.

Assistant Store Director, Safeway Store #252, Richland, Wash.

Store Director, Safeway Store #0400, Vancouver, Wash.

f As acting store director, Bailey

led the store to surpass $1 million in weekly sales for the third time in store history; she also delivered an all-time high in the total alcoholic beverages (TAB) department, with $111,000 in sales. f Before starting at Richland,

she delivered outstanding performance at a Pasco, Wash., store, where she navigated a dynamic and highly competitive environment to achieve nearly 14% in year-over-year growth and a 15% boost in profits. f Bailey volunteered as a high

school DECA judge, mentoring the next generation of business leaders; she also devoted time and energy to Bikes for Tykes, which provides bicycles to needy children.

f Borzykowski consistently delivered sales and profit growth every quarter on her watch, leveraging sales drivers like the expanded in-store bakery and fresh sushi, the latter of which led her division in sales. f She celebrated the grand

reopening of her store in downtown Vancouver following a remodel, for which she delivered on specific needs for the community; she also worked closely with vendors to minimize outof-stocks and maximize sales during the reopening period. f Borzykowski was a leader in

pushing e-commerce growth, delivering an 80% increase in sales and a 40% increase in orders and maintaining five-star certification, as well as the district’s third-lowest turnover.

Gina Hernandez

Jamie Kenney

Sierra McArthur

Store Director, Safeway Store #0422, Tacoma, Wash.

Store Director, Safeway Store #1550, Seattle

f Hernandez

consistently delivered performance reflecting exceptional leadership, operational rigor and an unwavering commitment to maintaining high store standards. f Her day-to-day execution

trict’s top customer experience score, reflecting exceptional service, strong team engagement and consistent execution of customer-focused standards; her operational discipline also produced significant improvements in shrink and out-of-stocks. f Gregarek and her team

f Hernandez’s outstanding

partnered with the community to organize a successful food drive, raising 1,173 pounds of food for Project Hope in just two hours.

Victoria Borzykowski

Store Director, Safeway Store #3132, Oakland, Calif.

and strategic focus brought meaningful gains across all major performance metrics, achieving her sales plan and exceeding prior-year sales; she exceeded her shrink plan by 148 basis points, delivering a 288-point improvement year over year; and her disciplined approach to inventory management, payroll efficiency and customer experience contributed to improved profitability.

f Her store achieved the dis-

Alexandria Bailey

results highlighted her as a leader who drove excellence, inspired her team and consistently elevated performance.

f With three

decades at Albertsons, including nine as a store director, under her belt, Kenney led sales growth of nearly 7%, exceeded her EBITDA projection by nearly 24% and drove significant increases in several major brand sales contests. f She led the district in several

critical metrics, including inventory, labor management, food safety and associate experience. f Kenney fostered a positive,

motivated environment by celebrating achievements, hosting team lunches and potlucks, and recognizing individual contributions; her commitment to high standards and exceptional service built strong customer loyalty and a workplace where employees felt valued, supported and inspired to perform at their best.

f Described as a “true servant leader,” McArthur led two high-profile locations with a track record of developing talent, inspiring confidence and helping associates discover the best in themselves. f She brought structure, disci-

pline and a people-first approach to rebuilding center store processes, leading her team to $1.3 million in EBITDA, approaching 12%; consistently outperforming quarterly plans; and driving exceptional results across all key metrics. f McArthur was an active and

visible presence in the Roosevelt neighborhood, participating in local cleanup efforts, maintaining an open-door policy with community members and actively seeking feedback on how the store could be a better business neighbor.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 101

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery Brittanie Miller

Tamara Rose

Store Director, Safeway Store #1437, Tacoma, Wash.

Store Manager, Save A Lot Store #30002, Tampa, Fla.

f Miller delivered

f Rose delivered

the highest EBITDA dollars versus projection in the district and the largest year-overyear increase; she received the 5 Star Crown Award for excellence in sales, shrink, margin, labor and EBITDA, one of the company’s most prestigious recognitions. f She excelled in company-wide

contests, earning top placements in multiple national sales competitions. f Miller’s leadership extended far

beyond metrics: Deeply committed to developing future leaders, she coached and mentored team members, and facilitated the district’s person-in-charge (PIC) class, enhancing the curriculum with financial training, interview preparation and nighttime standard store walks.

Lisa Coash Store Director, Shaw’s Store #2445, Cohasset, Mass. f Coash drove

e-commerce growth at her store, which saw a sales increase of nearly 24% year over year, with orders growing by a quarter and penetration approaching 15%. f Her leadership led to high

scores for EBITDA and associate experience, and she also had top sales for Cheep Chicken Mondays. f A member of the Women’s

Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group and a Community Champion for the district, Coash led her store to be among the top fundraisers for Boston Children’s Hospital, Nourishing Neighbors, Wreaths Across America, Cohasset Road Race and Plymouth Coalition for the Homeless; she also helped coordinate Best Buddies bike race refreshment centers.

102 progressivegrocer.com

exceptional financial and customer-driven performance despite two new competitors entering the market, leading her store to 10% year-over-year sales growth, a 7% increase in customer count, a 3% year-overyear rise in average transaction value and an extraordinary 28% growth in meat sales. f She built a high-performance

team through inclusive leadership, coaching and recognition, and her ability to tailor assortments, maintain best-in-class conditions and motivate her associates bolstered customer loyalty and positioned the store as a neighborhood resource. f Rose made an impact beyond

her store by partnering with local food pantries and community organizations to reduce food insecurity.

STORE MANAGERS

Vanessa Dearing Store Manager, Save Mart Store #609, Jackson, Calif.

Kelsey Brick Assistant Store Director, Shaw’s Store #3544, Millcreek, Maine

f Dearing crosstrained her entire team across multiple roles to improve labor efficiency, build a high-performing culture and support associate career growth.

f Brick led her team to surpass all sales budgets during fiscal year 2025, ending the year up 6.5% in identical-store sales and positive in units in all four quarters.

f Through creative merchandis-

f While in her first year as a store

ing and exceptional leadership, she drove significant sales growth that earned her location an assistant manager while maintaining outstanding customer satisfaction scores during a major store remodel. f A past Store Manager of the Year nominee who was featured in the local newspaper for her work with the Interfaith Food Bank, Dearing actively supported local schools, youth programs and community events.

director, she raised the customer satisfaction score in her store to 84%, a 500-basis-point improvement over the prior year; she also drove notable improvements in both morale and sales performance, and her strong leadership and commitment to excellence elevated team engagement, customer satisfaction and operation standards. f Brick continued to grow as

a leader, and her openness to learning and receptiveness to feedback enabled her to consistently develop both herself and her team.

Doreen DeRochemont

Katherine Hanley

Destinee Ovalles

Store Director, Shaw’s Store #2492, Milford, N.H.

Store Director, Shaw’s Store #1420, Raynham, Mass.

Store Director, Shaw’s Store #2493, Salem, Mass.

f Moving from a store in Hooksett, N.H., where she beat sales projections and exceeded her EBITDA, DeRochemont took over the Milford location, where Q4 identical-store sales were up 10.50% over the year-ago period.

f A dedicated mentor to associates and summer interns alike, Hanley saw five mentees promoted to department manager roles, and one longtime mentee become an assistant store director.

f Ovalles’ store consistently ranked among the top performers across the company; improvements in store conditions, operational metrics and customer experience drove an increase in sales, a reduction in shrink and higher customer loyalty.

f With 45 years at the company

under her belt, she was able to share her extensive knowledge of systems, making her the “go-to” person for training and coaching new store directors and assistant store directors. f DeRochemont was an active

community volunteer, particularly for the New Hampshire Food Bank; as well as participating in food drives both with her store and the district, she did so on her own time, outside of work.

f When a sister store was having

support issues, she visited the location in person, walked with the store director to assess the problems and offered her own employees to help staffers. f Hanley received the 2025

Community Service Award from the Medway, Mass., Police Association for her support of the local police department’s holiday meals program; she also volunteered at multiple telethon events, presented donation checks on television and did interviews about Shaw’s fundraising efforts.

f Her store won a compa-

ny-wide contest for improving top category sales and in-stock positions, highlighting a culture of collaboration that empowered every team member to contribute to success. f Ovalles teamed with her

church to collect toys and essential items for families in need; she also actively participated in the company’s Hispanic Heritage and Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource groups.

COVER FEATURE

STORE MANAGERS

Maura Sweeney-Reeve Store Director, Shaw’s Store #1409, Hanson, Mass. f A 48-year

Shaw’s employee, SweeneyReeve was one of the company’s first female store directors, a position she’s held since 1998; she has built sales and morale at her current location since its remodel and a competitive store closing. f Under her leadership, sales

rose more than 21% most weeks, with a 12% increase maintained even after cycling the competitive closure; Hanson was consistently the top identical-store sales store in the district, and its e-commerce business has one of the highest penetrations in the district, continuing to break records in sales, with a year-over-year increase of more than 45%. f Sweeney-Reeve earned her

MBA in 2007 while working as a store director. Krystal Nemeth Assistant Store Manager, ShopRite Store #106, Spotswood, N.J. f Nemeth directed

2026 Top Women in Grocery Nicole Towns

Elaine Vorro

Melissa Meier

Store Director, Shaw’s Store #4596, Harwich, Mass.

Store Director, Shaw’s Store #3687 East Providence, R.I.

Store Manager, ShopRite Store #603 Marmora, N.J.

f Towns’ store

f Vorro’s store

f Meier consistent-

had year-to-date sales penetration of more than 4.7% and EBITDA of 9.6%-plus, putting her in the top five for earnings in the division; despite managing a seasonal store, she continued to grow sales even in the off-season, helping her achieve Store of the Year for 2025. f E-commerce has grown under

her leadership, up more than 11% in penetration and 28% in sales, with orders up nearly 27%; additionally, she achieved high scores for associate experience. f A member of the Women’s

Inspiration and Inclusion Network associate resource group and a longtime Girl Scout leader and cheerleading coach, Towns volunteered with the Best Buddies bike race to promote autism awareness.

Jessica Ormsbee Assistant Store Manager, ShopRite Store #272, Middletown, N.Y.

operations across multiple fresh departments and online grocery pickup at her high-volume location, later expanding her leadership scope to oversee dairy and frozen operations.

f Ormsbee successfully man-

f Her focus on process improve-

f She reversed historical sales

ment and team communication drove year-over-year increases in total store sales, improved direct store contributions against budget and heightened associate engagement scores.

performance trends to deliver significant net contribution improvements, elevated quality assurance audit scores through consistent staff coaching and spearheaded a competitive cashier fundraising initiative.

f Nemeth earned a nomination

and placement on the national corporate anti-hunger fundraiser cereal box initiative and led her store to top organizational rankings for disability and wish-granting charity drives.

aged grocery and deli operations while steering her location through an extensive store-wide facility remodel that renovated multiple fresh departments.

f Ormsbee was selected as one

of only five assistant managers company-wide for the premier Talent Bench Program succession initiative, and she also mentored and coached multiple associates enrolled in the corporate leadership development program.

was up 10% in identical-store sales for a win of $554,000 in top-line sales – results helped by winning the holiday baking contest and the spring Nabisco contest, as well as coming in second in the dairy contest. f Thanks to her constant drive

to increase e-commerce sales, the East Providence store was up 36% in online sales and 37% in online orders year over year, leading to a highly impressive $4.4 million in top-line sales. f Vorro partnered with several

area organizations to strengthen relationships within the community, and she and her team attended as many volunteer functions as possible.

ly exceeded annual sales projections and successfully executed a significant stretch assignment as a produce field merchant for her district while maintaining exceptional performance at her home store. f Her commitment to people

development resulted in top rankings on the company’s people metrics scorecard, and she successfully prepared multiple associates for management roles and leadership training programs. f Named her company’s Store

Manager of the Year, Meier pioneered a community food drive that was adopted by other locations and led her team to a top performance in a major philanthropic promotion.

