Progressive_Grocer_June_2025 by ensembleiq

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June 2025

Volume 104, Number 6

ROBOT REVOLUTION: HOW AUTOMATION IS TRANSFORMING SUPERMARKETS DANONE’S BREAKFAST BLITZ P2PI gives the commerce marketing lowdown TARGET IN THE CROSSHAIRS Retailer reckons with unprecedented challenges REINVENTING THE PERIMETER Lines blur between dairy, deli and bakery

CPG TRAILBLAZER

Racquel Harris Mason Lipton Teas and Infusions

RETAIL TRAILBLAZER

Christina Minardi Whole Foods Market

June 2025

Volume 104, Number 6 www.progressivegrocer.com

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Contents

104 06.25 Volume Issue 6

Features

16 COVER STORY

Ever in Bloom This year’s garden of Top Women in Grocery honorees has adapted and grown in an industry that’s only just starting to discover the power and worth of female leaders. 14 TECH SPOTLIGHT

112 SOLUTIONS

122 FRESH FOOD

Robot Revolution: How Automation Is Transforming Supermarkets

Fresh From the Oven

How Dairy, Deli and Bakery Are Reinventing the Perimeter Store

Avidbots’ Kas solution is changing the way that grocers clean, offering efficiency, safety and data-driven insights.

Trends in the premium segment of the bread category offer various signposts to retail growth.

The departments are linked by more than proximity in providing solutions for today’s shoppers.

107 FEATURE

126 SPECIAL SECTION

Inside Danone’s Shopper Marketing Breakfast Expansion

CVS Refreshing Namesake Own-Brand Assortment

The Path to Purchase Institute offers grocery takeaways for commerce marketers. 110 RETAILER PROFILE

Target at a Crossroads

The retailer navigates consumer spending shifts and political fallout.

Departments 4 EDITOR’S NOTE

112

132 SPECIAL SECTION

120 SEAFOOD SPOTLIGHT

The Latest Frontier of Fish

PG finds out what’s happening at Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute when it comes to sustainability advances and getting its products in front of shoppers at retail.

Recent additions to the co-op’s longstanding private label show an ongoing focus on meshing quality and value.

12 ALL’S WELLNESS

Dairy and Nondairy Milk

Food Rescue Can Help Retailers Build Better Businesses

6 IN-STORE EVENTS CALENDAR

136 EDITOR’S PICKS FOR INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

August 2025 Health and Beauty Care

Pets, Babies Highlight Continued Growth With AWG's Best Choice Own Brand

10 MINTEL GLOBAL NEW PRODUCTS

How the West Is Winning

8 NIELSEN’S SHELF STOPPERS

The drug store chain is working on a significant overhaul of packaging design that will affect nearly 3,000 items.

138 AHEAD OF WHAT’S NEXT

137

Eat at Sam’s PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

EDITOR’S NOTE By Gina Acosta

How the West Is Winning

WAFC RETAILERS SHOWCASE THEIR REINVENTION STRATEGIES.

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

www.ensembleiq.com

Gina Acosta, Editor-In-Chief gacosta@ensembleiq.com

t the recent 2025 WAFC (Western Association of Food Chains) Convention in Palm Springs, Western-based grocery retailers — among them Albertsons Cos., Costco, Stater Bros., The Raley’s Companies, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, and The Save Mart Companies — didn’t just showcase their strategies. They gave us a bold preview of grocery’s future. And make no mistake: The most forward-looking thinking in the industry right now might be coming from the West. Too often in this industry, talk about “transformation” happens in vague terms. But these grocers are getting specific. They’re modernizing their tech stacks, deepening their loyalty programs, and rethinking everything from assortment to store format. Most important, they’re rooting their strategies in trust, relevance and agility — not just quarterly gains. Loyalty as a Competitive Weapon Albertsons made its case loud and clear: Loyalty is the flywheel. With 45 million identifiable households and billions of retail media impressions, it’s building a data engine that fuels everything from pricing to promotions to personalization. Under new CEO Susan Morris, the chain is doubling down on digital transformation — a smart bet in a world where fi rst-party data will be the holy grail of retail. Costco: A Masterclass in Discipline While others chase complexity, Costco thrives on the opposite. With just 4,000 SKUs and a laser focus on operational efficiency, it proves that simplicity — paired with regional autonomy and digital experimentation — is a long-game winner. Meanwhile, the company’s Kirkland Signature private brand continues to deliver what national brands often can’t: loyalty, trust and margin. Culture and Community Matter Stater Bros. is proving that culture can be strategy. Its GOAT (Greatest of All Teams) initiative isn’t just a cute acronym — it’s a blueprint for internal alignment, service excellence and customer conversion. When leadership centers employee empowerment and shopper value over short-term profit, everyone wins. The Raley’s Companies, too, is standing out for purpose-led decision-making. In a sector too often focused on price wars, Raley’s is using health, sustainability and local sourcing as growth levers. That’s a signal of where progressive grocery retail is headed: toward a more holistic, values-based model. Digital Progress, Not Digital Hype There’s a lot of noise in the retail tech space, but at WAFC, we saw substance. Food 4 Less is quietly becoming a digital standout, blending parent company Kroger’s tech infrastructure with local merchandising that resonates in Southern California’s multicultural communities. Sister banner Fred Meyer is building on that formula with omnichannel execution and thoughtful regional planning. Then there’s The Save Mart Companies. Once seen as a slow mover, it’s now racing ahead, thanks to help from a new owner, the Jim Pattison Group. The retailer’s overhaul of center store, use of AI for assortment planning, and personalized loyalty upgrades are proof that reinvention is possible — even for legacy players. Even though economic headwinds, labor shortages and inflationary pressures persist, these retailers are showing what real leadership looks like in grocery.

4 progressivegrocer.com

BRAND MANAGEMENT VICE PRESIDENT & GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR Eric Savitch esavitch@ensembleiq.com EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Gina Acosta gacosta@ensembleiq.com MANAGING EDITOR Bridget Goldschmidt bgoldschmidt@ensembleiq.com SENIOR DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Marian Zboraj mzboraj@ensembleiq.com SENIOR EDITOR Lynn Petrak lpetrak@ensembleiq.com MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emily Crowe ecrowe@ensembleiq.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jim Dudlicek Mike Duff Debby Garbato Jenny McTaggart 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 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

08.25

Family Fun Month National Back-to-School Month National Brownies at Brunch Month National Dog Month

National Goat Cheese Month National Sandwich Month National Summer Sun Safety Month National Wellness Month

National Girlfriend Day. Encourage female consumers to take their best gal pals shopping for groceries.

National Jamaican Patty Day. These flaky, savory pastries can be filled with ground beef, as well as chicken, pork, lamb, seafood or even jackfruit.

National Watermelon Assistance Dog Day. The perfect snack Day. Make sure that or salad ingredient on a shoppers with service sweltering summer day. animals feel welcome in your store(s).

National Connecticut Victory Day. So Day. Shine the far, WWII’s end is spotlight on the wide observed only in range of foods and Rhode Island, but beverages President Trump grown or recently designated produced May 8 (the day the in the war ended in Europe) Nutmeg as Victory Day. State. National I LOVE My Feet Day. Recommend products that will help shoppers keep their tootsies in tip-top condition.

The Burning Man Festival begins today and runs through Sept. 1 in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

Never Give Up Day. Share profiles of local residents who bucked the odds to achieve what seemed impossible.

National Park Service Founders Day. Offer snack and meal tips for visitors to the protected areas known collectively as “America’s best idea.”

International Overdose Awareness Day. Make sure your pharmacy associates are equipped to speak with customers on this topic, including how to administer Narcan.

6 progressivegrocer.com

National Night Out. Lucille Ball’s Consider serving Birthday. We all still as a local sponsor love Lucy. for this annual event promoting community-police partnerships.

Middle Child Day. These sometimes overlooked siblings deserve a complimentary cupcake from the bakery department.

National Soft Ice Cream Day. Any flavor is fine.

Women’s Equality Day. Today and every day, endeavor to treat and compensate your female associates fairly.

National Prosecco Day. Drink up!

National Raspberries Shop Online for n’ Cream Day. Groceries Day Offer Highlight this easy a special discount for dessert in your in-store shoppers who order magazine. through your website or app.

National Financial Awareness Day. Hold a seminar to help your associates handle their money with greater confidence.

National Radio National Senior Day. Many of us were Citizens Day. We’ll raised on it. bet they’re some of your most loyal shoppers.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Day. The 36th president of the United States was born on this date in 1908.

National Thoughtful Day. This is the perfect occasion for your customers to do something nice for others – like their shopping.

National Men’s Grooming Day. Don’t wait until Movember to tout personal care products for male shoppers.

National Tooth Fairy Day is a good opportunity to promote good oral health for kids.

College Colors Day. Ask associates to represent their alma maters with the appropriate hues.

Whitney Houston’s birthday. Memorialize this much-missed songbird by playing her many hits in the aisles.

World Honey Bee Day. Promote your honey products, as well as the many items that pollinators make possible.

Valentino Day. Pay tribute to this romantic idol of the silent screen by providing date-night meal ideas for modern couples.

Slinky Day. We could never make ours go down the stairs.

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FRONT END

Shelf Stoppers

Average Unit Price

Health and Beauty Care Dollar Sales

% Change Year Ago

Unit Sales

%% Change Year Ago

Vitamins and Supplements

$13,740,533,886

3.1%

1,119,455,156

3.5%

Hair Care

$12,823,543,024

2.0%

1,810,053,111

-0.9%

Upper Respiratory

$11,871,642,671

-0.9%

1,141,349,027

-2.6%

Oral Hygiene

$10,834,021,547

1.6%

1,886,980,233

0.1%

Bath and Shower

$8,626,326,777

4.2%

1,617,387,011

1.6%

$119,327,438,148

1.0%

14,923,931,991

-0.4%

Category

Total Category

Source: NIQ, Total U.S. (all outlets combined) during the 52 weeks ending April 26, 2025

$8.00

for all health and beauty care products, up 1.5% compared with a year ago

$12.27

for vitamins and supplements, down 0.5% compared with a year ago

Index by Age of Head of Household Hair Care

Oral Hygiene

Upper Respiratory

Vitamins & Supplements

Bath & Shower

18-24

133

116

121

25-34

109

107

35-44

107

110

45-54

121

103

107

118

55-64

101

102

112

107

65-74

107

110

137

75 or more

102

104

161

$7.08

for hair care, up 2.9% compared with a year ago

$10.40

for upper-respiratory products, up 1.7% 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

$5.74

for oral hygiene products, up 1.4% compared with a year ago

Gen Z/Gen Y

$5.33

$22.62

$19.76

$17.92

$16.70

up 3.0% compared with a year ago

up 0.6% compared with a year ago

up 0.8% compared with a year ago

up 1.5% compared with a year ago

Source: NIQ, Total U.S. (all outlets combined) during the 52 weeks ending April 26, 2025

8 progressivegrocer.com

for bath and shower products, up 2.5% compared with a year ago Source: NIQ, Total U.S. (all outlets combined) during the 52 weeks ending April 26, 2025

MINTEL CATEGORY INSIGHTS

Global New Products Database

Dairy and Nondairy Milk What You Need to Know  Milk remains a staple in households, but the types chosen continue to change as consumers see the benefits of both dairy and nondairy options. Neither will disappear; shifts in consumption will continue, driven by health, environmental sustainability and personal dietary choices.  Dairy and nondairy brands navigate the innovation spectrum. Some prioritize enhanced health benefits, offering high-protein options or added flavors, while others focus on minimalism, featuring few additives and simple ingredients. Both approaches can succeed, provided the benefits are clearly communicated.  Sales of both dairy and nondairy milk are expected to stabilize as consumers seek to satisfy their varied needs by choosing products from both segments. Enhanced production techniques and formulations for both types of milk are anticipated to continue driving the category’s growth.

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

What Consumers Want and Why

Opportunities

 Consumers are more willing to invest in milk that fits their personal values and lifestyle choices. Improved financial situations, combined with a changing outlook on health, wellness and sustainability, are largely driving this trend. This shift has spurred a growing demand for premium specialty milks with such attributes as being grass-fed and high in protein.

Streamline milk formulas to focus on essential ingredients, aligning with consumer demand for simplicity, clean labeling and transparency. More than one in four nondairy milk consumers prefer simple ingredients. Opting for fewer additives and minimal processing can enhance natural perceptions of both dairy and nondairy milk.

 When selecting dairy milk, consumers weigh multiple factors, with price the primary consideration, highlighting the importance of value. Nevertheless, distinctive attributes like health benefits or longer shelf life can justify a higher price for some consumers and make brands stand out on the shelf.  Generational differences influence the buying behaviors and preferences of nondairy milk shoppers. Older consumers prioritize functional aspects like shelf life and tend to prefer more neutral flavors. Alternatively, younger consumers are more adventurous, seeking the diverse flavors and health benefits that these alternatives offer.

Demonstrate the inherent value of both dairy and nondairy milk as staples, each offering its own unique flavor, health attributes and environmental benefits. By highlighting their strengths without drawing comparisons or disparaging others, brands can attract a broader audience and celebrate their distinctive contributions. Boost the consumption of dairy and nondairy milk by highlighting their versatility across applications and dayparts. Showcase milk’s value in recipes or emphasize its benefits in muscle rebuilding post-workout. Consider introducing smaller packaging options for on-the-go consumption, extending milk’s reach beyond the home.

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ALL’S WELLNESS

By Barbara Ruhs, MS, RDN

Food Rescue Can Help Retailers Build Better Businesses

IT’S ONE SOLUTION TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE, IMPROVE PROFITABILIT Y AND HELP REDUCE HUNGER.

wasted when food is grown, harvested, transported, processed and prepared, only to end up in a landfill. The carbon emissions impact on the environment from food waste is the equivalent of 50 million cars driven for an entire year! Further, a recent study published in Nutrition Journal indicated that the average American consumer spends roughly $1,300 a year on food that’s wasted. With rising food costs, that’s another opportunity for in-store dietitians to help customers learn about the impact of food waste and money-saving strategies to maximize health. Teaching customers the difference between use-by and sell-by dates, highlighting zero-waste cooking strategies, and offering tools and tips on proper food storage techniques can have a significant impact toward reducing food waste by half by 2030.

ith one in seven Americans facing hunger and food insecurity in the United States, it’s hard to believe that 30% of all food produced is tossed in the trash. ReFED Executive Director Dana Gunders says that “food waste is the dumbest problem that Teaching customers the difference is completely between use-by and sell-by dates, solvable.” On a mission to end food waste, ReFED (www.refed.org) is a national nonprofit using a data-driven approach to solve a systemwide highlighting zero-waste cooking problem across the entire food supply chain. Food rescue is one of strategies, and offering tools and tips many solutions that food retailers can employ to reduce food waste, on proper food storage techniques improve profitability and help reduce hunger in the local community.

Why Food Waste Is a Problem

can have a significant impact toward reducing food waste by half by 2030.

While the juxtaposition of hunger and food waste is hard to swallow, the impact of 92 billion pounds of food going to waste each year isn’t just a dumb problem – it’s also having a devastating impact on the environment and is a major contributor to climate change. Precious natural resources are

What Is Food Rescue?

Food rescue, also known as food recovery, is the process of collecting safe, edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to nourish individuals in need – often within the same community. This practice offers a powerful strategy for reducing food waste, one that retailers can readily embrace. By donating overstocked or perishable items, businesses not only prevent unnecessary waste, but also make a meaningful impact – a true win-win for both the donor and the community. Retailers benefit from no-cost food pickups rather than costly waste removal, food rescue organizations redirect a steady supply of food to the food disribution organizations that they serve, and families in need gain access to fresh, nutritious foodstuffs.

Better Business with Food Rescue US

Sandy Steigbigel, VP of national operations, and Jenna von Elling, marketing communications manager at Food Res-

12 progressivegrocer.com

cue US, have important insights on the value of food rescue programs for retailers. Among the greatest priorities of such initiatives is helping retailers meet sustainability goals with valuable ESG report metrics. Collaborating with a partner like Food Rescue US and its web-based app (www.foodrescue.us) simplifies the process of food donation through convenient and flexible pickup times by dedicated volunteers. By tracking food inventory for donations, food rescue programs can help retailers identify surplus items through cycling donation trends. Food retailers play a critical role in solving food waste through food recovery, prevention and recycling. According to Food Rescue US, it’s gratifying to work with retailers – employees who get involved with the food rescue process are highly dedicated and engaged, proud of the role they play in supporting the community and among the best advocates of reducing food waste.

Source: U.S. EPA

Barbara Ruhs, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nuritionist (RDN) and owner of MarketRD.com. She is a leading voice in retail health promotion and a former supermarket dietitian. Connect on LinkedIn @BarbRuhs.

D&H and CDZ are now D&Z – one powerhouse partner with a single mission: getting your products across more stores, onto more aisles, and into more carts. With our expanded reach, unmatched retail relationships, and people-ﬁrst approach, D&Z is built to connect brands to retailers and products to people.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Automation

Robot Revolution: How Automation Is Transforming Supermarkets AVIDBOTS’ KAS SOLUTION IS CHANGING THE WAY THAT GROCERS CLEAN, OFFERING EFFICIENCY, SAFETY AND DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS.

PG: Labor challenges remain top of mind for grocers. How can automation like Avidbots help mitigate staffing shortages while improving in-store conditions? FS: We’re seeing that grocers need to be maniacal about sourcing and retaining human labor for tasks that are not able to be automated by robots yet. An example of this for Avidbots would be someone “pressing go” on our robots to scrub the floors while that person is instead focusing on higher-value areas to clean, like bathrooms, registers, windows, etc.

By Gina Acosta

rogressive Grocer sat down with Faizan Sheikh, co-founder, former CEO and current head of customer success at Avidbots – a Kitchener, Ontario-based robotics company behind the autonomous floor-cleaning robots Neo and Kas – to explore how robotics are reshaping grocery operations. In this Q&A, Sheikh discusses how automation helps grocers address labor shortages, reduce costs and boost efficiency; the adaptability and ROI of robotic cleaning solutions; the role of data and AI in optimizing store operations; and what’s next for automation in the grocery sector. Progressive Grocer: Let’s start with your big-picture vision: How do you see robotics transforming operations in grocery retail over the next five years? Faizan Sheikh: You’re going to see a fundamental shift for grocers embracing robots to both help them compete in a tough labor market and complete fundamental menial tasks in a cost-effective manner. Avidbots has recognized their need in retail and has designed robots specifically for this vertical – we’ve considered the traditional adoption issues in grocery to inform our R&D. PG: Avidbots’ Neo floor-scrubbing robot is already in use at some major retailers. What specific advantages does it bring to high-traffic grocery environments? FS: Both Neo and Kas have the requisite obstacle avoidance technology and route-planning intelligence to clean high-traffic areas in an effective and efficient manner. Given this, high consumer traffic is not a hindrance to cleaning while our clients’ stores are open.

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PG: From a cost-benefit perspective, what is the typical ROI grocers can expect from investing in robotic cleaning solutions like Kas? FS: Given our leasing program, a lot of our customers are seeing positive ROI in their first month. This is done by either simply insourcing the floor care work to Kas and letting their BSC/FM handle non-scrub requirements, or, if a grocer’s employees are currently tasked with cleaning, having those employees focusing on revenue-generating activities such as stocking shelves. For capital programs, our payback window for the robot investment is typically 12-24 months. PG: Grocery stores operate in tight-margin environments. How does Avidbots help retailers justify the upfront investment in automation? FS: Again, our clients think about robots not as “nice-to-haves,” but instead as technology that can contribute to bolstering their bottom line. This is a cost-avoidance initiative – rather than a large upfront investment – in most scenarios we see. Also, the fact that we offer $0 down-payment leasing options gets rid of the need for a large upfront investment altogether. PG: How adaptable are Avidbots robots to different store formats – from compact

Kas is one of Avidbots’ autonomous floor-cleaning robots.

“Our clients think about robots not as ‘nice-to-haves,’ but instead as technology that can contribute to bolstering their bottom line.” —Faizan Sheikh, Avidbots urban stores to large-format supermarkets or warehouses? FS: Quite adaptive. We don’t rely on QR codes or antiquated navigational requirements – the robots use true AI for advanced obstacle avoidance. We’re able to map our client’s facility once, and the robots are able to adjust their cleaning strategy based on a dynamic backdrop, irrespective of the size, layout or type of facility. PG: Seasonal updates – like end caps or display changes – can throw off many robotics solutions. How does your Seasonal Feature Management capability keep cleaning plans accurate and effective all year long? FS: Good question. Our robots use lidar to “see,” similar to the technology in most autonomous vehicles. Our obstacle avoidance kicks in whether we’re cleaning amongst shoppers, palleted stock, Christmas trees, or end caps selling chips and nachos for the Big Game – and we’re able to scrub the floor where it is clear and permissible to do so! PG: Data is a powerful asset. What kinds of operational insights or reporting does the Neo platform provide to store managers or facilities teams? FS: Our Avidbots Command Center provides detailed cleaning reports to whomever subscribes to them. These reports have data on key metrics our clients care about, including covered area, KPIs, run time, battery and water usage, etc., and can be further subdivided into store, regions or enterprise reporting. PG: What are some misconceptions grocery retailers might have about robotic automation, and how do you address them in conversations with executives? FS: Mostly that they’re still uneasy about running the robots amongst their shoppers while their store is open. The technology is there; why not present that your brand is investing in the latest and greatest tech? We share that shoppers love —Faizan Sheikh, Avidbots

Faizan Sheikh is co-founder, former CEO and current head of customer success at Avidbots.

robots – it’s another way to help bring would-be customers back into brick and mortar. PG: Some grocery executives worry about the cost and complexity of deploying robotics. How do you respond to concerns about ROI and ease of adoption? FS: The ROI speaks for itself, defined as a no-brainer to us. Deployments are routine and take two to three days, given the largely similar layout of a grocer’s stores – we can easily replicate the initial deployment. Adoption curves are small; we’ve added intricacies to aid, including multilingual UIs, how-to videos stored on the robots, and a world-class customer success team to proactively monitor and encourage usage, to name a few. Finally, leasing allows for savings to be recouped in month one of automation. PG: As AI capabilities evolve, how is Avidbots incorporating machine learning or predictive analytics to improve efficiency or adaptability? FS: We’re already using AI today to improve efficiency; an example of this would be our robots sensing blocked aisles – for example, shoppers or employees stocking product, etc. – and avoiding those aisles to come back to them when the coast is clear. The thought is, let’s clean what we can now, then revisit and clean the blocked areas later. That was a huge boost to efficiency and adaptability, particularly in the grocery space.

“We don’t rely on QR codes or antiquated navigational requirements – the robots use true AI for advanced obstacle avoidance.”

PG: What’s next for Avidbots in the grocery sector? Are there plans to expand beyond floor care into other automation opportunities for food retailers? FS: We feel that we have the 20,000-to-400,000square-foot stores covered well for cleaning automation by Avidbots Kas/Neo. With that said, more robots will be coming down the pike in the future. PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

THIS YE AR ’S GARDEN OF TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY HONOREES HA S ADAPTED AND GROWN IN AN INDUSTRY THAT ’S ONLY JUST STARTING TO DISCOVER THE POWER AND WORTH OF FEMALE LE ADERS .

By Progressive Grocer Staff

here’s an old saying exhorting those who would aspire to success to bloom where they’re planted. This year, as always, Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery (TWIGs) have done just that – in many cases beating the odds stacked against them to blossom into their full potential. Sifting through the hundreds of nominations that we Progressive Grocer editors received was no easy task, as every nominee has overcome challenges, whether common or unique, to reach or even surpass her goals. Many of them have chosen to excel in fields considered more “traditional” for women in business – marketing, public relations, human resources – while others have forged into areas with fewer female leaders so far, like IT, fi nance and warehouse logistics. All have made extraordinary efforts to further their companies and the wider industry while advancing themselves. Meanwhile, those nominated in the Store Manager category continued to astonish us with their inventiveness, tenacity and hands-on brilliance. Most incredible of all, those painstakingly selected as our Top Women still were able to spare the time, despite hectic schedules and family obligations, to give back to their communities in varying ways – everything from coaching a girls’ softball team to co-founding and running a nonprofit. All of PG’s 2025 TWIG honorees have inspiring stories to tell of resilience, growth and triumph over adversity, and all have been able to bloom even in lessthan-ideal conditions, nurtured in many cases by the supportive environments created by understanding colleagues and wise mentors. Many honorees have returned the favor by helping others to bloom as well. Read on to discover more about this year’s garden of female grocery industry achievers.

2025 CPG TRAILBLAZER

Racquel Harris Mason The North America president of Lipton Teas and Infusions shares her pioneering path to C-suite success, and how she keeps herself and her teams motivated by knowing her “why.” By Gina Acosta

seasoned global business leader, Racquel Harris consistently delivering with excellence. Mason built her career delivering results by inspirI loved being president of my Junior ing engaged teams, profitably building businesses Achievement company, and in my seand developing collaborative relationships with nior year of high school, I was selected diverse stakeholders. Mason became the North to be the drum major of my high America President of Lipton Teas and Infusions in school band – the fi rst Black female June 2023, bringing her extensive leadership experience to the world’s ever. All these experiences taught me No. 1 tea and herbal infusions how to lead “If you’re not taking care of the business’ with authenticcompany. Her 14-year journey at needs today, you haven’t earned the right ity, discipline The Coca-Cola Co. included serving in critical roles such as the SVP and and conviction. to shape tomorrow’s future.” general manager for McDonald’s Division USA and VP for the Coca-Cola and Coke Zero brands. PG: What unique challenges – and Mason also led the Sprite and sparkling flavor brands, multicultural opportunities – have you encounmarketing, and marketing innovation. tered as a woman rising through the ranks in CPG? Earlier in her career, Mason honed her brand leadership skills at distinRHM: As a woman, a woman of color guished companies like Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Ahold, and an immigrant, I’ve had to navigate and Abbott Laboratories. She currently sits on the board of NielsenIQ, a world that often assumed that I was the world’s leading consumer intelligence company. Mason holds a bachthere to fi ll a quota – not because I elor of science in economics from The Wharton School at the University was qualified. That pressure pushed of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Dr. Amadeus Mason, and their three adult children, Jaedon, Hailey and Chelsea. Progressive Grocer: Looking back to your college days at Wharton, what was appealing to you about the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, and what made you decide to go work for companies such as Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola? Racquel Harris Mason: I loved that packaged goods were accessible –

they are products found in everyone’s pantry. These weren’t products someone bought every five years; they were purchased every week. To me, working in packaged goods felt like a weekly competition to win a spot on a consumer’s grocery list. CPG is fast-paced, exciting, and grounded in basic human psychology and consumer insights. That made it incredibly appealing to me. PG: What early life experiences helped shape your approach to business? RHM: Immigrating to America from Jamaica when I was a child

was a challenge, because I often felt different and that I didn’t belong. This instilled in me a deep desire to make all people feel seen and respected. It gave me a drive to achieve, not just for myself, but to make the generations before me proud. I got a paper route when I was 10 and hired my sister as my fi rst employee. Even back then, I learned the value of doing things right the fi rst time, motivating others and PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

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2025 Top Women in Grocery me to always strive to be more than excellent; I actually strove for perfection – I still do! I worked five times harder than anyone else. I internalized a lot of stress and struggled with “imposter syndrome.” But that challenge also gifted me with a relentless drive to deliver – because objective results are difficult to question – and a belief in anchoring my confidence not in myself, but in the mission and the strategy to capture the business opportunity. PG: How has your leadership style evolved over time? RHM: In my early days, I was very focused on

performance, not relationships. I was struggling to balance my marriage, being a mother to three small children, and a demanding job. Over time, I’ve realized that effective leaders build relationships which then help the work to get done better and easier. Today, I take the time to know what my team is going through personally. They know that I care deeply, and because of that, they’re willing to go the extra mile for me. PG: How do you balance strategic vision with dayto-day demands? RHM: An early boss at P&G told me, “You have to

invent the future and pay the light bill at the same time.” That’s how I plan every week. I balance having a vision with delivering the operational needs of the moment. If you’re not taking care of the business’ needs today, you haven’t earned the right to shape tomorrow’s future.

PG: Who have been your biggest mentors, and how have they influenced you? RHM: Gary McCullough, my mentor from

Procter & Gamble and Abbott, has been a straight shooter and a constant truth-teller for me for the last 30 years. He challenged me, believed in me and provided alternate perspectives. PG: What’s a lesson you’ve learned from failure or a Kathy Waller, former setback that helped you “Over time, I’ve realized that effective CFO at Coca-Cola, has grow? RHM: Earlier in my caleaders build relationships which then help also always been there for me in every crisis – reer, I led a major project the work to get done better and easier.” regardless of how busy and didn’t take the time she was – with clear, unfi ltered advice. I’m also to build relationships or explain the “why.” It failed, not blessed to have an amazing mother and motherbecause the strategy wasn’t right, but because the team was in-law whose hard-earned wisdom is invaluable. not engaged and actively worked against the change. That taught me that teams need to be listened to and engaged in the creation of the solutions that they will execute. On that PG: How do you see the role of a CPG brand same early project that failed, I also learned that burnout evolving as retailers push for innovation, speed doesn’t serve anyone. You can’t lead well when you’re empand customer-centricity? ty. Taking care of myself and my family is a requirement for RHM: CPG companies must be agile, insight-led me to effectively lead with grace and equanimity. strategic partners that deliver brands, innovations, experiences and propositions that are rooted in consumer needs – especially the needs PG: What advice would you offer to women aiming for consumers do not articulate. Brands must underexecutive-level roles in consumer goods or retail? stand context, anticipate trends, build trust and RHM: Know your “why.” The corner office comes with real help retailers win in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, tradeoffs. You’re the one making the hard calls, not just complex and ambiguous) world. enjoying the view. You also need to defi ne what success looks like in your whole life. I’ve said no to opportunities that didn’t fit my family’s vision. And fi nally: Put on your PG: Were there female role models you looked blinders and run your race. Comparison is the thief of joy. up to in CPG? What progress have you seen, Get clear on your own goals – personally and professionally and what still needs work? – and be unapologetic about them. RHM: Early in CPG, as a happily married mom 18 progressivegrocer.com

of three children, with a spouse with a significant “Staying relevant requires you to lift your career, there weren’t many women whose lives, styles head up and look beyond your own walls.” or careers I wanted to emulate. But I’ve seen major progress since then. There are now more women in positions of power, with diverse lifestyles. That’s exciting. team to keep an external focus and understand What’s missing for me is the conversation about what it what’s happening in the world, not just at really takes to integrate family and career – that is hard, Lipton. Serving on boards helps me see how but very worthwhile. I make a point to talk a lot about my other industries are tackling change. Staying family and life outside of work with my team because I relevant requires you to lift your head up and want to role model having family as a priority. look beyond your own walls. PG: What CPG trend or technology do you think will have the biggest impact in 2026? RHM: Everyone is talking about AI – it is a game-changer –

PG: What is your proudest accomplishment so far? RHM: Personally, it’s being married to my

especially how it will change how we operate as we become able to process data almost instantly – imagine constant dynamic pricing at shelf. I also think that the stress of an uncertain world creates opportunities for brands to respond. At Lipton, we’re creating options that meet people where they are, by flavor, physical health benefit, mental health benefit, form or price. That level of responsiveness is going to matter more than any single “trend.”

best friend and the love of my life for over 28 years and having three amazing children – now young adults – whom I enjoy spending time with and who enjoy spending time with me. Professionally, it’s leading the carve-out of Lipton from Unilever in North America, standing up an entire business, from supply chain systems and commercial strategy to building a new team and an amazing culture. Doing this successfully is something I’ll always be proud of because we’re not just surviving, we’re thriving!

PG: How do you stay ahead of change? RHM: By being a curious observer. I hang out in grocery

stores. I talk to consumers. I read constantly. I also push my

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

2025 RETAIL TRAILBLAZER

Christina Minardi Whole Foods Market’s EVP of growth and development discusses the formative experiences that led to her finding her “home” at the natural food retailer. By Gina Acosta

s the EVP of growth and development at Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, Christina Minardi draws upon her experience and passion for innovation to oversee the company’s real estate, construction, store design and several strategic growth initiatives. As part of her role, Minardi leads all global real estate for Amazon, including Whole Foods. Her career with the company started in Millburn, N.J., in 1995 in store leadership at Fresh Fields prior to Whole Foods’ acquisition of the retailer. In 2002, Minardi was named VP for the Northeast region before becoming regional president in 2005. Under her 12 years of leadership, stores across the Northeast region consistently led the company in average weekly sales and sales volume per square foot. In addition to opening 31 stores during her tenure, Minardi built an exceptional leadership team, of which half the positions are held by women and/or team members with diverse backgrounds. Joining Whole Foods’ executive team as the EVP of operations in 2018, Minardi has led Amazon integration, supported real estate strategy, driven culinary innovation, reimagined the customer experience and grown e-commerce initiatives for Whole Foods. Progressive Grocer: Christina, you come from a long line of people who create delicious food experiences to bring communities together. What first sparked your interest in the grocery industry, and how did your career path unfold from there? Christina Minardi: Food

and community have always been at the heart of my life. I grew up in 20 progressivegrocer.com

a bakery and spent many mornings delivering bread to grocery stores with my father. Some of my fondest memories are tied to that experience of watching how food brought people together, how a local store became a gathering place and a vital part of the neighborhood. After college, I worked in retail but missed the food world terribly. That environment had shaped me. When Whole Foods Market came to my area, I thought, “Why not give this a try?” I joined in 1995 as a store team leader and immediately knew I was home. Their commitment to quality food and a mission-driven culture resonated deeply with me. Since then, I’ve grown through various leadership roles, from store team leader to regional president and now as EVP of growth and development. Looking back, it’s clear that those early days in my family’s store laid the foundation for everything. This work is about more than just selling food – it’s about creating meaningful experiences, building lasting relationships and nourishing the communities we serve. That’s what fi rst sparked my passion, and it’s still what drives me today. PG: Looking back, were there any unexpected skills or experiences that prepared you for leadership in this space? CM: Absolutely.

Growing up in a multigenerational family business taught me the power of hard work, resilience and community. I watched my grandmother, a strong Italian

woman who ran the business after my grandfather passed, lead with both strength and heart. She was a force, and that left a lasting impression on me. Also, spending holidays helping at our bakery, even during college, grounded me in the values of craftsmanship and service. Later in my career, working closely with leaders like Jason Buechel pushed me to think strategically, and grow beyond my operations background. I also learned so much just by listening to our team members, their stories, their recipes. That diversity of experience and perspective has deeply shaped how I lead today.

our challenges openly and asked for their ideas. It was a vulnerable moment, but what followed was extraordinary. Team members from every department stepped up with creative solutions and took real ownership. We not only turned the store around, but also became a more connected and collaborative team. That experience taught me that leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about creating the space for others to shine and contribute their best. The second defi ning chapter came when I took on the role of regional president for the Northeast in 2005. It was like being the CEO of a region — we had our own PR, buying, store design and budgeting. That role exposed me to every aspect of the business and stretched me as a leader. One of my proudest accomplishments from that time was building a leadership team that truly reflected our team member base — diverse in every sense. I saw the power of believing in people and telling them, “You can do this.”

“Leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about creating the space for others to shine and contribute their best.”

PG: Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that shaped who you are as a leader today? CM: Two pivotal moments come to mind, one early in my

leadership journey, and another that truly shaped how I lead at scale. The fi rst was during my time as a store team leader. We were in a tough spot: Sales were down, morale was low, and the path forward wasn’t clear. Instead of making top-down decisions, I brought the team together, shared

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

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2025 Top Women in Grocery That kind of belief changed the trajectory of people’s careers, like Bimini, who went from being a baker to leading one of our flagship stores, the [New York City] Columbus Circle store. Both of those experiences deeply shaped my leadership philosophy. Success in retail — or any organization — is never built by one person. It’s built through trust, collaboration and lifting others up to lead alongside you. PG: How do you balance strategic vision with day-to-day operational demands in your current role? CM: It’s a constant bal-

ancing act. We’re pushing for faster growth but also working through the challenges. We’re getting more creative – right-sizing stores, optimizing layouts and using data to design stores that truly fit their markets. That balance between vision and execution shows how our newer stores are outperforming expectations. We’ve also reduced the back-of-house footprint to prioritize the customer experience and make it easier for our team members. For me, it’s about staying nimble, staying focused and trusting the incredible team around me. PG: What do you see as the biggest forces reshaping the grocery business right now? CM: Several key forces are reshaping our

industry right now. Digital integration and omnichannel experiences have become essential, with customers expecting seamless transitions between online and in-store shopping. Sustainability and climate-smart agriculture are influencing everything from sourcing to operations. We are seeing the increasing convergence of food and wellness, with customers making stronger connections between their food choices and health outcomes. Perhaps most significantly, customers are redefi ning value – they want both quality and competitive pricing, and they’re willing to pay more for products that align with their values. These changes require us to be more agile and innovative while staying true to our core mission. 22 progressivegrocer.com

“This work is about more than just selling food – it’s about creating meaningful experiences, building lasting relationships and nourishing the communities we serve.” PG: You’ve seen a tremendous amount of change during your retail career, and there are many types of jobs today that didn’t exist when you started in grocery. As you look ahead, where do you see the greatest opportunities for the industry (e-commerce, retail media, veganism, etc.)? CM: There’s so much opportunity ahead. E-commerce will

continue to grow, but I don’t think grocery stores are going away. Many of our customers consider their local Whole Foods a second home. That emotional connection matters. That said, we need to get more sophisticated about serving those who don’t walk through our doors, through faster delivery, better tech and frictionless experiences. From a food perspective, global fl avors are huge. As people travel more, they want to recreate those experiences at home, whether it’s French butter or Japanese snacks. And health is front and center, [along with] regenerative agriculture, organic standards, clean labels. Our role is to make it easier for people to eat well, live well and explore the world through food.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Senior-Level Executives

Stephanie Shaw

Mary Zhou

Sonia Hack

Head of Communications, 7-Eleven Inc.

Chief of Staff, 99 Ranch Market

VP, Sales Operations, Acosta GroupCROSSMARK Sales

 Shaw led the

business development by enhancing visibility across the leadership team, ensuring stronger alignment on growth strategies and enabling the team to achieve 92% of the target in new and expanded business.

 She spearheaded the Always

 To further improve organi-

 Her team developed a

rock band Green Day’s coffee company on experiential activations that resulted in a 56% increase in new customers purchasing 7-Eleven coffee.

Ashley Roehm

Denise Garcia

President, Acosta HQ Sales, Acosta Group

SVP International, Advantage Solutions

 She developed automated

scorecards and category review tools, freeing up time for associates to act on the data rather than spending time pulling and formatting it.  Additionally, Roehm developed

new solutions to support emerging-brand clients, resulting in 20% growth; executed a virtual sales network solution to enable deeper penetration across the wholesaler network; and led an organizational redesign to improve the client experience and enhance efficiency.

24 progressivegrocer.com

 Hack supported

ership transition, Zhou assumed oversight of IT, working closely with the new CIO to modernize the digital infrastructure, enhance cybersecurity and integrate technology solutions to support scalable growth.

 Shaw partnered with iconic

duced financial management and accountability tools that simplified P&L analysis, allowing leaders to focus on necessary actions to ensure that they were positioned to deliver on their plans.

 During a lead-

Big Bite Hot Dog Sparkling Water campaign, a viral PR activation to promote 7-Eleven’s new sparkling-water line, which resulted in a 9.3% increase in dollar sales month over month for four consecutive months. Open campaign featuring NFL player Ja’Marr Chase, which earned two Silver Lions, one Bronze Lion and six Shortlisted Lions at Cannes Lions 2024; a Silver Pencil at The One Show; and a Gold Clio Award for real-time social engagement.

 Roehm intro-

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

 Garcia’s business

transformation strategy, which focused on driving operational efficiency, optimizing cost structures and identifying new revenue opportunities, resulted in Australia and New Zealand markets achieving $1 million in profitability for the first time in 10 years, a significant leap from previous years of margin-loss performance.  She introduced two sales

incentive programs across Australia, New Zealand and Europe, marking a first in recognizing the performance and achievements of field teams; her approach fostered a high level of engagement, ultimately contributing to the overall success and profitability of her regions.  Garcia raises funds for

Feeding America and the Terry Fox Foundation.

zational effectiveness, she introduced executive tracking and reporting tools, enhancing visibility into key initiatives and strengthening stakeholder engagement.  Beyond her corporate

achievements, Zhou volunteers with the San Gabriel Valley Literacy Council, where she supports ESL education for underserved communities and was invited to join the board in recognition of her contributions.

Kelli Hammersmith Chief Communications Officer, Advantage Solutions  Hammersmith

developed a strategy for a wholesale corporate brand refresh; her efforts led to a new brand architecture, a unified go-to-market narrative, an integrated trade show strategy and amplified thought leadership.  The rebrand expanded

Advantage’s market reach, increasing LinkedIn followers by 30,000 and achieving 192 media placements – double the goal – with 22% coverage in top-tier outlets; the impact the of strategic branding and communication was shown by the results that they brought to the business.  Under Hammersmith’s lead-

ership, Advantage launched best-in-class sales enablement tools that led to $1 million in lead generation and new business.

differentiated client-onboarding service, creating a structured end-to-end process tailored to various client sizes, increasing efficiency in client transitions while ensuring that directors were trained for seamless execution and scalability.  Hack took an active role in

optimizing CROSSMARK’s technology and sales infrastructure, ensuring improved data accuracy, enhanced sales tracking and system efficiency.

Natasha Brinegar VP Category Management, Center Store, Food Lion  Brinegar provid-

ed strategic direction and oversight for center store, exceeding delivery of financial key performance indicators in sales, margin and market share growth and surpassing her budgeted financial metrics.  Leader of a high-perform-

ing team, she also worked cross-functionally with peers, overseeing store-wide categories to strategically grow the business and stay relevant for 10 million weekly shoppers; additionally, she operated as a key liaison in multiple corporate initiatives that included reducing unsaleable items, shrink reduction and creating in-store shelf standards.  Brinegar sits on the board of

directors for the Rowan County, N.C., Chamber of Commerce.

Congratulations! 2025 CPG TRAILBLAZER R cquel We are proud to honor the leadership and achievements of our President of North America, Racquel Harris Mason - and all of the 2025 Top Women in Grocery!

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2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Kristen Riley

Valarie Wallace

Rebecca Lupfer

Wendy Boynton

VP, Northern Division, Food Lion

VP, Communications, Food Lion

SVP, Chief Merchant, The Giant Co.

 Riley improved

 Wallace led all

 In 2024, Lupfer

Director of Pharmacy Operations, Hannaford

communications efforts for new store openings, yielding earned media across broadcast, local, regional and trade media.

held several key executive roles spanning operations, strategy, finance and human resources, demonstrating her ability to be adaptable, head multiple teams and be a strategic leader across several areas.

the Northern division’s overall shrink performance by 10 points in 2024 from 2023; her strategy to boost the banner’s Baltimore market resulted in increased sales, customer confidence and overall region performance.  Under her leadership, division

e-commerce saw a nearly 80% increase in sales, beating the prior year’s sales, and the entire Northern division’s average weekly sales exceeded the average company volume by more than 90%.  Beyond work, Riley was

named one of Boston’s Top Leaders, completed Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program, and authored a self-help book, “From Journey, Not Arrival.”

 Her team strategized more

effective ways to increase internal communication and engagement, with company intranet readership increasing more than 90% year over year; additionally, she led her team in maintaining a double-digit share of voice for Food Lion, landing 28.6 billion impressions, a 332% increase year over year.

 Boynton led the

completion of a major conversion of pharmacy dispensing software in all 159 Hannaford pharmacies, ensuring compliance, efficiencies, and patient and pharmacy associate retention.  She arranged for Hannaford to

human resources officer for several months while retaining her then-role as CFO; during her time in this position, she brought a more structured and consistent approach to HR.

fund technician immunizer trainings, which resulted in 300-plus technicians certified to immunize; she also regularly invested in new graduate pharmacists, extending 31 new graduate pharmacist offers in 2024 alone.

 In the wake of several natural

 After being appointed to her

 Boynton supported increased

disasters in the Southeast, Wallace’s team recognized the company’s philanthropic efforts and was instrumental in distributing food and supplies, plus more than $4 million in grants, to the hardest-hit areas.

current role, Lupfer developed a strategy to grow market share and develop the leaders on her team, and she additionally collaborated with other departments to ensure a unified strategy to deliver results.

 She was the interim chief

access to life-saving Naloxone, spearheading an initiative to stock over-the-counter Naloxone in all Hannaford locations; she’s also engaged in pharmacy industry organizations to influence policy updates.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

ACI/GVP and Head of Payments, Albertsons Cos.

Jennifer Weinstein

Bhargavi Whatley

VP, Benefits, Albertsons Cos.

 Senthil over-

 Spearheading

VP, Technology, Merchandising and Loyalty, Albertsons Cos.

Kothai Senthil

saw all matters relating to payments and fraud for Albertsons, with a scope spanning in-store and online payments, and she also innovated in the payments space to drive the business forward.  She created a structured data

set for payments and guided her team to roll out payments functionality with additional payment types, including PayPal/Venmo, health care cards, and multiway split payments in e-commerce.  Senthil serves on the tech-

nology board of the Merchant Advisory Group and is active in the Federal Reserve Cash Roundtable; she also finds time to mentor Brown University students and volunteer at her children’s school.

benefits programs and delivering tangible financial benefits to Albertsons, Weinstein oversaw a new pharmacy benefit manager contract that helped employees pay less for most generic drugs; she also streamlined leave policies and implemented programs ensuring that team members can consult top physicians, no matter where they live.  Her achievements are pro-

jected to lead to more than $90 million in productivity savings.  Weinstein won a Healthcare

Innovation award from Transcarent in 2025 and hosted a Baking Up Benefits workshop at that group’s conference, where she shared her best practices – and her own scones.

Congratulations to Our 2025 Top Women in Grocery!

Teresa Whitney GVP, Fresh Merchandising - Meat/Seafood, Produce and Floral, Albertsons Cos.

 Whatley stood out this year

 Three’s the charm for this

for her efforts overseeing the merchandising and loyalty technology that is the backbone for physical and online stores.

 Whitney led the fresh mer-

 Her initiatives, including a

custom-built platform for partner onboarding and a pilot planogram automation and shelf-planning program, improved pricing efficiency, accuracy and effectiveness; competitive intelligence; vendor onboarding; new-item setup; and planogram processes.  Whatley chairs the Women’s

Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WINN) at Albertsons’ Pleasanton, Calif., location, in which capacity she doubled that chapter’s membership.

previous TWIG honoree who has also been promoted three times in the past three years. chandising strategy to a sizable gross margin increase and was the top leader in floral, driving growth across Albertsons; she helped define new and more precise ways to measure the momentum of the business and led a new event-based merchandising initiative in the fresh department across divisional and national teams.  She is actively involved with

associate resource groups, including the Pride Alliance and the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN).

Jill Shoush Senior Level Executive SVP of Business Development

We’re proud to celebrate Jill Shoush and Vera Barber for their well-deserved recognition. Your leadership shapes the future of grocery and inspires us all!

Vera Barber Rising Star Director of Business Development

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Terra Powers

Sarah Bevers

Tarsha Rafferty

VP of Human Resources, Albertsons Cos./ Northern California Division

CFO, Albertsons Cos./United Division

VP, Regional Corporate Distribution, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG)

 Powers has been instrumental

in reducing employee turnover in Albertsons’ Northern California division, overseeing a 12% improvement versus the prior year.  She was also the HRIS core

HR lead, guiding efforts regarding the retailer’s people data and core HR configuration enhancements; in this role, Powers implemented an HR work center within Oracle HCM, essentially giving the company a one-stop shop for analytic reports and employee information – work that led to the development of a manager work center.  The chief human resources of-

ficer and chief technology officer selected her to lead Albertsons’ merger and acquisition HR work.

 Bevers

spearheaded the installation of smart safes across all retail locations, improving working capital utilization by allowing cash within the stores to earn interest; this strategic initiative turned a routine operational function into a financial benefit for the company.  She launched the Leadership

Circle, a program designed to cultivate leadership skills and cross-departmental collaboration among 12 managers and directors; meeting biweekly, the group reviewed key leadership presentations to assess the broader impact of their work.  Bevers is the vice chairman of

the Lubbock, Texas, Economic Development Alliance and treasurer of the Junior League of Lubbock Foundation Board.

 Rafferty was

instrumental in AWG’s successful rationalization of existing facilities during the transition to the company’s new all-in-one facility in Hernando, Miss.; she oversaw a seamless relocation of inventory, the reallocation of assets and the adherence to regulatory requirements that ensured a smooth transition.  She spearheaded the suc-

cessful rollout of a new voice selection system across eight distribution centers and led the charge on the implementation of a new warehouse management system.  Dedicated to helping her com-

munity, Rafferty has held many volunteer roles during 23 years of service with the Red Cross.

Breanne Waldrup Director, Marketing, Avery Dennison  Waldrup and

her team played a critical role in developing sales collateral to help educate Kroger on a new radio frequency identification (RFID)-based solution in the bakery to improve freshness, reduce waste and reduce instore labor.  She led her team in tailoring

sales materials to engage multiple stakeholders at CVS across merchandising, marketing, operations, IT and finance so that each audience could clearly understand how the Vestcom solution would benefit each of their teams.  Waldrup is a member of

ELEVATE, an employee resource group focused on fostering inclusivity and empowering women across the organization.

Rachael Vegas

Sharon Brown

Lauren Hulett

Ilea Evans

EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club

Founder and President, Bonafide Provisions

SVP Client Engagement, C.A. Fortune

Customer VP, West Region (Meijer/HE-B/Hy-Vee), Campbell’s Snacks, The Campbell’s Co.

 Vegas led the

modernization of BJ’s Berkley Jensen and Wellsley Farms own brands, launching such key new products as as food storage bags.  She led BJ’s general mer-

chandise transformation by striving to provide a consistent “WOW experience” for members through a combination of impactful presentations, good value and high quality; she also guided the overhaul of BJ’s category management process, which resulted in improved stock levels, optimal inventory distribution and visually compelling presentations.  She played a pivotal role in

BJ’s annual charity golf tournament, helping to encourage participation and donations from numerous high-profile vendors.

28 progressivegrocer.com

 Brown was

responsible for the launch of Bonafide Provisions’ shelf-stable bone broth, an extension of the company’s frozen bone broth; the introduction has already become a top-three performer in the broth set.  A longtime adherent to the

food-as-medicine philosophy, she was a prominent advocate for clean, nutrient-dense foods free from harmful chemicals and additives.  To ensure that women-led

brands and products are well represented on grocery store shelves, Brown provides mentorship and resources to help other female entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of the CPG community and works with Female Food Connect, a network that elevates the voices of women in the food industry.

 Hulett oversaw

a group of leaders who managed the top 50 client partnerships across all of C.A. Fortune’s services; her strong leadership and ability to oversee multiple business areas drove C.A. Fortune’s success in meeting diverse client needs.

 Evans oversaw relationships

with major grocers, fostering strong partnerships, consistently exceeding net sales targets, and driving frequency and distribution growth across key accounts.  For the third year in a row, her

national client engagement team surpassed its goals, achieving three times its client revenue expansion target by focusing on acquiring new services and expanding into additional territories.

team achieved the company’s leading growth rate; during the first half of fiscal 2025, it was able to outpace growth targets while maintaining disciplined spending and exceeding financial expectations.

 Hulett created a new support

 Evans leveraged promo-

 Under her auspices, the

structure for high-level clients, which serves as a steppingstone to C.A. Fortune’s engagement model, with the aim of enhancing overall client value and preparing them for long-term success.

tions, marketing programs and launches while strengthening core execution; as a result of her work, Campbell’s Snacks brands outperformed competitors’ products, delivering category and market share gains.

CHEERS TO MINI WALIA VICE PRESIDENT OF LARGE STORE WEST & CENTRAL, THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, NORTH AMERICAN OPERATING UNIT

2025 TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY AWARD WINNER SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVE

Congratulations on your remarkable accomplishments that helped shape the growth of the large store retail industry. Your dedication to both the industry and the communities you serve inspires us all. We’re proud to have you as part of our team and celebrate this well-deserved recognition with you.

Albertsons Companies celebrates excellence with our Top Women in Grocery We are grateful for your dedication and hard work. Your commitment to excellence elevates our industry and helps us earn customers for life. Thank you for your remarkable contributions!

STORE MANAGER

Season Amador

Nycke Bozilovic

Robin Clark

Robin Clavelle-Wright

Rama Diallo

Lucy Endres

Tiffany Foley

Carissa Ford-Howard

Christine Gallegos Barba

Maria Garay Palmer

Nicole Goins

Tracy Hoadley

MaryAnn Holton

Jennifer Jagneaux

Erica Little

Andrea McHone

Thayalini Pathinathan

Lavee Steblay

Raquel Welch

Laura Yates

Jennifer Weinstein

Bhargavi Whatley

Teresa Whitney

Store Director SoCal

Amber Krantz Store Director Portland

Store Director Jewel-Osco

Store Director SoCal

Store Director Jewel-Osco

Store Director Seattle

Store Director NorCal

Store Director Jewel-Osco

Store Director NorCal

Store Director Southern

Store Director Jewel-Osco

Store Director Seattle

Store Director SoCal

Store Director Seattle

Store Director Mid-Atlantic

Store Director Jewel-Osco

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVE

Sarah Bevers Chief Financial Officer United

Terra Powers

Vice President, Human Resources NorCal

Kothai Senthil

Group Vice President & Head of Payments Corporate

Vice President, Benefits Corporate

Vice President, Technology, Group Vice President, Merchandising, Loyalty Fresh Merchandising Corporate Corporate

Store Director Jewel-Osco

Store Director Southern

Store Director NorCal

RISING STAR Sherri Ahlgrain

Elena Arroyo

Customer Service and Front-End Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco

Amanda Boaldin

Cathy Bourke

Tina Browen

Director, Retail Operations Jewel-Osco

Floral Sales Manager Seattle

Sr. Marketing Director Jewel-Osco

Director, Loyalty Programs Corporate

Hope Chu

Mariah Clinton Director, Micro Market Merchandising NorCal

Olivia Cotten

Joleen Elizondo

Amber Engstrom

Floral and Starbucks Omnichannel Marketing & Operations Specialist Merchandising Manager Portland Jewel-Osco

Richa Gupta

Denise Hahn

Sr. Director, Loyalty Innovation and Partnerships Corporate

Manager, Communications SoCal

Tina Marchant

Melissa Mesde

Assistant Sales Manager Health and Beauty Shaw’s

Patty Rodriguez

Deli Production Center Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco

Assistant Sales Manager - Dairy Seattle

Tina Schmitz

District Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco

Raven Cameron Regional Learning Manager – Denver Mountain West

Robin Cash

Kristy Chadbourne

Amy DeRose

Stephanie Diliberto

Kristin Dixon

Brenda Garcia

Nelly Goyco-Crespo

Bakery Sales Manager Seattle

Kristyn Foust

Michelle Gallagher Bakery Operations Specialist Mid-Atlantic

Health and Wellness Manager, Registered Dietitian United

Sharika Harris

Monique Hoguet

Jamie Jacobson

Kelly Morris

AnneMarie Mozzone Own Brands Sales Manager Mid-Atlantic

Patient Care Pharmacist Jewel-Osco

Sarah Stolz

Kelly Walters

Stephanie Wendell

Customer Service Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco

Bakery Operations Specialist Portland

District Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco

Assistant Sales Manager – Produce Jewel-Osco

Food Safety Coordinator Jewel-Osco

Produce Operational Specialist Seattle

Director, Digital Loyalty United

Beth DaCosta

Courtney Carranza

Amy Bell

Talent Attraction Manager Corporate

Director, Communications & Public Affairs SoCal

Deli Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco

District Pharmacy Manager Jewel-Osco

Carmen Ayala Vest

Sr. Director, Retail Operations NorCal

Direct Store Delivery Manager Jewel-Osco

Director, Client Success Corporate

Emi Okano

Sr. Director, Sales Planning Corporate

Assistant Grocery Sales Manager Jewel-Osco

Operations Specialist Mid-Atlantic

Sarah Kelley

Sales Manager Bakery/Starbucks Jewel-Osco

Myrian Phelps

Pricing Manager Shaw’s

Human Resources Manager Supply Chain

Rosa Chitwood

Center Store Specialist Portland

Michele Edwards

Assistant Deli Sales Manager Jewel-Osco

Floral Sales Manager Mid-Atlantic

Rosalind Green

Jennifer Gresham

Produce Operations Shaw’s

Amanda Kramer

Director, Human Resources Jewel-Osco

Laura Mahan

Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships Corporate

Produce Operations Specialist Mid-Atlantic

Laura Price

Mediha Rizvic

Customer Service and Front-End Operations Specialist Jewel-Osco

Sr. Director, Customer and Market Intelligence Corporate

Inga Wilkinson

Abby Wojnicki

Assistant Sales Manager - Baking and Main Meal Seattle

Cassandra Black

Assistant Deli Sales Manager Jewel-Osco

Assistant Sales Manager Portland

Kristin Zierau

Sr. Director, Marketing NorCal

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Courtney Piper

Lauren Corugedo

Stacey Hartnett

Mini Walia

VP Club, Natural, Frozen and Channels Development, Meals and Beverages, The Campbell’s Co.

Head of Marketing, Chef Merito

SVP, Marketing, Chomps

 Corugedo over-

 Hartnett over-

VP of the North American Operating Unit, Large Store West and Central, The Coca-Cola Co.

 Piper oversaw a $1 billion

business spanning Costco, BJ’s Wholesale Club, natural food chains, Rao’s and Michael Angelo’s frozen, driving strategic growth initiatives, optimizing pack architecture for new channels and enhancing execution in high-impact categories.  As part of the Sovos brand

acquisition, she served as the Sovos integration sales leader, harmonizing planning tools to improve forecasting and decision-making, and aligning strategies and objectives.  In January 2025, Piper

initiated a new process for club item development, streamlining innovation and go-to-market strategies, and she secured new-item placements in the frozen and natural categories.

saw all branding and marketing, including social, paid and organic media; strategic partnerships; and community programming.  She successfully curated

social media strategies that created viral videos, resulting in a significant increase in Chef Merito’s social media following and a significant boost in social engagement, and she also negotiated Chef Merito’s first celebrity partnership, with Mario Lopez, which increased brand awareness for the Adobo para Birria product through new touchpoints, in-store displays and increased Amazon sales.  By leveraging the Dodgers’

2024 World Series victory, Corugedo increased in-store touchpoints and demo sampling with multiple grocers, quickly driving a significant sales spike.

saw all marketing efforts, including brand strategy, e-commerce, creative execution and innovation, transforming Chomps’ marketing approach from an e-commerce-centric model to a comprehensive omnichannel strategy; these efforts helped Chomps achieve 302% yearover-year growth and expand into 30,000-plus stores.  Effectively leveraging consum-

er insights and feedback, she led the successful launch of the Smoky BBQ Beef flavor, initially a limited-time offering that quickly became one of three top-selling online SKUs, garnering 92.5% five-star reviews.  Thanks to Hartnett’s efforts,

Chomps’ awareness among healthy snackers hit 32% in January, a 14-point increase versus a year ago.

Stephanie Wiles

Jill Shoush

Rosie Poultney

Assistant VP, Retail Consulting, Cognizant

SVP Business Development, Central Division, Epic Sales Partners

VP Data and Analytics, Flashfood

 With more

than 25 years’ experience, Wiles led a team of 300-plus diverse retail consultants who drove transformative solutions for retail clients; her strategic guidance resulted in $250 million-plus in revenue.  Her innovative approach to le-

veraging artificial intelligence has significantly improved content for more than 100 million items, resulting in a 25% increase in click-to-cart conversions; she also led efforts to reduce supplier and product onboarding processes by 15%, generating cost savings of $50 million-plus.  Wiles guided store-level pric-

ing and hyper-personalization strategies, yielding 4% growth in loyalty programs; away from work, she volunteered at women’s and children’s shelters.

32 progressivegrocer.com

 Shoush over-

saw sales for key north and west Texas retailers, including Walmart and Sam’s Club; In 2024, her team recorded 5% top-line growth — double the regional average — and by 2025, business had surged 12%, outpacing industry and company benchmarks.  Her prioritization of talent

development and process optimization helped grow Epic’s Bentonville, Ark., team by more than 15% in top-line revenue.  Shoush initiated a west Texas

sales reorganization, restructuring routes and optimizing coverage to increase profitability and improve operational efficiency; she also took on a leadership role for the data team, leading to standardized data collection.

 Poultney’s

newly created role involved building an industry-defining data practice regarding the collection and application of customer app information, thereby helping Flashfood track against internal targets and create visibility in its progress toward these targets; metrics are delivered to retail partners so that they have the same information level.  Her customer segmentation

work united shopper behavior data and app behavior to understand loyalty levels and act accordingly, and her new catalog project will permit Flashfood to make better recommendations across partners.  Poultney regularly volunteers

at the Greater Boston Area Food Bank and recently joined FMI’s research and insight committee.

 Walia set and executed the vi-

sion and strategy for large-store retailers; over the past year, this business saw a 1.5% volume increase, a 4% revenue increase and gross profit improvement.  She drove engagement of the

retail team around Consumer 360, part of a project aimed at modernizing retail for Coca-Cola; team engagement and feedback significantly enhanced project decision-making.  As the primary Coca-Cola

contact for the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC), Walia helped raise funds for educational programs benefiting retailers and suppliers; a notable initiative was the USC executive program, which provides fully funded education for employees from both sectors. Samantha Hollack VP, Financial Planning and Analysis, The Fresh Market  Hollack spearheaded the de-

velopment of an enterprise data center of excellence, driving robust financial reporting at the individual store level; implemented an improved budgeting process; and interfaced with board members on multiple complex topics.  Within the company, she was

lauded for her easygoing and commonsense approach to interacting with the team while remaining unflappable when issues grew challenging.  Hollack has served on the

alumni board for the University of Pittsburgh Katz Business School and the Forsyth Community Leadership Council for the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.

Congratulations

to our Top Women in Grocery!

Patricia Bednarz

Jennifer Blanchard

Maria Bowman

Natasha Brinegar

Kathy Cassels

Tonya Cook

Director of Operations

Vice President, Strategy

Store Manager

Vice President, Meat/Seafood

Store Manager

Manager, Business Initiatives

Christian Dendy

Elizabeth Duke

Lynn Ernesty

Katrina Goff

Jessica Griffin

Store Manager

Manager, Talent Acquisition

Jennifer Holmes

Jessica Jones

Jennifer McKinnish

Erin McMahan

Jennifer Oglesby

Category Manager, Value Add Produce/Floral

Director, Merchandising

Director of Operations

Manager, In-Store Communication and Marketing Operations

Director of Operations

Amy Otterline

Jaylan Polk

Angela Reynolds-Weigand

Kristen Riley

Amy Shue

Category Manager, Poultry, Frozen Meats, Smoked Meats, Heat & Eat

Store Manager

Director of Operations

Vice President, Northern Division

Manager, Change Leadership

Delony Spraggins

Erin Valley

Valarie Wallace

Kristin Wells

Dina West

Director of Operations

Category Manager, Shelf Stable Sides, Condiments & Sauces

Vice President, Communications

Director, Business Development

Manager, Digital & eCommerce Marketing

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

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Megan Ford VP, Commerce Marketing, E&J Gallo Winery  Ford drove

Michelle Speziale Managing Director Midwest, E&J Gallo Winery  One of only five

strategic conversations that led to the creation of the Gallo Innovation Lab, which has fostered innovative strategies and solutions; she also implemented centralized pointof-sale (POS) management, significantly enhancing standardization and user experience.

managing directors who geographically cover Gallo’s highly important grocery business, Speziale was responsible for more than 20% of the company’s total retail customer development revenue, overseeing a team of 25.

 She developed 2025 road-

 She regularly achieved her

maps by channel and optimized 2025 go-to-market budgets, while also creating an innovation stage-gate process to streamline development.

monthly as well as her calendar-year sales goals and joint-business plans across all of her customers, proving her strength at strategizing and building trust with her customers.

 Ford launched easy-to-use

POS reporting and training videos; identified and resolved inefficiencies in compliance, POS ordering and training; and eliminated low-value test-andlearn work; this has improved the speed to market and scalability of key CPG partnerships. Lisa Selk

 Speziale is president of the

Women of Wine and Spirits employee resource group at Gallo; outside of the industry, she raises funds for charitable organizations in her community and coaches her daughter’s softball team. Shelby Stritzke

SVP, Brand Fuel, Hormel Foods

VP, GM/HBC and Beauty, Hy-Vee Inc.

 Selk established

 Stritzke led the

Hormel Foods’ Brand Academy, a disciplined approach to growing talent across the marketing team; she additionally supported the launch of the Content Factory.

launch of Hy-Vee’s new private-brand housewares line, Hy-Vee Seasons, which consists of 350 unique items; what initially began as impulse purchases have cycled into everyday purchases.

 She directed the harmoniza-

 She helped develop an internal

tion of all data in one location through the data lake and streamlined processes for use cases now and in the future to enhance decision-making.  Selk supported the long-term

vision and execution plan for category and shopper thought leadership (CASTL), a structure and process that enables strategic insights to be used for the company’s highest-priority projects; more than 90% of sales team members use CASTL insights with their customers.

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beauty certification program that covers everything from cosmetics and skin care to merchandising and more; the hybrid course teaches retail employees how to offer a shopping experience like that of department stores.  Stritzke is helping the

Dermatology Retail Alliance board develop a new Sun Responsibly campaign that aims to educate consumers about skin cancer and sun damage by encouraging the everyday use of sunscreen.

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Shweta Prabhu

Leticia Espinoza

VP, Enterprise Digital, MarTech and Data, Giant Eagle

Chief Legal and HR Officer, Heritage Grocers Group (HGG)

 To implement

 Following banner

significant updates to the technology supporting Giant Eagle’s loyalty program, Prabhu built cross-functional pods including team members across the globe working to clear requirements by defining epics and user stories; their bite-sized assignments were improved over time to deliver big value a full year ahead of schedule.  She and her team have

leveraged an existing tool with a user-friendly interface to build robust reports for the enterprise while cutting costs by eliminating outdated technology.  As president of the American

Midwest Konkani Association, Prabhu partnered with Feed My Starving Children to pack and ship essential foods to impoverished nations.

acquisitions, Espinoza led all efforts that standardized four human resources information systems into one in only a 12-month period, enabling HGG to bring all of the teams together and harmonize the team member experience.  Her efforts unified all of the

benefit plans across all banner companies into one; she also formalized the HGG training and development program across all banners for new-hire orientation and other micro-learnings prepared in-house and through a learning management system.  Espinoza additionally aligned

the company’s commercial insurance portfolio terms across all banner companies in 12 months, allowing for complete standardization of post-merger and acquisition activity.

Laura Arnett

Haley Boyle

SVP, Customer Excellence, Inmar Intelligence

VP, Client Success, Inmar Intelligence

 Arnett delivered

$2.6 billion in annualized savings for Kroger, showcasing the strategic value of her initiatives, and since the launch of her Flex Offers at Kroger, offer count increased by 11%, clip volume grew by 25% and redemption rate improved by 47%.  She successfully launched on-

site media networks at Wakefern and Publix, surpassing budgeted targets – 103% at Wakefern, 100% at Publix – and reinforcing Inmar’s leadership in retail media monetization.  Arnett drove $4 million in oper-

ational savings by optimizing ad operations, streamlining workflows and enhancing creative execution, boosting productivity by 440 hours annually.