Brandy Coccia

Felicia Furino

Store Manager, Stop & Shop Store #688, Old Saybrook, Conn.

Store Manager, Stop & Shop Store #685, Monroe, Conn.

f Coccia

f Furino max-

orchestrated notable financial improvements for her location by achieving double-digit online sales growth and engineering an impressive operational profit turnaround.

imized her location’s bottom-line profits and out-of-stock percentages by cross-training associates and instilling full store ownership over the online business.

f As the district lead for cus-

f Her team secured elite com-

tomer experience tracking, she collaborated closely with regional leadership to implement strategic action plans and inspire peer performance across multiple stores.

pliance audit results that earned formal recognition from the compliance officer during a major company kickoff meeting.

f Coccia’s dedication to service

included managing vendor donations for a district soup kitchen event and driving major food collection campaigns that earned formal recognition from the local Rotary Club.

f Emerging as a trusted district

mentor, Furino spearheaded a community group to secure a local high school scoreboard and coordinated food collections with the local fire department and Bridgeport Mission.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 103

COVER FEATURE

2026 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Carolann Mora

Lisa Nowicki

Sally Weaver

Store Manager, Stop & Shop Store #705, Greenville, R.I.

Store Manager, Tops Store #22, Niagara Falls, N.Y. (now Tops Store #119, Grand Island, N.Y.)

Store Manager, Tops Store #594, Mexico, N.Y.

f Mora improved

her location’s outof-stock rate and secured high regional rankings for omnichannel execution, employee engagement and customer satisfaction. f She led an associate develop-

ment program across her district, providing ongoing coaching and training that helped facilitate multiple internal promotions. f Mora’s community service

included packaging pasta for a regional hunger relief initiative and volunteering at a local event that provided hundreds of holiday meals to people in need.

f Nowicki delivered outstanding

financial results at the Niagara Falls store by outperforming contribution plans through a disciplined approach to expense control and a highly successful center store shrink reduction strategy. f A highly respected peer

leader who fostered a culture of accountability and collaboration, she frequently stepped up to oversee district operations in the absence of the district manager. f Featured in a local news

article highlighting her customer advocacy and leadership, Nowicki motivated her team to surpass fundraising goals for local food banks, Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Lisa Landis

Dawn Nelson

Store Director, VG’s Grocery Store #1925, Clio, Mich.

Store Director, VG’s Grocery Store #1932, Owosso, Mich.

f Landis main-

f Nelson opti-

tained positive sales growth and elevated total guest satisfaction scores despite experiencing prolonged road construction that significantly disrupted customer access to her retail location. f She reduced store-wide inven-

tory shrink, increased food safety compliance scores and achieved substantial year-over-year gains in 90-day employee retention through onboarding excellence. f Through corporate leadership

programming, she facilitated training for newly integrated retail stores and coordinated local supply drives for area schools, holiday senior programs and regional food pantries.

104 progressivegrocer.com

mized merchandising readiness and tailored product assortments to drive year-over-year sales growth across the grocery, pharmacy, floral and fresh meat categories. f She elevated her location’s

operational benchmarks by successfully raising food safety audit scores and dedicating individual coaching time to develop newhire confidence. f Nelson’s extensive community

outreach included coordinating holiday gift programs for assisted-living residents, running school supply drives and managing food donations for local senior centers.

f Weaver

increased net profit and significantly reduced controllable expenses by rallying her team to efficiently manage store resources. f By cross-training associates,

she achieved the best overtime reduction results in her district while successfully developing multiple new department managers. f Weaver volunteered with

Operation Reindeer to provide holiday gifts for underprivileged youth and led successful fundraising efforts for local food banks, grocery stores and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.

Kathy (Yim) Chin Store Director, Vons Store #2614, Las Vegas f Thanks to

Crystal Dominguez Store Director, United Store #3550, Muleshoe, Texas f Under Dominguez’s direction, the Muleshoe store advanced from an “A store” classification – held since 1996 – to a “B store”; this achievement reflects sustained sales growth, with the store now averaging more than $400,000 in weekly sales. f She challenged key managers

to step beyond their comfort zones, equipping them to support multiple departments and respond effectively to the changing needs of the whole team. f The Muleshoe Heritage

Foundation honored Dominguez and her team with an appreciation award for their willingness to assist the foundation whenever needed – an acknowledgement of the strong relationship she’s built between her store and the community.

Annalisa Locke Store Director, Vons Store #2103, Anaheim Hills, Calif. f Locke brought

her strategic skill and deep understanding of her store and associates, Chin achieved the top identical-store sales in the district, with an 8.57% uptick, and delivered the highest sales increase in the district, up $38,175 over last year.

an entrepreneurial mindset to her store, transforming major events into high-energy, high-impact drivers of sales, loyalty and team engagement; under her leadership, her store consistently placed in the top three for Double Discount Weekend.

f She went above and beyond

f She served on the Store

for her associates, often coming in on her own time to sit with employees during luncheons and holiday events so everyone felt seen, valued and included.

Director Counsel, which gave her direct contact with the division president to discuss ways to improve the business.

f Chin extended her compas-

sion into the community as a volunteer with Project 150, supporting disadvantaged high schoolers by making family meal bags, sorting donations and helping with special events.

f Locke and her team relent-

lessly asked customers for Hunger Bag donations this past December, and the result was 102% positive to last year: Her store sold 2,148 nonperishable food bags that were donated to Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County.

COVER FEATURE

STORE MANAGERS

Johannah MacDonald Store Director, Vons Store #1914, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. f MacDonald

2026 Top Women in Grocery Nancy Sanchez

Allegra Tayebi

Fiona Reinhardt

Store Director, Vons Store #2678, Ventura, Calif.

Store Director, Vons Store #2598, La Crescenta, Calif.

Store Manager, Weis Store #193, Havre de Grace, Md.

f Promoted to

f Tayebi spear-

f Reinhardt de-

store director and assigned to a competitive location, Sanchez was able to maintain solid sales, high standards and positive morale despite only months of experience and direct competition from Walmart and Sam’s Club.

headed a fivemonth end-to-end store remodel coordinating construction, labor, standards and customer care to deliver a refreshed, modern shopping experience, with stable operations maintained throughout the process.

f She earned admiration through

f She drove more than 2% to-

the district for overall e-commerce performance after she delivered an exceptional 151% year-over-year e-commerce sales increase, achieving the highest year-over-year growth district-wide.

long hours, meticulous attention to detail and genuine care for her team, consistently inspiring strong performance and loyalty – an accomplishment made even more impressive by the fact that she was also serving as the sole caregiver for her father.

tal-store sales growth with pharmacy, strengthening a critical department, increasing overall profitability and enhancing customer loyalty by meeting evolving health-and-wellness needs.

f MacDonald was recognized

f Sanchez was a top contributor

by senior leadership for her exceptional grasp of P&L and operational drivers, an uncommon strength that has elevated her results; she also mentored new and aspiring store directors.

to major Vons fundraising initiatives, including the Nourishing Neighbors, Holiday Hunger Bags and Persons with Disabilities campaigns.

outperformed her store’s fiscal 2025 sales plan by $60,800, delivering growth in a lower-volume location through disciplined execution and such activities as hosting monthly field trips with Stork Elementary School to provide hands-on learning. f Her location ranked No. 1 in

Scarlett Batarse

Courtney Dillon

Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market Store #10251, Houston

Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market Store #10740, Chicago

f Batarse achieved perfect food safety compliance for the entire year and drove significant cleaning expense reductions through the implementation of an innovative cost management program.

f Dillon drove year-over-year sales growth and helped refine operations for a first-of-its-kind dual-format location, despite the presence of nearby competitors.

f Serving as a pilot partner for

a company-wide task management system, she provided actionable feedback to shape its successful rollout while actively mentoring multiple assistants into advanced leadership roles. f Batarse demonstrated an

exceptional commitment to community service by organizing team volunteer initiatives with various local nonprofit organizations dedicated to fighting childhood hunger and ending food waste.

f She significantly improved

team engagement and favorable sentiment while mentoring multiple associates who were subsequently promoted to store team leaders. f Dillon facilitated a major dona-

tion to a local urban agriculture program providing farming education, job training and access to fresh produce for young city residents.

f Tayebi ran an accountable,

collaborative operation by staying visible on the floor; actively coached department leaders; and upheld high service standards; as a result of all this, her store earned among the district’s top-five engagement scores for Leadership and Inclusion/ Belonging.

livered extraordinary financial results, including significant sales and net income growth, while maintaining high food safety and operational review scores. f She served as a district talent

engine by training more than 80 associates for a new store opening and consistently developing team members for management positions across several locations. f Selected as an emerging lead-

er within her company, Reinhardt played an instrumental role in supporting the Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge and cultivating strategic partnerships with local organizations.

DeeDee Pumphrey Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market #10509, Charlestown, Mass. f Through her leadership,

Pumphrey drove impressive financial results through disciplined cost management and operational execution without compromising the experiences of team members or customers. f She achieved outstanding

new-hire retention and compliance training completion rates while mentoring several team members and expanding participation in internal culture programs. f Rated as a top contributor for

her exceptional performance, Pumphrey served on global store leadership committees and partnered with the local chamber of commerce and high school to connect students to career opportunities.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026 105

ADVERTORIAL

Turning Technology Spend into Measurable Business Return

Harrison Lewis

Are your technology investments actually

revenue the business is not capturing today. The second is

moving the needle, or just moving capital?

cost rationalization: reducing spend through operating disci-

For grocery retailers navigating rising

pline and eliminating redundancy across hardware, software,

costs, tighter margins, labor pressure,

supporting services, subscriptions, and the broader technol-

cybersecurity risk, AI disruption, and rapid

ogy portfolio. The third is operational resilience: reducing risk

market shifts, the question is no longer

and building the structural resilience needed to compete.

whether to invest in technology. Most

In grocery, those issues show up in practical ways: digital

already are. The more important question is whether those

commerce, loyalty, POS modernization, store systems, labor

investments are improving enterprise performance: better

productivity, inventory accuracy, shrink, cybersecurity, ven-

revenue capture, stronger margins, greater operational resil-

dor rationalization, and data governance. The business case

ience, reduced risk, and clearer accountability for results.

has to be specific. A technology investment should be tied

When technology spend is not governed against those out-

to an outcome, such as better demand forecasting accuracy,

comes, it can become one of the most expensive forms

improved labor productivity, stronger shrink and loss detec-

of under-governed capital in the business.

tion, or reduced vendor and application redundancy.

For boards and executive teams, that discipline creates

For finance leaders, JMA’s framework creates a clearer

clearer oversight of technology-enabled investment: what cap-

line of sight from technology spend to business value. The

ital is being committed, what business outcome is expected,

goal is not to reduce technology spend for its own sake. The

what risks are being reduced, who owns the benefit, and how

goal is to make sure every dollar is either protecting the

management will demonstrate value after implementation.

business, improving performance, reducing risk, or enabling

That belief guides Jacob Meadow Associates, a boutique,

measurable growth.

senior-led advisory firm that helps organizations make better

For functional and operations leaders, the same discipline

decisions about technology, transformation, operations, and

ensures technology is tied to how the business actually runs.

investment.

Store operations, merchandising, supply chain, marketing,

“The objective is not to buy technology,” says Harrison

digital, finance, HR, and loss prevention should not be pas-

Lewis, Founding Partner of Jacob Meadow Associates.

sive recipients of technology decisions. The business must

“The objective is to invest capital wisely and make sure

help define the outcome, own the operating change, drive

the investment produces measurable value.”

adoption, and measure whether the investment improves

JMA’s advisory model is informed by

performance.