 Boyle’s team ex-

ceeded settlement revenue goals by 106%, setting a new benchmark for operational efficiency and client support at Inmar; also under her leadership, Inmar’s Women’s Impact Network (WIN) has expanded by 61%.  She drove 12% year-over-

year (YoY) growth in media revenue by optimizing campaign strategies and implementing data-driven media planning, further cementing Inmar’s position as a premier digital and retail media partner.  Boyle implemented new

data-driven strategies, improving the precision and effectiveness of promotional planning for CPG brands and helping achieve 11% YoY growth in load-to-card (LTC) promotions.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Ranjana Choudhry SVP, Media and Data Platforms, Inmar Intelligence  Under Choudhry’s leadership, Inmar’s media division achieved 11.3% growth in 2024; she spearheaded the integration of the company’s Moments Media, social and retail media network solutions, aligning them with shifting consumer behaviors and advertiser needs to deliver measurable impact.  She positioned the company

as a key partner for retailers and brands navigating an evolving media landscape; her efforts enhanced customer acquisition strategies and expanded partnership opportunities.  Choudhry helps shape the

future of commerce marketing as an adjunct professor at NYU, whre she teaches integrated marketing and digital strategy.

Lily Zhang

Katie Lee

VP of Engineering, Caper, Instacart

Owner/CEO, KATIE’S

 Zhang led the

driving force behind KATIE’S: Beyond creating, marketing and distributing products, she began transforming the frozen pizza market by combining artisan techniques with national-scale ambition.

 She spearheaded the debut of

 She was behind the 200%

Caper Ads, launching with such CPG brand partners as as Del Monte Foods, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, General Mills and Pepsi.  Zhang is co-chair and

co-founder of Silicon Valley Leadership Community, a charity that brings together a network of Asian American and Pacific Islander senior leaders, and is CEO/co-founder of MatchA Angels, a nonprofit that fosters connections between senior leaders and startup founders through interactions, relationship building and mentorship.

Kaylie Layman

Ashley Carrico VP, Strategy, The Kroger Co./84.51°

 Layman excelled

 Bridging the

 She facilitated a seamless

integration into the new parent company, Mars, and also oversaw the opening of a new corporate office and a dedicated frozen food facility; before the acquisition, she spearheaded the company’s successful pursuit of B-Corp certification.  A board member at the

Memorial Hospital Foundation of Sutter Health, Layman also raises funds for the American Heart Association and other charities.

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 Lee was the

design, engineering and launch of the next-generation Model 3 Caper Carts, which feature cutting-edge computer vision, location tracking and weight-sensing technology, all powered by an NVIDIA chipset.

Chief of Staff, Kevin’s Natural Foods

at overseeing corporate operations, communications, policy development, stakeholder relations and human resources; while supporting associates through struggles like sobriety journeys and cancer battles, she demonstrated a caring nature.

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

divide between strategy development and execution, Carrico was a member of the business leadership team; her role was recently expanded to steer the finance and accounting organization for 84.51°.  She and the team established

and embedded a robust portfolio management practice into the organization, which has already created significant value in informing decision-making and prioritizing investments; she also launched a revamp of 84.51°’s long-range planning process.  Carrico took part in a devel-

opment program for emerging leaders in the Cincinnati area, and established and co-led the Gender Lens committee of 84.51° Women’s Edge.

annual growth of the company last year as KATIE’S products were picked up by more stores, including major retailers, and resonated with consumers; the brand also received a prestigious Walmart Golden Ticket at the 2024 Walmart Open Call.  Lee gives back to early

supporters and the community through the KATIE’S Giveback program, which hosts monthly events to help St. Louis-area organizations; she has also received several awards in recognition of her industry leadership.

Michelle Phanthavongsa VP of Operations, The Kroger Co./ Central  Heading up the

division’s retail operations across four states, Phanthavongsa also served on a corporate committee that worked to improve in-stock performance.  Under her leadership, the

division was a top-five performer within Kroger for sales growth and earned a record 95% food safety compliance rate; she also created an innovative Shop Where You Work associate savings campaign that boosted employee engagement.  Phanthavongsa is a board

member of Indiana’s Center for Leadership Development, which helps advance minority youth; she similarly cultivated future leaders by speaking at Savannah College of Art & Design.

Jessica Johnson SVP, DSD Commercial and Partners, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP)  Johnson established and executed KDP’s direct store delivery (DSD) network strategy, prioritizing channels to drive growth; she also led the national market development organization.  Items across the DSD bever-

age portfolio either delivered or exceeded annual sales targets last year; she quickly and seamlessly integrated four new DSD partners, introduced 38 unique products into the network and delivered $3.7 million in merchandise material savings through a new web-based ordering portal.  Johnson is a leader in KDP’s

mentor program and also shares her skills at the nonprofit Young Men’s Service League and the National Charity League.

Ann Reed Division President, The Kroger Co./ Cincinnati/Dayton  Reed led the

Cincinnati/Dayton division of The Kroger Co., home to 103 stores and the company headquarters; she guided the enterprise in both sales and market share and oversaw the implementation of pilot programs in the corporate backyard.  Last year, her division commit-

ted to investing approximately $84 million across the footprint to modernize facilities, expand product assortment and improve services; additionally, the division had the best turnover rate in more than 15 years.  A passionate supporter of

Kroger’s food rescue program, Reed steered her division to donate 3.28 million pounds of food and deliver 56,000 tons of food waste.

Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery

Meijer congratulates these team members who are bringing more good to food retail.

Mary Benton

Senior Information Security Analyst

Manjiri Joshi Store Director, Livonia, MI

Calli Schmid

Vice President, Grocery

Jennifer Boteler

Erika Cutler

Amy Griffis

Store Director, Lexington, KY

Manager, Global Logistics

Katelyn Lokker

Tammie McBain Manager, Customs Compliance

Corporate Counsel

Kara Schultz

Kaylee Schultz

Manager, Benefits

Manager, Safety and Compliance

Ola Ope

Andrea Pickens

Holly Scott

Natalie Stacey

Manager, Merchandise Director, Dry Grocery Vice President, Supply Inventory Chain Strategy & Services

Melissa Wacha Director, Asset Protection & Investigation

Carol Heinowski

Store Director, Lafayette, IN

Lara Werner

Store Director, Findlay, OH

Store Director, Waterford, MI

Nicole Witherup

Director, Retail Manager, Customer Experience Divisional Merchandise - Women’s

Leighanne Heitkamp

Store Director, Marysville, OH

Marlys Roberts

Director, Merchandise - HBC

Alyssa Upton

Market Director, Louisville/Lexington, KY

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Chelsea Cubero

Kendra Doyel

Laura Gump

Colleen Lindholz

Director of Human Resources, The Kroger Co./ Fred Meyer

Division VP of Merchandising, The Kroger Co./ Fred Meyer

Division President, The Kroger Co./ Houston

President, Kroger Health, The Kroger Co./Kroger Health

 Cubero created

 As she drove

 Fueling growth

 In addition to

an empowering workplace for Fred Meyer associates, whether navigating the complexities of more than 100 union contracts or overcoming retention challenges in some states.  She launched Fred Meyer

Proud Points, a recognition program allowing associates to earn points for uplifting actions, and tripled enrollment in the Retail Management Certificate Program; she also lowered the associate turnover rate by nearly 8% and oversaw four associate resource groups.  Cubero graduated from

the USC Marshall School of Business’ Food Industry Leadership Master’s Program; meanwhile, in her community, she takes part in food donations and cleanup events. Mindy Rector VP, Associate and Operations Product Experience, The Kroger Co./ Kroger Technology and Digital  Rector delivered technology

strategies supporting end-toend associates and product flow through the supply chain; she was also the business owner for an enterprise-wide replenishment and inventory modernization initiative called RMS+.  She oversaw the modern-

ization of Kroger’s warehouse, manufacturing, maintenance and replenishment systems, and fueled $500 million in sales through e-commerce tech initiatives; she was also tapped to lead a key workstream in Kroger’s AI acceleration program.  Rector is co-chair of NextUp

Greater Cincinnati and also takes part in mentoring events.

38 progressivegrocer.com

sales, managed merchandise and shaped store design, Doyel took an innovative approach to her work; for instance, she and her team created district-specific billboards featuring local associates, thereby strengthening connections between Fred Meyer and shoppers.  Her work in refreshing the gro-

cer’s online presence, expanding product selection and enhancing in-store signage led to a more engaging shopping experience and a fourth-quarter sales increase; she also propelled the pharmacy’s business to first place across all Kroger divisions.  Doyel aims to make an impact

inside and outside the store through such programs as the annual Fred Meyer Junior Parade.

across 108 stores in the region, Gump set the vision and implemented promotional strategies that enhanced customer experiences, increased sales and strengthened loyalty in a competitive market.  The division garnered out-

standing composite scores, ranking sixth overall, and Gump led her group to be the best in the company in the area of Friendly and Promise Shops; her work with the company’s Hispanic concept store demonstrated how the organization has evolved to support its diverse communities.  Gump serves on The

Kroger Co. Foundation Board and on the board of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; she’s also a member of Kroger’s DE&I advisory group.

Julie Smolyansky

Racquel Harris Mason

CEO, Lifeway Foods Inc.

North America President, Lipton Teas and Infusions

 As the chief

executive of Lifeway Foods, Smolyansky was responsible for leading and growing the business through innovative product development, marketing and distribution, and also acted as the company’s main spokeswoman.  Under her leadership, Lifeway’s

annual revenue has nearly doubled since 2019, and the company’s 21 consecutive quarters of year-over-year revenue growth was directly attributed to her influence.  Smolyansky is an emeritus

member of the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council and has been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and recognized among Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter.

 Mason spear-

headed the transformation of a global heritage brand, reinforcing Lipton’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and consumer-centric strategies.  She has been actively involved

in shaping strategies to attract younger consumers to the tea category, making it more accessible and appealing to Gen Z through innovative product offerings and influencer partnerships.  Committed to leadership

development, mentoring future industry leaders, and fostering an inclusive and collaborative workplace culture, Mason also serves on the boards of Beacon Building Products and NielsenIQ; she’s also PG’s 2025 CPG Trailblazer (see page 17).

improving vaccination rates, educating people about the power of food as medicine and influencing healthier human outcomes, Lindholz created the free Kroger Wellness Festival; she also launched a program, Project Passion, to address associate well-being.  After Hurricane Helene, she

and her team donated tens of thousands of pounds of goods from the Wellness Festival to those in need.  Lindholz recently received the

Break the Ceiling Touch the Sky women’s leadership award and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Cincinnati; she also serves on the boards of many organizations, among them EasterSeals Redwood and the American Heart AssociationGreater Cincinnati. Susan Prys Division Director, Lowes Foods  Responsible

for overseeing 12 Lowes Foods stores, with two additional locations to open within the year, Prys consistently drove sales growth, operational excellence and team development within her locations.  Her division outperformed the

company in sales to budget and EBITDA, and she also successfully launched a “Theme of the Month” sales strategy, which succeeded in boosting sales of featured items by more than 30% during each event period.  Thanks to her unwavering

focus on food safety, Prys has improved internal audit scores by 200 basis points over the previous year, surpassing company goals by an impressive 100 basis points.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Calli Schmid

Holly Scott

Alyssa Upton

Lina Gonzalez

VP of Merchandising, Grocery, Meijer

VP of Supply Chain Strategy and Services, Meijer

Market Director, Meijer

COO, Ohla US LLC

 Under Schmid’s

leadership, 2024 grocery sales at Meijer exceeded the prior year by almost 4% – and were $193 million over plan – while profits exceeded the prior year by more than 6%.  She helped lead the accelera-

tion of Meijer’s own-brand program, which is a core strategic pillar in grocery; as a result of her efforts, the company’s grocery own-brand portfolio grew at 2.5 times that of the total business.  Schmid consistently demon-

strated an investment in coaching and developing others on her team and beyond, supporting several promotions at various levels across the organization; she also encouraged an ongoing commitment to local community organizations with her team and vendor partners.

 Despite new

 Within a span

of three Meijer executives who are collaborating with cross-functional projects to improve shelf conditions in the stores; so far, the team has driven on-shelf availability improvements from 86.4% in 2022 to 93.2% by the end of 2024.

competition in her market, Upton led the stores she oversaw to achieve strong results; during fiscal year 2024, sales increased $25 million over the previous year, beating the sales plan by $33 million, while shrink improved and turnover was down.

of six months, Gonzalez secured three agency-of-record agreements with national companies, established a robust presence for her Hispanic/multicultural marketing services firm across six states, and initiated services at 300 retail stores.

 She and her team led a supply

 By empowering her team and

 Her work has helped the Latin

 Scott is one

chain reporting transformation focused on simplifying existing reporting to help improve performance and data refresh times, as well as on evolving that reporting to include exception-based insights.  Scott and her team are lead-

ing the retailer’s supply chain AI roadmap, which envisions enhancing supply chain efficiency by integrating AI, machine learning and optimization into daily operations.

collaborating across the organization, she helped introduce a number of new local items in the stores, giving local businesses a platform while providing new options for customers.  Upton and her store directors

continued to partner with local groups for community impact: for instance, they teamed with United Way on several events, including the Build-A-Bed event, and gave away backpacks and meals to children in need.

U.S. beauty care market make tremendous inroads among ethnic beauty brands, even catapulting some brands to national distribution in 2025.  With Gonzalez’s help, Ohla

exceeded its business plan and sales forecast in its first year; she also launched a mentorship program for Ohla employees’ high school- and college-age children interested in careers in the retail sector, which led to the placement of an active intern.

COVER FEATURE

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Jennifer Muntean Senior Director Sales, PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA)  As well as driving share in key

categories for PBNA, Muntean and her team delivered strong results at Costco in 2024, with net revenue up by nearly 8% and volume ahead by more than 5.5%; overall, Costco beverage was the second- fastest growth customer in 2024.  She spearheaded a quarterly

business-planning model to review business performance and create a stronger partnership with Costco; the approach unlocked support for initiatives and innovation that Costco had previously not pursued.  Muntean was selected to par-

ticipate in PepsiCo’s accelerated leadership and consumer goods forum’s programs for future leaders.

2024 Top Women in Grocery Heather Och

Amanda Oren

Courtney Owumi

Senior Director, Category Leadership of Central Hub, Costco and Regional C&G, PepsiCo North America

VP Industry Strategy, Grocery North America, RELEX Solutions

VP Consumer Experience and Membership Engagement, Shipt

 Oren launched the Grocery North America Task Force, a cross-functional initiative composed of sales, marketing, product and business development leaders that has refined the company’s industry messaging, improved internal coordination and strengthened its positioning as a leader in grocery supply chain optimization.

 To cultivate a premier member experience, Owumi refined the marketing promotions strategy, resulting in a 233% year-over-year increase in incremental order volume and 200% year-over-year growth in incremental gross sales margins for the marketplace business.

 Och’s Frito-Lay North America

regional C&G team was one of the few channels/accounts in PepsiCo to gain share; this channel team grew share in macro snacks, savory snacks and salty snacks while also gaining 80,000 of linear feet in direct store delivery and 80,000 in warehouse facings.  She built a PepsiCo Beverages

North America (PBNA) customer profitability matrix that was recognized by PBNA’s CEO and is being expanded to all PBNA divisions; she also built a PBNA store-level share tool that will expand nationally this year.

interest and adoption of RELEX’s Mobile Pro store ordering and inventory management solution, which drove measurable improvements in fresh inventory accuracy and reduced outof-stocks for RELEX’s grocery customers in North America.

 Och is an active volunteer

 Oren dedicates time to indus-

during Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).

Mindy Reher

Caitlin Allen

VP Experiential Opportunities, Shipt

SVP of Market, Simbe

 Reher led the

 As Simbe’s

strategy, execution and experience that independent contractors and others have from order to execution; among her 2024 achievements were helping to create an integrated workforce, providing risk protection and giving independent contractors the necessary resources to thrive and keep Shipt as their app of choice.  She reduced fraud by 30% to

 She helped increase customer

first-ever marketing lead, Allen powered shelf-level insights for top grocers, proving instrumental in driving record-breaking growth and helping to cement Simbe’s position as a leading provider of in-store intelligence; more than 95% of new business contributing to growth was driven by areas that Allen oversees.  Through her leadership, Simbe

60% for retail partners, improved the member experience and saved the company almost $3 million.

closed more net new logs in 2024 than in previous years combined, and the company’s store count almost doubled across technology deployments.

 Shipt was recognized by

 Allen’s marketing team helped

Newsweek two years in a row for Best Customer Service, a distinction largely attributable to the work of the many teams that Reher oversaw.

drive a triple year-over-year increase in contracted annual recurring revenue from 2023 to 2024, which doubled again from 2024 to 2025.

try networking groups for women in supply chain leadership.

 The average promotion

redemption rate rose 66% year over year, illustrating the personalized approach that she brought to the promotional plan, which is grounded in customer behaviors.  Owumi led a three-day in-

depth focus group consumer study, followed by a comprehensive quantitative study, in which she identified key opportunities for enhancing the Shipt experience that were leveraged across the enterprise.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

Amy McClellan

Kristen Porter

Nicole Zube

Liz Bleakley

EVP and Chief Customer Officer, SpartanNash

VP, Associate General Counsel and Compliance Officer, SpartanNash

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, SpartanNash

Head of PR, Communications and Corporate Affairs, St Pierre Bakery

 McClellan has

risen to oversee a territory that includes the United States and the U.S. Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) worldwide; in this role, she has reimagined SpartanNash’s approach to customer engagement and streamlined processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.  She was key to the launch of

Finest Reserve, a premier private label, driving sales growth, enhancing loyalty and deepening private label positioning.  McClellan was appointed to the

National Grocery Association’s (NGA) board of directors, where she helps shape industry policies and initiatives; her team received two NGA Creative Choice Awards and an Addy award acknowledging standout campaigns.

 Named to

her current role in September, Porter has built a more robust compliance structure, supported SpartanNash’s merchandising transformation, and enhanced food traceability and recall processes.  She worked on designing,

developing and implementing SpartanNash’s updated centralized compliance function, which has strengthened accountability and ethnical business practices through a structure that includes a dedicated committee of compliance leaders embedded within key business units.  Porter is a member of FMI’s

legal affairs committee, in which role she stays engaged in key legal and regulatory discussions that affect the retail food sector.

Sarah Boddy

Judy Zhu

Managing Director, St Pierre Bakery

CEO, Synear Foods USA

 Boddy set and

 Under Zhu’s

drove St Pierre’s vision, establishing a company manifesto to achieve workforce cohesion and truly define the brand; the manifesto can be summarized as “Rejecting the ordinary in relentless pursuit of the extraordinary.”

 Zube powered

SpartanNash’s People First culture, facilitating associate resource groups and driving initiatives that fostered engagement and belonging.  She enhanced SpartanNash’s Total Rewards benefits, spearheading 7.4% raises for entry-level retail and supply chain roles and boosting SpartanNash’s competitive edge in the job market; this enabled SpartanNash to be named one of America’s Top 25 Most Flexible Companies by Indeed.com.  SpartanNash’s new benefits

program includes a 25% day care discount, backup child care and a dependent care FSA match; this earned SpartanNash a place on Newsweek’s list of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families.

Melissa McLaughlin CFO, T.A. Solberg Co. Inc.  McLaughlin

management, Synear secured dramatic market expansion performance, strategic initiatives and superior customer/client program development with the national launch of its Pork Soup Dumplings, among a host of new items with Costco.

improved processes to turn period results and P&L statements faster, allowing the team to make strategic adjustments more quickly and making the beloved Wisconsin independent retailer with four locations more competitive.

helped St Pierre grow in a declining in-store bakery sector, increasing distribution with H-E-B, Kroger and other major retailers; in the United Kingdom, St Pierre’s value and volume growth exceeded 40%.

 Her strategic acumen earned

 She worked to reconfigure

Synear a coveted Golden Ticket from the Walmart Open Call in 2024, making Synear one of only seven manufacturers in California to receive this honor.

one of the company’s properties to attract a national retailer, resulting in increased traffic, which has made a positive impact on the grocery store and other business units at that rural location.

 Boddy spearheaded St

Synear’s U.S. facility this past year to add six new lines and launch four new product categories, as well as to employ 300 to 400 more people, thereby continuing to contribute to the local community.

 In the United Staes, she

Pierre’s Eat Avec Respect platform, a humorous take on French superiority that launched in the United Kingdom last summer; the U.S. version launched in February 2025.

42 progressivegrocer.com

 Zhu began the expansion of

 McLaughlin spearheaded the

investment in a central kitchen that serves the company’s stores with deli salads, prepared meals and bakery items; this move has increased sales and helped alleviate strain on associates.

 Bleakley was instrumental in developing St Pierre’s new platform, Eat Avec Respect; after a successful U.K. PR launch, it hit the United States this past February.  She implemented a consumer

campaign outlining Americans’ changing food attitudes at Christmas — driving consumer media placements with more than 20 national titles and securing branded placements with publications like The New York Post.  Bleakley worked with Kayleigh

Swift (a TWIG Rising Star this year) to stage an IDDBA event in Houston, following a threeday consumer activation and sampling forum in San Antonio; the latter drew 2,000 consumers, driving sales and brand awareness at H-E-B.

Traci Mishner VP of Marketing and Trade Operations, Tabañero Holdings  Mishner led Tabañero through a period of unprecedented growth, achieving record-breaking milestones that transformed its market position and set new industry benchmarks.  Under her leadership, Tabañero expanded its private label business by 1,400%, and she drove overall sales growth by 745%, reinforcing the brand’s resonance with consumers and retailers; as a result, Tabañero achieved a coveted position as a top-15 brand in the highly competitive hot sauce industry.  Mishner additionally led the

charge in elevating Tabañero’s presence in the e-commerce space, with Tabañero gift boxes becoming a top-25 food gift item on Amazon.

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COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Allison Chlebek VP of Retail Sales, Táche  Chlebek played

a pivotal role in driving exceptional retail expansion, operational efficiency and revenue growth; within her first week on the job, she executed a critical UPC change that corrected system errors, mitigating revenue loss and strengthening retailer relationships.  She spearheaded three

retail launches that significantly accelerated Táche pistachio milk’s growth, with Albertsons, Whole Foods Market and Target; her leadership led to 207% year-over-year category growth, outpacing market trends, and a 325.9% increase in market share.  Chlebeck is a key member of The Retail Lab, providing strategy insights to help emerging brands succeed; she also volunteers with the Charlotte County Girls Club, in Florida.

Jamie Sjoquist VP and Head of Retail Marketing, UNFI  Sjoquist imple-

mented integrated marketing strategies blending digital activations, in-store experiences, shopper personalization and retail media, a unique “viral marketing” approach that has led to an increase in top-line sales and basket-size dollar growth versus the prior year at UNFI’s top retail banner, Cub.

Tehzin Chadwick

Kristen Jimenez

Melissa Sax

SVP, Safety, UNFI

VP, Communications, UNFI

SVP of Human Resources, UNFI

 Chadwick led

 Jimenez led the

 Her deep

the development of UNFI’s first food safety vision, mission and strategy, moving the organization to an “audit-ready every day” culture – a focus that has resulted in a significant reduction in losttime incidents and preventable motor vehicle accidents; additionally, she revamped the pest management program at the company’s distribution centers.  She proved to be an excellent

leader in removing barriers within her functional areas for program improvements.  Chadwick serves on the board

of governors for the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals and is a member of the board for Global EHS Credentialing, a nonprofit association dedicated to workplace health, safety and environment.

internal associate town hall instituted by Jimenez and her team led to a 6% increase in views, a 20% increase in engagement and a 20% increase in positive feedback scores versus the previous quarter.  With a group of local moms,

she organized donations and volunteer opportunities for area mothers and caretakers in need; she also found time to mentor young women in her professional network.

Director of Brand Marketing, UNFI

President, Upper Crust

 Bringing large

 Serebryany

amounts of positivity and collaboration to the table, Thompson drove significant growth across the premium brands she leads at UNFI, including Wild Harvest, which saw a 21.7% increase versus the year-ago period.  By partnering with the meat

 Sjoquist leads the team

 Thompson is a founding mem-

44 progressivegrocer.com

 The improvements to UNFI’s

Carmela Serebryany

media and enhance vendor partnerships and shopper marketing strategies to drive higher vendor investment, deeper consumer engagement and double-digit retail media revenue growth. responsible for UNFI’s partnerships with charitable organizations, ensuring that the Cub and Shoppers banners actively give back to their communities.

framing of UNFI’s new destination and purpose, built a comprehensive communications plan to introduce it to key stakeholders and engaged associates with the company’s new values through an internal video series campaign.

Colleen Thompson

department and the supplier, she was able to bring the Wild Harvest Grass-Fed GrassFinished Beef program to market in under six months – and it’s currently on track to generate more than $4.0 million in sales and $250,000 in gross profit.

 Her team helped evolve retail

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

ber and the communication chair of UNFI’s Women Integrated Network (WIN) employee resource group, which is now 500-plus members strong.

facilitated the expansion of Upper Crust to new markets in Asia and Europe, growing the company’s reach outside of its home country of Canada to 70%-plus of total revenue.  She created 144 new perma-

nent full-time positions – an 8% increase – for Ontarians in the last calendar year.  Welcoming new arrivals

to Canada who had been displaced by war and now represent more than 14% of Upper Crust’s permanent workforce, Serebryany introduced an initiative to assist all newcomers within the business with the immigration process and to also provide them with a paid day off from work to attend their citizenship ceremonies.

knowledge and experience enabled Sax to rebuild the retail HR team, develop the HR retail and HR ops strategies, partner to redefine the retail business, help hire a full new leadership team, and roll out a voluntary separation package that resulted in $2.5 million in savings in its first year.  She additionally drove down

inventory and crushed shrink, ensuring a strong bonus for UNFI associates.  Outside of her core duties,

Sax is an executive sponsor of UNFI’s BUILT BIG network, a participant in WIN BIG, and a member of the Circle Mentoring Cohort, as part of which she’s mentoring four associates this year, having mentored six the year before.

Lauren Kennedy SVP Strategic Accounts, Upshop  Kennedy played

a key role in designing and facilitating an innovative customer cohort experience across major U.S. cities; these sessions, developed with retailer partners, provided a platform for thought leadership and strategic networking, focusing on the future of in-store operations and the evolving food retail landscape.  She spearheaded the inte-

gration of customer experience functions during Upshop’s merger with Invafresh, unifying customer-facing operations, ensuring a seamless transition and positioning the merged company for long-term success.  Kennedy is the executive

director of the Ryan Dungey Foundation, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for children.

COVER FEATURE

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVES

2025 Top Women in Grocery Lisa Burr Director of Central Operations, Vestcom  Burr spearhead-

ed an organizational focus on delivery excellence, achieving an outstanding 99.72% on-time and in-full delivery rate across all of her sites in 2024.  Her commitment to operation-

al efficiency resulted in $200,000 in labor savings, attained through strategic process improvements and optimization.  A recent recipient of the

Leadership Excellence Award, a top internal honor from parent company Avery Dennison, for her ability to lead teams, drive innovation and navigate challenges effectively, Burr is co-chair of the company’s Manufacturing Engagement Pillar, in which capacity she has played a key role in improving team engagement and professional development within the manufacturing team.

Rising Stars

Sonya Gafsi Oblisk Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, Whole Foods Market  Recognizing the ongoing financial pressures on customers, Oblisk spearheaded initiatives that reduced prices on more than 25% of Whole Foods Market’s products, encompassing 20,000-plus items in 2024.  She reinvigorated the Every

Day Value program, a permanent pricing strategy for essential items, resulting in measurable improvements in customer loyalty and increased traffic across stores.  Oblisk led the rollout of a

grocery delivery subscription program offering unlimited deliveries for a low monthly fee, an initiative that not only addressed customer demand for convenience and value, but also expanded the retailer’s reach to millions of new customers in areas without physical store access.

Courtney Kaes Director, SalesIntermountain Region, Acosta Group  Kaes established

monthly meetings with assistant sales managers to ensure recurring connections, regardless of the client’s size, and allowing the company to effectively manage clients’ business.  She initiated a practice of

informing the entire team about her meetings with the director of center store to address any issues promptly and foster a more open stream of communication with Intermountain leadership.  Kaes actively participated

in Rake Up Boise, an initiative that helps elderly and disabled residents by raking and cleaning their yards, and she collaborated with Golden Eagle Audubon Society and Boise Parks & Recreation to replace non-native plants with native species.

46 progressivegrocer.com

RISING STARS

Kendra Westmoreland Director, Business Intelligence - Natural, Acosta Group  Westmoreland

helped streamline data management and analytical capabilities for the natural division, to alleviate her team’s dependencies on the IT department, a move that resulted in increased agility and responsiveness to client needs, improved data accuracy, reduced manual labor hours and accelerated strategic decision-making.  She pioneered a forecasting

application that empowers brands to estimate retail sales volume based on various pricing and promotion scenarios.  Westmoreland maintains

a thriving 13-colony apiary in Texas and dedicates her time to volunteering at the Austin Food Bank, PAWS Animal Shelter and Unity’s nature trail.

Anna Hine Perishable Coordinator, Adams Hometown Market  Hine took on

the responsibilities of a deli specialist in addition to her perishable coordinator position, helping the departments achieve budgeted sales numbers by working closely with the VP of merchandising and deli department managers across 19 stores.  She extended her reach

through developing relationships with the category managers of Adams’ distributor and parent company; this played a key role in aligning strategy and opening communication for potential business opportunities.  Hine was recognized by the

SVP and the general manager for her hard work and dedication, positive attitude, and above-and-beyond work ethic with the company’s first Adams Excellence Gold Coin.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Tiari Goold

Leigha Wilkerson

Angeline Sparks

Amy Hazlett

Senior Direction Retail Execution, Advantage Solutions

Senior Director of Retail Execution, Advantage Solutions

 Goold launched

 Wilkerson led

Director, Retail Programs, The Kroger Co./Smith’s, Advantage SolutionsRetail Odyssey

Director, Retail Programs, ADUSA Program, Advantage Solutions-SAS Retail Services

four new dedicated retail teams, which contributed to a 20% growth of the dedicated retail division and strengthened execution consistency, and she helped overdeliver on staffing goals.  She contributed to optimizing

the organization’s drive-time model, helping reduce windshield time by 10% below the industry standard and allowing teams to spend more time in stores, executing and creating value for clients.  Goold co-created the RISE:

Retail Industry Skills Enrichment program, a division-wide initiative affecting 700-plus retail leaders; the program delivered expert-led training on execution, leadership and industry best practices, improving consistency and decision-making.

the optimization of an enterprise-wide retail payroll system, improving efficiency, accuracy and resource allocation; the project also enhanced labor planning, enabling teams to increase business growth and customer engagement.  She successfully supported the

 Sparks identified an oppor-

 Hazlett introduced functional

tunity to reduce travel costs for set teams by creating a tracking process to distinguish between drivers and passengers, optimizing mileage and cutting wasteful spending.

competencies for managers, establishing position-specific key tasks to assist in associates’ growth and development; space-planning associates were able to assess their own progress while receiving feedback from managers, helping identify areas for improvement and target necessary training.

 She played a key role in

launch of four new teams, which have collectively contributed more than $50 million in new revenue, and she co-founded two leadership development programs designed to elevate talent, enhance career mobility and strengthen leadership pipelines.

the early stages of building out Smith’s safety program, contributing to the launch of business-specific safety training videos for associates; this resulted in a 9% reduction in costs related to workers’ compensation claims within the first month.

 Wilkerson is a founding

 Sparks helped improve

member of Grapevine St. Louis Women for Good, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and supporting local community initiatives through philanthropic efforts and grass-roots support.

retention rates — from 10% to an impressive 85% — and by reducing the reliance on third-party coverage to 0%, she saved Smith’s tens of thousands of dollars in labor costs.

 She additionally developed

a Power BI dashboard to track historical and current data for all in-house support teams; the tool provides high-level insights into staffing trends.  Hazlett launched two reso-

lution logs for Hannaford and Food Lion that streamlined field operations and in-house support teams; the logs identified opportunities and potential roadblocks.

Tammy Smith

Rebecca Feaser

Becky Griffin

Cheryl Hinkson

Director, Retail Programs, Albertsons Cos., Advantage Solutions-SAS Retail Services

Manager, Reporting and Analysis, ADUSA Distribution

Manager, D&T Operations, ADUSA Distribution

Director, Learning, ADUSA Distribution

 Feaser built the

 Griffin led the

 As a result of her strategic

planning, operational oversight and focus on continuous improvement, Smith’s division maintained top-tier KPIs – consistently ranking at or near the top in all measurable categories month after month.  She played an instrumental

reporting and analysis team from the ground up, recruiting, training and developing a group of talented professionals; the team’s standout achievement was developing the first-ever D&T Services and VIC Power BI apps, consisting of 30-plus new Power BI reports across critical operational areas.

role in obtaining client approval to lift blackout and greyout days, ensuring that her team could continue working efficiently, driving revenue and maximizing operational success despite constraints.

 In addition to creating high-im-

 Every holiday season, Smith

 Feaser’s vision and leadership

volunteers at local shelters and soup kitchens, and sponsors a family in need; she’s also involved with the Girl Scouts, volunteering her time and expertise to mentor young individuals.

48 progressivegrocer.com

pact scorecards and reporting, she spearheaded efforts to automate manual data processes and source more sustainable data tables, significantly improving data accuracy and efficiency. transformed how the organization leverages data, shifting from static reports to dynamic, self-service analytics that empower leaders to make informed, timely decisions.

transition of the coaching observation tool to Power BI, enhancing data visualization and reporting capabilities for better tracking and analysis of coaching effectiveness.  As part of the DC5 consol-

idation project, she provided invaluable support in managing post-consolidation traffic patterns, ensuring seamless operations and minimizing disruptions.  Griffin stepped in to cover

essential roles within distribution center operations when there were temporary vacancies, to ensure that operations continued smoothly, and she facilitated the 6 Critical Practices program, creating connections across the larger distribution and transportation organization while fostering leaders’ development.

 Hinkson

implemented the Coaching for Engagement leader training program, which includes in-person facilitated sessions, self-paced learning modules and on-the-job coaching observations — empowering leaders to strengthen associate engagement through coaching techniques.  She played a pivotal role

in the design of the Learning & Development Playbook to support the new warehouse management system across the network.  Hinkson led the implemen-

tation of the connected-worker platform, a digital tool that streamlines and standardizes processes for the company’s associates; a key feature of the platform is the ability to translate content into multiple languages with a single click.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Katherine Olson

Andrea Pacifico

Kelsey Rioux

Jess Rodgers

Manager, Distribution Operations, ADUSA Distribution

Specialist, Learning, ADUSA Distribution

Manager, Network Inventory Control, ADUSA Distribution

Director, Regional Operations, ADUSA Distribution

 Rioux launched

 Rodgers was

 Olson increased

salvage revenue by 65% and, by streamlining workflows and implementing cost-saving measures, she improved cost per case, directly affecting bottom-line performance.  She standardized trans-

portation vendors for reclaim loads, enhancing efficiency in scheduling, improving arrival time consistency and providing greater visibility into shipments; these strategic changes strengthened reclaim operations, reduced waste and positioned the department for sustained success.  Olson led DC95’s community

outreach initiatives, coordinating 236 volunteer hours at local food banks, animal shelters and schools, thereby strengthening the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Kristy Treadway Manager, Vendor Compliance, ADUSA Distribution  Treadway

 Pacifico part-

nered with the talent team to create a 16-week cohort-based development program for emerging leaders that combines leadership skill-building and technical training, preparing participants for supervisory roles.  She was instrumental in

strengthening safety training within the organization, supporting the safety team in the development of comprehensive accident investigation training, as well as training for a refreshed safety observation program.  Focused on inclusivity, Pacifico

took the lead in leveraging technology, as well as bilingual associates, to help translate e-learning into Spanish; this project ensured that Spanishspeaking associates could obtain training in their preferred language.

 Rioux supports adult edu-

 Rodgers is a member of the

cation in woodworking, floral arranging and elder crafts, and is passionate about youth sports, particularly though her involvement with Girls on the Run.

LGBTQIA+ small-business community, providing size- and gender-inclusive recycled fashion, and helps raise funds for local nonprofits.

Manager, IT Strategy and Planning, Ahold Delhaize USA Services LLC

 She also led the development

 She played key a role in a per-

Treadway actively engages with her church’s outreach programs, with a focus on supporting the homeless by providing hot meals and essential supplies, and also finds the time to volunteer at a local nursing home.

 She was promoted to her

Senior Manager, Loyalty and CRM Strategy, Ahold Delhaize USA Services LLC  Foushée was integral in

sonalized offer targeted to maximize the investment strategy for Stop & Shop’s highest-spending customers; new category campaigns for key focus categories; the conversion of gas redemption to grocery dollar redemption; and the relaunch of special offers within rewards.  Foushée volunteers at non-

profits focused on preserving U.S. history and on education.

the site director supporting several grocery brands, designing and executing transformational network change to convert a third-party-operated warehouse into a self-service operation while continuing to service 200-plus stores without interruption to the business and an average on-time delivery rate of 99.95%.

Inbound Compliance Program, gaining buy-in to change the fee structure, overhaul the billing process and design a vendor-facing portal; the program saw revenue growth of 67% in just three months,

Ashley Hatsiopoulous

spearheading the growth and performance of the Stop & Shop Go Rewards program, which included driving digitally engaged customers to 10% over goal and achieving a more than 11% increase in GO Rewards redeemers.

 Away from her demanding job,

 She worked with the Vendor

Katherine Foushée

worked with third-party unloading companies, rental pallet providers and ADUSA Distribution teams to improve operations at the distribution center level; in this capacity, she introduced new process flows for handling vendor disputes, resolving billing errors and clarifying program verbiage. of a brand-new vendor-facing portal, from ideation and design to testing and successful onboarding.

a change management campaign across all ADUSA Distribution facilities, which opened doors for such further successes as improving inventory management across outside storage networks, optimizing invoice tracking and payment, and addressing shrink loss and damage.

present role, responsible for oversight of distribution and transportation in support of Hannaford, while continuing to run daily distribution center operations.

Patricia Bednarz

 Hatsiopoulous’ new role in

2024 involved leading the activation of a multi-year IT portfolio worth hundreds of millions of dollars.  She played a key role in

owning the IT Retail Service Transformation program that generates major savings for ADUSA by consolidating services and sources, and she also developed a continuity plan addressing delays caused by a significant cyberevent.  Hatsiopoulous hosts

team-building and morale-boosting activities within the chief information officer team; outside of work, she is president of the PTC at her children’s school and volunteers for a program that delivers home-cooked meals to families in need.

Director of Operations, Food Lion  Bednarz over-

saw financial performance and daily operations of 22 stores across six North Carolina counties; under her watch, regional sales grew 2% versus last year, driven by a nearly 5% transaction increase, and her team delivered a regulatory audit execution score of 90% compliance.  She launched Food Lion’s

omnichannel remodel at the 22 stores, which increased deli/bakery offerings and strengthened home meal solutions, generating sales increases; the online shopping option Food Lion To Go was expanded to include all of her locations.  Bednarz’s net promoter score,

measuring customer satisfaction, increased 10%, and she fostered an associate-inclusive environment that led to a 15% turnover decline in 2024.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 49

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Jennifer Blanchard Director of Community Relations, Food Lion  Under

Blanchard’s guidance, Food Lion Feeds, a philanthropic platform dedicated to combating food insecurity, exceeded its annual donation goal for the fourth year, delivering 238 million meals across 10 states – 50 million more than in 2023.  When Hurricane Helene hit

western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, Food Lion Feeds responded with almost $4 million in donations, awarding $3.2 million in grants to 120 feeding partners.  Blanchard developed a

comprehensive school-focused nutrition program partnering store managers with local schools; integrating math, meal planning and hands-on learning, the program provided nutritional education to 1,000-plus children.

RISING STARS

Tonya Cook

Jessica Griffin

Jennifer Holmes

Manager, Business Initiatives, Food Lion

Manager, Talent Acquisition, Food Lion

Category Manager, Value-Add Produce and Floral, Food Lion

 Griffin developed

 Holmes grew

 Cook managed

company-wide strategic planning, key priority development and alignment; in 2024, she steered 20 strategic initiatives, surpassing sales goals and yielding excellent performance.  Employing data-driven ob-

jectivity and providing ongoing visibility into performance, she closely monitored progress, reviewed monthly updates and addressed potential risks to ensure goals were met, and she offered transparent monthly reporting to track progress and assess delivery of key initiatives.  For 167 omnichannel store

remodels in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., market, Cook provided critical insights into performance and progress; a champion of inclusivity, she also chairs the Friends business resource group.

and implemented a high-volume sourcing plan that accelerated and improved the quality of store manager hires; she built a talent acquisition strategy that required all hiring managers to document feedback and better understand candidate attributes.  She led efforts to build a

robust early-career program strategy to better engage with students across Food Lion’s 10-state footprint, including a playbook for college career fairs.  Griffin participates in Food

Lion Feeds events, the brand’s hunger relief platform; volunteers to speak at community and industry events, including Progressive Grocer’s recent GroceryTech; and mentors 15 women in various life ventures.

e-commerce sales and units for packaged meats, each exceeding 20%; she led the team in inventory management, with shrink decreasing by 8% in 2024 over the previous year, having led the team in right-sizing assortment and eliminated low-selling items; and she partnered with the planogram team to maximize efficiencies at the shelf.  She identified opportunities in

local meat assortment, pioneering the advertisement of various local products and suppliers; this resulted in sales growth for specific local brands.  Holmes was nominated to par-

ticipate in NextUp’s 2024 Rising Stars Program for leadership development, and she volunteers with a local youth football program in her community.

2025

HONOREE

Congratulations to Valerie Long for being a 2025 Top Women in Grocery honoree in recognition of your expertise, your drive to learn and grow, and your dedication to the industry.

We see your greatness!

Rising Star

VALERIE LONG Corporate Director, Sales

2025-05-16 2:05 PM

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Jessica Whatley Jones

Jennifer McKinnish

Merchandising Director, Food Lion

Director of Operations, Food Lion

 Under Jones’

 McKinnish’s

expert leadership, the Northern division achieved 4% of its targeted sales plan, with sales increasing by 5% over last year; she led the initiation and development of subject-matter expert merchandising trainings, improving associate engagement and reducing associate turnover by nearly 20%.  She led a cross-functional

committee to improve store processes, working directly with category, retail and field merchandising teams.  Jones and her teams find

the time to pack and distribute boxes of nutritious food for neighbors in need; she’s also an active member of the Boys and Girls Club, serving as a mentor to local youths ages 15-18.

Jennifer Oglesby

Erin McMahan

region had multiple stores achieve best-ever weekly sales in 2024; Despite the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the region achieved its highest weekly same-store sales.  Under her leadership, online

sales increased by 5% over the previous year, and delivery by 30%; the region also posted an improved e-commerce net promoter score of 72, with overall customer satisfaction of 85%, and she also guided several assistant managers into store manager positions, bolstering the leadership pipeline.  McKinnish’s team completed

more than 625 volunteer hours; she also coordinated product distribution for a local student who received an $800 grant to feed the homeless.

Manager, In-Store Communications and Marketing Operations, Food Lion

Director of Operations, Food Lion  Oglesby deliv-

 McMahan launched a re-

vamped collaborative framework that broke down silos and empowered initiative owners to take full ownership of their projects, enhancing cross-functional collaboration and setting a new standard for efficiency and innovation.  One of her impressive achieve-

ments was revolutionizing Food Lion’s truck wrap program, onboarding a new vendor and establishing a quarterly maintenance plan to extend the longevity and vibrancy of the fleet.  Through Food Lion Feeds, she

actively volunteers to help pack and distribute food; her efforts also contributed to Food Lion’s goal of donating 1.5 billion meals by 2025.

ered more than $400 million in sales in 2024, increasing same-store sales by 6% and operating under budget by 4%, and her team grew transactions by nearly 5% and item growth by more than 4%; all metrics outpaced the organization.  She looks for special assign-

ments for her associates so they can expand their skills and knowledge, and she promoted four employees to store managers in 2024.  Supporting the University

of South Carolina’s freshman move-in day, Oglesby’s team met students and parents, and handed out Food Lion branded items, coupons and snacks to welcome the newcomers to the campus and the community.

Congratulations to Our Top Women in Grocery! Rebecca Feaser Becky Griffin

Cheryl Hinkson

Kate Olson

Andrea Pacifico Kelsey Rioux

Jess Rodgers

Kristy Treadway

Manager, Reporting and Analysis

Specialist, Learning

Manager, D&T Operations

Manager, Network Inventory Control

Director, Learning

Director, Regional Operations

Manager, Distribution Operations

Manager, Vendor Compliance

Your commitment keeps us moving – literally. From streamlining operations to leading teams and serving communities, you go the extra mile every day. Thank you for your leadership, innovation and tireless dedication to ensure our people and business can thrive.

Companies of Ahold Delhaize USA

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Amy Otterline Category Manager, Poultry, Frozen Meats, Smoked Meats, Heat and Eat, Food Lion  Otterline led a sustainability

program for fresh poultry that will replace foam with compostable trays, a move expected to remove 577 metric tons of nonbiodegradable waste annually.  She guided her categories

to their best sales year in 2024, with a 3.6% increase year over year, also growing unit movement and margin; she worked with vendors to develop multiple new products that grew share; and she improved inventory management in heat and eat while expanding the program.  Otterline was nominated for

Food Lion’s Count On Me award and was selected by her leaders to serve as a co-chair for the grocer’s Generations business resource group.

Angela ReynoldsWiegand Director of Operations, Food Lion  Under Reynolds-

Wiegand’s leadership, sales grew by 13% in Q4 2024, with sales growth of more than 5% for the full year, leading her division and exceeding the forecast; her region also topped her division in total store shrink.  Hurricane Helene caused

significant damage to her region, and she acted swiftly to coordinate support for associates who suffered property loss, while leading efforts to reopen stores.  Reynolds-Wiegand’s region

contributed more than 890 volunteer hours to local food banks in 2024, a 90% increase from the previous year; in 2025, she was named to the strategic planning committee at The Corner Table, which provides meals to families and individuals in need.

RISING STARS

Amy Shue

Delony Spraggins

Manager, Change Leadership, Food Lion

Director of Operations, Food Lion

 Shue developed

 Spraggins led

a strategic plan that included collaboration from leadership at multiple levels, managing six workstreams and hosting three management roundtables to better understand the needs of associates in key roles; the process led to milestones in collaboration, partnerships, processes and communication.

a nine-month omnichannel remodel in her region while keeping sales growth consistent and nurturing a high-performing team, with comp sales up 1.5%; she oversaw the integration of self-checkout, expanded e-commerce for pickup and delivery, and upgraded product offerings for the remodeled stores.

 She’s a member of Food

 One of the three assistant

Lion’s women’s business resource group and the Fresh@ Home banner selection committee, the latter of which recognizes associates’ contributions in driving sales.  Outside of the company, Shue

leads 100 people for ongoing food pantry events at the Second Harvest Food Bank, in Salisbury, N.C.

managers whom she mentored and promoted to store manager roles in her region was recognized as the division’s store manager of the year.  Despite a busy work schedule,

Spraggins serves as a Sunday school teacher; volunteers at local churches and food banks; and sits on the Inter Faith board of directors, in Raleigh, N.C.

Erin Valley

Kristin Wells

Dina West

Taneya Clark

Category Manager, Condiments/Sauces and Shelf-Stable Sides, Food Lion

Director of Business Planning and Development, Food Lion

Manager, Digital and E-commerce Marketing, Food Lion

Category Manager Service DeliSpecialty Cheese, The Giant Co.

 Valley corrected

 Wells creat-

a declining market share trend and set a growth pattern: At the end of 2024, multicultural category sales increased by 9% year over year, becoming the top sales growth category for Food Lion; she worked with her team and business partners to create a common core assortment to maximize space in each set by building a best-in-class planogram.  To fill gaps in the local

assortment, she led a strategy that added more than 100 new products and implemented a new pricing structure to grow business; additionally, her efforts grew condiment sales by 9%.  Valley volunteers with Food

Lion Feeds food rescue efforts and other charitable activities.

52 progressivegrocer.com

ed a competitive intelligence tracker that leverages AI to analyze market trends, a tool that has become the company’s cornerstone for strategic decision-making; she also introduced a store-level process for continuous testing and evaluation, a concept that empowers associates to influence go-tomarket strategies.  She has been a driving force

 West crafted

an extensive communication journey for the launch of new Food Lion To Go stores, starting with an eightweek email coupon campaign; she partnered with retail teams to execute digital engagement tables to celebrate completed renovations, helping drive loyalty program signups, and Food Lion surpassed its annual digital engagement goal, driven by her strategic messaging.

in fostering inclusivity and associate engagement, creating a culture supporting stronger collaboration, innovation and overall performance.

 She played a key role in devel-

 Wells volunteers with Food

Food Lion’s price and affordability initiative, finding that perceptions of sale prices and affordability had increased year over year.

Lion Feeds, leads large-scale holiday food distribution events, and coordinates supplies and resources for a women’s shelter.

oping the 2025 marketing strategy, prioritizing customer needs to ensure relevant content.  West also led the strategy for

 In her previous role, Clark developed two bakery team members and had the entire department crosstrained; supporting one another and driving the business helped improve bakery units by 2.59% and improved the goal of savings for customers by an impressive 27%.  With some team members

switching positions and the promotion of a new director of deli and bakery, she assisted in all areas on both desks to keep everything on track during this time of transition until all positions were filled.  In 2024, Clark was inducted

into The Giant Co.’s Legacy Circle in recognition of her dedication and 35 years of service to the organization.

Congratulations to our 2025 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

Gwen Pratt Store Manager Tops Friendly Markets

Kimberly Traver Store Manager Tops Friendly Markets

RISING STARS

Carie Filighera Field Specialist Front End Operations Tops Friendly Markets

Nicole Staniszewski Director of Loyalty Marketing Northeast Shared Services

Kelly Quigley Director of Grocery Distribution Tops Friendly Markets

Angela Taddeo Director of Claim Operations Northeast Shared Services

Alisha Roberts Manager Rx Service and Business Development Northeast Shared Services

Jessica Vennard Rx Managed Care Supervisor Northeast Shared Services

Linda Woodward IT Director of Quality Assurance Northeast Shared Services

RISING STARS

CELEBRATING OURE GROCER 2025 PROGRESSIV

TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY

Kilene Knitter

Sherry Miller

Manager of Wellbeing Outreach, The Giant Co.

Regional Director, The Giant Co.

 A registered

dietitian and licensed dietitian nutritionist, Knitter reached 3.6 million customers and helped deliver six-figure incremental sales through a monthly well-being email providing shoppable links to better-for-you products and recipes, as well as registration information for virtual classes.

her regular duties, Miller took on several special projects, because of her extensive experience in operations and merchandising; for example, she was part of the internal task force that developed Strive for Five, the company’s new store-rating system, which eventually rolled out to the whole brand.

 She collaborated with better-

 After a major fire at Giant’s

for-you brands through the Dietitians Recommend bundle shopper marketing program, nearly doubling the income generated from the previous year.

MONICA MURPHY RISING STAR MANAGER, FRONT END OPERATIONS

KATE KOWALZIK RISING STAR

 Knitter launched the first

in-person Wellbeing Workshop, a successful event that provided the 41 customers who attended with a three-hour educational instore well-being experience.

AMY STAINBROOK STORE MANAGER STORE MANAGER, STORE #2306

NS CONGRATULATIO EMENT!

ON THIS INCREDIBLE

ACHIEV

Scranton, Pa., store, she provided guidance, strategic thinking and support, working cross-functionally with teams across the business to help the location reopen.  Among other excellent metrics,

Miller’s team had the highest e-commerce sales growth of the entire brand, with an increase of more than 13%.

Darla Rieg

Amy Solomon

Director of Commercial Planning, The Giant Co.

Regional Director, The Giant Co.

 A new everyday

DIRECTOR, BRAND STRATEGY & CREATIVE

 In addition to

low-price strategy developed by Rieg within the global flavors area of the business focused on the right everyday price for the most popular items, delivering seven-figure incremental profitability to the business.

 Driving key

results in her region in spite of challenging times, Solomon remarkably achieved a 40-basis point increase in sales and a 40-basis point improvement in fresh shrink.  She has also enhanced prof-

partner with vendors on monthly share reporting, which included a vendor training webinar; the valuable insights from vendors have improved planning for future growth.

itability through such effective strategies as conducting numerous training sessions throughout the year, with a 40-basis point improvement in total gross profit, while underlying operating profit saw a notable improvement of 60 basis points.

 When Pennsylvania state legis-

 Recognized this past

 She also created a process to

lation was approved for grocery retailers to sell ready-to-drink cocktails, Rieg led her team through a best-in-class launch across the business, despite a fast turnaround involving 100plus stores in a mere 60 days.

September for her exemplary contributions, Solomon accepted a regional director position in another region of the company, where she aims to continue to drive growth and foster development on a larger scale.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Desiree Turner

Director, Brand Strategy and Creative, Giant Food LLC

 To help a

location with an under-spaced natural and organics market, Turner worked with various partners to expand its set by more than 40 feet, creating 20%-plus growth in the category week on week.  Her regional food safety

scores increased 3%, and she set a goal to decrease team member accidents through retraining and additional focus, with lost-time claims falling by 47% from the previous year.  Turner created a brand-wide

learning event for Autism Awareness Month with guest speakers on the topic of “Embracing Neurodiversity,” enabling company leaders to learn how they could better understand and support those with autism.

Monica Murphy

Kathryn Kowalzik

Regional Director, The Giant Co.

 Kowalzik developed a social

media series, “Home to Home,” working with local spoken-word artists to tell stories of diverse cultural holidays; the series won Three Copper Anvil Awards for Multicultural Communication and Social Media.  She oversaw the strategic de-

Manager, Front End Operations, Giant Food LLC  Following a

2024 cyberincident, Murphy and her team took decisive action before Giant Food and its sister brands needed to break the weekly ad; ultimately, she worked with the central team, walking it through a program that was modified to work for not just one store, but all of the brands.

velopment of Giant’s new brand campaign, This is Home, which drove increases in awareness of local partnerships and products, and improvements in brand health measures.

 She continuously mentored

 Kowalzik launched three

remained highly active in her community, volunteering at New Antioch Church, where she helped feed the homeless, and reaching out to help clothe people in need.

successful price-/value-focused campaigns to drive price perception and bring awareness to private-brand products and new everyday savings.

many store and assistant managers in the brand, including the person who stepped into her previous role.  When not at work, Murphy

Jean-Marie Beauchemin Director of Operations, Hannaford  Beauchemin inspired her store leaders to meet metrics that are Hannafordleading among her 12 geographic director peers, including fresh and center store shrink results that are the best in the company.  Her stores outperformed

those of most of her peers in the e-commerce space, with extremely high performance in order completion; she also led the division in achieving some of the highest food safety metrics.  Beauchemin co-led the

seasonal store-planning process, spearheading a program to assess and execute on staffing strategies; her contributions helped reverse a trend of incomplete staffing, ensuring the necessary sales support.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 TOP WO EN IN GROCERY

Ashley Hatsiopoulos ana er IT Strate y and Plannin

Katherine Foushée Senior ana er Loyalty and CR Strate y

Your dedication leadership and passion set a powerful e a ple for us all. Thank you for oin above and beyond — in your work your tea s and your co unities — so people can thrive. adusa.co

linkedin.co /co pany/ahold-delhaize-usa

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Nicole Blessing

Melody Coveno

Leslie Santiago

Amelie Trieu

Category Manager, Hannaford

Manager, Talent and Engagement, Stop & Shop

Produce, Bakery, Floral Specialist, Stop & Shop

 A former store

 With oversight

Pricing Strategy Manager for Nonperishable Merchandising, Stop & Shop

 Blessing led

some of the company’s fastest-growing categories in 2024, including hot prepared foods, which grew more than 25% versus the prior year, and wing bar sales, which saw a 16% increase.  She helped transition pack-

aging for store-made salads from a polypropylene base to a more sustainable fiber base that saved an estimated 68 metric tons of virgin plastic annually; it also saved the company about $145,000 per year.  Blessing worked with

Hannaford’s third-party sushi supplier to update the grocer’s assortment, encouraging sushi sales growth of nearly 5%; she also launched kid-friendly, ready-to-cook seafood meal kits, which ended the year up by 16%.

manager, Coveno later took on a role that affected almost 50,000 people across 365 locations; recognizing the need to accelerate the early career growth of women leaders, she piloted and participated in the Bonfire Signature Series to empower emerging talent.  Targeting the challenges

between corporate and store teams, she designed and launched A Day in the Store Manager’s Life, an immersive experience that lets executives “shadow” managers to better understand front-line operations; this initiative has strengthened collaboration.  Coveno manages the

backpack program at her local elementary school, ensuring that needy students and families have access to nutritious food.

of merchandising execution across 19 stores, Santiago drove floral and bakery department growth in her district, implementing merchandising plans that generated notable improvements in sales, profits, labor management and shrink, thereby meeting and exceeding district goals.  She trained and developed

several new specialists, employing a comprehensive two-day training program focused on critical daily and weekly responsibilities, and she was also involved in the remodels of two stores.  When Netflix filmed a major

movie in one location, Santiago led efforts to reset the store, ensure accurate floor plans and tagging, and maintain high sanitation and customer service standards.

 Trieu played a pivotal role in

the company’s largest multi-year pricing strategy implementation to lower prices on thousands of items and was a key architect of private label pricing strategy.  She established strate-

gic guardrails and launched impactful programs for in-store end caps and the circular ad; her ability to execute large-scale initiatives while maintaining a focus on customer experience demonstrated exceptional leadership.  Trieu has led annual cele-

brations of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month; she also co-organized community volunteering efforts at local food banks and is an active member of NextUp New England, a network for top-performing women leaders

Sarah Williams

Hope Chu

Richa Gupta

Laura Price

Local Marketing Manager, Stop & Shop

Director, Loyalty Programs, Albertsons Cos.

 Williams led the

 Working with

Senior Director, Loyalty Innovation and Partnerships, Albertsons Cos.

Senior Director, Customer and Market Intelligence, Albertsons Cos.

 Gupta enabled loyalty program simplifications across currency types, deal experiences, and in-store and online experiences, all of which fueled double-digit growth across several metrics.

 Price identified business risks and opportunities for the broader organization and was an important contributor to merger-related analytics and thought leadership.

activation of 128 events across five states to drive brand awareness and foster positive local relationships; she secured 88 paid vendor partnerships, including five national brands, resulting in incremental revenue and high satisfaction from participating partners.

several cross-functional partners, Chu steered a 14% increase in Albertsons’ free loyalty program and a nearly 40% surge in the FreshPass paid membership program at a time when more than 60% of enterprise sales are driven by loyalty initiatives.

 She helped Stop & Shop

 She launched the first

achieve a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, and she sponsored an internship program that exemplified her commitment to nurturing future talent at the grocer.

FreshPass mass discount plan, which delivered an all-time high of $700 million in sales for the year to date.

 Williams is an active member

of the LGBT Network Workplace Summit planning committee, which helps create more diverse and inclusive work environments.

56 progressivegrocer.com

 A mentor to her team – one of

her direct reports was chosen for the McKinsey Asian Leadership Program – Chu shares her time and talent with the community through work with her church, her kids’ school and the Feed My Starving Children nonprofit.

 She was instrumental in

the revamp of the Albertsons Rewards Program, spurring $250 million in incremental sales and a 27% jump in redeeming households, and she also guided the creation of an on-platform gamification feature and led the increased presence of reward initiatives across the e-commerce ecosystem.  Gupta also tutors adults in

literacy and interviews potential students at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.

 She led work associated with

the Hispanic growth opportunity and also drove efforts focusing on the impact of value retailers and mass/club channel operations on the company’s business, leading to changes in price strategies and competitive responsiveness.  A former board member of the

California Growers Association, Price is passionate about growing food and advocates for the water-sourcing management that allows for sustainable local food production.

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PRESCOTT

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COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Carmen Ayala Vest

Stephanie Wendell

Talent Attraction Manager, Albertsons Cos.

Senior Director – Sales Planning, Albertsons Cos.

 Vest enjoyed developing comprehensive recruitment strategies across all 22 banners to optimize the company’s employee value proposition.  Her successful vendor

management and collaboration with hiring teams netted major cost savings, including a 33% reduction in spending on one job board, and she also partnered with the internal marketing team to develop marketing collateral with new EVP messaging.  An active member of the

Women of Color Alliance, diversABILITY and Hispanic Leadership resource groups, she was nominated for a NextUp Rising Star award in 2024 and lends her time to a career ministry advisory group and a local food bank.

 Wendell fueled growth for Albertsons’ own brands through collaborative plans that align innovation, national events, merchandising and pricing strategies with division-specific dynamics.  On the new own-brand

sales-planning team, she made significant sales and assortment improvements, driving $35 million in key categories like ground turkey, cheesecake, soup and blueberries; additionally, she created impactful programs for fresh categories representing 65% of own-brand sales and relaunched a monthly sales initiative that garnered a 24% volume increase in participating items.  Wendell is an active member

of the women’s resource group and takes part in the company’s mentorship program.

Jamie Jacobson

Amanda Kramer

Director of Client Success, Albertsons Cos./Albertsons Media Collective

Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, Albertsons Cos./ Albertsons Media Collective

 At the helm of a $40 million media sales team supporting more than 1,400 vendors, Jacobson developed The Category Captainship Program, which gives Albertsons merchandising leads a contact at the collective to optimize brand investment and improve campaign results.  She started a Pitch Week

program that provided a mock environment for sharpening the team’s pitch skillset and executed multiple Blitz Days for her teams, generating $1.6 million in revenue in a single day.  Jacobson won The Collective

Recognition award in 2024; meanwhile, away from work, she’s involved with the Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation and the Lasagna Love volunteer program.

 From her coupon-collecting

days as a child, Kramer has been connected to Albertsons; that connection continued last year, during which she helped build the strategic partnership division of the company’s commercialization department to maximize the value of data, tech and media partners.  Before her new role in that unit,

she was head of client success, heading a team on track to deliver $57 million in annual revenue; recently, she was instrumental in creating a first-of-its-kind retail media partnership with Fetch.  An active supporter of local

charities, Kramer hopes to open a café with funds raised to create a safe haven for underprivileged children.

Sherry Ahlgrain

Amanda Boaldin

Tina Browen

Olivia Cotten

D6 and D7 Customer Service and Front End Operation Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Director, Front End, Customer Service, Retail Integrity, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

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

D5 Deli Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

 Leading front end teams and

 Wearing three hats as director

customer service at 38 stores, Ahlgrain headed up job fairs that led to the hiring of hundreds of new employees and helped improve overall customer service scores by 2.3% year over year.

of retail integrity, front end operations and customer satisfaction, this back-to-back TWIG honoree recently delivered on several metrics, including net promoter scores, lottery sales and gift cards sales.

 In less than a year, she

 Boaldin orchestrated the

facilitated the promotion of six new front end managers and recruited seven managers in training; she also increased the J4U loyalty program by 10% and executed special events at stores, boosting sales by double digits on those days.  Ahlgrain volunteers at local

food banks, belongs to an associate resource group and was chosen for the Jewel-Osco “Local Gem” video.

annual division service challenge to drive service, helped protect the company by implementing an in-depth fraud process for highly tamperable gift cards and improved overall commission income year over year by 6.34%.  She is the executive sponsor

of the division Pride Alliance resource group, belongs to the women’s resource group, and volunteers with Wounded Warriors and Humble Design.

 This is a TWIG four-peat for Browen, a JewelOsco marketing guru who had a busy year creating a 125th anniversary campaign for the banner; that program contributed to a 29% yearly unit increase and a 20% sales increase for vendor partners, and generated more than $100,000 in community donations.  She planned all store events

and five large community events, and also partnered with her team and local officials to unveil a new store in Diamond., Ill.  As if all of that wasn’t enough,

Browen plays an integral role in six associate resource groups to plan their marketing, media and parade participation, and is a board member of the women’s resource group.

 Teaching and training 21 store teams, Cotten served as the link between merchandising and sales planning and execution.  Under her oversight, sales

in the deli snack category outpaced the division by more than five basis points on a weekly basis, while pizza sales rose 15% year over year to outperform other stores as well; Last year, looking to further hone her skills, she completed the McKinsey Accelerated Leadership Program, enabling her to coach and develop three new deli managers.  Cotten volunteers for a church

program on Chicago’s South Side that mentors teenage girls, and she also donates her time to a local food bank.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 59

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Amy DeRose Direct Store Delivery (DSD) Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division  Managing the logistics of product delivery while building strong relationships with retail partners, DeRose supported 189 stores; she fought shrink by giving stores information to ensure that they processed invoices correctly and received the proper cost of goods.  She reduced unapproved

Stephanie Diliberto Assistant Grocery Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division  Diliberto recently moved from

a role in condiments, baking, oils and spices to managing grocery, nonfoods, household and candy categories; she also collaborated with the national team and suppliers on the layout of stocking and visual presentation of all products under her umbrella.

totals-only invoices’ average dollars by 34%, led shrink training for all Jewel-Osco receivers, and successfully onboarded PowerPlay from a manual receiver scan to Direct Exchange (DEX) through DEX testing of product line and data accuracy.

 Her strategies to increase

 DeRose is a member of the

 Diliberto volunteers at the

women’s resource group and shares her time at the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Northern Illinois Food Bank and belongs to the women’s resource group.

Kristyn Foust Districts 5 and 7 Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division  Foust influenced Jewel-Osco pharmacy performance across 36 stores and roughly 120 pharmacists, and was responsible for budget oversight of these locations, as well as driving pharmacy performance in the division.  She exhibited incredible

growth in CORE scripts, captured market share and new patients from recent competitor closures, increased her script ID and sales ID, and was able to exceed profitability by controlling such variables as labor, inventory and shrink; she also focused on protecting the community with vaccines.  Foust is an active member

of the Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) and volunteers at her local food bank.

60 progressivegrocer.com

sales and market share have been effective, as category sales improved to an overall 2.68% ID and unit sales grew by 1%; she helped lead the division during Jewel-Osco’s 125th anniversary sale, achieving a 45.29% ID.

Jennifer Gresham Director, Human Resources, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division  Gresham was accountable for

successful oversight and implementation of all human resource topics, covering more than 32,000 employees within 189 stores.  She partnered with PepsiCo to

host boys from Chicago Jesuit Academy to learn about career opportunities and trade jobs, and also partnered with a local community organization to assist children in under-resourced neighborhoods to get them jobs within Jewel-Osco.  A regular volunteer at the

Northern Illinois Food Bank, Gresham is also an active participant in her division’s Black Inclusive Network of Diversity, NextUp, Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN), and the Albertsons African American Leadership Council.

RISING STARS

Kristin Dixon

Amber Engstrom

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

Omnichannel Marketing and Merchandising Manager, Albertsons Cos./Jewel-Osco Division

 After a nationwide sliced-meat recall, Dixon partnered with the vendor to create a program making JewelOsco the only Albertsons banner to run a positive unit ID in that timeframe.  She teamed with vendors

to create The World’s Largest Charcuterie Board and the World’s Largest Kings Hawaiian Bread Display, driving a 10% year-over-year sales lift, and she started a Club Cut program in specialty cheese to compete with big-box stores.  Under Dixon’s leadership,

Jewel-Osco donated 2.2 million holiday dinners to families in need; away from work, she’s a Girl Scout troop leader and a Sunday School teacher.