Lewis’s experience across grocery and retail organizations including Kroger, H-E-B,

A GOVERNED BUSINESS-OUTCOME FRAMEWORK

Haggen Foods, Lowe’s Home Improvement,

Jacob Meadow Associates uses a governed business-out-

A&P, Grocery Outlet, and Northgate Markets.

come and accountability framework called DAAEG: Define,

Beginning at store level and later moving

Assess, Align, Execute, and Govern.

into operations, management development, and technology

• Define establishes the outcome, expected return, and

leadership, Lewis developed a practical view of how technology

success measures before capital is committed.

decisions affect store execution, margin pressure, labor pro-

• Assess examines the current state, risks, constraints, techni-

ductivity, customer experience, and executive accountability.

cal debt, value leakage, and which existing investments can be preserved, used more fully, integrated, or rationalized.

WHERE RETAILERS LEAVE VALUE ON THE TABLE

• Align builds executive agreement on priorities, ownership,

In JMA’s work with retail and consumer-facing organizations,

benefits, sequencing, and decisions.

value leakage typically shows up in three areas.

• Execute implements the required capabilities, operating

The first is top-line growth: strengthening customer, digital, loyalty, pricing, and commercial capabilities to capture

model changes, processes, governance routines, and technology.

“The retailers that outperform will not simply be those that spend more on technology. They will be the organizations that connect technology investment to business outcomes, govern execution with discipline, and use that discipline to move faster, adapt sooner, and capture value before competitors do.” — HARRISON LEWIS • Govern measures results, reinforces accountability, keeps the investment tied to value after launch, and leaves be-

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENT

hind the governance routines and measurement discipline

The business: A multi-location consumer products busi-

the organization can continue using over time.

ness with wholesale, retail, and digital growth priorities.

The Assess stage is especially important because JMA does not assume the answer is more technology. The goal is to protect useful investments, reduce waste, and commit new capital only where it creates measurable business value. Many firms are strong at implementation, procurement, or technical delivery. JMA’s distinction is that it starts earlier and stays focused longer. The firm helps executives determine whether the investment should be made, what business return it must create, who owns the outcome, and how value will be measured after implementation. The finish line is whether the intended business outcome was achieved, measured, and governed. That distinction is especially important in grocery, where technology decisions often affect stores, merchandising, sup-

The challenge: The organization needed to modernize fragmented systems, improve data governance, reduce technology redundancy, strengthen execution discipline, and create better executive visibility into transformation value. The approach: The Jacob Meadow Associates advisory team helped establish governance, clarify the business case, rationalize the technology landscape, define ownership, and align execution around measurable growth, efficiency, agility, and risk-reduction outcomes. The result: Leadership gained a clearer investment roadmap, stronger governance discipline, and improved accountability. The organization also reduced technology spend by roughly 20% across hardware, software, supporting services, and subscriptions, creating a more

ply chain, finance, operations, marketing, and the customer

defensible path from technology spend to measurable

experience at the same time.

business value.

For CIOs and technology leaders, JMA provides a governance model that helps move the conversation beyond deliv-

areas such as demand forecasting, shrink and loss detection,

ery status and into business value, executive ownership, risk,

replenishment, customer personalization, labor planning, and

and measurable return. The CIO may enable the capability,

operational analytics. But the same outcome test must apply.

but the business must own the outcome. JMA helps clarify

JMA embeds AI into recommendations only where it is ap-

that shared accountability before capital is committed.

propriately placed and produces quantifiable, tangible benefit.

Because JMA is technology agnostic, its recommendations are driven by business fit, economic return, risk, and operating

THE ADVISORY PROCESS

impact, not by a preferred platform.

JMA’s initial advisory process is designed to identify where tech-

“Our objective is not to create dependence on JMA,” Lewis says. “It is to leave the organization with the governance

nology spend may not be fully connected to business value. The process typically begins by understanding the retailer’s

discipline, ownership model, and decision process needed

strategic priorities, current investment portfolio, operating

to keep turning technology investment into business value

constraints, and areas of measurable pressure: growth, cost,

after our work is complete.”

risk, resilience, or agility. From there, JMA determines whether there is a clear business case for deeper assessment.

APPLYING THE SAME DISCIPLINE TO AI Increasingly, that discipline extends to artificial intelligence. For grocery retailers, AI may have practical applications in

The goal is not to sell a project. It is to determine where disciplined advisory support can help leadership make a better, more defensible decision.

Jacob Meadow Associates helps grocery CEOs and senior leadership teams make better technologyenabled business decisions, align ownership, and govern execution until measurable value is realized. To request a confidential assessment, visit progressivegrocer.jacobmeadowassociates.com or contact us at contact@jacobmeadowassociates.com.

ADVERTORIAL

SOFIDEL EXPANDS CAPACITY TO KEEP PACE WITH PRIVATE LABEL TISSUE GROWTH Soﬁdel is scaling its U.S. operations to stay ahead of the

In North America, Soﬁdel is the only tissue manufacturer

surging demand for store brands. With 14 production sites

capable of producing all three major paper technologies:

across 11 states, the company is focused on one primary

conventional, structured (NTT), and Through-Air-Dried (TAD).

goal: providing retailers with the volume and versatility

This enables Soﬁdel to deliver products across multiple

needed to dominate the Private Label space. The latest

value tiers, meeting and in many cases exceeding the

expansion at their Inola, Oklahoma facility — featuring a

performance and quality of leading national brands.

state-of-the-art Valmet Through-Air-Drying (TAD) machine — addresses the market’s demand for premium-tier op-

PG: Sustainability always has been key to Soﬁdel’s

tions. Progressive Grocer asked Soﬁdel how this ramp-up

mission. How are you meeting sustainability goals

in production ensures grocery retailers can offer the variety

for Private Label tissue?

and quality shoppers now demand.

Soﬁdel: Sustainability is a core pillar of our long-term strategy, shaping our progress toward both our 2030 sustaina-

Progressive Grocer: How has the growing demand

bility targets and our 2050 net-zero ambition. We continue

for Private Label tissue impacted your decision to

to advance our transition to lower-carbon, more resilient

expand in the U.S.?

energy systems across our manufacturing footprint through

Soﬁdel: Industry analysts, including AFRY, estimate that

ongoing investments and operational improvements.

private label tissue continues to gain market share at an

By 2030, we aim to reduce the use of conventional

annual rate of approximately 1–1.5%, reaching an esti-

plastics across our production processes by 50%, with

mated 37% share today. If this trajectory continues over

more than 38% already achieved. We have also established

the next decade, private label growth is expected to drive

science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets validated

tissue demand beyond the industry’s current manufactur-

by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), focused on

ing capacity. To meet this anticipated increase in demand,

signiﬁcantly lowering emissions across our operations

the market would require signiﬁcant new investment —

and value chain on a per-ton-of-paper basis, relative to

equivalent to approximately 11 additional tissue paper

our 2018 baseline.

machines coming online over the next ten years.

Our 2050 net-zero roadmap reﬂects a transformative

Today, only three manufacturers including Soﬁdel have

shift focused on deep emissions reductions at source

announced new paper machines scheduled to start up within

through electriﬁcation, renewable energy adoption, and

the next two years. That represents an important but partial

the replacement of fossil fuel-dependent processes, com-

step toward narrowing the emerging gap between demand

plemented by carbon removal and nature-based solutions

and supply.

to address residual emissions.

PG: As shoppers flock to PL products, retailers are seeking higher quality in Own Brand items. How does Sofidel ensure it can deliver tissue products customers prefer? Sofidel: A key force driving consumers toward private label is the growing emphasis on premiumization and the ability of private label products to deliver premium quality at greater value. Manufacturers are increasingly focused on offering products that are comparable to branded alternatives, superior in performance, and more competitively priced.

ADVERTORIAL

Hitting the Sweet Spot: Sustainability Meets Affordability in Private Label I N 2026, GROCERS FACE A COMPLEX TUG-OF-WAR.

in the process of introducing an external agronomic

As escalating food prices tighten household budgets,

consulting service for the upcoming tomato campaign

value and affordability remain the primary drivers

to monitor all phases of cultivation. This will enable

of purchasing decisions . Yet, consumer demand for

us to promptly intercept any potential quality issues,

eco-friendly options remains high .

optimizing the logistics of transferring raw material

The challenge for retailers is clear: How do you

to facilities and reducing waste at source.”

deliver sustainability at a price point that moves

Making Progress, Focusing on the Future

products from shelf to basket?

La Doria is making great strides in its mission to give

“Consumers increasingly value safe, sustainable, and affordable products,” says Diodato Ferraioli,

grocers access to affordable and sustainable private

Chief Commercial Officer of La Doria, the southern

label products. The company is integrating quality

Italy-based producer of private label products. “But

and value into its core portfolio, optimizing the supply

shoppers’ increasing focus on healthy eating and

chain for Italian staples.

product safety — combined with the awareness that

For grocers and their customers, that means

purchase decisions impact the planet — pose ques-

“sustainable” doesn’t have to mean “expensive.” But as Ferraioli notes, the work is far from over.

tions that sector operators simply cannot ignore.” La Doria is answering those questions by making

“The path ahead requires determination, collab-

sustainability a competitive advantage instead of a

oration, and sustained investment. And we are fully

cost burden with its portfolio of tomato-based prod-

aware that no milestone can be achieved alone” he

ucts, ready-made sauces, pulses and dried pastas.

concludes. “The contribution of our suppliers, customers, and communities is essential to building a

Sustainability as a Strategic Driver

truly sustainable food supply chain.”

For La Doria, being a “food company with an Italian

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS MET:

heart” means having a heart for sustainable business practices, too.

THE LAND

“Sustainability is not only a responsibility but also

• 100% of products are of guaranteed quality accordingto international food safety standards

a strategic driver of our future competitiveness,” Ferraioli stresses. “Reducing our environmental impact

• 100% traceability of all La Doria products

remains a cornerstone of our sustainability plan.”

• 98% of waste recycled THE COMMITMENT

Highlights of that comprehensive plan include:

• 77 ethical field audits carried out over two years • 98.6% of metal can requirements satisfied internally

• Stewarding the land so every harvest yields safe, premium-quality fruit

• 17km average distance from most-used outsourced warehouses

• Committing to champion safe working conditions throughout the supply chain

• 93% economic value generated distributed to our stakeholders

• Reflecting the passion for La Doria’s Italian tradition

THE PASSION

by standing out for quality and excellence

• 100% fresh Italian tomatoes

“In 2025, our efforts focused on expanding renew-

• 100% products made at the company’s facilities in Italy

able energy capacity and improving energy efficiency and expanding our initiatives to strengthen relation-

• 28.3% energy needs satisfied internally

ships with agricultural suppliers, promoting regenerative practices, more efficient water use and improved soil quality monitoring,” Ferraioli says. “And we are

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Consumer Trends Survey

Sustainable Brands, “US Consumers Value Sustainability, But Affordability Comes First”

C-SUITE INSIDER

Albertsons Cos. Albertsons’ new Merch United framework brings merchandising under one unified umbrella.

Albertsons Creates a Blueprint for Growth THE GROCER’S NE W MERCH UNITED OPER ATING MODEL AIMS TO DELIVER LONG-TERM SUCCESS.