 Engstrom managed digital

and marketing revenue streams, overseeing a digital budget that she grew 40% year over year.  She contributed to the highest

digital household growth in the company, which was up 44%, and teamed with the e-commerce group to launch the first Cyber Saturday Sale, which doubled online sales overnight.  Chairing the Asian di Network,

she helped increase Asian ethnic sales by 50% and made it one of the banner’s fastest-growing resource groups; Engstrom also led merchandising efforts at the annual golf outing that raised a record $1 million for the JewelOsco Foundation.

Sharika Harris

Monique Hoguet

D4 and D5 Customer Service Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

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

 In her role of customer ser-

vice operations specialist, Harris has spent the past year finding innovative ways to improve customer service by collaborating with front end managers and cashiers, and by helping with the developmental growth of team members through mentorship and leadership.  Schedule efficiency for her

districts increased year over year, as did anti-money-laundering compliance.  Harris is not only an active

member of the Jewel-Osco Black Inclusive Network of Diversity associate resource group, but also is able to find the time to volunteer at her local food bank, Wreaths Across America and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

 Hoguet oversaw the day-to-day operations of the produce departments for 189 stores, ensuring product quality, implementing sales strategies, and developing weekly ads and merchandising plans.  Over the past year, she worked

with growers to find premium flavor offerings on fresh fruits and vegetables at the best costs and created fresh-cut premium flavor items; she was also a critical member in relaunching organics within produce by developing signage, messaging and promotions, enhancing overall organic sales by 1.5% year-over-year.  Hoguet volunteers at By The

Hand Club for Kids to help teach and train students about buying, merchandising and selling fruits and veggies for their pop-up produce store.

Congratulations

s r ! a t S g n i s i R to our

Alissa Evans

Stephanie Panzetta

Loyalty Marketing Manager

Digital Marketing Manager

Trisha Kuenzie Senior Manager, Data Integrity

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Sarah Kelley

Emi Okano

Myrian Phelps

Patty Rodriguez

Sales Manager Bakery/Starbucks, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Patient Care Pharmacist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

 As the chief strategist and sales point person sourcing specific commodities with local and national vendors to support the needs of the business, Kelley specifically targeted growth in the bread and cookie categories over the past year, managing to increase year-overyear sales of long French bread and fresh-baked cookies.

 Supporting 36 pharmacy teams in addition to being a community health resource, Okano backed such new clinical initiatives as flu and strep in-store testing and a diabetes program.

D3 and D8 Customer Service and Front End Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

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

 She teamed with three top

vendor companies on the first tiered-cake program at JewelOsco, and planned and executed the opening of 13 Starbucks cafés.  Kelley is a contributor to the

Jewel-Osco annual Summer Intern Program and co-chair of the Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN).

 She expanded clinic reach,

strengthened school health initiatives, and enhanced community outreach and equity in health care through personally attending and administering more than 11,000 vaccines at various clinics.  Okano partnered with the city

of Chicago and various facilities to organize and staff clinics in underserved neighborhoods, and she also mentored residents, pharmacy students and graduate interns.

 Phelps led her teams to earn

the highest net promoter scores in customer service in her division for more than four quarters straight, coming in at 10 basis points over the division goal.  During that time, she also

helped mentor and promote six new front end managers, four assistant front end managers and one manager in training.  Under Phelps’ direction,

Jewel-Osco hosted the annual Turkey Drop, working with The Salvation Army to donate 400 turkey dinners to veterans, and she also organized three bowling events across both districts to raise money for Holiday Bucks, helping to feed needy families.

 Under Rodriguez’s leadership,

the number of stores serviced by Jewel-Osco’s Deli Production Center expanded to 95 by the end of 2024, from 19 stores in 2022; daily production has increased from 2,000 units per day to more than 11,000 units per day over the past year.  To pull off this feat, she

analyzed current production processes and developed new, more efficient methods.  Additionally, Rodriguez created

new processes to reduce the steps and labor hours needed to produce, package, stage and deliver products made at the Deli Production Center, which increased sales by 73% year over year.

CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to our Top Women in Grocery from all your colleagues at Hannaford. Your commitment to our business and the care you demonstrate for our associates and communities inspire all of us. Jean Marie Beauchemin Director of Operations

Wendy Boynton Director of Pharmacy

Nicole Blessing Category Manager

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Tina Schmitz

Sarah Stolz

Kelly Walters

Abby Wojnicki

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

D6 and D8 District Pharmacy Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

Food Safety Coordinator, Albertsons Cos./ Jewel-Osco Division

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

 Schmitz oversaw 34 Osco Pharmacy locations, and her district pharmacies exhibited incredible growth through an increase in both CORE scripts and year-over-year sales; she also captured market share and new patients from recent competitor closures.

 Overseeing 36 Osco Pharmacy locations in Illinois and Indiana, Stolz has been a proponent of driving new pharmacy-based services, especially in underserved areas on the South Side of Chicago.

 Walters provided support to 189 retail locations, division operations and merchandising teams, helping to drive improvements in key metrics, including third-party food safety scores, third-party sanitation scores and deli risk reduction.

 Wojnicki has demonstrated exceptional leadership and diligence since transitioning to her current position, and her strategic approach to category management, vendor relationships and sales had her results trending significantly higher than divisional and national averages, with units up 5.8% year over year and sales up 4.7% year over year.

 Her combined districts have

administered more than 119,000 immunizations this year, and she has grown new relationships within her community, with 325 off-site clinics, and also captured 64 new clinics.  Schmitz teamed with a new

service to provide emergency medication packets to patients, as well as college emergency packs to students, generating new prescriptions and sales.

 She has successfully secured

51 new vaccine clinics this year, up 16% year over year, and her efforts have accounted for 5,000 incremental vaccines at these clinics alone.  Stolz is a member of the

Jewel-Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) associate resource group, and she also volunteers as a preceptor for three area pharmacy schools, taking the time to mentor pharmacy students who are just starting out in their careers.

 She organized 10 food safety

manager courses and proctored National Registry of Food Safety Program exams in 2024, resulting in 352 new certifications.  Walters acquired her

National Environmental Health Association Certified Professional – Food Safety designation in September, and she also supports causes within her community to help reduce food insecurity.

 She ran popular rotisserie

turkey and sushi campaigns that resulted in increased sales, and she also set a new hot-food sales record.  Wojnicki is part of the Jewel-

Osco Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) associate resource group, as well as a dedicated food bank volunteer.

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COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Michele Edwards

Michelle Gallagher

Nelly GoycoCrespo

Floral Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./MidAtlantic Division

Bakery Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./MidAtlantic Division

Operations Specialist (Special Projects), Albertsons Cos./MidAtlantic Division

 Edwards oversaw implementation of sales and merchandising initiatives for floral at Kings and Balducci’s and served as the subject-matter expert on issues relating to fresh, gifting and accessories/home decor.  She has led several initiatives

 Responsible for sales and

 Goyco-Crespo oversaw all

merchandising execution at 18 Acme locations, Gallagher has constantly raised the bar in the district with improved gross margin results.

implementation of the Jersey Shore division of Acme’s summer international student program, and she served as the subject-matter expert for hiring and supporting stores with local summer hires.

 She was dedicated to improv-

that continue to pay dividends, including a focus on e-commerce within the fresh business and balloon-enhancement training classes that have set her department apart from the competition.

ing conditions and shrink, and her regular visits, mentorship and guidance effected a dramatic change in conditions, shrink results and sales at five of the stores in her district.

 Edwards is active in the

 Maintaining a packed sched-

community as a Girl Scout troop leader and volunteers with her local elementary school parent association; additionally, she is an active member of the Mid-Atlantic division’s Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN).

Anne Marie Mozzone Own Brands Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./Mid-Atlantic Division  Mozzone was responsible

ule, Gallagher is a member of four associate resource groups and is currently enrolled in the Retail Management Certificate Program; she also participates in the McKinsey Academy Black Management Accelerator Program.

the We Care Foundation Division Committee, a program for associates who are in need, and is also involved in volunteering at her local church.

formance, communicated and identified improvement areas as well as opportunities, kept in close contact with her teams on issues, and created solutions.  Mahan is a member of the

company’s Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) and is also actively pursuing a certification in retail management through the Retail Leadership Development Program; outside of work she volunteers her time with Habitat for Humanity ReStores to help needy families in the community.

Elena Arroyo

Mariah Clinton

Senior Director of Retail Operations, Albertsons Cos./ NorCal Division

Director of Center Store, Albertsons Cos./NorCal Division

 This year, Cameron had direct

 This year, she created a com-

 Additionally, outside the scope

pelling 25%-off own-brand event that drove millions of dollars in sales and an increase in sales and units over the previous year, and also helped drive double-digit growth in the snack nut category.

 Cameron was selected to

64 progressivegrocer.com

 Goyco-Crespo is a member of

 She diligently tracked per-

Raven Cameron

involvement in a partnership with corporate on creating standardized interview guides for retail teams across the company, which had a significant impact on the way that Albertsons hired associates in its retail stores.

hours organizing own-brand donations, coordinating pickups and drop-offs with more than 30 community partners.

for all J-1 international students and helped make them feel at home in the United States by translating orientations and training classes, and also by assisting in housing selection for the students.

 Thanks to the strong relationships she has built with her produce teams, Mahan consistently ranked in the top three for contests, sales performance, shrink, margin and more.

Regional Learning Manager-Denver, Albertsons Cos./ Mountain West Division

for more than $1 billion in ownbrands sale for Acme, Safeway, King’s and Balducci’s, a job that included, among other tasks, promotional planning, merchandising and new-item introductions.

 Mozzone spent countless

 She was the point of contact

Laura Mahan Produce Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./MidAtlantic Division

of her day-to-day work, she helped develop and roll out the Retail Leadership Development Program, which aims to have a significant impact on store employee retention. be a co-facilitator at the Unity in Pride corporate panel event and serves as chair for the local Pride Alliance associate resource group in the Denver division.

 Arroyo over-

saw store operations, service, security and communication for 360 store locations in Northern California, Nevada and Hawaii, working directly with store teams to implement new company initiatives.  She was credited with de-

veloping and deploying shrink levers that not only helped decrease net promoter shrink, but also increased sales and improved safety for customers and employees.  Selected to present at the

WAFC national convention, Arroyo serves on the NorCal diversity board and the Hispanic networking group; she helped increase membership at the latter organization by 52% in 2024.

 Clinton took

on a special assignment to lead micro-marketing projects for Albertsons’ NorCal division while she was an assistant sales manager for center store.  She thrived in this new posi-

tion, fully launching two flagship kosher stores that featured fresh meat, dairy and deli programs, and increased Passover sales by 852% versus 2023; her next project – three flagship Hispanic stores – helped Albertsons compete effectively against independent stores in the area and gained a key vendor partnership.  Clinton’s work led to her

promotion to her present role; she also upped her involvement in the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN).

Congratulations to our 2025 TWIG Winners!

Denise Garcia

Tiari Goold

Kelli Hammersmith Amy Hazlett

SVP International, CDS

Senior Director, Retail Execution

Chief Communications Officer

Tammy Smith

Angeline Sparks

Leigha Wilkerson

Director, Retail Programs, Albertsons

Director, Retail Programs, Kroger

Senior Director, Retail Execution

Director, Retail Programs, ADUSA

This year, we honor these exceptional Advantage women who inspire and lead by example. Here’s to the remarkable winners of the 2025 TWIG awards! Your contributions have truly made a difference that resonates with all of us. Thank you for your dedication and impact.

YourADV.com We keep commerce and life moving™

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Kristin Zierau

Cassandra Black

Rosa Chitwood

Joleen Elizondo

Senior Director, Marketing, Albertsons Cos./NorCal Division

Human Resources Manager, Albertsons Cos./Portland Division

Center Store Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Portland Division

Floral and Starbucks Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Portland Division

 Zierau ran two

major shopper marketing programs that grew sales in Albertsons’ NorCal division by $5.4 million; she also launched successful Hispanic, Asian and halal marketing plans, and developed more than 100 competitive response plans.

 Black developed a new HR team from the ground up, even though she was fairly new to her role; she used a new texting platform to communicate with job candidates, which increased response time from applications.

 In addition to her daily responsi-

 She was selected to be on

 At the end of 2024, an impressive 19 out of 21 stores in Chitwood’s division showed improved inventory – among them, 15 stores had write-ons, and eight stores maintained a 10% back room – while her shrink results ranked second in the division.

bilities, she successfully launched the division’s second vendor-supported golf tournament benefiting the Safeway Foundation; vendors called it one of the best-run tournaments they’ve attended.

a team to develop a training simulator for new warehouse order selectors, which enabled the selectors to experience pallet stacking so they could better understand their roles.

 She volunteered to join the

 Over the holidays, Zierau

 Black created and imple-

Leadership Network, Chitwood orchestrated a significant community event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which inspired the first-ever Hispanic Heritage Month in Phoenix.

assisted public affairs by finding three organizations to partner with for the company’s giving campaign and coordinated the volunteer efforts for this initiative.

mented the first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council for Albertsons’ Portland distribution center; she also helped create a positive recognition program.

NextUp leadership network, where she mentors and supports women who are advancing their careers at Albertsons.  As chair of the Hispanic

 Elizondo excelled at coaching, training and mentoring department managers for both the floral and Starbucks department in her district, the largest in Albertsons’ Portland division.  She collaborated with fresh

department sales managers to create an all-inclusive wedding program that provides a one-stop shopping experience for floral, catering and wedding cake needs; the program generated $14,500 in sales for the floral department alone.  Elizondo was selected to

attend the NextUp Leadership Summit in Chicago last year, and was also chosen by her district manager to organize a Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion event.

Kelly Morris

Mediha Rizvic

Amy Bell

Cathy Bourke

Bakery Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Portland Division

Assistant Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./Portland Division

Produce Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Seattle Division

Floral Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Seattle Division

 Morris’ dedica-

 Rizvic embraced

 The district

tion to both people and processes made her an invaluable asset to the organization; in addition to her daily duties as bakery operations specialist, she spearheaded the use and training of Vision Pro within her district.  Despite facing health challeng-

es in 2024, she enrolled in RLD (Retail Leadership Development) and managed to lead the division in bakery shrink and gross.  Morris was instrumental in

spearheading numerous projects aimed at developing and refining the retailer’s bakery systems, processes and workflow initiatives, her expertise and innovative approach significantly improving operational efficiency and productivity.

66 progressivegrocer.com

the chance to serve as assistant sales manager for produce in 2024; prior to this, she primarily worked in center store.  Demonstrating exceptional

financial acumen and mastery of reporting tools, she analyzed and implemented effective strategies in such challenging categories as premium beverages and salad dressings; her work led to positive growth in both categories, as well as a more than 1% increase in both dollars and units.  Rizvic supports her local

Bosnian community through volunteer work, and also participates in volunteer opportunities at Safeway, such as the Nourishing Neighbors initiative.

that Bell oversees had the lowest produce shrink rate in the division last year, averaging 3.56%, and was second highest in sales; Bell’s innovative, contest-winning display contests contributed to the sales boost.  She also mentored new oper-

ations specialists, store directors and assistant store directors, and organized events for the district team.  As the district’s representa-

tive for Albertsons’ Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN), Bell actively attends meetings, sends communications and orchestrates events; last year, she organized a warehouse tour and lunch for the group.

 Bourke ex-

ceeded her sales goal by $1.5 million, improved gross margin by $1 million and achieved some of the best shrink control in the company.  She implemented multiple

labor-saving initiatives, including chop-and-drop arrangements for holidays and everyday use, and established new partnerships with local and Canadian vendors; she also collaborated with local marketing teams to develop DUG (Denver Urban Garden) signage, which is now used company-wide.  Bourke created a new DIY

wedding line in collaboration with local vendors, cultivating a diverse range of multicultural fresh flowers and home décor to be featured in the stores.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Beth DaCosta

Melissa Mesde

Inga Wilkinson

Bakery Sales Manager, Albertsons Cos./Seattle Division

Assistant Sales Manager, Dairy, Albertsons Cos./ Seattle Division

Assistant Sales Manager, Baking and Main Meal, Albertsons Cos./ Seattle Division

Pricing Manager, Albertsons Cos./ Shaw’s Supermarket Division

 As assistant sales manager

 Chadbourne acted as a con-

 DaCosta, who

Kristy Chadbourne

was first honored as a Top Woman in Grocery in 2018, continued to shine in her role as bakery sales manager: In the past year, she upped her game in multiethnic merchandising, developing a comprehensive line of Hispanic-focused bakery goods, as well as a new Asian product line.

 Mesde demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic thinking in developing a comprehensive 52-week category growth plan for all dairy categories; her work helped achieve a remarkable 10%-plus increase in sales and 12% growth in units.

 She collaborated with a new

 She successfully led the rollout

supplier to introduce a line of doughnuts with a lower price point for a higher-quality product, thereby driving sales and reducing shrink.

outbreaks, she fostered strong relationships with suppliers, enabling her to negotiate better terms and secure inventory, thereby minimizing supply chain disruptions.

 DaCosta also developed a

 Undeterred by challenges,

Retail Management Certificate in 2024, better equipping her to lead efficiency initiatives and further solidifying her dedication to professional development.

bakery markdown program, reducing shrink in her department by more than 82 basis points in the third quarter.

 Amid concerning avian flu

Mesde broke her all-time sales records multiple weeks in a row, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to excellence.

Rosalind Green

Tina Marchant

Produce Operations Specialist, Albertsons Cos./ Shaw’s Supermarket Division

Assistant Sales Manager, Health and Beauty, Albertsons Cos./Shaw’s Supermarket Division

 The produce departments in

 Defying market pressures,

the 21 stores that Green oversees delivered the best sales, shrink and margin for the banner.

Marchant leaned into key market trends to drive significant growth within the categories she manages; her store saw significant sales increases in the nutrition solutions and baby care categories.

 She singlehandedly estab-

lished and coordinated the Black History Month program for Shaw’s and has also been a huge advocate and supporter of Hispanic events at the banner; additionally, she’s co-chair of the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) and a community champion for the banner and district.

 She developed an adult nutri-

tion merchandising program to help customers on GLP-1 drugs easily locate additional nutritional products; this program is being rolled out to more divisions across the country.

 In addition to all of that, Green

 A veteran herself, Marchant

held classes with store managers on the use of Vision Pro, and she continued to help stores better use tools to grow sales and reduce shrink.

conceived, organized and executed an event honoring Veterans Day at the Shaw’s Support Center and raised $15,000 for area veterans.

for the baking and main meal categories, Wilkinson successfully developed and executed a comprehensive merchandising plan for the 2024 holiday baking season; her work boosted sales by 14% and increased unit sales by an impressive 19%. of several new company tools, demonstrating her strong project management skills and ability to drive change.  Wilkinson earned the WAFC

Courtney Carranza

sultant in the creation, adoption and rollout of a new base pricing tool for Albertsons, and was therefore instrumental in establishing a pricing manager role in all Albertsons divisions.  She additionally served

as a mentor to other pricing managers, training them in best practices in pricing.  Even though Chadbourne

has to manage chronic health issues, she perseveres with an “amazing amount of infectious joy,” according to the executive who nominated her; accordingly, she has been recognized as a Shaw’s/Star Market SSC Superstar of the Month.

Denise Hahn Manager of Communications, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division

Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Albertsons Cos./ SoCal Division  During the Southern California

wildfires, Carranza played a pivotal role in the division’s efforts to help associates and communities: She worked with corporate and nonprofit partners to facilitate a smooth process for donations, and with Albertson’s distribution center to pinpoint areas for essential grocery delivery.  She headed a partnering effort

with the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association to improve access for people with disabilities; the effort led to the addition of wheelchair ramps and audiologists/signers.  Carranza led the successful

charge to identify meaningful community efforts for volunteers.

 After noticing the difficulty that store staff had with shopping carts laden with heavy orders in snowy and icy parking lots, Hahn collaborated with the safety and e-commerce divisions to identify sleds that could be used instead; the solution is now being rolled out to other locations with similar condititons.  Using an innovative approach

to casting “actors” for internal informational videos, Hahn held a “casting call” for associates on the company’s internal Facebook page and selected associates to appear in internal videos.  Hahn led a large-scale volun-

teer Special Olympics event in which 150-plus volunteers assembled and distributed 6,000 lunches over a three-day period.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 67

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Robin Cash

Brenda Garcia

Saee Pansare

Megan Irvin

Director of Digital and Loyalty, Albertsons Cos./ United Division

Health and Wellness Manager, Registered Dietitian, Albertsons Cos./United Division

Senior Product Manager – Technical, Amazon.com, Worldwide Grocery Stores

Director Retail Strategy and Operations – Large Format Channels, Anheuser-Busch (A-B)

 Cash’s work in support of the divestment and service agreement for Albertsons Cos.’ ultimately unsuccessful merger with Kroger was key to the company’s ability to maintain uninterrupted operations and achieve its divestiture objectives.  She led the transformation

of the company’s social media strategy to a video-centric approach across five banners on three major social media platforms; this strategic pivot enhanced brand visibility and audience engagement, which resulted in higher interaction rates and improved brand perception.  Beyond work, Cash made a

positive impact on the community through her continued work with the Salvation Army of Lubbock, Texas, and Lubbock Meals On Wheels. Candy Sittig Director, Category Sales, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG)  Sittig’s excep-

tional financial acumen helped the company exceed its 2024 financial slotting goals by 55% and surpass its private label margin goals by 0.39 basis points; her strategic insights and proactive approach were instrumental to the department exceeding its 2024 gross profit target and directly contributed to AWG’s financial success.  Recognizing the need to en-

hance negotiation skills across the merchandising teams, she took the initiative to organize and lead training in this area, strengthening AWG’s ability to secure favorable vendor agreements and drive profitability.  Sittig and her family support

Harvesters Community Food Network by volunteering and providing donations.

68 progressivegrocer.com

 Garcia spearheaded the development of the Back-to-School Meals campaign, which provided practical, nutritious meal solutions for families; this campaign included a health fair tailored to Amigos’ customers, further promoting wellness in the communities served by the banner.  She collaborated with the divi-

sion’s marketing department to add a digital, gamified learning experience to the annual Eat Well, Live Well campaign; the initiative elevated the shopper experience and reinforced the company’s reputation as a health-and-wellness leader.  Additionally, Garcia served on

the advisory board for Feeding New Mothers at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, in Amarillo, Texas.

 Before becoming a product

manager at DoorDash, Pansare spearheaded the Multi Banner Shopping initiative to expand Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market’s product selection by 30%, guiding the project from concept to beta launch within six months; the initiative resulted in a 16% increase in average basket size for Amazon grocery transactions.

 To ensure that sales teams

 She strengthened the orga-

module and presentation with grocery customers at A-B’s Retail Collaboration Center; her work set a standard for future joint-business plan discussions.

nization’s testing framework by reviewing five A/B test designs and implementing best practices for the grocery team, and created a user research playbook for other product managers.  Pansare volunteers at

Massachusetts General Hospital as an aide on the patient discharge team.

Tenneille McFarlane-Smart

Stephanie Briand

Project Management Office (PMO) Director, Big Y Foods Inc.

Team Lead, Demand Planning, C&S Wholesale Grocers

 McFarlane-Smart

 Briand quickly

was integral in building and developing a new function at Big Y, developing the structure, governance and staffing to enable the PMO to tackle some tremendous challenges; her efforts to identify shortcomings, missteps and opportunities were key to delivering a functional product.  She managed and delivered

on 10 important technology projects that had measurable positive impacts on customer experience, employee engagement, cybersecurity and service to Big Y’s front-line workers.  As a volunteer attorney for the

Connecticut Bar Association’s Free Legal Advice clinic, McFarlane-Smart assisted low-income individuals with their consumer, education, family, housing and immigration challenges.

established herself as a standout contributor and mentor, leading a project supporting independent stores with an average of 900,000 cases in weekly sales; the initiative involved aligning warehouse systems with customer-facing systems and required navigating complex cross-departmental collaboration while maintaining business continuity.  Under her guidance, her team

have more time to call on grocery accounts, Irvin developed and facilitated training sessions to educate 200-plus retail sales teams on available tools and processes for improving work efficiency and effectiveness; this resulted in 20% growth across A-B’s top grocery accounts.  She developed the first-ever

 Irvin is a board member of

Magic House, a nonprofit organization focused on giving children hands-on learning experiences that help them develop problem-solving skills.

Carolee Colter HR Consultant to Managers and Boards, Columinate  Colter con-

sulted on HR matters for food co-ops and independent retailers, presenting updated findings on her Gender Equity Project, which originally launched in 2021 and cited widespread gender-based pay inequities among food co-op GMs, many of whom have cited the report as the reason that they’re now getting paid comparably to male counterparts; in some instances, pay differentials exceeded $40,000 in compensation loss.

adopted a new forecasting and replenishment system that drove measurable gains in forecast accuracy: 5% year over year and nearly 20% over two years.

 She wasn’t paid for the

 Briand played a significant role

 For decades a staunch

in the company’s Adopt-a-Family program, helping to organize funds and gifts that directly supported families in need during the holiday season.

advocate for all workers in the grocery industry, Colter is co-founder of the Rising Stars training seminar and author of “Hiring a GM Toolbox.”

project; it was the product of her own research and initiative.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Daniele Lajeunesse Director of Sales and Marketing, Cox’s Seafood  Lajeunesse

played a key role in driving the success of Cox’s foodservice business and e-commerce and digital marketing platforms, reviewing performance against KPIs and guiding informed decisions and ongoing team improvement; her strategic leadership was evident in her relentless pursuit to exceed revenue, volume and gross margin targets.  She led the development of

Cox’s inaugural intern program, set to launch next year, and also introduced initiatives aimed at prioritizing children’s health and driving sales.  Lajeunesse secured new

business through strategic customer appointments with top broadlines, resulting in a projected 10% volume increase by year’s end.

RISING STARS

Heather Land

Vera Barber

Michelle Fisher

Senior Director of Merchandising, Food, Dollar General

Director of Business Development, Southern California, Epic Sales Partners

Assistant Director of Profit Protection, Festival Foods

 Overseeing cen-

ter store grocery, Land led further development of the Clover private label brand by adding new, on-trend quality products, including sauces and condiments; directed the expansion of value candy items, driving significant increases in unit share; and supported DG’s Food First program, a broader strategy to expand food offerings and healthier options, particularly in rural communities.

 Barber led key

categories, including meat, seafood, produce, service deli and grocery; her ability to identify and develop market opportunities extends beyond Southern California: She secured HQ and retail coverage for King’s Hawaiian at UNFI, expanding West Coast brand visibility.  Her team recorded a 12%

developing demographic-specific programs, which included partnering with internal data teams to analyze purchase patterns, identify trends and tailor assortments.

revenue increase and an 8% lift in cases sold, generating an additional $1.2 million in commissionable sales; results were fueled by driving new business, deepening key account relationships and flawless retail execution.

 Land headed expansion of

 Barber helped secure category

 She was instrumental in

international foods, including optimizing mainstream Mexican fare chainwide and adding authentic Hispanic foods to certain stores.

captain status for the smoked set at Superior, resulting in the addition of 14 new SKUs and increased sales for partners.

 In 2024, Fisher’s

team identified $1.1 million in discrepancies in direct store delivery, leading to $766,000 being recovered, which went to Festival’s bottom line, making her a key contributor to shrink initiatives.  She implemented an ad-

vanced asset management system allowing Festival to measure performance across critical areas, identify improvement opportunities and save time; the reporting and accountability transparency that the system provides have vastly improved key program execution.  Fisher’s team also launched

a scan-based reclamation program in August 2024; to date, $300,000 has been added to Festival’s bottom line, with the program projected to add $700,000 year over year.

Tracy Pernatozzi

Kayla Pinto

Lisa Ali

Mayra Inzunza

Category Manager, Dairy, Fresh Thyme Market

Category Manager, Vitamins, Fresh Thyme Market

 Responsible for

 Pinto has driven

Senior Specialty Cheese Merchandiser, Gelson’s Markets

Director of Legal Operations and Risk Management, Gelson’s Markets

creating and implementing dairy pricing, promotion and assortment, Pernatozzi drove double-digit sales comps in the category, outpacing the sales plan by 8% and increasing Fresh Thyme’s market share.

extraordinary growth, with comps up nearly 10% for the year; she stayed ahead of the curve by bringing emerging wellness trends to the Midwest, making Fresh Thyme a market share leader in such categories as functional mushrooms and active nutrition.

 Her partnerships with

emerging brands to launch exclusive items, collaboration with marketing on June Dairy Month initiatives, and launch of a cage-free egg commitment have fostered an outstanding shopping experience for customers in that department.

 She streamlined the retailer’s

category review calendar to ensure that tasks could be completed in a timely manner across all cross-functional areas; this has allowed Fresh Thyme to stay on top of consumer trends.

 When not occupied with

 She is an active member of

boosting FreshThyme’s dairy business, Pernatozzi has served on the retailer’s culture committee and, away from work, has mentored special education children on the spectrum.

Fresh Thyme’s culture committee and leads the retailer’s long-standing charitable relationship with Vitamin Angels, a cause that touched 400,000 lives over the past year.

70 progressivegrocer.com

 Ali played a pivotal role in launching several new private label specialty cheeses and charcuterie offerings, thereby ensuring that Gelson’s maintained an exclusive and competitive edge; she also introduced innovative pairing concepts, working with the wine and prepared food teams on instore promotions and events.  She led initiatives to optimize

inventory, reduce turnover and shrink, identify inefficiencies, and work with store teams to implement improved handling and tracking systems.  Ali trained and mentored mul-

tiple store-level cheesemongers, providing ongoing education on product knowledge, merchandising techniques and customer service best practices.

 Inzunza enhanced Gelson’s risk management and compliance frameworks to mitigate operational and legal risks, developing streamlined protocols for contract management, lease negotiations and compliance processes.  She introduced risk assess-

ment strategies that proactively identified potential liabilities, enabling the company to implement preventive measures before issues escalate; her influence has helped reduce claims and ensure operational compliance.  To inspire employees to pursue

their own growth opportunities, Inzunza shares her career journey from a store associate to leading Gelson’s legal function.

Congratulations

TO OUR 2025 TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY

Kayla Pinto

Category Manager

Kris Hale

Store Director

Tracy Pernatozzi Category Manager

Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and leadership

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Marnie Nemcoff

Jacquie Slobom

Anusha Prakash

Jessica Shoben

E-Commerce Manager, Gelson’s Markets

District Manager, Gelson’s Market

Manager, Merchandising Operations, Giant Eagle

Regional Business Leader, Giant Eagle

 Nemcoff expertly

led the expansion of Gelson’s white-label Instacart platform, driving a 20% increase in year-over-year sales, and she implemented key enhancements to the upscale grocer’s website, optimizing search functionality and customer navigation, which led to an additional $550,000 in direct sales growth.  She facilitated seamless co-

ordination among marketing, IT and store operations, ensuring that Gelson’s digital transformation aligned with in-store strategies; this helped create a more cohesive omnichannel experience for customers.  Nemcoff’s ongoing pursuit

of professional development was shown by her participation in the University of Southern California’s prestigious Food Industry Management Program.

 Slobom played a

crucial role in opening and stabilizing new store locations, ensuring that they embodied the company’s culture of excellence while attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive retail landscape.  She oversaw the improved

financial performance of her district, where she led initiatives to optimize labor, enhance sales strategies and improve store efficiencies; her focus on execution, accountability and operational excellence contributed to sustained profitability and customer loyalty, even amid economic fluctuations.  Slobom also strengthened

Gelson’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, expanding the company’s partnerships with food banks and increasing donations to support local communities while minimizing waste.

 In an entirely

new company role that she has built from the ground up, Prakash implemented a strategic approach to leveraging time zone differences that has resulted in seamless 24/7 business operations.  She introduced a comprehen-

sive mentorship program that pairs experienced team members with new hires across different time zones, which has facilitated effective knowledge transfer and skill development, ensuring that new hires quickly acclimate and contribute to the team.  Prakash launched a series

of targeted training sessions focused on enhancing cultural competency and time management skills to help team members navigate the complexities of working in a global environment.

 Shoben

increased sales in her region by $2,666,583 over the prior fiscal year and also effectively managed operating expenses by adding a hefty $4,765,993 to the bottom line.  As the East Divisional Safety

Champion, she employed consistent messaging and a positive-leadership approach to prioritizing safety while at the same time making it fun, which resulted in significantly fewer team member injuries.  A talented artist, Shoben

raises funds for the American Heart Association by donating her unique acrylic paintings to be sold at online silent auctions; meanwhile, in her professional life, she’s an executive member of the veteran’s and women’s business resource groups at Giant Eagle.

Dina Stickel

Amy Zorn

Kat Chin

Anisha Patel

Manager, Merchandising Data Operations, Giant Eagle

Senior Director, Enterprise Marketing, Giant Eagle

Senior Director, GO Brands, Grocery Outlet

Pharmacy Operations Manager, Harris Teeter LLC

 Zorn led the

 Within nine

 Patel coordi-

 By strategically

assigning tasks based on time zone advantages, Stickel minimized downtime and optimized workflow; regular handover meetings ensured smooth team member transitions, and detailed documentation was maintained to keep everyone informed.

launch of Giant Eagle’s Surround Yourself with Savings campaign highlighting ways to save at the food retailer; her omnichannel marketing plan led to an increase in value perception of the company’s produce departments while driving incremental units.

months of joining the company, Chin led the team to launch a private label program from scratch, commercializing more than 200 unique selling items; the program has exceeded all expectations, both internally, and externally with Wall Street.

 She initiated cross-functional

 She also headed up the

 She led the design strategy for

myPerks Free Turkey continuity program, which gave customers the opportunity to earn a free turkey for Thanksgiving; this promotion drove a 14% spending increase, delivering incremental sales of $28 million.

the GO Brands program, in partnership with an outside agency; the GO Brands program design received rave reviews and was nominated for multiple awards.

projects that unite team members from different departments to work on common goals, thereby encouraging collaboration, fostering innovation and giving team members a broader understanding of the business.  Stickel is a mentor for various

team members, guiding their professional and personal development, while at home, she’s the primary caretaker for her sister with disabilities.

72 progressivegrocer.com

 Zorn additionally complet-

ed the Women’s Leadership Program at Duquesne University and is a member of the women’s business resource group at Giant Eagle.

 Chin set the culture within her

team to be exceptionally responsive to operators and company team members when it came to answering questions about the brand-new program and driving to seek continuous feedback for ways to improve.

nated relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, deploying a pharmacy trailer that served customers, and she worked with state authorities to restore pharmacy services, ensuring that no patient was left without critical care.  She acted as a busi-

ness-to-business subject-matter expert, in which capacity she played a pivotal role in organizing and activating the Team Tune Up vaccination campaign; as a result of her efforts, the total company saw 70% growth in off-site vaccination clinics.  Patel took an active role in

refreshing the onboarding and new-hire training experience for pharmacists at Harris Teeter, supporting the creation of a pharmacist training guide.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Shannon Clark

Emily Fletcher

Sara Easton

Angela Bozo

Senior Director Marketing and Communications, Houchens Food Group

Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Hussmann Corp.

Director, Paid Media, Hy-Vee Inc.

Director of Member Programs, INFRA

 Easton

 Bozo led

 Clark led the consolidation of

spearheaded the Conversion API (CAPI) paid-media initiative, working closely with vendors, focusing on data integrity, and ensuring seamless integration with Hy-Vee’s e-commerce and in-store sales data.

efforts to build a partnership between INFRA and Gourmet Foods International that will provide INFRA member stores with a trusted partner for fresh protein, foodservice, bakery and specialty foods.

 She worked to develop

 She led the creation of a new

Experience customer initiative to educate retailers on upcoming regulatory changes, taking the Evolve Experience on the road as a classroom on wheels.

customized digital marketing strategies that touched nearly every market across eight states; by fostering collaboration with regional VPs and store directors, she drove initiatives that increased foot traffic and sales.

Grocery Leadership Retail training series to provide up-andcoming grocery leaders with the tools and education they need to take the next step in their careers.

 Under Fletcher’s leadership,

 Easton lends her time and

 Fletcher

the food group’s digital presence, moving multiple grocery banners under a single, cohesive digital ecosystem; she also spearheaded partnerships with eGrowcery for website management and Inmar for digital incentives.

launched the customer-centric Evolve Technologies portfolio to help Hussmann lead the food retailing industry in sustainable refrigeration solutions; she solely led the naming and branding process that resulted in the registered trademark.

 She spearheaded a full brand

 She developed the Evolve

refresh for Priceless IGA, focusing on pricing transparency and customer engagement; similarly, she led rebranding effort for Crossroads Convenience Stores, optimizing store layouts based on customer behavior data.  Clark developed quarterly

in-store marketing kits with an adaptable end cap display system; the solution reduced the need for complex overhead signage installations and improved execution rates across stores.

the marketing team launched an integrated marketing campaign including consumer outreach, digital, web, social, print, events, trade shows, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, videos and direct engagements; the program achieved full-market saturation.

talents to Healthy Birth Day, an organization dedicated to improving birth outcomes through programming, advocacy and research; she provided digital marketing support for the organization’s Count the Kicks public awareness campaign.

 Supporting entrepreneurs and

small grocers is an effort that carried over from Bozo’s professional endeavors into her personal world when she joined the Food Finance Institute, a group that helps food-focused businesses raise the necessary money to grow; she’s also on the board of a community and convention center in Madison, Wis.

Jasmine Taylor

Shannon Finch

Hannah Smith

Maria Arand

Head of Consumer Marketing, Instacart

Director of Procurement, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. d/b/a Food City

Director of Front End Operations, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. d/b/a Food City

Director, Customer Strategy, The Kroger Co./84.51°

 Heading up

 From oversight of

 Now VP, con-

sumer marketing, Taylor led the company’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial, which ranked first among all first-time advertisers in USA Today’s Ad Meter.  When wildfires struck Los

Angeles, she demonstrated Instacart’s commitment to community by working with the core team to drive awareness of Community Carts to consumers nationwide so they could send essential items directly to affected areas.  Taylor took on a leadership

role in Instacart’s first Olympic Games presence, allowing viewers to shop directly through TV commercials via QR codes; she also bolstered Instacart’s position as a culinary leader by making New York Times Cooking recipes instantly shoppable.

strategy and operation of the dry, frozen, dairy, and foodservice purchasing departments, this 12-year company employee has consistently moved up the ranks for her abilities.

customer checkout to store-level pricing initiatives, Smith’s work affected all 157 retail locations spanning five states.  She played a pivotal role in

major disruption across the supply chain, Finch and her team worked tirelessly to secure essential products for those in need; also last year, her work led to several improvements in the department’s “Advantage USA” report, specifically in supply chain efficiencies and forecasting accuracy.

opening nine new stores, four of them in new market areas, and saved the company $60,000 annually by re-evaluating maintenance contracts for front end equipment, and another $70,000 by gauging the profitability of offering convenience services like fishing licenses and coin-counting machines in targeted locations versus company-wide.

 For her leadership, Finch

 Last year, Smith completed

received the prestigious Dale Carnegie Highest Award for achievement and was honored with a 10-Year Service Award.

the Cornell NGA Executive Leadership Development Program and found time to take part in the women’s resource group.

 After Hurricane Helene caused

 Arand’s deep

understanding of Kroger’s customers shaped the company’s strategies and informed its leaders’ mindsets, and she served as a frequent spokeswoman for 84.51°.  She prepared content for the

senior officer off-site that laid out Kroger’s priorities for the coming year; developed innovation pillars leading Kroger’s workstreams for “Food at Home” and “Food as Medicine”; and, along with her team, launched Kroger’s first customer lifetime value model to predict important customers.  Selected as a Voices of

NextUp young leader, Arand cultivates future executives by mentoring and recruiting at the University of Cincinnati; she also advises the collegiate chapter at Miami University.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 73

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Mindy Powers Customer Communications Manager, The Kroger Co./Dillons  As a direct link

to customers, Powers was instrumental in shaping the marketing landscape across the division’s three states.  She recently spearheaded

Kristin Ostrowski Senior Card and Digital Payment Fraud Strategy Manager, The Kroger Co./Finance  Ostrowski transformed

fraud strategy from a reactive approach to a proactive, holistic model.

merchandising efforts for five major store remodels, two new fuel center openings and a pharmacy launch, and led Kansas City Chiefs selling initiatives; she also helped launch an in-store signage kit pilot program with Kroger’s corporate office that boosted the number of redeeming households by 43,000.

 She established new industry

 Powers added new digital

 A recognized leader in fraud

giving capability to a United Way associate pledge drive that resulted in increased participation, and she additionally helped others by co-chairing the Our Promise team.

Gabrielle Tsuji Regional Human Resources Director, Lidl U.S.  Tsuji showed

benchmarks for mitigating fraud, improved operational efficiencies and strengthened partnerships across business functions; for example, she set card storage thresholds to address a major security gap and developed reporting and analytics for self-service refunds. prevention, Ostrowski is a board member of the Southwest Ohio Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and motivates emerging fraud professionals through its mentoring program.

Heather Depuydt Field Merchandising Manager, Lowes Foods  In her role,

adept leadership in navigating the merger of two regional leadership teams and cultures into one this past year, and she successfully aligned and supported the operational teams in a centralized strategy.

Depuydt displayed her talent for innovative cross-departmental strategy and undertook such highly successful sales initiatives as a Valentine’s Day campaign that set a new company record.

 Her engagement initiatives and

 She streamlined standard

innovative ideas have improved workplace culture, as shown by a record-breaking 23.4% yearover-year improvement in store employee retention.

operating procedures and developed a company-wide meat-cutting training program, enhancing efficiency and consistency for employees across the organization.

 Tsuji’s team has consistently

led in recruitment and training and development metrics, and she also spearheaded the region’s internal development programs; when not at work, she volunteers to support various groups in her community.

74 progressivegrocer.com

 Depuydt played a crucial role

in opening and overseeing 13 new or remodeled Lowes Foods stores in 2024, and she also successfully promoted two beef shop field merchandisers to store director roles.

RISING STARS

Valerie Long Corporate DirectorU.S. Consumer Business, Kruger Products USA  Long took

a collaborative approach to overseeing the most critical own-brand accounts at Kruger Products, with a focus on strategic partnerships within the club and food channels.  She maintained open and

honest discussions about cost, managed to achieve sales growth of more than 25% for key accounts, and also saw growth in year-end brick-and-mortar performance.  A certified mentor through

Mentor Collective, Long helps fellow University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners navigate adulthood’s complexities during their college years and also makes monthly monetary and volunteer-based contributions to various organizations.

Amanda Redfern Logistics Manager, Lidl U.S.  Redfern oversaw

all recycling and trash processes at Lidl U.S., including the coordination of trash, recycling and food waste management at both the store and distribution center levels.  In 2024, she initiated Project

SORT to improve sortation, organization, redistribution and training throughout the enterprise; the program is set to reduce trash service costs, increase the diversion rate and bolster local food bank donations.  Redfern has been instrumental

in fostering strong relationships between Lidl U.S. and its food bank partners, resulting in 613 tons of food donations to local food banks; this has also made a substantial impact on food security in the community.

Rachel Morales

Liz Di Maria

Company Manager, Lowes Foods

VP, InsightsLab, Market Performance Group

 Morales was

responsible for all perishable operations within one of Lowes Foods’ busiest stores, and her commitment to her employees has resulted in extremely low turnover there.  Having previously shared her

abilities at various locations, she was asked to help open a new store last year, and her success there had the store running 30% over its sales budget and 145% over its profitability budget.  Morales coordinates direct-

ly with a local food bank to help collect needed food and supplies for her community, and she volunteers regularly to assist other stores in the Columbia, S.C., area with their operational and audit needs.

 Under her previ-

ous title of head of InsightsLab, a senior director position, Di Maria drove actionable insights, data analysis, reporting and channel leadership across more than 100 retailers, spanning the health, beauty, personal care and grocery categories.  She pioneered best-in-

class analytical processes and client engagement frameworks, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across her company’s grocery team.  Di Maria has served as a

guest speaker at Georgia Tech, Emory University and Boston University, as well as participating in industry and academic panels discussing analytics and marketing best practices.

RISING STARS

CO NGRATU L ATIO NS TO O U R TOP Rosemary Dumala Director of Sales, Wakefern and Wegmans Teams, Market Performance Group

Mary Benton Senior Information Security Analyst, Meijer  Part of a security

professionals to service approximately 100 clients at Wakefern Food Corp. and Wegmans Food Markets, personally managing four of those key accounts.

operations center responsible for creating, maintaining, responding to and mitigating IT security alerts, Benton also ran the security awareness program at Meijer and was chair of its human-centered security committee.

 On behalf of multiple CPG

 She helped decrease the rate

 Dumala led a team of nine

clients, she worked directly with the leadership teams at both of these leading grocers, collaborating to create strong relationships, driving strategic conversations and solutions, and driving sustained business growth.  To elevate strategic collabo-

ration, she spearheaded four comprehensive category deep dives, providing unbiased trend analyses and actionable insights ahead of the retailers’ category review cycles.

WOMEN IN GRO C E RY

that team members clicked on corporate phishing campaign emails by running and participating in a variety of programs, events and presentations to educate and train the organization about how to identify and report phishing emails.

SHELBY STRITZKE Vice President, GM/HBC & Beauty

 Outside of work, Benton has

volunteered with Kids’ Food Basket, a local nonprofit organization that works to increase access to healthy food for children and families in west Michigan.

LINDSEY FLANIGAN Erika Cutler

Carol Heinowski

Inbound Logistics Manager, Meijer

Logistics Manager/ Safety and Compliance, Meijer

 Over the past

year, Cutler led the changeover of the company’s pharmacy courier services to support the ever-changing network of pharmacy shipping nodes; as a result of this work, Meijer now has real-time visibility into all courier vans making deliveries, and ontime service has improved.  Her team additionally drove

significant savings in freight cost in 2024 by holding vendors and carriers accountable for on-time deliveries, using small-parcel incentives, routing optimization, and more.  Beyond her core duties at

Meijer, Cutler volunteers each summer to mentor an intern in the logistics area and has played a key role in several team member successes.

District Store Director

 Responsible

for Department of Transportation safety and compliance for 400 drivers in the Meijer private fleet, Heinowski helped see recordable accidents reduced by 37% and overall accidents reduced by 5% in 2024.  She was instrumental in

spearheading the creation of the Michigan Center for Decision Driving, a skid-pad training program funded through the Michigan Truck Safety Commission.  Appointed by Gov. Gretchen

Whitmer to the Michigan Truck Safety Commission, Heinowski is a board member of the Michigan Trucking Association and, when not dealing with logistics issues, plays flute in the Grand Ledge Community Band.

SARA EASTON Director, Paid Media

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Katelyn Lokker

Tammie McBain

Olayinka Ope

Marlys Roberts

Benefits Manager, Meijer

Customs Compliance Manager, Meijer

Corporate Counsel, Meijer

Director of Merchandising Beauty Care and Baby, Meijer

 In addition to her

normal responsibilities, Lokker successfully managed the largest benefits transaction in Meijer’s history, the Pension Risk Transfer, which affected nearly 40,000 active and retired team members, and she prioritized their experience from the outset while executing the process efficiently and smoothly.  She serves on the 401(k) and

Pension Retirement committees and actively participates in team-building activities within her department.  Lokker was nominated for a

Meijer Legacy Award, which recognizes team members who embody the company’s values and contribute to its success; outside of her work at Meijer, she’s dedicated to helping immigrants settle in her area.

 Leading a

team of five direct reports and working cross-functionally with global sourcing offices, McBain expertly managed the U.S. Customs entry clearance for Meijer’s direct import activity; in 2024, she led a company initiative to self-file 60% of Mejier’s direct import entries in-house (these were previously managed entirely by brokers), a change that provided the retailer with full visibility and control over the entry process.  Her efforts have helped

save the company more than $400,000 to date while better positioning the retailer to deal with tariffs on China and other trading partners.  McBain sits on the Van Andel

Global Trade Center’s global advisory board.

 Ope negotiated

several significant agreements over the past year, including key deals with a professional football team and a major e-commerce provider.

 Roberts led Meijer’s Beauty Reflow initiative to completion; this effort contributed significantly to Meijer’s same-store sales growth.

 She created the company’s

 She also spearheaded en-

first-ever pro bono program for the legal department and was also instrumental in improving the marketing team’s compliance program.  A passionate community

volunteer, Ope has served as a board member of the nonprofit Treetops Collective for the past four years, as well as a board member of A Glimpse of Africa; she also volunteered with the city of Grand Rapids, Mich., on the Clean Slate Expungement initiative, which allowed Michiganders to erase or expunge eligible criminal records.

hancements to Meijer’s holiday beauty programming, elevating the department to a gift-giving destination; Meijer’s The Gift of Skin initiative reinforced self-care as a premium gift option and unlocked new digital commerce opportunities.  Roberts led Meijer’s transfor-

mation into a premier destination for new families with Destination Baby, a program designed to enhance space allocation, elevate assortments and improve the overall shopping experience; she also pioneered Meijer’s first-ever car seat-recycling program.

Kara Schultz

Kaylee Schultz

Melissa Wacha

Lara Werner

Inventory Manager, Meat and Seafood, Meijer

Director of Merchandising - Dry Grocery, Meijer

Director, Asset Protection and Investigations, Meijer

Director, Supply Chain Network Strategy, Meijer

 Schultz initiated

 Under Schultz’s

 Under Wacha’s

 In her role as

projects for improved reporting in 2024, most notably creating web-based Power BI dashboards that show daily sales, margin and quantity reporting, down to store and item level; this reporting saved her team valuable hours.

leadership, Meijer’s dry-grocery sales exceeded the prior year’s sales by 3.5%; her team delivered 20% of the company’s total profit dollar growth.

 She collaborated with Meijer IT

partners and supply chain team members to create systematic changes to seafood product flow; by changing the time that store orders become visible at the warehouse, she allowed her analyst more time to review orders and contributed to incredible shrink improvements.  When Meijer experienced a

product flow system outage around Thanksgiving, Schultz built tools to order products manually; many key categories still experienced significant sales. 76 progressivegrocer.com

 Focusing on one of Meijer’s

key strategic pillars in grocery – own brands – she directed her team to expand product assortments and develop differentiated merchandising, pricing and promotional tactics; the results speak for themselves: The drygrocery team grew own-brand sales by 9% and increased sales penetration by 102 basis points.  Schultz also championed an

initiative to bring more locally made grocery products into the stores; she developed a dedicated display to highlight these local products and helped create a new team structure in the supplier inclusion organization.

leadership, Meijer has seen shrink performance improve as much as 90% in highshrink categories; she and her team used new technology and implemented effective awareness campaigns in regard to shrink in both stores and corporate offices.  She has been instrumental in

studying the company’s operations and procedures to see where asset protection processes can be simplified; last fall, she and her team rolled out a new crime intelligence tool that has reduced time spent recording incidents by 200% while increasing information sharing.  Wacha also sits on the

advisory boards for the Loss Prevention Foundation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National District Attorney Association.

director of supply chain network strategy, Werner led major supply chain initiatives within the past year; from a short-term perspective, she oversaw efforts to streamline frozen shipping schedules, reducing complexities and driving better store experiences.  She worked to define a five-

year network strategy for Meijer that informed capital investment decisions; this included the vision for a new network node and using AI responsibly.  Werner is an active partic-

ipant in the Women at Meijer team member resource group, acts as a mentor and advocate for high-potential female leaders, and is also a member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s Supply Chain Conference Advisory Board.

when high quality is the only quality. Thank you to our quality partners in deli and congratulations to the 2024 Top Women in Grocery!

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

RISING STARS

Nicole Witherup

Dawn Taylor

Drea Starch

Alisha Roberts

Director of Merchandising Women’s Apparel and Accessories, Meijer

Director of Account Managers, Next Phase Enterprises LLC

Senior Director Retail Sales, Niman Ranch

Manager of Pharmacy Services and Business Development, Northeast Grocery Inc.

 Witherup has helped Meijer

take its women’s apparel department to the next level with size exclusivity initiatives; her team has been more closely focused on the customer and elevating the product experience, and as a result, 2024 sales grew 3% versus last year, with an exceptional increase of 7% in direct margin dollars.  She created a strong presence

of own brands, balanced with popular national brands, and worked to capture Gen Z consumers by highlighting the junior apparel business.  Witherup is also reinventing

the accessories business that she took over in 2024 to create the same level of relevancy that she has achieved in apparel.

 As director of

project managers at the food brokerage firm Next Phase Enterprises, Taylor directly contributed to or oversaw the program timeline and launch for 258 new, ongoing, rotational or seasonal products, both nationally and regionally.  She additionally participated in

the onboarding of 13 new clients, projected to bring $4 million in first-year revenue.  Renowned at the company for

her strong leadership, communication and problem-solving abilities, Taylor was selected as the first-ever Family Member of the Year at Next Phase Enterprises; she was chosen for the honor because of her embodiment of the company’s core values; she’s also known as a skilled mentor.

 As senior di-

rector of sales for parent company Perdue Farms’ Emerging Brands division, Starch has gained placement for the Niman Ranch brand within both traditional supermarkets and natural channels; her overall contributions to the bottom line have been in the triple-digit percentage range in year-over-year growth.  Her cross-department collabo-

rations on carcass use and SKU rationalizations have directly affected Niman Ranch’s improved brand ranking.  Nominated for multiple

industry awards in 2024, Starch serves as mentoring committee chair of the Women’s Meat Industry Network (WMIN) and now sits on WMIN’s board of directors, after votes cast by 500plus members of the network.

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 Roberts delivered exception-

al contributions to Northeast Grocery’s pharmacy business through strategic innovation, operational enhancements and expansion efforts.  She expanded specialty

pharmacy services to the Tops operating company; her efforts ensured the seamless integration of these services across all Tops Markets pharmacy locations.  Roberts partnered with

the Community Pharmacy Association of New York State to participate in legislative advocacy events; she is also a member of the technology committee for the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy and volunteers in her community.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

Nicole Staniszewski Director of Loyalty Marketing, Northeast Grocery Inc.  As part of the

company’s merger integration, Staniszewski led the replacement of Tops’ customer relationship management platform, a system that for 15-plus years had housed data for more than 1.5 million customers; to minimize disruption, she devised a modular rollout strategy, and her leadership enabled a complete transition within four weeks of the original timeline.  She provided leadership to the

company’s broader marketing team through weekly strategy and planning sessions.  Staniszewski is active in

organizing multiple community fundraising events, mostly in relation to research on breast cancer, which has directly affected members of her family.

2025 Top Women in Grocery Angela Taddeo

Jessica Vennard

Director of Claims, Northeast Grocery Inc.

Pharmacy Managed Care Supervisor, Northeast Grocery Inc.

 As a result of the

company’s merger, Taddeo’s department needed to expand so that it could more effectively manage new Tops and Northeast Shared Services claims internally; under her leadership, this process was successful and resulted in significant cost savings.  She oversaw the department’s

transition from a stand-alone claims application to an upgraded Cloud-based version; once on the Cloud system, she successfully managed the modernization of the Tops General Liability (GL) process.  Taddeo is a graduate of the

Leadership Capital Region program through the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, in New York, and an active member of the SUNY Geneseo Alumni Association and the ASPCA.

Katie Frederick

Mariam Inuwa

Director of Retail, PepsiCo Beverages North America

Director of Sales, PepsiCo Beverages North America

 Frederick was

 Inuwa’s efforts

instrumental in transforming Pepsi’s Western Sunbelt retail business, delivering strong multi-year financials by going above and beyond the scope of her role.  She established a best-

in-class process for Rouses with Pepsi’s One Blue Bottling System, resulting in a single pricing structure that led to a major sales increase.  A winner of numerous awards

for stellar performance during her 18 years with PepsiCo, Frederick still finds time to be a member of the Women Inclusion Network, NextUp and Parents of Pepsi, while outside of work and the industry, she’s an active church member and participates in multiple community efforts, as well as youth sports programs.

in securing shelf and display space have been instrumental in enhancing product visibility and consumer engagement; by outpacing category growth in key metrics, she ensured that PepsiCo products would be prominently featured, further boosting the brand’s market presence.  She led the Kroger deli

joint-business plan to enhance meal occasions with innovative single-serve and meal-bundling plans. She also negotiated pricing goals ahead of schedule.

Linda Woodward Director, IT Quality Assurance, Northeast Grocery Inc.

 Following the

merger at her company, Vennard played a key role in integrating managed-care contracting across all Northeast Grocery subsidiaries, leading the transition for Tops Markets to a pharmacy services administrative operation facilitating greater efficiency, improved contract management and enhanced third-party payer relationships.  She also standardized and

centralized the third-party audit response process, developing mitigation strategies that have significantly reduced recoupment risks and strengthened the organization’s financial standing.  Vennard’s expertise in ac-

C&S

counts receivable and reimbursement strategies helped recover dollars in unpaid and underpaid pharmacy claims.

 Woodward played a pivotal role in the consolidation program at her company during its merger process; she was instrumental in testing and certifying mission-critical systems, thereby ensuring minimal disruptions and seamless transitions.  She led the implementation

of a strategic human resources information system, putting in countless hours with her quality assurance team to ensure that the implementation was as bugfree as possible.  Woodward fostered a collabo-

rative, high-performance culture among her team members, ensuring that offshore and onshore resources remained aligned despite the challenges of working across time zones.

CONGRATULATES the

Top Women in Grocery 2∙0∙2∙5

PROGRESSIVE GROCER

 A dedicated member of the

Cincinnati chapter of NextUp, Inuwa was recognized with the organization’s Region Transformation Award for her support of the year’s Spring Panel Event.

STEPHANIE BRIAND Demand Planning Team Lead

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Meagan Radziej Sales Director, PepsiCo CCO Team, Target, PepsiCo Beverages North America  Radziej found creative

solutions and led initiatives that boosted growth and operational efficiency, keeping Target ahead of the curve in the beverage industry; partnering with the retailer’s sports buyer, she secured 250 Gatorade end caps in sports locations at Target to create a unique, fun destination and impactful messaging.  She worked with the internal

brand team and Target to help develop a first-ever Bubly limited-time-only exclusive flavor, Melted Ice Pop, which was recognized by the retailer as a Best Beverage Innovation Item in 2024.  Away from work, Radziej vol-

unteers with Feed My Starving Children and is a regular participant in NextUp events. Nicole Lundmark

Michelle Forlenza Senior Director, On the Go and Deli Strategy, PepsiCo Foods North America  Forlenza helped launch a

RISING STARS

Jackie McAuley Director, Commerce Shopper Marketing, Kroger, PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA)  Leveraging two iconic brands –

Frito-Lay-inspired sushi program in partnership with Kroger, PepsiCo’s first-ever culinary launch with a major retailer; she also managed two transformation projects to expand single-serve assortment across Kroger’s front end, which grew the business 6% at a time when the overall market declined 4%.

Cheetos and Doritos – McAuley worked with PFNA’s culinary and R&D teams to create branded sushi items for Kroger; she developed an integrated omnichannel marketing strategy that delivered breakthrough media return on investment and supported $4 million in sushi sales across Kroger delis.

 She took over a challenged

 She worked with her team

Stacy’s Pita Chip business and used an insights-based solution to course-correct assortment and days-of-supply issues; this approach drove a 35% space increase for the brand, which experienced an early 10% growth rate.  Forlenza also leads the

PepsiCo Kroger national EDGE Culture Team.

to launch Doritos Late-Night Cheeseburger and Lays Messi exclusive products with full-funnel marketing support; both launches were considered best in class by Kroger and supported by strong results.  McAuley takes part in EDGE,

an internal taskforce supporting positive team culture and personal/professional development.

Madaline Kennedy McCune Customer Management Director, PepsiCo Foods North America  McCune created PepsiCo’s

first national deli offer with Albertsons, resulting in an incremental 12,000 displays and Lean Six Sigma growth of 79%; she also created and implemented a massive front end/impulse destination with the retailer, resulting in more than $6 million in growth for her company and significant customer upside.  She developed a direct-ship

S2U program for Albertsons fuel centers to ensure that the full portfolio of products was represented in stores.  In recognition of the mean-

ingful impact that she’s had on PepsiCo’s foods business, McCune was named a 2024 PepsiCo Way award winner for front end.

Tanya Champion

Mariana Eagen

Michelle Noble

National Sales Manager - OmniChannel, Pompeian

Sales Director, Albertsons Hair Care, Procter & Gamble (P&G)

Director, Analytics and Insights, Procter & Gamble (P&G)

 Lundmark’s

 Champion

Senior Director, North America Market, Top Grocery Supply Chain Leader, Procter & Gamble (P&G)

commitment to partnerships helped her to over-deliver on her budget; while the marketing team was transitioning roles and responsibilities, she helped train, support and lead media plans to ensure a smooth transition.

drove significant growth in the Albertsons hair care business, achieving a significant increase in top-line performance and bottom-line results, as well as a notable enhancement in market share at Albertsons.

 Selected by one of her cus-

 She achieved impressive

tomers to lead a pilot program, she was the first and only vendor to agree to the added workload of the test program and led a large cross-functional team to execute the program.  Lundmark was recognized by

Amazon Fresh with the Amazon Fresh Center Store Deep Dive Award for her outstanding achievements; she’s also a member of numerous industy share groups in which she imparts her industry knowledge.

80 progressivegrocer.com

 Eagen’s team

delivered remarkable growth last year, increasing iMeijer’s share of market across all businesses; as the lead on the team devoted to driving category growth across P&G’s over-thecounter health pillar business at Meijer, she uncovered new pockets of growth.

growth in digital sales, demonstrating her ability to leverage emerging channels for business success; this work resulted in successful initiatives for the entire P&G North America hair care organization.

 She developed and led her

 Champion volunteers with

 As a volunteer with the Grand

various groups in Boise, Idaho, including United Way, Rake Up Boise, Boise River Clean Up, the Holiday Helper Program, the Boise Food Bank and Feed the City – Meridian Food Bank.

team in applying a new go-tomarket promotional framework that simplified and strengthened promotions; the initiative was a key contributor to Meijer’s category and market share growth. Rapids, Mich., Community Food Club, Eagen is dedicated to addressing food insecurity by increasing access to healthy foods and helping people achieve better health outcomes.

 Noble’s work identifying mul-

tiple unique issues that cause out-of-stocks enabled P&G to align plans with retailer c-suites and pilot solutions at key divisions to significantly improve on-shelf availability and target further refinements.  Partnering with senior P&G

supply chain leaders, she helped drive internal process improvements that led to breakthrough innovations, such as automated lost-sales root-causing capability, that have been adopted by other P&G retail supply chain leaders.  Noble regularly volunteers at

nursing homes for the elderly, where she actively engages with residents through meaningful conversations and activities.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

Cassie Bianculli IT Product OwnerDistribution, Save A Lot  Bianculli led a

multimillion-dollar cost reduction effort within the company’s freight and fuel program, driving benefits to both retail partners and Save A Lot.  She modernized Save A Lot’s

transportation management system across all eight distribution centers (DCs), unlocking efficiencies and driving down operating costs, and she introduced engineered labor standards in the company’s performance-based pay for DC staff, ensuring proper incentivization and increasing retention.  Bianculli is president of the

University of Missouri-St. Louis Supply Chain Alumni Affinity Group, a member of the Buddy Fund Young Leaders Board and a member of the Council of Supply Chain Professionals St. Louis Roundtable. Brittney Diehl Logistics Manager, Save A Lot  By increasing

overall cube per load and adjusting some store deliveries to combat on-time delivery, detention fees and unsuccessful backhaul pickups, Diehl was underbudget by $180,000 last year.  She temporarily took on the

responsibilities of payroll/office lead and logistics manager and served as outbound manager when two roles were unstaffed, maintaining all three roles; for a time, Diehl processed payroll for 85 hourly team members, managed outbound operations while learning the logistics function, and helped train the new outbound manager and office lead.  Despite those challenges,

Diehl was able to increase the carrier on-time delivery (OTD) from 88% to 97% and the overall OTD from 93% to 95%.

2025 Top Women in Grocery Angie Carson

Lori Caskey

Category Manager, Save A Lot

Marketing ManagerAd Production, Save A Lot

Distribution ManagerTransport, Save A Lot

 Assisting three

 Carson helped

Katherine Bishop

category managers with a range of strategic initiatives, Bishop significantly grew ethnic category sales in 2024: By expanding seasonal offerings that are highly relevant to Hispanic customers during key times of the year, she grew ethnic category seasonal sales by 8.2%.  She additionally helped

expand ethnic supplier representation at the Save A Lot Food Show by bringing 16 additional suppliers to the event in 2024 and increasing sales by 120% year over year.  An assistant store manager

and store manager before taking on her present role, Bishop finds time to volunteer as both the assistant volleyball coach and assistant basketball coach at a local school. Jadwiga Graham IT Product Owner, Corporate and Finance Apps, Save A Lot  Graham led a review of the

retail services program that realized annualized cost savings of $4 million, and she coordinated external vendors and internal teams to deliver $20 million in healthy benefit sales.  She was project manager

for the point-of-sale and retail back-office lifecycle project that modernized systems in 500-plus stores, and project manager for a pay-for-performance project that improved productivity and retention of resources at the distribution centers.  As leader of the Volleyball

Club, Graham has helped raise $14,000 for the Side Out Foundation, an advocacy group that supports people living with metastatic breast cancer.

develop and execute one of the company’s first fully Hispanic ads for a retail partner in Colorado, which helped the company open the Hispanic concept ad to additional stores; she also partnered with multiple departments to produce the seasonal catalog program, designed to drive incremental purchases from retail partners, generating an estimated $15 million in sales in 2024.  She negotiated $2 million in

savings with a vendor over a two-year period through the request-for-proposal process.

 In her role

managing inbound transportation for all eight of Save A Lot’s distribution centers across multiple states, Caskey helped identify profitable lanes and subsequently created new customer pickup (CPU) lanes that drove nearly $600,000 in savings for the company last year.  She also negotiated freight

allowance increases with one of the company’s largest vendors to keep Save A Lot on a 100% CPU program with that company.  Having reached her 40-year

 Carson is the marketing

team’s designated Culture Champion and works with other representatives to help Save A Lot teams better communicate and work together.

anniversary at Save A Lot, Caskey has been nominated for many internal awards from her peers throughout the years; outside of work, she participates in the Neighbor Cleanup Project in her area and neighborhood watch programs.

Maureen Pearce

Sarah Robinson

Category Manager, Save A Lot

 Pearce over-

 Robinson beat

delivered on her sales forecast by more than 4% and significantly beat her cost savings initiative by more than 37%, adding significant value to her categories; in the fluid milk segment, she aggressively negotiated with a limited supplier base and was able to save about 2% in total cost of goods sold.  At a time when avian flu was

negatively affecting the egg industry, she managed to balance maintaining the fill rate with cost perception while ensuring product quality in an ever-changing supply situation.  A member of Save A Lot

project teams, Pearce also makes time to volunteer in her community with Pedal The Cause and the Fairmont Senior Living Facility.

her cost savings goal in multiple categories, resulting in multimillion-dollar annual savings; she also managed a multi-vendor bid for Save A Lot’s paper assortment and saved more than 8% on the company’s overall private label program.  She performed a full category

assortment review of the household cleaning category, made multiple changes and increased sales by more than 4%, as well as being one of three category managers who developed and trained the rest of the team on the company’s new category review process.  Beyond Save A Lot, Robinson

owns and runs a successful permanent jewelry business, and she also volunteers at a local mobile food pantry.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 81

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Traci Springer

Tracey Young

Director of Supply Chain, Save A Lot

IT Risk and Compliance Manager, Save A Lot

 With a target of

96% overall total company service level, Springer and her team overcame external challenges to deliver exceptional results, achieving a combined overall service level of 98.57%; as a cross-functional leader, she successfully tackled complex challenges that included optimizing holiday and food show performance in spite of distribution center space limitations.