By Emily Crowe

t’s been a big year for Albertsons Cos., with the grocer touting technology and AI as a few of the main drivers behind its successful transformation and planned long-term competitive advantage. Another big piece of this transformation has been a shift in how the company approaches merchandising. Last July, it was announced that Michelle Larson would take over the role of EVP, chief merchandising officer and lead the charge to create what Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons called a “unified, agile and customer-centric approach that brings our national and division merchandising teams closer together.” Albertsons President of Merchandising, Own Brands Jack Pestello and several other merchandising executives from the grocer took the stage at the Western Association of Food Chains’ (WAFC) annual convention in May to further discuss the transformative move, dubbed Merch United. “This is not a reinvention of who we are,” Pestello said. “It’s a deliberate build on the strengths that we have that already differentiate us. And it’s how we’re going to work with communities to be the most loved grocer in all of our communities.”

From Siloed to Merch United

Pestello shared that one of Albertsons’ major moves within merchandising has been creating a model for collaborative work at the enterprise level, with the aim of driving market share, gaining households and growing units.

112 progressivegrocer.com

“We’re designing for an enterprise approach with merchandising. That is our path to become who we want to be,” he said. “It is absolutely not a silo, it is not a division approach. It is an enterprise approach on ways of working. And the way that works is to get the right people in the room and agree on how we serve our customers better.” Pestello continued: “We are aligning our category strategies to the enterprise. We’re using data to drive assortment decisions. We’re connecting better across the organization to make sure that we have that local customer lens, and we’re being thoughtful about pricing and promotion as an enterprise.” All of this being said, Pestello stressed that the company isn’t taking decisions away from local markets, but is being very mindful about how it prices and promotes its merchandise, and is also working toward becoming more effective and more coordinated across its footprint. That delicate balance begins with improving assortments. “We have to have smarter assortments,” he said. “We’ll have a national credible assortment, but we will continue to be locally

According to Albertsons, produce drives 30% of the grocer’s shopping trips.

C-SUITE INSIDER

Albertsons Cos. relevant with smarter, more thoughtful assortments that have that local nuance. That is an unlock for us.” Albertsons also plans to leverage its Own Brands assortment as a value proposition for its shoppers.

Putting Technology to Work

According to Chris Lanoue, GVP, merchandising operations, Albertsons has historically worked very efficiently with its national merchandising team and 11 divisional merchandising teams, but the blending and the blurring of lines among those groups is where the company has found its secret sauce. Today’s technology, he Albertsons’ new secret sauce lies in its ability to blur the lines between national and local merchandising. said, has given Albertsons “the mechanism to truly behave as one while supporting 11 divisions.” During Albertsons’ must make produce shopping “Our ambition is for customers to truly third-quarter earnings report a more inspiring adventure for feel seen, to reliably find the essentials this past January, CEO Susan shoppers. they need at prices they trust, while Morris shared that the com“Today, our customers want pany is equipping its meralso discovering unique, inspiring items more than just the transaction,” chants with “AI-driven insights she explained. “They want to disthat make our stores a destination and and automated execution to cover new things and enjoy their eliminate the need for a trip elsewhere.” shopping journey again. We’ve optimize pricing, promotions and assortment decisions,” seen some great success when —Susan Morris, CEO, Albertsons Cos. with the aim of transforming we turn our produce departcategory management and driving margin improvement. ments into that vibrant, interactive marketplace that has “Our vision is a future where intelligent automation guides these surprises and delights throughout it, with event-based decisions, freeing our people to focus on strategy and innovation,” merchandising, product innovation and tailored market she explained. “Our ambition is for customers to truly feel seen, to assortments.” reliably find the essentials they need at prices they trust, while also Whitney said that Albertsons has coordinated as discovering unique, inspiring items that make our stores a destinaa company on some of the most important items in tion and eliminate the need for a trip elsewhere.” fresh and produce, partnering on big seasonal buys to deliver the best value to its customers. Additionally, the company has paired its everyday savings with exciting Offering Fresh Authority Back at WAFC, GVP, Fresh Merchandising Teresa Whitney espromotions to tap into a treasure-hunt mentality. poused the idea that produce is more than just a department at Albertsons – it’s the company’s competitive edge and drives 30% The Balanced Value Proposition of its trips, so it stands out as an extremely important part of the Still, Albertsons’ merchandising strategy hinges on a Merch United framework. Still, Whitney believes that the company balanced value proposition that ensures that the company is price competitive, as well as on a deliberately Albertsons is utilizing its scale to offer value to its customers in planned fleet of stores. areas such as produce and other fresh items. Albertsons is actively leveraging its national scale across 2,245 stores to drive units, baskets and households through methodical investments, better buying, supply chain automation and more. As Pestello explained, when the company uses that scale deliberately across all of its stores and markets to buy better and expand its Own Brands, that becomes the winning value solution for its customers. “Our store network, we believe, cannot be replicated, and it is further strengthened by our team, our data, AI and next-generation technology, which allows us to personalize, for every one of our customers, that experience for them,” Pestello said. “We’re taking a very disciplined, market-by-market approach, modernizing where we think we have the right to win, densifying where we think it matters and then rationalizing where the economics are structurally challenging so that we have that right store portfolio.”

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CENTER STORE

Canned and Shelf-Stable Foods The chef-led Row 7 brand rejects the notion that shelf-stable vegetable products have to be a compromise.

“Flavor continues to be the No. 1 driver of trial across categories,” Chalk asserts. “People still love the classics they grew up with, but they’re also increasingly excited to explore new tastes, whether that’s trying a new recipe or sharing something different with family and friends. This creates a strong opportunity to build on core products with thoughtful flavor variations that tap into consumers’ desire for discovery and exploration.”

We Shall Sea

Consistent with consumer wellness trends, seafood has been an emerging force in the canned/shelf-stable sector – with a push from social media, says Anne-Marie Roerink, president of San Antonio-based 210 Analytics. “Cans and pouches remain a major THESE GROCERY STALWARTS ARE RESPONDING TO stock-up item ahead of snowstorms and CONSUMER TRENDS TO SPARK RENE WED INTEREST. hurricanes, but the category has enjoyed sustained everyday growth driven by innoBy Mike Duff vation,” Roerink explains. “In 2025, Danielle lthough they’re longtime staples, canned and Matzon and Ali Hooke, both food creators shelf-stable foods are evolving to satisfy conand chefs, were among the early popularizsumer demand for products that have new ers of the ‘tinned fish’ niche. Other creators and even exotic flavors, a gourmet sensibility, soon followed. Rather than a pantry staple, and attributes consistent with shoppers’ they positioned canned seafood for date wellness goals. nights and snack boards. At the same time, In the larger sense, canned and shelf-stable the Fishwife brand went viral on TikTok with foods continue to be vital to how consumers beautifully designed cans that stood out in live, representing more than half of total food the sea of sameness. Sardine Girl Summer sales, according to Dave Chalk, VP, enterprise pushed canned sardines beyond food into insights and analytics at The Campbell’s Co., in Camden, N.J. Since many a lifestyle. Sardines were and are found on consumers are constantly playing catch-up with their busy lives, canned and clothing, purses, housewares, etc.” shelf-stable foods are accessible, dependable The influence of and there when needed. TikTok creators has “Cans and pouches remain a major “At the same time, we’re seeing a meaningful helped drive two stock-up item ahead of snowstorms shift in consumer behavior,” Chalk says. “People years of double-digit and hurricanes, but the category has growth for canned are being more intentional about how they enjoyed sustained everyday growth spend their hard-earned money. Importantly, sardines, and a they’re not simply trading down to the cheapest strong start to 2026 driven by innovation.” options. They’re looking for clear, compelling followed, Roerink —Anne-Marie Roerink, 210 Analytics value, which means a balance of quality, taste, adds. convenience and price. At Campbell’s, we’re responding to these trends “Canned sardines overtook salmon as through our consumer-led growth pillars, anchored in deep insights. We have the No. 2 seller in canned seafood, behind identified four consumer-led growth pillars: Premiumization, Flavor Exploration, tuna,” she notes. “In 2025, dollar sales Health and Wellness, and Comfort and Cooking. These pillars reflect where we rose 15.5% year over year to reach $343 see consumers actively seeking value and where we’re best positioned to win.” million, and volume grew 11.7% year over He points out that shelf-stable and canned foods thrive in a balance beyear. This is far better than the performance tween classic products, fresh variations, and innovations that are consistent for canned tuna, though [it’s] a $2.4 billion with evolving lifestyles. business annually, and canned salmon.”

Shelf-Stable Genius

A 116 progressivegrocer.com

CENTER STORE

Canned and Shelf-Stable Foods Rethinking Veggies

Healthy food that also addresses the consumer desire for more flavorful fare can readily find an audience among foodies and others with more of a gourmet orientation. Row 7, a seed-to-table operation helmed by Chef Dan Barber, co-owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, in Tarrytown, N.Y., has recently introduced Row 7 Tinned Vegetables, a rejection of the notion that shelf-stable vegetable products have to be a compromise. As evidence of that, the organic product line launched in the produce section at northeastern Whole Foods Market stores at $7 per tin, and nationally direct to consumer at $29 for a 3-pack consisting of Badger Flame Beets, Sweet Prince Tomatoes and Sweet Garleek. The brand was, in effect, a rethink of produce, Barber notes. “Across the store, there are entire categories that haven’t been meaningfully reimagined through a vegetable-first lens,” he says. “For decades, produce has been treated as a commodity, bred for shelf-life uniformity and long-distance shipping. Flavor and diversity get squeezed out of the system. Row 7 exists to change that. We start with a simple question: What if vegetables were developed and grown with the same obsession for flavor that chefs bring to the plate? The pantry was the next frontier. We saw a real opportunity to bring that same vegetable innovation to a shelf-stable format. Canning was an obvious choice, but only if we could reimagine it in a way that upheld the same standards we bring to everything we do.” As the food business changes, companies in the sector are responding. This past March, for instance, Coral Gables, Fla.-based Fresh Del Monte Produce completed the acquisition of specific assets of the long-sundered Del Monte Foods Corp. for $285 million, gaining a portfolio of popular labels, including the Del Monte and S&W packaged vegetable brands, the Del Monte and Contadina packaged tomato brands, and the Del Monte packaged fruit brand. Jamie Decker, VP of omni activation at the Fresh Del Monte Foods division, notes that Fresh Del Monte now can offer consumers products across a spectrum from perishables to refrigerated to shelf-stable, thereby addressing a range of consumer needs.

Make it a Meal

In some cases, meeting consumer demand is a matter of seeing what’s changing, and then engaging in acts of renewal. Hormel’s flagship Spam brand is leaning into globally inspired flavors with recent limited-edition product drops.

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Kettle & Fire has teamed up with Force of Nature Meats to create the only bison bone broth made from 100% regeneratively raised bison.

“The shelf-stable category is shifting from a pantry backup to an everyday meal solution, driven by convenience, value and versatility,” says Sarah Johnson, director of marketing for modern pantry brands at Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods. “Growth is fueled by protein-forward options, globally inspired flavors and flexible meal formats that work across occasions. Brands like Spam are leaning into this with bold global flavors like Gochujang, Tocino and Korean BBQ.” In part, such moves are prompted by changes in who’s shopping at the grocery store. “The consumer base is becoming younger, more diverse and more adventurous,” Johnson points out. “We’re connecting through culturally relevant flavors, digital-first engagement and products that fit modern, flexible eating habits, especially those inspired by global cuisines.” Hormel Chili has added flavor combinations such as cilantro lime and chipotle chicken to meet demand for bold, globally inspired tastes and more variety within trusted brands, she adds. Meanwhile, as is the case with other canned and shelf-stable foods, the brand is addressing more than one trend at a time. “Protein remains a key driver, especially as consumers look for affordable, satisfying meals,” Johnson observes. “At the same time, there is growing interest in gluten-free and allergen-aware options, simpler ingredient statements, and a balance between taste, convenience and nutrition.” Canned and shelf-stable food is often thought of in terms of products aimed squarely at the middle of the marketplace, but the category is evolving to meet specific and highly personal consumer preferences. For example, bone broth producer Kettle & Fire has teamed up with fellow Austin, Texas, brand Force of Nature Meats to create Kettle & Fire x Force of Nature Bison Bone Broth, the only bison bone broth made from 100% regeneratively raised bison, combining superior nutrition with a commitment to restore the land, according to Kettle & Fire. In developing products, Kettle & Fire CEO Sam McBride says that the first thought is making people feel better, and a shelf-stable format allows more people to participate in that.

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Brioche has expanded beyond the bakery case, turning up in everything from game-day slider spreads to French toast brunches.

Why Brioche Keeps Outgrowing the Bakery Case

BRIOCHE SALES KEEP CLIMBING AS SHOPPERS CHASE PREMIUM INDULGENCES. By Samantha Schober

nce a somewhat niche treat for American shoppers, French brioche has since become one of the bakery aisle’s biggest success stories, with no signs of slowing down. The format has worked its way into nearly every kind of bakery set in the country, from warehouse club multipacks to the artisanal displays at specialty grocers. That rise has built steadily over the better part of two decades as shoppers have gravitated toward bread with more richness, more shine on the crust and a little more of a story behind it than the standard sandwich loaf. Unit sales for the category have climbed at a 12% compound annual rate over the past 15 years, with dollar sales growing even faster, at 15% annually, according to Ezra Chaskelson, U.S. general manager at St Pierre Groupe, a Manchester, England-based international market leader in the bakery sector. He expects that expansion to keep going across the United States over the next two years, even as shoppers grow more careful with their grocery budgets.

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Key Takeaways  Over the years, brioche has worked its way into nearly every kind of bakery set in the country as it rides the crest of the “premium indulgence” trend.  Burger and hot dog buns remain the anchor of the segment, while new flavors, fillings and textures entice consumers, who often come up with their own innovative uses for brioche, but authenticity is always paramount.  Gen Z shoppers are on brioche makers’ radar, as well as the next generation of lifelong segment buyers.

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“Premium continues to do well if you are delivering on that consumer expectation of quality, the indulgent experience.” —Ezra Chaskelson, St Pierre Groupe

“Premium indulgence” was the phrase of the day at IDDBA 2026, a trend that Chaskelson says has helped premium breads like brioche continue to hold their ground. “Premium continues to do well if you are delivering on that consumer expectation of quality, the indulgent experience,” he notes, pointing to brioche’s French roots and rich, eggy texture as reasons that shoppers are willing to spend a little more, even when they’re trimming elsewhere. Chaskelson describes the format as perfectly in line with the “premium indulgence” trend, often landing around an affordable $5 splurge.

Grill Companions

Burger and hot dog buns remain the anchor of the segment for most brands. At Brioche Gourmet, the company’s brioche burger buns and hot dog buns are still its top performers. “They’re the staples shoppers come back for again and again,” affirms Brian Gerraughty, national sales and marketing manager at the French bakery brand, which is imported and distributed in the United

Brioche unit sales have climbed at a 12% compound annual rate over the past 15 years, with dollar sales growing even faster.

States by Warren, Mich.-based KLT Global. St Pierre is seeing similar loyalty toward its four-count brioche hamburger bun pack, which Chaskelson calls the company’s best-selling core item by a wide margin, particularly during grilling season and for at-home gatherings. Slider-format brioche is picking up steam right behind it. According to Gerraughty, the format has built real momentum heading into grilling season and around major sporting events as game-day spreads increasingly call for smaller, shareable bites. St Pierre, meanwhile, has found growth in a less obvious corner of the case: brioche waffles, which Chaskelson describes as one of the company’s nichest areas of expansion this year, helped along by new retail distribution.

Growing the Portfolio

When it comes to flavor, one trend has reigned supreme: “swicy,” a sweet-and-spicy flavor profile sweeping America’s snack and beverage aisles that has gained a lot of traction with food influencers on social media. Chaskelson says that the company saw an opening to bring that flavor combination into its portfolio and is watching closely to see how shoppers respond to the launch of its “swicy” brioche bun offering. Brioche Gourmet has taken a similar approach with peanut butter, rolling out a Peanut Butter Loaf to satisfy what Gerraughty refers to as a “clear appetite” among shoppers for that flavor in new formats. Brioche Gourmet’s new Peanut Butter Loaf taps into what the brand calls a “clear appetite” among shoppers for bold flavors in unexpected formats.

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FRESH FOOD

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Bakery

Filled and textured formats are gaining ground in the bakery, with shoppers drawn to products that resemble scratch-made items.

“Texture sells. Shoppers want something that looks and feels artisanal, not mass-produced.”

Filled and textured brioche items are also drawing attention from buyers looking to differentiate their bakery sets. Brioche Gourmet’s —Brian Gerraughty, Brioche Gourmet Cream Cheese Brioche and Vanilla Tear and Share Brioche give shoppers an indulgent option, Gerraughty notes, while products like the company’s Hand Braided Brioche Loaf lean into the artisanal look that shoppers associate with scratch baking. “Texture sells,” Gerraughty explains. “Shoppers want something that looks and feels artisanal, not mass-produced.” Authenticity is the main topic in any discussion around brioche at the moment. According to Gerraughty, his company has stayed St Pierre’s new “swicy” brioche buns bring the trendy sweet-and-spicy flavor profile into the bakery case.

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committed to a traditional French manufacturing process rather than cutting corners to chase volume, a decision that he credits for the brand’s standing with shoppers who want the real thing. Chaskelson makes a similar point about ingredients: St Pierre hasn’t built a health-and-wellness platform the way some bakery brands have, but its status as a relatively clean label free of artificial colors and preservatives has become an unplanned selling point. That doesn’t mean that St Pierre is ignoring where the rest of the bakery aisle is heading, however. Protein-forward products have multiplied across trade show floors recently, and Chaskelson says that while the company is paying attention, it won’t chase the trend just to have an entry. Any new product still has to deliver the premium brioche experience first and feel true to the brand, he emphasizes.

Unexpected Applications

Some of brioche’s growth comes from places the brands themselves didn’t plan for. Chaskelson points to shoppers and food influencers who take a product home and turn it into something the company never marketed, like the kimchi fried chicken waffle sandwiches he’s seen online, built around St Pierre’s brioche waffles. Brioche also tends to get bought less for its own sake and more for whatever a shopper has in mind to make with it, he adds, which is part of why the format has found its way into so many different recipes and meal occasions. KLT’s Samantha Burmeister also cites the product’s versatility as its major selling point. “You can do just about anything with it,” she says. “Including brioche in a recipe immediately elevates that experience.” Gen Z shoppers are on St Pierre’s radar, as well as the next generation of lifelong segment buyers. Chaskelson says that brioche has appeal across every demographic, but the brand sees a particular opportunity with newly independent shoppers drawn to indulgent, experiential products. For now, both brands seem to agree on brioche’s biggest advantage over other bakery items: its range of uses. “Brioche is one of the most versatile products in the bakery aisle,” Gerraughty asserts. “It works in everything from French toast to gourmet burgers.”

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TECHNOLOGY

Grocery Workforce Report

Closing the Gap Between Intent and Impact RE TAIL SUCCESS ME ANS MANAGING L ABOR’S COLLISION OF TECH WITH SWE AT EQUIT Y.

L By Jim Dudlicek

abor continues to be the top issue of concern for grocery operators, but the challenge goes well beyond recruitment, retention and training. Grocers are feeling much broader marketplace pressures, including ever-tightening margins, rising service expectations and operational friction in fresh categories, while contending with a workforce that’s dynamic scheduling and mobile tasking harder to attract, keep and train. free up capacity for the human moments “We are navigating a rapidly changing labor that define great grocery. When you get landscape that demands strategic innovation and the plan right and support it with intelligent collaboration,” observes Julie Savoie, senior director for workforce, talent and tools, people show up at their best.” sustainability at Arlington, Va.-based FMI – The Food Industry Association, on In other words, the right tech helps take the trade group’s blog. Savoie notes that grocers must address workforce the guesswork out of how to efficiently planning, harness emerging technologies and enhance the industry’s value deploy a workforce. proposition while prioritizing employee engagement and trust. “The biggest challenge is not just having Providers of workforce planning solutions agree that the collision of tech enough people, but making sure store and human touch that’s reverberating throughout the industry is affecting labor teams spend their time on the work that significantly. matters most, including serving custom“These challenges are converging in ways that make execution harder ers, keeping shelves stocked, maintaining every day,” says Vivek Gopalpuria, VP of product marketing for Southlake, freshness and executing promotions,” says Texas-based workforce solutions provider Logile. “We’re seeing misalignment Mateo Beacco, GM of RELEX Fresh at between what stores are expected to deliver and how they’re staffed and Atlanta-based AI decision-making platform supported to do it.” provider RELEX Solutions. “Manual planLabor planning, scheduling, fresh production and compliance are often disning still consumes too much time across connected, Gopalpuria points out, “and that disconnect creates gaps, delays stores and distribution centers, making it and burnout. The workforce challenge is now an orchestration challenge.” harder for operators to respond quickly Store labor is already stretched in a lot of locations, Cary, N.C.-based SASR when demand shifts.” Workforce Solutions notes on its blog: “That is often where good strategy breaks down. Not because the plan was wrong, but because the store did not Planning Versus Reality have enough time or bandwidth to carry it all.” The biggest gap that grocery operators With the grocery industry at a point of rapid technological investment interface is the one between labor planning and secting with a critical need for human-centric service, grocers need to balance labor reality. the proliferation of technology designed to drive efficiency with the need for “Too many stores still schedule based human involvement on the consumer-facing side of their businesses. on static models or guesswork, without It starts with the associate. “If your front line is overwhelmed or operating in visibility into task demand or operational the dark, it’s impossible to deliver a consistent, human experience to the cusconstraints,” Gopalpuria says. “That leads tomer,” Gopalpuria says. “The role of technology is to “Better forecasts, dynamic scheduling and remove friction, to give store teams clarity, reduce task juggling and let them focus on what matters.” mobile tasking free up capacity for the human But that clarity doesn’t just happen on the floor, he moments that define great grocery. When says – it starts with smarter planning. you get the plan right and support it with “Operators need to align labor to actual demand, intelligent tools, people show up at their best.” so teams aren’t constantly stretched thin or working in reactive mode,” Gopalpuria explains. “Better forecasts, —Vivek Gopalpuria, Logile