 In 2024,

 DeVries led

and implemented a payment card industry (PCI) compliance program for Save A Lot retail partners to achieve their yearly PCI attestation, resulting in considerable savings for Save A Lot and expected to save retail partners an average of $10,000 per year.  She implemented a risk and

 She was also involved in

 She supported the launch and

initiatives that impacted Shipt’s bottom line, such as oversight of financial negotiations that led to a 27% increase in profitability, and terms with key partners.

promotion of a demonstration program for SpartanNash’s independent retailers, facilitating 31 in-store demonstrations that increased Finest Reserve’s sales, and she helped roll out a coupon program involving 169 locations, 115 available offers and 180,000-plus redemptions.

 During a prolonged software

 Nationally ranked by the

Marianne Schmidt

Senior Director, Partnerships, Shipt

Lauren DeVries Manager, Own Brands, SpartanNash

external marketing execution supporting product launches, brand initiatives and in-store experiences, a role that was pivotal in the introduction of Finest Reserve by Our Family to the Midwestern market; she oversaw a multicategory launch for the premium private brand that introduced products across 12 categories.

curing the promotion of another team member by recognizing their talent and aligning them with an opportunity in which they could thrive. outage, Springer her team developed an effective workaround, thereby ensuring uninterrupted business operations.

Kristy LaMontagna

LaMontagna and her team led the successful launch of 24 new retailer partnerships across diverse verticals, broadening Shipt’s reach and expanding its presence in new regions; new partnerships brought more than 3,000 new retail locations to the marketplace nationwide.

 Young built

compliance tracking system that includes a risk register — a strategic move that saved the organization several thousand dollars per year while also improving the functional capabilities of the risk and compliance department.

 She played a pivotal role in se-

RISING STARS

American Darts Organization, Young supports and promotes youth darts participation in her local community.

 LaMontagna’s participation in

committees like the FMI Tech Council, the FMI Retail Council and Women Grocers of America has strengthened external relationships and positioned Shipt as a retail-space thought leader.

 DeVries facilitated sponsor-

ships for nonprofits through SpartanNash’s Our Family Cares.

Joy Stuive

Ani Reilly

Kayleigh Swift

Director, Deli, SpartanNash

Senior Manager, Transportation, SpartanNash

National Account Manager, Spindrift Beverage Co.

U.S. Brand Manager, St Pierre Bakery

 Schmidt’s expert

 After earning an

 Reilly’s total

oversight of category management procurement and promotions directly affected budgeted sales and gross profit performance across multiple store models; this led to such to such impactful changes as refined sales floor merchandising, comprehensive back-of-house training, new items and updated point-of-sale strategies.

accounting degree and working for 20 years at her grandfather’s trucking business, Stuive went on to oversee SpartanNash’s transportation operations in Grand Rapids, Mich.; in 2024, the budgeted cost per mile (CPM) was $3.76, while the actual CPM was $3.41, resulting in millions of dollars in cost savings.

 Her high-performing team

 Stuive eliminated contract labor

collectively influenced strategies and operational efficiencies across SpartanNash-operated retail stores through on-site training and ongoing evaluation of store performance.  Schmidt received

SpartanNash’s Award for Balanced Scorecard Performance, while beyond grocery, she avidly supported the Humane Society. 82 progressivegrocer.com

by implementing process efficiencies in driver tip sheet production and empty move auto-generation, restructuring dispatcher schedules and refining coverage across dayparts to better serve drivers and customers, and ultimately improve retention.  Year over year, Stuive

improved distracted-driving behavior by 53.4% and inattentive-driving behavior by 41.1%.

business accounted for almost 22% of Spindrift Spiked’s total sales, 30% of its chain business and 25% of total volume growth; this helped make Spindrift Spiked the company’s No. 2 growth brand and No. 13 in total national sales.  At Albertsons, Spindrift Spiked

grew to be the No. 5 brand out of 422, and it was the leading growth brand (up 157%) in a category that grew just 2.7% versus the previous year; meanwhiile, at Kroger’s Fred Meyer banner, Spindrift Spiked was the No. 3 brand, and unit sales increased 92%.  Reilly was recognized by

Spindrift with a “Duffy” award for her leadership, collaboration and hard work; she has since taken a position at beverage manfacturer Stateside Brands.

 Swift focused

on U.S. brand execution across all mediums; working with retailer Lunds & Byerlys, she transformed end caps into little Parisian “boulangeries” opposite in-store delis, thus driving brand engagement, in-store theater and sales.  Working with fellow 2025 TWIG honoree Liz Bleakley, she staged a successful IDDBA event in Houston, following a three-day consumer activation and sampling forum in San Antonio; the latter drew 2,000 consumers and was where St Pierre also launched its Citroen food truck, bringing Texans a taste of Paris.  Swift’s data-drive approach

helped launch Eat Avec Respect. St Pierre’s first-ever TV campaign, in the United States this past February.

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

Ashley Carrico 84.51°

Chelsea Cubero

Fred Meyer

Kendra Doyel

Laura Gump

Food 4 Less

Houston

Michelle Colleen Lindholz Phanthavongsa Central

General Office Kroger Health

Ann Reed

Mindy Rector

Cincinnati

General Office Kroger Technology & Digital

Ranee Ward

Jessica Winebrenner

RISING STAR

Maria Arand 84.51°

Kristin Ostrowski

General Office Finance

Mindy Powers Dillons

STORE MANAGER

Nicole Draper Michigan

Alicia Jones Atlanta

Liz Mercado Martinez Ralphs

Michelle Valdez

King Soopers

Mafi Vasquez Fry’s

Erma Vazquez Fry’s

Nashville

Cincinnati

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Elizabeth Anderson Senior Pricing Manager, Topco Associates LLC

Rita Fleyshov

Rachel Vidoni

Carie Filighera

Director of Procurement, Pharmacy, Topco Associates LLC

Program Manager, MDT Wholesale and ISP, Topco Associates LLC

Customer Experience Specialist, Tops Markets LLC

 Anderson led the creation of a new process that provides pricing support to Topco’s customer service teams, reducing cycle time and improving member satisfaction; this resulted in a 22% increase in member pricing accuracy.

 Fleyshov managed a direct generics team to help drive an RFP that resulted in $20 million in annual savings for Topco members, as well as an immunization drive that yielded $24 million in member savings.

 Her work leading the automa-

 She also secured millions

tion of a dairy-pricing process reduced her team’s workload by 90 hours per month.  Anderson has earned several Topco service awards and is a graduate of the company’s Leading From Every Seat program, designed to identify and shape Topco’s high-potential future leaders; additionally, she’s active within her community, working closely with Children with Hair Loss to help kids and young adults facing medically related hair loss.

RISING STARS

more in savings by establishing contracts with secondary suppliers, set up contract compliance monitoring and launched an IT direct generics platform, improving communication to Topco members and suppliers, and streamlining processes.  Fleyshov took part in Topco’s

leadership development program through Loyola University; she also volunteers to assist Ukrainian immigrants in her area with resettlement, benefits and community integration.

 Vidoni has grown Topco members’ business by more than 10% year over year and has been able gain participation in 20-plus programs at a variety of member companies, which will have long-term benefits for all participating Topco member companies.  She was a key player in

building the template for Topco’s indirect-spend program to conduct joint-business planning for member owners; known for her personal touches, she regularly sends handwritten follow-up and thank-you notes to members and teammates.  When not busy at her job,

Vidoni volunteers as a mentor for students affected by homelessness and additionally sponsors a young woman pursuing a nursing degree.

 Filighera rewrote the front end training program, reduced total company cash shortages by $50,000, managed five grand openings and transitioned four stores from franchisee to corporate ownership.  Passionate about the well-be-

ing of her fellow employees, Filighera was an active supporter of Tops’ Giving Tree Program, for which she gathered and distributed gifts for five struggling families within the organization.  Beyond Tops, she volunteers

for the city of Buffalo’s Operation Clean Sweep, which aims to eliminate blight and further reduce crime while providing needed social services, and with the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge to encourage fellow associates to bond through fitness and food.

Kelly Quigley

Katy Frosch

Emily Barrett

Lauren Beimer

Director of Distribution, Tops Markets LLC

National Sales Manager, Trilliant Food and Nutrition

Senior Brand Manager, Marketing, UNFI

Director of Human Resources, UNFI

 Quigley played

 Constantly re-

 With oversight of

a key role in the negotiation and ratification of a contract with Teamsters Local 264, covering more than 600 drivers and warehouse associates.  She was also crucial to

identifying additional warehouse operational cost savings and moving from a seven-day to a six-day operation, a change expected to save millions in utility and fuel costs, and to provide labor efficiencies.  Quigley was selected to attend

the 2025 cohort of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Empower Management Training; she’s also part of the Tops Markets Inclusion Council, for which she provides insights to help set organizational DEI goals.

84 progressivegrocer.com

searching the market and identifying opportunities to bring innovative solutions to consumers, Frosch played a pivotal role in developing Nurri Ready-to-Drink Protein Shakes, quickly driving market share and paving the way for future innovation; she has spurred the product’s growth across multiple mass and club channels.  She helped lead the charge

to integrate the company into NextUp, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women in business and fostering inclusive workplace cultures.  Determined to drive change,

Frosch shares insights on strategy, confidence and self-advocacy to redefine what leadership looks like at her company.

the UNFI Brands+ business in the United States and abroad, Barrett drove strong results on the premium brands she leads, propelling Woodstock to become the No. 2 organic national brand in the natural channel grocery and frozen departments, with annual sales surpassing $100 million.  She has received the Quarterly

 Beimer achieved

favorable-to-budget operational shrink; enhanced cross-functional partnerships, leading to lower inventory levels and costs while improving customer service; designed organizational groups based on KPI outputs to balance workload; and created rotation programs addressing 25% turnover due to career advancement.

Brands+ All Hands Awards twice in the past year in recognition of product launches and her contribution to the Brands Innovation Summit.

 She has won UNFI’s Circle

 Barrett volunteers in her

munity trash cleanups monthly and at the Feeding America food bank near UNFI’s Riverside, Calif., distribution center; she also volunteered via LA Works after the Los Angeles fires.

local community, helping with area cleanups and food and clothing donations; she’s also a contributing member of UNFI’s Women’s Integrated Network.

of Excellence and is an active member in UNFI business resource groups.  Beimer volunteers on com-

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Lida Cuevas

Jillian D’Elia

Supervisor, Shelf Services, UNFI

Senior Director, Strategic Events, UNFI

 Cuevas and her

team completed more than 300 ad hoc store resets, each requiring meticulous planning and close collaboration with retailers and the sales team; these resulted in more than 550 new item placements to drive incremental sales.  She took on full responsibility

for maintaining Sedano’s shelf program during a key leadership transition, resetting more than 35 categories and ensuring seamless collaboration and mutual growth.  Cuevas is active in UNFI’s

Women’s Integrated Network and UNFI Adelante, a Hispanic and Latinx employee resource group, and has driven group fundraising efforts for cancer research, all while pursuing a business degree at Florida Atlantic University.

 D’Elia designed

and executed impactful shows, developed innovative customer engagement strategies, forged strategic supplier partnerships, and created superior client programs.  Her initiatives not only en-

hanced customer satisfaction, but also increased average transaction values, as she ensured that UNFI’s top executives had high-visibility platforms to shape the company’s strategic narrative; additionally, under her leadership, the UNFI Foundation Golf Tournament raised more than $1 million.  D’Elia volunteers with the Boys

and Girls Club; The Tolland Fund, focused on promoting sports for people with disabilities; and the Anti Bullying Advocacy for Connecticut Youth.

RISING STARS

Allison DeFarkas

Karina Estrada

Senior Manager, Brand Creative, UNFI

Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, UNFI

 DeFarkas played

 Estrada led a ini-

a key role in the award-winning rebrand of Wild Harvest and developed the creative strategy behind the launch of 100 new products.  By restructuring the creative

team into an in-house agency model, she saved more than $50,000 annually, significantly improving efficiency and elevating the creative output of the Brands+ portfolio; she led with a sharp strategic mindset, determination and a highly collaborative approach.  DeFarkas has been recog-

nized for her advocacy efforts to raise awareness of childhood apraxia and has demonstrated leadership by mobilizing resources, engaging and collaborating with government officials, and advocating for inclusivity.

tiative that ensured a pest-free environment by implementing preventive measures and enhancing monitoring systems; this significantly improved overall food safety standards and operational efficiency.  She transformed food safety

presentations from simple Word documents into engaging, multimedia-rich formats, and completely overhauled the company’s food safety training program, resulting in a 25% improvement in effectiveness.  Estrada is a member of the

SQF Document Committee and the Intelex Project Test Committee, and she’s also an active Riverside Latino Network volunteer, in California, and a Riverside City College Mentor for Puente Program students.

Allison Gephart

Nina Kluge

Joanna Lewis

Environmental, Health and Safety Partner, UNFI

Senior Director, Product Business Management and Sourcing, UNFI

Human Resources Manager, UNFI

Director Operations, Finance, UNFI

 To ensure that

 Lewis and her

 Fischer

 For two con-

Sarah Brooke Fischer

spearheaded a comprehensive training initiative to ensure that all associates were well versed in safety protocols and properly certified on equipment; her leadership reduced the lost-time incident rate by more than 80% and lowered the OSHA incident rate by more than 45%.  She led the repair of 700-plus

damaged racking locations in the warehouse, further enhancing workplace safety.  Fischer supports Feeding

South Florida by organizing and packaging food for those in need, and leads cleanup efforts for Earth Day; she also recently earned her master’s in environmental policy and is currently working toward Certified Safety Professional certification.

86 progressivegrocer.com

secutive years, Gephart and her team exceeded business goals, securing more than $12 million in annual cost savings through supplier negotiations and productivity initiatives.

new human resources managers were set up for success, Kluge initiated biweekly training sessions covering essential topics like leaves of absence, headcount tracking, reporting queries and PeopleSoft software entries.

team acted as a critical bridge between operations and strategic projects, driving a high level of discipline and clarity, from business case development through execution and sustainment of business benefits.

 In a rapidly evolving environ-

 Beyond human resources, she

 She was the finance represen-

spearheaded the development of monthly supervisor training for the local operations team, during which such critical topics as shift swaps, attendance management and leadership were addressed; these training sessions have received enthusiastic feedback and driven positive engagement from supervisors.

tative leading learning sessions for UNFI’s first-ever Women in Operations Leadership Development Program; for those who participated in the sessions, confidence in understanding EBITDA rose from 10% to 73%.

ment, she successfully guided her team through change, hired new talent, adapted to leadership shifts and drove a culture of continuous improvement; as a result, her team is on track to exceed $13 million in savings this year, enabling reinvestment in business growth.  Gephart actively supports

such organizations as Feed My Starving Children, Habitat for Humanity, Hope for the Community Food Shelf and Elko New Market.

 Kluge reimagined UNFI’s

Helping Hands community service effort, broadening the scope of the engagement committee to include event planning.

 Lewis organizes an annual

supply chain FP&A team volunteer opportunity for UNFI associates in the New England area, which includes packing meals at the Rhode Island Community Food Bank for community members in need.

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Elisa Litfin

Aliona Mikhed

Maddie Nowlin

Senior Manager Talent Partner, UNFI

Sales Manager, UNFI

Account Manager, UNFI

 Recognizing

the importance of employee engagement, Litfin led the creation of resources to support employees who take a leave of absence to care for their families.  She also transitioned a manual

paper process within the human resources team to an electronic and more automated process, thereby improving efficiency and the associate experience.  Litfin is a cabinet member of

the DREAM (Disability Resources Equity Advocacy and Mentoring) employee resource group, which creates space for disability education and awareness, provides advancement opportunities, and helps eliminate stigma and misperception; she also volunteers through her local Lions Club, where she holds the role of treasurer.

 Mikhed helped

negotiate and close national contracts for more than $300 million worth of business for UNFI and guided four multi-year agreements signed in the past year with the company’s national customers.  She unlocked opportunities

for national customers to access natural, conventional and fresh product groups, resulting in significant mutual growth and creating a true win-win scenario.  Allways eager to help out

when she can, Mikhed took on the role of fundraising chair at the UNFI Foundation, where her hard work and dedication raised, for the first time ever, more than $1 million for its charity golf tournament; additionally, through the UNFI mentor program, she supports the career growth of two mentees.

Katie Kallemeyn

Angela Schelske

Senior Category Manager, UNFI/Cub

 Using the learn-

 Schelske im-

ing and experience that she gained as a store manager to aid her successful transition to another role, Kallemeyn worked with the center store team to create a back-to-school better-for-you snacking planogram, as well as a planogram of allergen-free kid-friendly items; together, these drove $323,000 in sales, a 49.6% lift.  She additionally increased

non-ad vendor funds in her area by 42%, boosting sales and margins across the total grocery department.  Kallemeyn co-founded and is

currently director of a nonprofit organization, New Leash Rescue, focused on helping pets and families unite for the betterment of all – human and four-legged.

plemented a new pricing strategy in general merchandise that reduced shrink and delivered a positive margin by 217 basis points; in fact, she changed the trajectory of general and seasonal merchandise alike, netting positive margin dollars over plan.  She additionally led the

partnership with Mars Wrigley to influence market share, taking the national lead on the in-aisle multi-serve segment, with double-digit unit growth.  A 2024 recipient of UNFI’s

Circle of Excellence Award, Schelske donated to the Minnesota Twins Boys and Girls partnership, the Minnesota Gophers, and the Masonic Children’s Hospital via strategic partnerships with World’s Finest charity candy bar shippers.

Roberta Parmegiani Senior Sales Consultant, UNFI

 Following posi-

 Parmegiani

tive sales growth in the prior year, Nowlin grew sales at UNFI by 13.45%, achieved a double-digit profit margin and surpassed her budget in 2024.

turned around numerous UNFI accounts that had experienced either flat or declining sales but are now growing by double digits.

 In her role managing the Plum

 Her ability to move quickly and

Market business, she has improved many processes to help drive growth at the Michiganbased upscale independent grocer, such as successfully resolving the procurement and customer care issues affecting its custom soup program.

establish trust with her partners has allowed her to lead the natural sales team in voids closed, new items placed, and overall sales growth (dollars and rate).

 A two-time winner of UNFI’s

Circle of Excellence Award, based on her sales performance, customer and supplier relationships, and teamwork skills, Nowlin is also active in the company’s Women’s Integrated Network and Care Central and mentorship programs.

Kelsey VoigtMoravec

 Within UNFI, Parmegiani is

active in the Women’s Integrated Network employee resource group, where she’s a cabinet member in the events division and chair of the Careers in Coffee initiative; beyond the company, she’s deeply involved with the PTA at her son’s school, raising funds for the class of 2026, as well as with Wounded Warrior Project.

Lindsey Seal

Manager, Pharmacy Informatics, UNFI/ Cub  Voigt-Moravec

spearheaded the launch of the new Cub Pharmacy mobile app, resulting in a 52% increase in prescriptions filled via the app compared with the previous year.  Using existing resources, she

Strategic Account Manager, Upside  Seal’s efforts led

Price Chopper to further invest in customer acquisition, and she successfully influenced Upside executives to invest in the grocer’s retail media network.  Recognizing that co-op gro-

created new efficiencies for an annual cost savings opportunity of $600,000, and she managed such IT initiatives as the launch of a new wellness incentive card, handling network and vendor outages, compliance functional testing and implementation, and the deployment of a new website approval process.

cers required a different support structure, she designed personalized yet scalable processes for Shop ‘n Save’s individual ownership groups while maintaining a broader partnership with UNFI representatives; this approach improved Upside’s account management flexibility, enabling better customer support and education.

 Along with regularly sharing

 As co-lead of Upside’s wom-

her knowledge of emerging technologies and best practices, Voigt-Moravec participated in UNFI’s WIN BIG program and volunteered at Second Harvest.

en’s employee resource group, Seal created mentorship opportunities and developed a speaker series including female leaders in the grocery industy.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 87

COVER FEATURE

RISING STARS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Jennifer Saysay

Alissa Evans

Trisha Kuenzie

Program ManagerConstruction and Maintenance, Village Super Market Inc.

Loyalty Marketing Manager, Weis Markets Inc.

Senior Manager, Data Integrity, Weis Markets Inc.

 Evans oversaw

 Kuenzie

 Saysay played a

significant role in the successful opening of a flagship store in Old Bridge, N.J., from her involvement with the construction team to the tracking, monitoring and execution of orders for operations; at the same time, she worked on the preparations for two other store openings, in Watchung and East Orange, N.J.

the setup, testing and execution of six main holiday rewards programs while also introducing three new secondary rewards programs featuring private-brand items for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas; the new holiday and private-brand programs generated double-digit average increases in redeemers’ net spend versus the prior year.

 She also adeptly handled

 To provide associates with ex-

many remodel projects, merchandising initiatives and proactive strategic sourcing projects.  Saysay has received certifi-

cates from Rutgers University for training in supply market analysis, procurement and sourcing, and supplier management, among other topics, and completed the University of New Haven’s Women in Leadership Executive Program.

Store Managers

clusive digital savings, she initiated the Stars Rewards program, which generated an average engagement rate of 12.2%.  An active volunteer both

at work and in her community, Evans participates in Weis Markets’ Leadership Excellence Group, which focuses on professional growth and helps leaders of the future develop their management skills.

Digital Marketing Manager, Weis Markets Inc.

redefined Weis Markets’ item and vendor setup process, cutting execution time by 50%, and introduced enhanced data controls that reduced information errors by 300%; these improvements have strengthened operational accuracy and efficiency.

 Able to identify and capitalize on revenue-generating opportunities that boost customer engagement, Panzetta helped grow Weis Markets’ digital ad revenue by more than 50%, exceeding the previous year’s target by nearly $1 million in vendor marketing funding.

 She also overhauled the

 Her proactive approach to

discontinued-product process, leading to a more strategic markdown approach that boosted profitability by 25%.

business development and expertise in marketing led to the establishment of Weis Connective Marketing, a retail media network that provides a new avenue for revenue growth and enhances vendor relationships.

 Kuenzie built a brand-new

website for Haven Ministry Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of poverty in surrounding counties; her work has helped increase donations and further the organization’s mission of providing emergency shelter, food and support to local needy individuals and families.

 Panzetta received the Financial

Impact Award during Weis Markets’ annual award ceremony, in recognition of her work with a cross-functional team that streamlined the digital coupon program, saving $825,000.

Maria Bowman

Kathy Cassels

Christian Dendy

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #0171, Virginia Beach, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #0210, Roanoke, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #0575, Elizabeth City, N.C.

 A 25-year veter-

 Cassels was

 Year-to-date

an and four-time regional Store Manager of the Year honoree currently overseeing 60 associates, Bowman increased same-store sales by almost 4% and met all shrink targets in 2024, and her store had the region’s lowest turnover.  Adoption was initially slow

following the introduction of Food Lion To Go pickup and home delivery at her store, but surveys later showed that 90% of customers would recommend it; she also trained four new managers and effectively ran her store while acting as the manager of another.  Bowman works with Families

for Families, bringing monthly groceries to 25 households facing food insecurity.

88 progressivegrocer.com

Stephanie Panzetta

among only 55 managers to receive Food Lion’s 2024 Store Manager of the Year award; her total store sales increased 7%, unit movement and customer count each grew 5%, and during Super Bowl week, sales rose more than 17%, the region’s highest increase.  Also in 2024, her store’s deli/

bakery sales increased 13%; produce sales and unit movement each grew 10%-plus; meat department sales rose 10%, with unit movement up 5%; frozen and dairy department sales rose 5%, with unit movement up 3%; and grocery sales rose 5%, with unit movement up 3%.  Cassels and her team partner

with churches and schools to feed needy families.

sales at Dendy’s store led her region with a nearly 4% increase over the previous year, and she motivated her team to deliver outstanding e-commerce service to customers through Food Lion To Go, an improvement of more than 11%.  Reflecting her dedication to

ensuring that associates are properly trained, she also led her region with a 99% completion rate for learning modules.  Dendy is the primary volunteer

organizer in her region for Food Lion Feeds events; as a team, associates at her store completed 112-plus volunteer hours serving at local food pantries and participating in community events, well above the 25 hours annually requested of each store.

Congratulations to our Top Women in Grocery 2025 Aliona Mikhed

Allison Defarkas

Allison Gephart

Angela Schelske

Colleen Thompson

Sales Manager, National Sales

Senior Manager, Creative, UNFI, Brands+

Senior Director, Sales - Brands

Manager Category Retail Candy, GM, Seasonal, Cub

Director, Brand Marketing, UNFI, Brands+

Elisa Litfin

Emily Barrett

Jamie Sjoquist

Jillian D’Elia

Joanna Lewis

Sr. HR Manager, HR

Senior Brand Manager, Marketing, UNFI, Brands+

Vice President, Marketing Retail, UNFI / Retail

Senior Director, Event Strategy & Meeting Mgmt, UNFI, Event Strategy & Meeting Mgmt

Director FP&A, UNFI Finance

Karina Estrada

Katie R. Kallemeyn

Kristen Jimenez

Lauren Beimer

Lida Cuevas

FSQA Manager, Riverside and Moreno Valley, UNFI - Natural

Manager Category Retail - DSD Grocery, Cub

VP of Corporate Communications, UNFI, Corporate Affairs

Director of Human Resources, UNFI Operations/HR

Supervisor, Retail Merchandising, UNFI, Professional Services

Maddie Nowlin

Melissa Sax

Nina Kluge

Roberta Parmegiani

Sarah Brooke Fischer

Account Manager, UNFI, Central Sales

Senior Vice President, Human Resources, UNFI

Human Resources Manager, UNFI Prescott, WI

Sr. Sales Consultant, UNFI - Brands+

EHS Partner, DC81 Pompano Beach FL

Tehzin Chadwick Senior Vice President, Safety, UNFI - Safety

Thank you for helping us deliver better food and create a better future for our associates, customers, suppliers, and communities.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Elizabeth Duke

Lynn Ernesty

Katrina Goff

Jaylan Polk

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #0610, Hayes, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #2613, Fayetteville, N.C.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #1592, Windsor, Va.

Store Manager, Food Lion Store #2833, Hahira, Ga.

 A store manager

 In 2024,

 Having joined

 Demonstrating

since 2001 who oversees 72 associates at her current store, Duke was among 55 managers to be named a 2024 Store Manager of the Year, out of 1,100.  Continually finding ways to ex-

pand business in a small-format store while minimizing controllable expenses, she surpassed all of her KPIs and increased Food Lion To Go sales by 20%-plus; meanwhile, her store received a 97% score in food and workplace safety.  Supporting her community is a

point of pride for Duke, who is a board member for a Scout troop of 14- to 21-year-old boys and girls, and a parent liaison for the local high school’s crew team.

Ernesty’s store had to continue operating during a major remodel; her ability to adapt to change and prepare her 80-person team for this event earned her Store Manager of the Year recognition for the region.

Food Lion as a part-time associate 26 years ago, Goff was among 55 managers named a 2024 Store Manager of the Year, out of 1,100 at the chain.

 Her store surpassed its KPIs,

cancer, she continued delivering: In 2024, her annual store sales increased 5%, shrink was under 2%, sales for online shopping platform Food Lion To Go grew 25%, and her net promoter score hit 90.

and she also took the lead in executing the Electronic Production Planning Tool for inventory and product management, ranking at the top of her region, while sales in the location’s meat and produce departments surpassed the previous year’s results.  Dedicated to helping peers

achieve career potential, Ernesty promoted three associates to leadership roles last year.

 Two years after surviving breast

 Goff maximized efficiency in

her small-footprint store through such creative merchandising as adding a table display in bakery to promote a popular baked goods brand; she also helps local families facing hardship.

quantified efficiency and productivity in store operations, as well as a commitment to exceptional customer service and a welcoming store environment, Polk achieved two consecutive years of perfect audit scores, excelling in regulatory compliance and in-stock performance.  Her leadership was instrumen-

tal in double-digit same-store sales growth, and her store consistently balanced driving sales and meeting shrink targets, ensuring financial stability and operational excellence.  Polk’s associate development

efforts have led to high retention, reduced overtime costs and increased productivity at her store.

Sherry Beitler

Magbule Gashi

Jessica Lees

Joanna Renzulli

Store Manager, Giant Store #6501, Ephrata, Pa.

Store Manager, Giant Store #6314, Coopersburg, Pa.

Store Manager, Giant Store #6573, Philadelphia

 Beitler consis-

 Under Gashi’s

Assistant Store Manager Fresh, Giant Store #6074, Allentown, Pa.

tently exceeded performance expectations, achieving financial and operational targets across key metrics, including sales, earnings, shrink reduction, labor efficiency, zero waste and audit compliance, with her ability to drive innovation and execute strategic initiatives consistently resulting in measurable success.  Her contributions extended

beyond her store: She served as a regional hiring panelist, facilitating interviews with high-potential team members, and away from work, she donated products from her family’s farm to local schools and groups.  In 2025, Beitler has taken on

additional responsibilities, supporting the regional associate engagement lead.

90 progressivegrocer.com

leadership, her store experienced significant six-figure sales growth versus last year, beat the budget year to date and achieved the best perishable shrink performance in the region.  She was tapped to be the

mentor for one of the company’s future leaders, serving as her guide through the company’s salaried management training program, a 19-week course to prepare those newly promoted into store manager roles.  Through The Giant Co.’s

signature Feeding School Kids program, along with initiatives focused on healing the plant, changing children’s lives and eliminating hunger, Gashi led her team to raise more than $27,000 in 2024.

 For several

 In 2024, taking

months, Lees was a floating team member, covering for managers on leave, or taking on assistant manager duties; with expertise in the fresh departments, center store and customer experience, she could jump in and support store teams in need, building trust and delivering results.

over an urban location facing many challenges when it came to staffing, training and establishing trust, Renzulli was able to interview and hire more than 50 team members for the store, eventually promoting 22 of them to leadership roles in which all of them have excelled far beyond management’s expectations.

 As part of a special assign-

 Additionally, through one-

ment, she designed, constructed and piloted an entirely new mobile training site for front end store roles such as cashiers, checkout coaches, cash office associates, customer service associates and janitorial staff.  At her previous location,

Lees was named Assistant Store Manager of Customer Experience of the Year in 2022.

on-one meetings in which she gave continuous feedback and provided positive affirmations, she helped to build up her team members’ confidence.  As a result of these actions,

Renzulli’s store saw a significant improvement in turnover, which decreased by 24%, and a 12-point associate engagement score increase from 2023.

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COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Amy Stainbrook

Dalene Bonham

Store Manager, Giant Food Store #303, Baltimore

Store Manager, Martin’s Store #6297, La Vale, Md.

 One of the

 Bonham led

best in the brand, Stainbrook’s store racked up a net promoter score eight points higher than the prior year and has consistently achieved great audit results.  Stainbrook and her team deliv-

ered year-over-year sales growth of more than 7% by delivering strong in-stock and merchandising plans.  By instilling knowledge

through her department management team, Stainbrook improved her overall associate engagement result by more than 5%; additionally, thanks to her strong communication and follow-up on daily store standards, she and her team beat her shrink budget by more than 30 basis points.

her store to an impressive turnaround in sales, achieving a 405-basis-point improvement over the previous year, with 2024 ID sales up 1.93% versus a decline of 2.15% in 2023; she also delivered underlying operating profit nearly 1.5% above plan, and gross profit just shy of 1% above plan.  Besides breaking multiple

performance records, her associates excelled at key selling programs, winning such initiatives as the floral Valentine’s Day upgrade sales contest and Q4 fresh sales contests.  Bonham served on the Store

Manager’s Council and actively contributed to leadership initiatives and operational improvements across the organization.

STORE MANAGERS

Paula Lingenfelter Store Manager, Martin’s Store #6466, Altoona, Pa.  Lingenfelter’s

store achieved a high associate engagement score that was four points above the region score and six points above the division store, increased its net promoter score by 13 points over the previous year, and earned a safety score of more than 90%.  She hosted monthly open

interviews for internal positions, which contributed to three manager promotions last year, and was chosen to be the associate engagement score champion for her region.  Following a major remodel

that spanned several weeks, Lingenfelter’s location still managed to end the year with sales 14% above budget and 5% above the prior year.

Colleen Wagner Store Manager, Giant Food Store #6094, Fairless Hills, Pa.  Wagner and

her team beat last year’s sales budget by 2.66% dollars, in addition to beating the store’s gross profit budget by 3.29% and underlying gross profit by 20%; her store’s net promoter score also increased by 19% over the previous year.  Under her direction, the

Fairless Hills store has achieved zero waste, meaning that 90% or more of its total waste is diverted from a landfill or incineration.  In the past year, Wagner has

played a crucial role in getting eight team leads, two assistant department managers and two salaried managers promoted, with two more associates currently in training; away from work, she assists with the food pantry at her local parish.

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5/27/25 10:54 AM

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Maryann Holton Store Director, Acme Markets Store #1054, Midland Park, N.J.  Even while com-

peting against new grocers in her market in 2024, Holton continued supporting her customers by delivering outstanding customer service and exceeding net promoter score goals and her plan and expectation for shrink.  A servant leader who put

her team first, she also took on leadership roles in the district through various successful instore sales events.  A member of the New Jersey

Food Council, in which capacity she helps spread the word about food insecurity across the state, Holton is also a training store director for the Assistant Store Director Leadership Program, a new external-leadership trainer and a person-in-charge trainer.

Nicole Goins

Carissa FordHoward Store Director, Albertsons Store #358, Bakersfield, Calif.  Maintaining consistent stellar

store conditions, setting team expectations and training her associates, Ford-Howard and her team beat their sales projection by more than $80,000 in Q3; she made her shrink target, controlled overtime and met her labor budget.  She helped lead this year’s

Bakersfield HaLAWeen event, during which the district raised more than $16,000 in candy donations for safe distribution by the local police department; her team also volunteered at the event, handing out candy to 10,000-plus kids.  Ford-Howard has graduated

from the McKinsey Leadership Development Program.