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TECHNOLOGY

Grocery Workforce Report to misaligned coverage, overworked teams and inconsistent service.” Technology has the most impact when it brings demand, labor and execution together, Gopalpuria asserts: “That includes dynamic forecasting, AI-driven scheduling, task prioritization and long-term bench planning. Operators can model different shift scenarios, build cross-trained coverage and prepare for upcoming gaps. Tech isn’t just about saving time – it’s about increasing alignment, predictability and confidence in the plan.” How can technology help close the talent gap? The answer is twofold, according to Gopalpuria. First, it can make the job easier. Schedule the right associate for the right task, at the right place, at the right time. “Associates need clear guidance, smart tools and real-time feedback, especially in high-turnover environand keeping pace with innovation. ments,” he advises. “When tech provides structured workflows,  Nearly three-quarters (74%) of retailers agree that embedded coaching and mobile tasking, it lifts performance across their existing front-line workforce can be trained to all experience levels.” succeed in a digital environment. Second, technology gives operators better visibility into their  Only two-thirds (66%) believe that they currently workforce over time. “It helps forecast labor needs by role, identify have the right talent in place to succeed in the digital skill gaps, model cross-store labor sharing, and inform hiring and future, however. training strategies,” Gopalpuria says. “That’s how both sides of the  Just 36% of retailers feel that they are successfully business, execution and planning, coexist: One supports the shift, keeping up with the rapid pace of technological the other builds the bench.” change. Technology should remove friction from store work, not remove  Nearly half (46%) of retailers expect their hiring and people from the experience, Beacco notes. “The best use of AI and retention costs to increase significantly through automation is behind the scenes, improving forecasts, replenish2026. ment, fresh ordering and workload planning so employees can stop Retailers are pivoting toward tools that augment correcting plans and chasing stock issues, and put that time into employee productivity and simplify back-end store helping shoppers,” he says. operations. Workforce tech for training and retention is “Replenishment-related activity can make up a significant share tied with data analytics as the top back-end investment of store labor, so better planning directly reduces wasted effort. priority, cited by 34% of retailers, and 39% of retailers AI-driven planning can also help distribution centers smooth peaks plan to add AI-powered employee tools in the next 12 and troughs, reduce unnecessary handling and give store teams to 18 months. more manageable deliveries,” he adds. Labor challenges have created additional hurdles to For grocers, the human touch remains a competitive advantage. living up to shoppers’ staffing expectations. According “Technology should protect that by giving store teams better to PG research, consumers view visible, available guidance, cleaner workflows and more time on the floor,” Beacco staffing as a critical indicator of store quality and are counsels. signaling “tech fatigue.” “Not enough staff” is a key in-store pain point for 25% of shoppers, with 17% citing checkout and staffing Market Snapshot While retailers remain generally optimistic, labor challenges have (long lines, understaffed stores and forced self-checkemerged as a primary operational hurdle. Labor – including recruitout) as their primary areas for improvement. ment, retention and training – is the No. 1 issue keeping retailers up Friendly and professional service is cited by 15% of at night, named by 48% of organizations responding to Progressive shoppers as the feature they like most about their preGrocer’s 2026 State of the Industry study. ferred store, while 44% are concerned that stores are There’s a clear tension between heavy investment in automation replacing human employees with technology. and the shopper’s need for human-centric service, according to Despite these issues trending among consumers, more PG’s 2026 B2B and B2C Tech Trends Study. than half (51%) of retailers tell PG that they’re prioritizing PG’s exclusive research also revealed these sentiments among back-end tech in stores over customer-facing tech (41%) grocery operators: or warehouse solutions (20%). Further, nearly three-quar Retailers express strong confidence in the potential of their ters (73%) have implemented mobile devices or tablets for employees but face significant hurdles in specialized recruitment in-store managers to improve operational agility.

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Technology for the Workforce Is Reshaping Retail Operations

Grocers are rethinking store operations as they face rising labor costs, staffing shortages, inventory challenges and increasing pressure to improve efficiency without sacrificing the customer experience. Progressive Grocer spoke with LOGILE Inc.’s VP, Product Marketing Vivek Gopalpuria to learn what’s driving increased demand for connected AI-driven workforce platforms that bring forecasting, labor scheduling, inventory and store execution into a single system. Progressive Grocer: Why is the connected store concept gaining so much attention? VG: The connected store addresses many operational pain points at once. Instead of relying on separate systems for everything from forecasting, labor planning, fresh production, inventory and store execution, LOGILE’s Connected Workforce Platform streamlines operational consistency while helping stores respond faster to changing shopper demands, providing a seamless, intelligent and scalable approach to optimizing store operations. It helps unify workforce management, fresh operations, execution, compliance and communication into a single unified system that improves visibility and coordination across the enterprise. Grocers can make smarter decisions in real time.

PG: How does AI fit in? VG: LOGILE AURA is the operational intelligence layer, built on top of our platform, designed specifically for retail operations. It focuses on three priorities to help deliver retail outcomes: Empower the Workforce Associates and managers receive clearer priorities, more stable schedules, real-time visibility into fresh, and guidance that helps teams execute more consistently throughout the day. Drive Real-Time Decisions Managers gain actionable intelligence that helps identify issues early, adapt to changing conditions quickly, and make more accurate decisions across labor, inventory, and execution workflows. Automate and Streamline Operations Routine adjustments become more proactive

Vallarta Supermarkets Achieves 1,070% ROI with LOGILE’s Fresh Inventory Management Technology Vallarta Supermarkets generated a 1,070% return on investment after implementing LOGILE’s Fresh Inventory Management technology, according to Nucleus Research. By consolidating disconnected fresh-food planning systems into a single platform, Vallarta improved forecasting, reduced spoilage and better aligned production with real-time demand across departments, including produce, bakery, taqueria and seafood. The retailer recovered its investment in approximately 15 months and attributed more than $10 million in profit growth to the initiative by year three. Other key results include: • 15% reduction in software costs • Lower spoilage and shrink with reduced inventory levels

and coordinated across staffing, inventory movement, replenishment, fresh production and store execution. PG: What does the future of retail operations look like? VG: Integrated retail operations platforms that align forecasting, labor and execution are expected to play a growing role in helping retailers respond to evolving customer expectations and operational complexity. PG: What differentiates Logile from other connected workforce providers? VG: Our competitive advantage lies in the ability to deliver a fully integrated Connected Workforce Platform that combines workforce management, operational execution, compliance, forecasting and inventory management in a single ecosystem. Our unified approach helps retailers manage store operations holistically. The platform’s AI- and machine learningdriven forecasting capabilities deliver more than 97% forecasting accuracy, helping retailers optimize staffing and labor allocation with greater precision. Another key differentiator is flexibility. LOGILE’s platform is designed to adapt alongside changing retail environments, labor regulations and operational requirements. Retailers also benefit from a collaborative partnership approach, enabling them to shape and expand the platform based on evolving business needs. We place a strong emphasis on employee engagement through mobile self-service tools, realtime labor insights and communication capabilities that help improve both workforce productivity and retention.

• Improved labor efficiency without reducing store staffing “Before LOGILE, we didn’t have a consistent way to connect demand, production and execution across fresh,” said Steve Netherton, CIO and VP of Continuous Improvement at Vallarta Supermarkets. “The platform helped our teams make better daily decisions about what to produce and when.”

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Grocery Workforce Report To be sure, generational shifts are creating a more tech-adaptproblem solving, while newer team members receive able front line, while older shoppers remain more protective of more structured support,” Beacco says. human labor. Retailers tell PG that they credit a relatively young The most effective approach, he says, is one where workforce for their digital readiness. technology handles repetitive analysis and routine deciTechnology is increasingly viewed as a necessary partner for sion support, “while employees provide judgment, local the workforce in managing operational crises and safety risks. knowledge and customer engagement.” According to PG’s 2026 B2B Tech Trends Grocers should focus on technoloStudy, retailers see tech as best able to help gies that help employees make better “As labor pressures staff combat things like out-of-stocks, theft decisions with less manual effort, Beacco continue, technologies and utility failure. asserts, including AI-powered forecastthat simplify operations ing, automated replenishment, tools that and help employees improve fresh inventory management and Agentics for Change Individual merchants are “doing unbelievable focus on customer-facing mobile applications that help store teams things with AI,” Maura Goldrick, a partner in prioritize work throughout the day. “As laactivities will become the Boston office of global management conbor pressures continue, technologies that increasingly important.” sultant McKinsey & Co., says in a recent podsimplify operations and help employees cast. “They are building their own agents and focus on customer-facing activities will —Mateo Beacco, RELEX Solutions automating their own workflows,” Goldrick become increasingly important,” he says. adds. “They’re demonstrating that you can see real-time savings if “AI’s role is to connect decisions across the business you spend the time training and building the AI infrastructure.” on a single AI-native platform — from supplier to What emerging technologies must grocery operators embrace to shelf — with fresh ordering driven by AI rather than give their workforces an edge in a highly competitive environment, static min/max rules,” Beacco adds. “That end-to-end and what role does AI play? connection is what lets operators improve availability, AI is already making a difference, Gopalpuria asserts. “But not all reduce waste, simplify work and make faster decisions. AI is created equal,” he cautions. “The key is application.” The most successful AI deployments support employLogile sees AI affecting three areas: ees rather than replace them, taking routine analysis off Empowering the team, to give associates and managers their plate so they can focus on higher-value work.” actionable insights in the flow of work; enabling decisions, Or, as McKinsey’s Goldrick observes, “There’s a to generate more accurate forecasts, smarter labor models and journey that goes from agentic reporting to agentic optimized production plans; and automating the routine, to flag recommendations to downstream connection, but it still risks, fill gaps and trigger alerts “so managers can focus on people, requires a human in the loop before you get anywhere not paperwork,” Gopalpuria says. “When AI is embedded into the close to full automation.” systems people actually use and has the store context, that’s when Maximizing the experience for operators, associates it drives real execution.” and customers means evolving toward a connected Grocers can leverage AI to recommend orders, flag risks, prioriworkforce. As Gopalpuria explains, that means every tize exceptions and guide teams toward the highest-impact actions, part of the store — from labor planning and production RELEX’s Beacco suggests. “That allows experienced employees to task execution and compliance — operates off a to focus on coaching, supplier collaboration, customer service and shared, real-time demand signal. “When something changes, the plan adjusts automatically and everyone sees the update,” he says. “For operators, that means better coordination and control,” Gopalpuria continues. “For managers, it reduces friction and rework. For associates, it brings clarity to what’s expected. And for customers, it means stores are better staffed, fresher and more consistent. The result is a closed-loop system that gets smarter and more aligned every day.”

Smarter Operations

Logile built its platform with execution in mind, according to Gopalpuria: “Everything Self-learning, 15-minute forecasts for sales, items, traffic and staffing, are built to flow straight into labor plans and execution.

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Logile Production Planning converts forecasted customer demand into precise, time-based production plans and keeps the plans aligned with current inventory and quantity in the store.

freshness and customer service,” Beacco says. In the supplier community, when fresh food producer Sunny Queen adopted RELEX, it “achieved 98% or better adherence to plans across major customers, increased truck utilization to nearly 99% and enabled planners to move from reactive decision-making to proactive execution,” he notes.

More Connections

starts with a dynamic, store-specific forecast — and from there, we help grocers run smarter operations” across three key areas:  Workforce management: Labor modeling, forecasting, scheduling, time and attendance, and long-term workforce planning  Fresh operations: Demand-driven batch planning, fresh inventory, shrink and waste management  Store execution: Mobile task management, digital workflows and operational visibility “It’s all built to help retailers align labor to demand, reduce complexity and drive performance store by store,” Gopalpuria notes. He points to Santa Clarita, Calif.-based Vallarta Supermarkets as an example of how operational challenges were overcome. “They connected labor planning, fresh production and compliance in one execution layer,” Gopalpuria recounts. The impact has been an ROI of more than 1,000% over three years; a 40% improvement in productivity across all stores, unlocking more than $10 million in attributable profit over three years; and reduced spoilage and shrink while carrying less inventory. “What mattered most was the operational confidence their store teams gained,” Gopalpuria observes. “That’s what happens when great planning meets great execution.” For its part, RELEX provides a unified, AI-native platform for retail and supply chain planning, Beacco explains, including demand forecasting, replenishment, fresh store ordering, pricing and promotions, merchandising, and store operations planning. It’s not a shift-scheduling tool, however, he cautions: “It sizes the real workload that drives those schedules. RELEX helps grocers plan labor and operational activities based on actual workload drivers, including deliveries, replenishment activity, promotions, customer traffic and fresh ordering requirements. This helps stores align staffing and execution with the work that needs to be completed each day, improving productivity and reducing unnecessary manual effort.” Midwestern grocery chain Hy-Vee uses the RELEX platform to strengthen forecasting, replenishment and fresh store ordering across its stores and distribution network. “With improved planning accuracy and automated routine decisions now live across its network, Hy-Vee store teams spend less time on manual ordering and inventory management, and more time on product availability,

What are typical grocery workforce functions going to look like in five years? “Grocery operations will be leaner, more intelligent and more connected,” Gopalpuria predicts. “Forecasts will update in real time. Schedules will adjust based on demand. Associates will use mobile apps to manage tasks, shift requests and train on the go. Compliance and food safety will be embedded in workflows, not managed manually.” The most important change, however, will be in empowerment. “The goal of connected workforce operations is to empower every team member, and when the workforce is empowered, the customer experience improves,” he notes. “That’s the direction we’re heading.” “Store roles will become more guided, data-informed and customer-focused,” Beacco says. “Employees will still be central to grocery operations, especially in fresh departments and customer-facing roles, but they will increasingly rely on mobile tools, AI-generated recommendations and exception-based workflows.” Rather than spending time manually calculating orders or searching for operational issues, teams will focus on execution, service, freshness, quality and local decision-making, Beacco predicts. “Technology will handle more routine analysis, while people concentrate on areas where human judgment and customer interaction create the most value.” He concludes: “The grocers that win will be the ones that use technology to make work easier for their people. Labor efficiency and customer experience should not be treated as competing goals.” Execution is the new battleground, but it starts with smarter planning, Gopalpuria emphasizes. “Grocery operators who align their labor, fresh and operational strategies to real-world store conditions will win,” he says. “That means connecting teams to data, embedding AI where it helps and closing the gap between intent and impact. From planning to the floor, we’re helping retailers run great stores with confidence, clarity and consistency.” PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026

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Skimmers Are Targeting Your Checkout.

IS YOUR PAYMENT SYSTEM READY? Grocery retailers are no strangers to pressure. Thin margins, rising costs, and omnichannel complexity leave little room for error. A growing threat is making a difficult business even harder. Fraud has evolved from a manageable shrink problem into a direct threat to profitability, operational efficiency, and customer trust. SKIMMING TAKES HOLD Combating fraud is no longer limited to things like barcode switching. Skimming is the latest threat in fraud perpetrators’ arsenal. And it is a threat grocery stores are especially vulnerable to. “Self-checkout reduces human oversight, enables faster execution and greater anonymity,” says Megan Norfleet, Vice President of Sales at Equinox Payments. “Payment fraud, skimming in particular, targets the high-volume debit and EBT/ SNAP transactions that are common across grocery environments.” As fraud tactics continue to evolve, choosing the right payment terminal and processing partner is critical. Grocers require secure, PCI-compliant payment infrastructure with advanced encryption, device monitoring, and rapid support capabilities to help protect sensitive customer data, reduce operational risk, and maintain checkout uptime. The mechanics are increasingly sophisticated: Overlay skimmers, deep-insert skimmers, and PIN-harvesting tools clone cards and monetize stolen data rapidly, with activity that spikes around EBT disbursement cycles. The threat is also unevenly distributed. Certain geographies and store clusters experience significantly higher incidence of fraud than enterprise-

wide averages reveal, which means the problem may be worse than your numbers suggest. “Grocery retailers remain a prime target for skimming due to the high concentration of debit and government-benefit transactions,” Norfleet explains. “Fraudsters compromise payment terminals to capture card and PIN data, then clone cards and quickly deplete benefits once funds become available.” The numbers illustrate how big the problem has become: Approximately $607 million was stolen from EBT/SNAP accounts in 20251. THE REAL COST: WHAT LOSS REPORTS DON’T SHOW Stolen card data is just one consequence of skimming. The greater long-term impact often comes from the hidden costs, chargebacks, reputational damage, operational disruption, and customer distrust that rarely surface in a standard shrink report. When EBT and debit card fraud hits, store staff become the first line of response, from fielding escalations, processing refunds, and absorbing the frustration of customers who had no warning and no recourse. The operational drag is real, but the reputational damage cuts deeper. In communities where the grocery store is a critical lifeline, repeated incidents don’t just erode trust, they reframe the store itself as a point of vulnerability rather than a neighborhood anchor. In an industry running on razor-thin margins, the math is unforgiving. Even modest fraud rates carry a multiplier effect that translates directly into EBITDA drag. Many retailers are compounding

the risk by operating aging terminal estates that are more susceptible to physical tampering, overlays, and deep-insert devices. “Skimming prevention requires a proactive, layered approach that combines secure hardware, encrypted payment technology, ongoing monitoring, and merchant education,” says Norfleet. “As fraud continues to evolve, businesses must implement solutions that protect both customer data and operational integrity without compromising the customer experience.” Equinox addresses these challenges with secure payment solutions, advanced payment architecture, remote estate management capabilities, and strong PCIaligned security controls. “Our solutions are purpose-built for the complexity and scale of modern grocery operations, where reliability, security, and speed at checkout directly impact both customer trust and business performance.” The bottom line: Fraud prevention has become more than a loss prevention strategy for grocery retailers. Done right, it protects margins, strengthens operational resilience, preserves customer loyalty, and reinforces the role grocers play as trusted anchors in the communities they serve. “Retailers who modernize their payment infrastructure don’t just reduce fraud exposure. They gain a measurable competitive advantage in an industry where trust and efficiency are everything,” Norfleet concludes. “In modern grocery retail, protecting your business and protecting your community are the same imperative.” www.thecentersquare.com/national/article a530318f-fa6f-442b-b839-b5c541f97596.html 1

TECHNOLOGY

Point-of-Sale Systems

Amalgamating Contactless Payments E XPONENTIAL GROW TH OF PAYMENT APPS IS PROMPTING GROCERS TO INSTALL INTEGR ATED, FLE XIBLE POS SYSTEMS.

T By Debby Garbato

he launch of the Diner’s Club credit card in 1950 revolutionized retail: For the first time, consumers could pay on the spot without cash or cumbersome installment plans. Today, retail is being transformed again. Mobile payment apps and other contactless payment methods have experienced massive growth. But traditional point-ofsale (POS) systems weren’t designed to handle so many payment formats. The list of contactless payment providers is huge. This has made managing them all a challenge for grocers that want to offer shoppers’ favorite apps. Many still operate siloed systems, however, making this process cumbersome, time-consuming and expensive. This has prompted some grocers to install integrated, flexible systems that can continually be updated. “Every new payment method creates more operational complexity,” says Elie Y. Katz, president and CEO of Newark, N.J.-based National Retail Solutions Inc. (NRS), in discussing traditional systems. “Grocers must integrate multiple systems, maintain compliance, manage fraud prevention, reconcile transactions and keep the checkout experience seamless. If technology isn’t unified, it can slow operations instead of improving them.” According to Amit Acharya, head of product–retail at NCR Voyix, in Atlanta, different functions often inhabit different domains: “Loyalty sits in one, debit and credit cards are with a different processor. How do you connect with consumers?” In the past year, there has been a “huge shift” toward more integrated systems, Acharya says. “Retailers want a single platform approach to tie everything together,” he adds. “They’re focusing on unified commerce across different touch points.”

The Last Few Years

Google Wallet was launched in 2011, eliminating the need to carry plastic cards. Other mobile payment applications soon followed. But it was not until the 2020 COVID-19 epidemic that consumers began to seriously embrace contactless payments. In 2024 and 2025, payment apps gained even more momentum when large retailers replaced EMV terminals with systems supporting contactless payments out of the box. Debit and credit cards still dominate, with Americans conducting more than 150 billion transactions with these formats annually, generating $10 trillion to $12 trillion in purchase volume, according to the NRS’ POS and payment products are aimed at independent retailers.

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Retailers are replacing siloed payment systems with single platforms that unify commerce functions.

Federal Reserve. Mobile wallets continue growing, though, with 38% of Americans using them at least once a week, including 10% who use them daily, Capital One Shopping noted this past January. Many consumers want a convenient, secure and hygienic experience. Further, with mobile wallets, retailers don’t have to pay debit and credit card fees. PayPal leads the mobile wallet pack, with 42% of consumers using it, according to the Capital One Shopping research, followed by Apple Pay (34%) and Venmo (33%). “Some people don’t want to put their PIN in anymore,” observes Norman Castner, product manager at Toronto-based Equinox. “Apple Pay is definitely more secure. It doesn’t use a real card number; card data is never exposed.” Some shoppers use payment apps, offered by grocers, that draw from their checking accounts. This past spring, Ahold Delhaize USA expanded its partnership with Milwaukee-based Fiserv Inc., a global provider of payments and financial services technology, to make Pay by Bank available.

Key Takeaways  Mobile payment apps and other contactless payment methods have experienced massive growth, causing operational complexity.  To tie everything together, grocers are focusing on unified commerce across different touch points.  These unified systems can facilitate the integration of other benefits and functions, including loyalty programs.

It’s used across the e-commerce websites and mobile apps of The Giant Co., Giant Food and Stop & Shop brands.

All Together Now

To achieve full integration, retailers need end-to-end support to send payments from POS through processing, Acharya advises. “A single flow reduces friction, which affects basket size,” he says. NCR Voyix can continually add payment forms to its modular platform. “There’s constant changes and payment introductions,” Acharya adds. “You must be able to add and delete.” Food Lion – also an Ahold Delhaize USA brand – is among the company’s customers. Installed in just three hours, its NCR Voyix solution lets the whole store proceed “as if it’s running a single operating system,” an article on the vendor’s website notes. Within a week of installation, the retailer experienced no downtime or disruptions at payment stations. —Elie Y. Katz, National Retail Solutions Inc. “We accomplished in a few hours what would have taken us weeks on any other POS system,” notes Kathleen Hohenstein, Food Lion’s NGPOS program director. “The radical shift in how software can be updated allows the POS to adapt to changing needs almost as quickly as needs can be identified and implemented.” Equinox’s Luxe family of terminals also accepts multiple payment types, which can easily be changed or updated. “They don’t have to rebuild anything,” Castner explains. “It’s all the same integration. You don’t want to do different integrations for everything.” Products also feature large displays that are “crystal clear, making it easy to see information displayed,” he adds. “It’s easy to tap or insert your card.” Raleigh, N.C.-based GK Software USA’s TransAction+ payment-processing application is flexible, highly configurable and supports more than 40 payment processors, including major ones and others, according to Bill Miller, who started in retail as a supermarket bagger and is now GK’s general manager and president, Americas.

Neighborhood grocers can compete more effectively by offering up-to-date technology experiences.

“Speed and convenience matter. If checkout is easy and reliable, consumers are more likely to return.”

GK’s MobilePOS lets grocers deploy mobile retail solutions on any device, anywhere in the store.

GK also offers Cloud for Retail, a POS system, and Transaction Plus Payments. They can work together or separately. “It touches POS and payments,” Miller says. “It removes the added burden of getting things to work together. It integrates more than 50 different processor-oriented payments, and we’re constantly adding new ones.”

Specialized Payments

Integrated payment solutions are also being designed for independent retailers. NRS focuses on giving them what Katz describes as “the same type of modern payment and retailer technology [that] larger chains use, but in a way that’s affordable and easy to manage.” NRS’ POS and payment ecosystem supports credit, debit, EBT, WIC, mobile wallet, contactless payments and online ordering. The company also integrates inventory management, reporting, employee management, e-commerce, and delivery services like DoorDash and GrubHub. “Speed and convenience matter,” Katz notes. “If checkout is easy and reliable, consumers are more likely to return. And neighborhood markets can compete more effectively when they offer the same modern payment experience people expect from national retailers.” San Francisco-based Forage Technology Corp. focuses largely on low-income customers. It’s one of a handful of companies that power government benefits like SNAP, EBT, HSA and IFSA. A unified API and software layer integrates directly with a merchant’s checkout flow, letting customers use government assistance for online grocery shopping and delivery. Forage processes 100,000 stores, and two-thirds to three-quarters of business happens online, according to John Stewart, head of product. The government assistance sector is also experiencing payment diversity. Instacart, for example, was the first major platform to accept EBT, Stewart notes. DoorDash, Uber Eats and Amazon now accept it as well. To accept EBT, retailers must be certified by the USDA. Forage helps them navigate this complex undertaking. “It was often a two-year process,” Stewart says. “We’ve helped simplify it and brought it down to PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026

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TECHNOLOGY

Point-of-Sale Systems

Ahead of the Curve?

By Debby Garbato

en years ago, many retailers were quaking in their boots. Amazon had launched Amazon Go, a technology-driven store concept that used computer vision, sensor fusion and generative AI to create a checkout-free environment. Could they compete with this dramatic innovation? The concept proved incredibly expensive to install and maintain, however. It was cheaper to hire cashiers than to maintain hundreds of cameras and weight sensors. Earlier this year, Amazon closed its 14 remaining Amazon Go stores, along with 58 Amazon Fresh locations. Maybe the mighty Amazon can’t win at everything. But both Amazon and the retail technology community learned some valuable lessons. While consumers value convenience and friction-free shopping, fully cashierless stores are difficult to justify financially. “Amazon Go proved that there’s a value to frictionless,” says Amit Acharya, head of product-retail at Atlanta-based NCR Voyix. “You walk in and walk out. It wasn’t economically scalable and didn’t pan out. But we learned that shopping, scanning and checking out is psychological behavior.” Amazon Go helped pave the way for other retailers to augment payment strategies. “Amazon Go showed what’s technically possible,” notes Elie Y. Katz, president and CEO of Newark, N.J.-based National Retail Solutions Inc. “It also demonstrated how expensive and operationally complex fully cashierless stores can be. Now we’re seeing a hybrid approach, with more self-checkout, smarter POS systems, mobile ordering, AI-driven automation and friction-reduction technologies that improve the consumer experience without fully eliminating human interaction.” Bill Miller, general manager and president, Americas at Raleigh, N.C.-based GK Software USA, thinks that there may be more fully automated stores on the horizon. “I believe it will be solved,” he says. “AI and camera intelligence should address things. Maybe [the technology] was a little early. It has a long way to go.”

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months, largely by standardizing the approach. The technical work was also challenging. We simplified that.” Uber Eats is among the companies it assisted. After launching programs with Forage, retailers generally experience a 15% revenue increase, according to Stewart, who adds that about 40 million people receive government food benefits. Annual spend is about $100 billion.

More Perks

Unified systems can facilitate the integration of other benefits and functions, including loyalty programs. Equinox’s Luze terminals can ask non-loyalty members paying by phone app if they wish to join. “You can really streamline it and improve the user experience,” Castner says. “I don’t think many grocers are using it this way.” Loyalty can be linked to other functions, and online shopping can connect with in-store shopping. “If I shop online with a credit card, you can send me a coupon when I’m in the store,” Acharya says. “You identify me through loyalty or payment type.” In 2019, Kroger launched Kroger Pay, a mobile payment program that combines shoppers’ payment information with loyalty cards and promotions, including digital coupons and personalized offers. Available via the grocer’s app, it generates a QR code that shoppers can scan at traditional and self-checkout stations.

GK’s Smart Cart solutions transform traditional shopping into a frictionless experience.

Looking ahead, technology purveyors are bullish on smart carts, pointing to Instacart’s AI-powered Caper Carts. These smart shopping carts have built-in computer vision cameras, touchscreens, scales and payment systems, allowing shoppers to scan items, create budgets, clip coupons and skip traditional checkout lines by paying directly at the cart. AI is also helping companies build better software. With AI, Forage launched and scaled an app with a smaller consumer support team, Stewart says. AI also helps identify legislative changes involving SNAP. “The SNAP landscape is very noisy with changes,” he adds. “Different states have different restrictions regarding what you can buy. AI helps us identify them more easily and inform partners earlier.” Acharya is also enthusiastic about AI. “The future will be AI-powered and focused on putting all commerce under one experience,” he asserts. “The shift will focus on orchestration of the consumer journey. Platforms will be more data and loyalty driven.”

AHEAD OF WHAT’S NEXT By Bridget Goldschmidt

Embracing the World A SINGLE-STORE ST. LOUIS INDEPENDENT TOUTS ITS REPUTATION AS A HUB FOR INTERNATIONAL FOOD PRODUCTS.

s cuisines from different countries continue to capture the imaginations – and stomachs – of U.S. consumers, stores like Global Foods Market can expect to see more shoppers. For the St. Louis-based independent, however, international foods are more than a fad; they’re the business’ lifeblood.

Global Foods Market COO Shayn Prapaisilp is bullish on world cuisines.

What Customers Want

“We opened in 1999 because we saw the need to offer groceries to St. Louis’ diversifying population,” COO Shayn Prapaisilp explains. “As new people and communities settled in St. Louis, they learned we were one of the few grocery stores carrying more than conventional American items. We simply asked our customers what they wanted us to carry, and then we sought out distributors across the country who stock those products.” The food retailer currently works with more than 30 food manufacturers and distributors nationwide, receiving trucks every week from such major ports of entry as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Miami. These suppliers range from large, well-known brands to “one-person companies specializing in just a few products,” as Prapaisilp puts it. “We thrive on customer requests,” he adds. “While our team constantly searches the market for new products, we often learn about them from our customer requests.” Asked how Global Foods Market —Shayn Prapaisilp, Global Foods Market promotes its offerings, Prapaisilp notes: “While we do market through traditional channels like digital, our best marketing and advertising is through word of mouth. Many immigrant communities in St. Louis are very tight-knit; when one person discovers we carry a certain product, the whole community soon comes to shop with us. We also have customers that drive from several hours away and even from neighboring states to shop, because we’re the closest international grocery store to them.”

Established in 1999, the business now works with more than 30 manufacturers and distributors nationwide.

“Our customers used to be almost exclusively immigrant families, but [now] we are getting so many new customers who want to try new foods and flavors.”

The future looks bright for these products, he believes, as other retailers catch on to their potential. “We only see the segment growing as mainline grocers start carrying products that were considered ‘exotic’ just a few years ago,” Prapaisilp predicts. “We are excited to see this trend continue as people continue to expand their flavor horizons. We hope they start shopping with us.”

Expanded Flavor Horizons

He expresses enthusiasm about consumers’ evolving attitudes toward international foods, as well as what that has meant for his store’s clientele. “It’s been great to see the American palate becoming a lot more adventurous,” Prapaisilp says. “Our customers used to be almost exclusively immigrant families, but [now] we are getting so many new customers who want to try new foods and flavors. Many of these customers have had the opportunity to travel abroad and, upon returning home, they seek the flavors that they tasted during their travels.”

Bridget Goldschmidt Managing Editor bgoldschmidt@ensembleiq.com

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026

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EQUIPMENT & DESIGN

Cleaning Solutions The American Cleaning Institute supports bipartisan legislation that would maintain the Safer Choice program at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Clean Scene A ROUNDUP OF RECENT NE WS FROM SUPPLIERS AND A SOLUTION PROVIDER.

M By Bridget Goldschmidt

aking the Safer Choice

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), whose members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings, has called on Congress to pass a bill that would codify the Safer Choice program as it currently exists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill was introduced by Sens. Christopher Coons, D-Del., and Jon Husted, R-Ohio. “ACI commends Sens. Coons and Husted for their leadership in introducing the Safer Choice Program Authorization Act of 2026,” noted Jennifer Abril, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based ACI, in early June. “The Safer Choice program is a leading example of how a government-led, voluntary program can leverage private-sector expertise to support safer product innovations and deliver meaningful benefits to consumers and the marketplace. ACI and the cleaning products industry strongly support authorizing and strengthening this successful program within EPA.” Last year, advocates from the cleaning products industry requested that Congress maintain the Safer Choice program’s home at the EPA during ACI’s 2025 Congressional Fly-In. Safer Choice is a voluntary, science-based program that provides an agreed-upon benchmark for safer ingredient claims for manufacturers and consumers.

Go PRO with P&G

Earlier this year, Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble PRO unveiled Mr. Clean PRO, the next generation of professional cleaning products to help businesses clean more efficiently and effectively.

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“Providing solutions for professionals to address pain points both big and small is at the core of our mission at P&G PRO,” noted Bryan Smith, VP North America, Procter & Gamble PRO, when the products rolled out this past April. “With Mr. Clean PRO, we’re helping to address those areas of need because choosing the right surface and floor cleaner can make a big difference, helping restaurants turn tables faster during peak hours and enabling janitorial teams to deliver a deeper clean for their customers.” Mr. Clean PRO helps sanitation teams take care of routine messes with commercial-grade formulas that cut through grease, stains and grime faster than the leading competitive floor and surface cleaners, according to the company. “Through extensive consumer testing and surveys, we learned that the everyday surface cleaners businesses were using were not getting the job done,” explained Dr. Juan Goncalves, scientific communications at Procter & Gamble PRO. “Our Mr. Clean PRO surface and floor cleaners are grounded in these insights and offer businesses the same dependability and results as the Mr. Clean they know and love at home, but built for commercial use.” The line consists of All-Purpose Floor Cleaner, Degreasing Floor Cleaner, Commercial All Surface Cleaner and Commercial Deep Cleaner with Bleach.

Mr. Clean PRO has rolled out a line of cleaning products designed for commercial use.

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In a Tight Spot

Tennant Co., a provider of autonomous professional cleaning robots, has launched the X2 ROVR SCRUB, its smallest and most nimble autonomous floor scrubber, designed for tight, high-traffic commercial environments. Created for small retail, grocery, health care, education, convenience stores and other space-constrained facilities, the X2 ROVR SCRUB allows organizations to automate routine floor cleaning in areas where larger machines are impractical, enabling teams to maintain high standards of cleanliness despite continuing labor shortages. Powered by the exclusive BrainOS Clean 2.0 advanced autonomy platform, the X2 ROVR SCRUB employs intelligent, adaptive navigation in real-world, high-traffic environments. Its circular footprint allows it to pivot in place and maneuver through narrow aisles and congested layouts. The robot also autonomously recharges, empties Tennant Co.’s X2 ROVR SCRUB is its smallest and most nimble autonomous floor scrubber.

recovered water, refills clean water and automatically dilutes cleaning solution to preset concentrations, while SmartSetup guided workflows, an intuitive touchscreen interface and on-demand training resources allow for ease of deployment without specialized technical knowledge. “With the X2 ROVR SCRUB, we are extending autonomous cleaning into smaller, high-traffic spaces customers clean every day but have struggled to automate,” noted Aaron Stotko, director of product, robotics at Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Tennant, when the robot debuted this past May. “Its compact form factor, exclusive SelfPath AI navigational software and integrated dock ecosystem help customers clean more efficiently, reduce manual touchpoints and achieve consistent results while making autonomous cleaning easier to deploy and operate.” The X2 ROVR SCRUB expands Tennant’s purpose-built autonomous ROVR portfolio, which also includes the compact X4 ROVR for small- to midsized commercial spaces, and the midsized X6 ROVR for large and complex facilities. PROGRESSIVE GROCER June/July 2026

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Nov. 10-12, 2026 The Hilton Chicago

Grocery’s Next Competitive Advantage Starts In-Store Digital influence is growing, but store conversion is harder to predict. Media, commerce marketing and loyalty teams are more connected, yet activation at the shelf is inconsistent. Brands can drive traffic and awareness, but struggle to control the final moment of decision. From smarter merchandising and retail media integration to stronger shopper engagement and conversions, InStore Ignite is an event that will explore how CPG brand and retail leaders can make the store a more powerful engine for growth.

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