Store Director, Albertsons Store #1211, Danville, Calif.  As store director,

Goins “crushed EBITDA targets” for all four quarters throughout the year, according to her nominator, and her store has also seen excellent service and food safety results and exceeded expectations for nonperishable shrink.  While overseeing the store,

she stepped up to serve as acting operations specialist for the center of the store; in this district-level role, she supported key operational functions, helped drive KPIs and trained leadership teams in the store.  As a labor and scheduling

champion for Albertsons’ District 7, Goins trained two external assistant store directors, one store director and three department managers in the past year.

Congratulations to the inspiring women shaping the future of grocery! Lisa Selk SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT RETAIL  BRAND FUEL

We’re proud to celebrate Lisa Selk on being named one of the Top Women in Grocery – and to honor all the exceptional women who are making a difference across the industry, including the partners and customers we’re fortunate to work alongside every day.

Jennifer Jagneaux Store Director, Albertsons Store #0717 Lake Charles, La.  As the director of a pilot store

for grocery delivery to maritime businesses, Jagneaux led her team to deliver more than 30 nearly 1,000-piece grocery boat orders to three customers from Texas and Louisiana; the program’s success led to two more division stores delivering to maritime businesses.  During her tenure as hiring and

compliance lead, the district had the lowest number of job needs and overtime hours; she also significantly improved morale and sales at her store, bringing the service net promoter score above 90%.  Jagneaux partnered with local

law enforcement agencies on a brunch for female police officers.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Andrea McHone

Lavee Steblay

Laura Yates

Nycke Bozilovic

Store Director, Albertsons Store #1266, Truckee, Calif.

Store Director, Albertsons Store #2549, Mission Viejo, Calif.

Store Director, Albertsons Store #972, Martinez, Calif.

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #4308, Schaumburg, Ill.

 Yates, an

 Bozilovic took

 McHone’s store

experienced a great 2024, coming in $1 million over its sales plan.  The store’s food safety and

sanitation audits were at 100%, with a “green” on both food safety and sanitation.  As an assistant manager

trainer and facilitator for her district, McHone has promoted and trained two associates over the past year and is always willing to help other stores in need through feedback and suggestions; she is also the district Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) coordinator and net promoter store champion in customer experience; beyond Albertsons, she is deeply involved in the local community and participates in local events with a food bank.

Robin ClavelleWright Store Director, Jewel-Osco Store #3288, Oak Park, Ill.  Overseeing 225

crew members at a busy store in Oak Park, Ill., Clavelle-Wright drove up average weekly sales and grew EBITDA by 94 basis points year over year.  She hired more than 50 asso-

ciates last year, cultivating future managers in the process, and also mentored a new assistant store director; as part of her efforts, she teamed with a local school to help students find work and learn responsibility by joining her store team.  Clavelle-Wright co-chairs

the Black Inclusive Network of Diversity resource group at Jewel-Osco and takes part in many community events; she is also a passionate supporter of Autism Speaks.

94 progressivegrocer.com

 Within two

months, Steblay turned a store with low employee morale, poor net promoter scores and flagging sales into the top-scoring store in a struggling district; her location also achieved positive ID sales.  She’s a volunteer at the

Second Harvest Food bank who passionately promotes the organization’s Hunger Bags initiative in her store; during the last Hunger Bags campaign, her location outpaced the goal of 50 bags a day, selling an average of 75 bags a day.  A manager who’s constantly in

development mode, Steblay prioritized recruiting and developing future leaders, identifying and mentoring multiple high-potential associates at her store.

Albertsons veteran with more than 20 years’ experience as a store director, managed to bring in big-store sales – $750,000-plus on average – at a unit that’s less than 40,000 square feet.  She set a strong foundation for

her team with consistent training and coaching and was always the first to recognize her team’s achievements.  Yates consistently ranked

at the top of her district: She was voted Store Director of the Year by her peers for the past two years, and, for the past 10 quarters, she has won a district trophy that recognizes the store that leads the way in 17 key metrics, including sales performance, shrink plan and customer service.

over a store in Schaumburg, Ill., where she boosted pickup sales by 5% after strengthening that business and also beat EBITDA projections two quarters in a row; when she was store director at a nearby location, she likewise beat sales and EBITDA by 4.6% and 6% in successive quarters.  She additionally took the time

to develop and promote various team members, including a night crew chief, a full-time night crew associate and an assistant grocery manager.  Bozilovic has been successful

in community outreach programs; among other efforts, she raised funds at a holiday event to feed 180 needy families and collected more than 200 coats for a Salvation Army drive.

Rama Diallo

Tiffany Foley

Erica Little

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3376, Chicago

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3118, Clinton, Iowa

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #3181, Chicago

 Diallo’s store in

 At her Jewel-

 As a store di-

Chicago’s Loop was the site of the kickoff celebration for Jewel-Osco’s 125th anniversary and its MOMents campaign.  She consistently beat EBITDA

and her store achieved a top-20 net promoter score of 87%; the site also hit 99% out of 100% for in-stock, stocking and shelf conditions, and back-room conditions.  Diallo completed certification

from the McKinsey Academy Accelerator Managers Program; additionally, she belongs to the banner’s Black Inclusive Network of Diversity resource group, spoke at the company’s internship event and volunteers at a nonprofit that provides resettlement support for refugees.

Osco store in Clinton, Iowa, Foley oversaw sales ID growth of 6% year over year (YoY) during 2024, and also improved total store shrink by 1.5% YoY and total store margin by 2% YoY.  Working alongside her team

to achieve goals and standards, she additionally helped increase year-over-year e-commerce sales by more than 40%, and her store became one of the first to become omnichannel certified.  Foley is heavily involved with

the local food pantry, as well as always helping out with charitable events: For example, her store donated almost 200 dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2024 to local families in need.

rector in Chicago, Little was dedicated to not only meeting her financial metrics, but also to fostering strong relationships with her team to achieve her location’s goals.  Her store was No. 3 in the dis-

trict for total store sales, and her identical sales for the total store were also up year over year; additionally, the store was No. 1 for sales ID in liquor; health, beauty and baby; and grocery.  Maintaining strong working

relationships with local police officers, lawmakers, and numerous churches and schools, Little still somehow manages to find the time to be an active member of McKinsey Academy and to volunteer at the New Directions Grace Church.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Raquel Welch

Christine Gallegos Barba

Store Director, JewelOsco Store #1074, Joliet, Ill.

Store Director, Pavilions Store #2224, Pasadena, Calif.

 Welch’s store in

Joliet, Ill., achieved a 2% sales increase year over year while also improving shrink, and the location additionally became the first in her district to be awarded an e-commerce certification for achieving a fivestar rating.  Her achievements didn’t end

there: the store also recorded notable customer experience metrics and racked up the highest compliance achievement rate in the district for fall and spring evaluations.  Welch is involved with the

Jewel-Osco Black Inclusive Network of Diversity and the Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network (WIIN) resource groups, as well as participating in various community events.

 Barba’s team reimagined store

merchandising strategies to maximize operational efficiency and customer engagement — an initiative that improved customer satisfaction net promoter score by 2.3%.  Using insights from the

company’s annual Associate Engagement Survey, she fostered a strong team culture and improved team engagement by 14% to reach an overall team engagement score of 81% — the No. 2 ranking in the district.  Barba has made significant

strides in strengthening community bonds in Pasadena through her dedicated efforts with such local organizations as Union Station Homeless Services and Friends In Deed.

Robin Clark

Lucy Endres

Store Director, Safeway Store #342, Spokane, Wash.

Store Director, Safeway Store #544, Bonney Lake, Wash.

 When Clark was

 As the com-

assigned to her current store, sales and profits were declining, as the neighborhood was struggling with an unstable economy and a reduction in SNAP benefits; in her first year there, she exceeded the EBITDA plan every quarter, ultimately surpassing the annual plan by more than $400,000.

munity of Bonney Lake, Wash., continues to grow, Endres is leading her store to some major successes: In the third quarter of 2024, the supermarket achieved 10.54% EBITDA, due in part to consistent operations and high standards.

 She motivated her team by

creating excitement around contests and events, as well as by celebrating their successes, and she also coached associates on department operations and financials.

oping future leaders and serves a mentor in the company, last year successfully developing and promoting three grocery managers to assistant store director roles and another associate to a grocery manager position.

 Clark takes on significant

 Endres also took on leadership

leadership roles in her district, serving as the labor champion and trainer; she was also selected to represent the district at the Store Director Council.

roles in her district, serving as a trainer, as well as a member of the Seattle division’s task force dealing with employee onboarding and training.

 She is committed to devel-

Harris Teeter would like to congratulate our 2025 Top Women in Grocery Winners!

Rising Star Category

Store Manager Category

Anisha Patel

Hope Starrett

Sheronda Irick

Pharmacy Operation Manager

Store Director

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Tracy Hoadley

Amber Krantz

Store Director, Safeway Store #486, Tacoma, Wash.

Store Director, Safeway Store #1827, La Grande, Ore.

f Hoadley’s collab-

f Krantz led her

orative leadership style has helped reduce turnover at her store by 50%, while her competitive drive has earned top rankings in customer service and food safety. f Last year, she developed a

plan in collaboration with her produce team to add a new fixture to the produce department, which ended up driving sales; her store has also consistently surpassed its annual targets for both sales and EBITDA. f Hoadley is an active member

of Albertsons’ WIIN (Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network) committee and has received multiple quarterly district performance awards from the retailer, as well as six Quad Green Certificates from Ecolab.

store through a “remarkable” total remodel in the past year, according to the Albertsons executive who nominated her, and she continued to keep the store in immaculate condition and make use of strategic sales displays. f She also drove growth by

maintaining best-in-class outof-stock rates under 300 daily, and her most recent back-room inventory was under 10%. f A natural leader, Krantz is a

valued mentor at the company, training and developing new store directors; outside of her daily role as store director, she plays a pivotal role in organizing and leading sponsorship for the Annual Safeway Girls Buckle Classic wrestling tournament.

STORE MANAGERS

Maria Garay Palmer

Thayalini Pathinathan

Store Director, Safeway Store #1834, Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Store Director, Tom Thumb Store #2580, Southlake, Texas

f Palmer excelled in leading a

store located in an extremely remote area about 1,200 miles from Anchorage; she trained her team on best practices in ordering to ensure that the store would be able to handle unforeseen delivery issues. f Last year, her store ranked No. 1 in shrink percentage versus target for both perishable and nonperishable items; it was also the top store in EBITDA percentage and contribution. f Palmer volunteers for fundrais-

ing campaigns, food distribution to the elderly, and more; her store led the district in fundraising for Nourish Everyone, an annual food drive and donation campaign backed by Albertsons.

f Tasked with the challenge of having her store reach the million-dollar sales mark in 2024, Pathinathan met that goal before Christmas. f Her store was the first store

to become five-star certified in Albertsons Cos.’ Drive Up & Go program and has remained certified to date; the location also earned a top net promoter score and had zero employee accident claims in Q3 2024. f Pathinathan, who came to

this country at the age of 18 and didn’t speak English when she first started working at Albertsons as a cashier, volunteers with Meals on Wheels to feed about 5,000 families in her area, in addition to participating in many other community efforts.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Season Amador

Robyn Lilleberg

Jessica Ferraro

Jennifer Harlan

Store Director, Vons Store #2118, San Diego

Store Manager, Amazon Fresh Store # MAC9, Long Beach, Calif.

Store Director, Big Y World Class Market #40, Cheshire, Conn.

Store Manager, Food Maxx Store #449, Carson City, Nev.

 Ferraro’s ability

 Harlan increased

 Prioritizing

 Lilleberg led her

collaboration and open communication, Amador fostered a workplace environment that generated trust among team members; as a result, the employee turnover rate dropped from 48.2% to 36.8% last year.

store to exceptional sales results, ranking No. 1 in the region and No. 5 overall for Amazon Fresh stores nationwide during Prime Day — marking her store’s second consecutive year as a top-five performer.

 The high standard she set

 Team leadership and profes-

for a clean and safe store had a big impact on sales, which increased significantly each quarter; her store beat its P&L plan, maintained an increase of 8.97% ID sales and increased basket size by 8.15% year over year with in-stock conditions.

sional development are priorities for Lilleberg, and she has implemented initiatives to strengthen team dynamics and communication; her efforts have led to outstanding people metrics, with 100% scores in two key areas.

 The store’s campaigns to boost

a volunteer with local organizations, including Ronald McDonald House, the Water of the Blues Society and the Los Angeles Food Bank.

awareness of the San Diego Food Bank helped Amador’s district raise $277,000-plus in food contributions.

 She continues to work as

to achieve strong financial results while focusing on customer service and team engagement led to her store exceeding its sales budget in 2024 by 1% and increasing sales by 1.5% over the previous year.  She mentored several em-

ployees into leadership positions across the company; her commitment to cross-training and promoting from within has created a dynamic team, with nearly half of her employees trained in multiple departments.  Ferraro volunteers for cus-

tomer service events such as managing the hydration station for the MS Walk and organizing swag bags and job information for Quinnipiac University’s Freshmen Move-In Day.

her sales by $97,000 last year due to her involvement with two community nonprofit food banks: the Dream Center, resulting in increased sales of more than $75,000, and FISH, leading to $12,000 more in sales; she additionally achieved and exceeded her fourwall EBITDA target.  Despite a challenging employ-

ment environment, she kept her store fully staffed; committed to associate development, she identified and mentored an internal candidate to take on the role of assistant store manager.  Harlan is a dedicated com-

munity volunteer: During the Thanksgiving holiday, both she and her assistant built holiday baskets for the FISH food bank.

Congratulations to our 2025 Top Women in Grocery

Sherry Beitler

Dalene Bonham

Taneya Clark

Magy Gashi

Kilene Knitter

Desiree Kunz

Jessica Lees

Paula Lingenfelter

Rebecca Lupfer

Sherry Miller

Joanna Renzulli

Darla Rieg

Amy Solomon

Colleen Wagner

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Kristina Hale Store Director, Fresh Thyme Market Store, Evansville, Ind.  Hale’s location –

which was named the Southwest Region Store of the Year in 2024 – finished second overall out of 70 stores, measuring all financial metrics; it was also consistently among the top-10 highest-comping stores in the company, with comps as high as 40% year over year.  She led her location with a

servant leadership mentality, as well as an eye on the details and financial acumen, teaching and mentoring all of her team members to help them succeed while serving on the company’s store director council.  Hale volunteers at the United

Methodist Youth Home, which offers refuge and life planning for at-risk youths up to the age of 21.

Lindsey Flanigan District Store Director, Hy-Vee stores in Fort Dodge and Webster City, Iowa, among other retail locations, Hy-Vee Inc.  Flanigan helped organize an

event to share the need for pharmacy benefit manager reform with pharmacy customers.  Both of her grocery stores

successfully brought together inventory management, financial operations and merchandise planning under a single software and reporting system.  Flanigan volunteers at the

Chamber of Commerce and Business Leaders Under 40; the Fort Dodge Study Club, which supports local fine-arts endeavors; the YWCA; and Meals on Wheels, and she drives the Joy of Reading Bookmobile, which provides free books for kids.

98 progressivegrocer.com

Tamantha Nemeth Store Leader, Giant Eagle Store #0060, Monroeville, Pa.  Known for

running a clean, safe and wellstocked store with good service while exceeding company compliance standards, Nemeth received 100% scores on all of her audits – store, pharmacy, beer, cash office and OSHA.  Having earned the highest

efficiency rate in the region, her store was chosen to pilot a new shrink initiative/theft reduction initiative for the company.  Active in running successful

Full Plate, Zero Waste register campaigns in the East division for an impressive 27 years, Nemeth also leads her store’s efforts to raise funds for the American Heart Association, United Way and Giant Eagle’s internal Team Member Care Fund.

STORE MANAGERS

Sheronda Irick

Hope Starrett

Store Director, Harris Teeter Store #118, Holly Springs, N.C.

Store Director, Harris Teeter Store #357, Greenville, S.C.

 For the past

 Store #357

year, Irick’s store achieved an average scan audit score of 3 or lower; the location also consistently maintained fewer than 30 outs on the outof-stock scan.  During the holiday season,

her strategic planning resulted in breaking a new sales record, hitting $1 million in sales for the first time; she also reduced employee turnover by 53% year to date, cutting it in half and fostering a more stable and engaged workforce.  Irick partners with Vocational

Rehabilitation Services to help adults gain valuable job skills, and she coaches at Fuquay Varina Parks and Recreation Center, providing mentorship and guidance to local youth.

achieved a 98% composite score for the year — the highest in Starrett’s district, third in the region and in the top 10 company-wide; the location also boasted the district’s highest IVR survey response rates, averaging 150 responses per period.  Despite increased competition

from a new nearby Harris Teeter store, Starrett’s store exceeded last year’s sales by 1.77%, averaging more than $855,000 in weekly sales — the second highest in the district; it also outperformed last year’s operating profit and surpassed budget by more than 2%.  Starrett also teamed with the

local fire department to donate meals to displaced families during the holidays.

Erma Vazquez

Michelle Valdez

Nicole Draper

Store Leader, Fry’s Food Store #675, Buckeye, Ariz.

Store Leader, King Soopers Store #87, Conifer, Colo.

Store Leader, Kroger Store #436, Frankenmuth, Mich.

 The Fry’s

 Valdez’s perfor-

 Draper led two

Food Store in Buckeye, Ariz., was experiencing operational challenges, including missed sales goals and low scorecard ratings, before Vazquez’s leadership; she improved that scorecard to more than 90% and drove a 6% yearover-year sales increase.

mance last year was described as “nothing short of extraordinary”: She guided the location through several challenges and was one of the first to implement Store Operational Segments, a process elevating already strong stores to even greater heights.

 Under her watch, pickup

 She led 20-plus associate

orders increased, and shrink was cut to 1.57%, she relied on her 20 year of grocery experience – which began at this very store – to set examples for 262 employees, including two of her own daughters.

engagement events, spurring a double-digit increase in associate insight results, and her efforts led to higher store sales, lower waste, and composite score results that far exceeded the company goal; her exemplary work led to her promotion to division operations specialist.

 Vazquez volunteered at a

nearby elementary school and food bank, as well as participating in the banner’s multicultural resource group.

 Valdez was also actively

involved in the banner’s Hispanic and Pride resource groups.

stores in 2024, including her current location in Frankenmuth, Mich.; at both sites, she sparked improvements in performance metrics, customer satisfaction and financial growth.  Her previous store hit a 100%

composite score several times, and she bumped up her current store’s score from 74% to 94% in short order and increased the highly satisfied customer rate to 82%; she also led the Frankenmuth store to consistent sales growth, with a 7% or higher increase each period.  Beyond the store, Draper

led an event benefiting the 1% Veteran Food Pantry that raised more than $10,000 in goods for vets in need.

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Alicia Jones

Ranee Ward

Store Leader, Kroger Store #685, Atlanta

Store Leader, Kroger Store #670, Powell, Tenn.

 In the busy

Jessica Winebrenner Store Leader, Kroger Store #359, Bellevue, Ky.

Atlanta market, Jones’s leadership at a store with 180 employees was evident in her location’s weekly average of $1.2 million last year, a significant increase that added $1 million to the bottom line.

 Now a two-time Top Women in Grocery honoree, Ward continued to raise the bar at her store in Powell, Tenn., achieving a 7% sales increase and driving EBITDA up 109 basis points at the location.

first year as a store leader at a location in Bellevue, Ky., Winebrenner, an 18-year Kroger veteran made a big impact on the team and division, boosting shrink and composite score.

 Her location was the first in

 Her leadership led to a 71%

 Her creativity and ability to

reduction in turnover from 2021 to 2024 and the promotion of several associates to department leaders; as a result, her team received the company’s 1st Half Operational Excellence Award for District 4.

simplify complex processes inspired her team of 133 associates to succeed in their roles, whether she created games to explain processes or baked cupcakes for employees.

the division to roll out a new operational segment, a move that allowed her to better understand her customers and adjust store metrics to meet their needs.  To help members of her com-

munity better enjoy their shopping trips, Jones worked with a local health provider to bring elderly customers into the store and teach them how to navigate digital experiences; she also teamed with a local nonprofit that serves unhoused citizens.

 Ward earned top provider

recognition for Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Initiative and is involved in Kroger district leadership committees, where she helps shape strategic initiatives and mentor future leaders.

 Within her

 Thanks to her dedication, the

store began preparing food rescue donations six days a week and forged close relationships with schools, the police and fire departments, and local leaders; Winebrenner also volunteers at a local hospital.

Mafi Vasquez Store Leader, QFC Store #835, Lynnwood, Wash.  Born in Peru and

currently in charge of a QFC store in Lynnwood, Wash., Vasquez started a career in nursing but pivoted to grocery when she came to live in the United States.  Enjoying the common theme

of connecting with people, she led her store to surpass its turnover goal and was an integral part of the assistant store leader training program; her store scored above 85% on holiday tours and surprise visits, metrics that also reflected her unwavering drive for excellence.  Vasquez is a founding member

of QFC’s multicultural resource group, and her store consistently ranks among the top sellers of $10 holiday bags for community members in need.

Congratulations

TO OUR 2025 TOP WOMEN IN GROCERY!

Thank you for your leadership & dedication to our associates, customers & communities.

JENNIFER HARLAN

Store Manager FoodMaxx 449 Carson City

VANNESSA VALDIVIA

Store Manager Save Mart 100 Ripon

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery

STORE MANAGERS

Christy Warren

Kimberly Barber

Store Manager, Lidl Store #1052, Augusta, Ga.

Store Director, Lowes Foods Store #188, Jamestown, N.C.

 Warren helped

 Barber oversaw

her Lidl store in Augusta, Ga., consistently exceed performance benchmarks and earn recognition for both customer satisfaction and financial achievements.

a store remodel last year, and under her guidance, the location not only transitioned smoothly, but has also since experienced double-digit sales increases week after week.

 She has been honored with

 Entrusted with a higher-vol-

cation of participation for graduating from the Allsafe Focus Store Program.

numerous internal awards, including the Checkout Olympics Award and the Graham Grizzly Award, both of which recognize her exceptional strength and resilience in leadership.

 As for community involvement,

 During Hurricane Helene,

Martinez organized an initiative to recognize the work of local firefighters by having associates and customers sign a giant card and delivering a cake to the firehouse as a thank-you for their service; she also works with the Angel Tree Foundation each year.

Warren stepped up as a pillar of the Augusta community, and despite the immense challenges posed by the disaster, she led her team to provide essential services and helped organize resources and coordinate with local relief efforts.

ume, more complex store, she took on the challenge of an underperforming location and, in just six months, completely transformed its operations: The store is now delivering 3%-5% weekly sales growth and exceeding P&L expectations.

Liz Mercado Martinez Store Leader, Ralphs Store #118, Murrieta, Calif.  Martinez’s store

team in Murrieta, Calif., achieved exceptional composite scores this year, consistently maintaining an 85%-90% rating, with a peak of 94% in Period 13; she was also recognized for Best Labor Percent Effective in the first half of 2024.  She recently earned a certifi-

 Barber actively volunteers at

Elizabeth Brewster Store Director, Lowes Foods Store #191, Raleigh, N.C.  Brewster’s Raleigh, N.C., store battled a competitive opening but came out ahead of budget, with every department achieving its department yield, nonperishable inventory results performing better than tracking and guest trip frequency higher than the division average.  Her store achieved the No. 1

ranking in the division for the Cart to Class program, which allows households to donate a portion of their purchases to local schools.

her local church and has helped grow an in-store donation initiative supporting Helping Hands of High Point, N.C., organizing weekly food collections to aid the local ministry.

 Brewster was actively en-

gaged with Healing Transitions outreach as well as Millbrook United Methodist Church, helping to provide meals for those in need.

Katie Hicks

Jen Saylor

Jennifer Boteler

Amy Griffis

Store Director, Lowes Foods Store #182,Walkerton, N.C.

Store Director, Lowes Foods Store #230, Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.

Store Director, Meijer Store #184, Lexington, Ky.

Store Director, Meijer Store #137, Lafayette, Ind.

 Over the course

 At her store,

 Hicks’ focus

on engaging, coaching and empowering her employees, coupled with her strong support for the community, brought about an outstanding audit performance at her store.  She has implemented numer-

ous initiatives to boost morale and engagement, including regular team-building activities, personalized birthday and work anniversary cards, and quarterly themed employee appreciation events like ice cream socials.  Hicks volunteers with Horse

Power Therapeutic Learning to help meet the unique and diverse needs of her community, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

100 progressivegrocer.com

 Saylor’s coastal

North Carolina store was awarded Store of the Year for 2024 in her division, and her innovative leadership was pivotal to the location’s success, especially given its seasonal nature.

of 2024, Boteler led her team to drive exceptional results in all areas, including a year-over-year sales increase and a traffic increase that leads all other stores in the market by more than 200 basis points.

Griffis helped increase the on-shelf availability score by 400 basis points and exceeded sales plans; she also led with 200% accountability in safety and ended 2024 with zero lost-time accidents.

 She implemented cross-train-

 She partnered with Citi to

 Her store received the

develop a training program to drive loyalty metrics that was then rolled out chain-wide.

Regional Blue Ribbon Award for Best Inventory Management System Health Score in the Illinois-Wisconsin region.

ing for hosts in multiple areas and actively incorporated their feedback to eliminate process inefficiencies, which ensured high standards in both guest-facing and back-of-house operations.  Saylor is actively engaged

with the Wilmington Food Bank, helping to provide more than 75,000 meals for those in need this past year.

 Boteler helped mentor fe-

male leaders in the market by facilitating a regional Women in the Workplace program to help female leaders overcome gender-based challenges, not only presenting an event, but also creating content used by others to facilitate the program.

 Griffis is chair of the Illinois-

Wisconsin Women at Meijer team member resource group, helping develop content for the group and co-facilitating monthly Mindset Monday calls during which regional teams can listen and participate in discussions.

PROUDLY CONGRATULATES OUR

Top Women in Grocery

2025

Heather Depuydt

Susan Prys

Rachel Morales

Rising Star

Senior Level Executive

Rising Star

Jen Saylor

Kim Barber

Katie Hicks

Libby Brewster

Store Director

COVER FEATURE

2025 Top Women in Grocery Leighanne Heitkamp Store Director, Meijer Store #235, Marysville, Ohio  Under

Heitkamp’s leadership, her store achieved a turnover rate of 46%, ranking third in the market, with a 20% improvement compared with the previous year; she also took the time to connect with new hires to ensure that they were satisfied in their roles, and if they weren’t, she assisted them in finding suitable positions within the store.  Her focus on on-shelf avail-

ability led to a year-end rate of 95.20%, the best in the market and 17th out of 58 in Meijer’s Ohio region.  Heitkamp’s store hosted

the Shop with a Hero for the Holidays event, at which 40 children had the opportunity to shop with their heroes.

Vannessa Valdivia Assistant Store Manager, Save Mart Store #105, Riverbank, Calif.  Starting as a clerk 13 years

ago, Valdivia became bakery manager and eventually an assistant store manager at one of the company’s highest-volume locations, where she helped with a multimillion-dollar remodel and launched successful new programs that were expanded to other stores.

Manjiri Joshi

Andrea Pickens

Natalie Stacey

Store Director, Meijer Store #188, Livonia, Mich.

Store Director, Meijer Store #51, Findlay, Ohio

Store Director, Meijer Store #53, Waterford, Mich.

 Despite over-

 Pickens’ unwav-

 Stacey’s store

seeing a significant store remodel that lasted for more than nine months, Joshi was still able to deliver a remarkable $2.5 million increase over plan, along with a year-over-year sales increase.

ering passion and competitive spirit drove her store to exceed the fiscal 2024 sales plan by an impressive 7% while also outperforming 2023 with a remarkable 15% increase.

exceeded its sales plan by more than $1.5 million in the past year; meanwhile, her strategic efforts to address shrink resulted in a 25-basis-point improvement.

 Her team was awarded the

 Under her leadership, custom-

contributed to a dramatic improvement in staff retention, lowering turnover from 57.7% to 47.7% in 2024 – the lowest the store had ever seen.

prestigious title of 2024 White Glove Champion at both the market and regional levels, and the store was named the 2024 Best Grocery Store in a local magazine’s survey.

er experience scores significantly improved, reaching 59.2 versus 51.1 the prior year, and her store ranked No. 2 in the region for team member friendliness.

 Joshi received the Game

 Pickens led her team in

Changer coin for her exceptional performance in the last quarter of 2024, in recognition of her ability to drive sales, improve net promoter scores and manage shrink during a challenging remodel year; she’s also committed to helping her community.

several volunteer initiatives that included helping at a homeless shelter and food pantry and building homes with Habitat for Humanity; additionally, she serves as the Habitat ReStore chair on her local Habitat for Humanity board.

 Additionallly, her leadership

Claudia Pavone

Sevilla Burns

Store Manager, ShopRite Store #276, Thornwood, N.Y.

 Fritz’s 163-as-

 At Pavone’s

Store Manager, Sprouts Farmers Market Store #226, San Diego

sociate location recorded a 7% year-over-year sales increase, and her meticulous attention to merchandising and operational efficiency contributed to a reduction in shrink favorability by 0.16 points.  Her focus on exceptional

 Valdivia mentored a service

 Fritz promoted seven associ-

102 progressivegrocer.com

market champion for West Detroit vendor relations, a role in which she enhanced the overall store-vendor experience; she also served as the market champion for West Detroit store operations compliance, overseeing and implementing compliance initiatives across 11 stores.

Diana Fritz

service was up 23.91%, with a total store positive of 9%, thanks to her standardized schedule to maximize foodservice efficiency. specialist regarding customer service skills related to Freebie Friday giveaways; this undertaking positively affected the store’s Voice of the Customer score.

 Stacey was appointed the

Store Manager, ShopRite Store #235, Carmel, N.Y.

customer service resulted in a 72% associate engagement index, two points ahead of the retail benchmark, and two out of three shoppers reported being “highly satisfied” with their experience, three points ahead of the company trend.

 Following the remodel, food-

STORE MANAGERS

ates to full-time positions, and her team-building and employee engagement efforts led to a 92% retention rate, 16 points ahead of the company average.

previous location, sales increased by $1 million, shrink dropped 0.18 points and controllable expenses decreased, resulting in a DSC contribution of $136,000 over the previous year, while a 98% employee retention rate was among the company’s highest.  She then transferred to the Thornwood, N.Y., store, which averages $1 million in weekly sales; despite the presence of two new area competitors, she’s been running 3% ahead without taking a sales loss, continued to drive down shrink by 14 points and reduced controllable expenses by 0.20 points.  Pavone and her team donated

23,000 pounds of food to Feeding Westchester.

 Having begun her career as a courtesy clerk/ utility clerk, Burns rose to oversee 114 employees at the same location, which is one of Sprouts’ most successful locations.  In 2024, her store achieved

first place with a perfect 100 points on the Sprouts company scorecard; she surpassed the total store sales target by 103%, achieving the shrink target set for her store by 56 basis points and achieving customer satisfaction scores that were 6% higher than Sprouts’ target.  Burns earned her college de-

gree in 2023 and has completed every Sprouts training program; she also recently graduated from the McKinsey Executive Leadership Program.

COVER FEATURE

STORE MANAGERS

2025 Top Women in Grocery

Kimberly Traver

Melissa Sims

Devin Smith

Store Manager, Sprouts Farmers Market Store #530, Smyrna, Ga.

Store Manager, Sprouts Farmers Market Store #28, Prescott, Ariz.

Store Manager, Tops Markets Store #49, West Seneca, N.Y.

 Sims’ loca-

 Last year,

 Pratt was a

tion experienced exceptional year-over-year growth: Average weekly sales grew, with an above-average comp increase in basket size, and her operational efficiency took EBITDA growth from negative to positive.  As her district’s service and

comps at Smith’ store exceeded projections: Numbers of transactions increased, surpassing the company average for basket size growth, and she scored a perfect 100 on the company scorecard in Q4, winning the Ultimate District Award for 2024.

loyalty captain, she helped improve its customer satisfaction score with a year-overyear 170-basis point increase; headed up the Loyalty Rewards rollout, exceeding her target by 130%; and maintained the lowest turnover rate.

 When the Flagstaff, Ariz., store

 Additionally, as the market

Women @ Sprouts team member resource group, Smith helped bring a mammography truck to her store, providing free mammograms to area residents.

community events leader for her area, Sims took the lead within her peer group to build strong relationships with local leaders.

lost its manager, she volunteered to help, staying at a local hotel to provide leadership; while there, she rebuilt trust, reduced turnover, increased sales and led the team to a bonus.  Partnering with the Inspiring

Gwendolyn Pratt

leader for the district and a key trainer due to her sales-driven perspective, great merchandising skills and ability to create themed displays.  Her store was at 105% of

budget for total store contributions year to date, and she was at 101% of her budget for sales and had five weeks where she exceeded $1 million dollars in sales, an average 8% increase compared with last year; she was also the liaison between operations and merchandising to ensure in-stock conditions.  Pratt supports the local Boy

Scouts and school sports teams, as well as actively partnering with local organizations to hire adults with special needs.

Mindy Amado

Catherine Kiely

Shanti Walls

Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market, Fairfax, Calif.

Store Team Leader, Whole Foods Market, Lexington, Ky.

 Amado’s loca-

 Kiely’s store

Store Team Leader, West Tampa Whole Foods Market, Tampa, Fla.

Store Manager, Tops Markets Store #725, Tannersville, N.Y.  Traver’s inside

sales were up 2% year over year and 101% of this year’s budget; she instills good food safety practices in all associates to ensure that the highest-quality products are available to customers.  She excelled as a teacher,

trainer and developer, having helped three assistants and department managers improve their skills in the past year.  For Mother’s Day last year, Traver prepared and donated about 100 bouquets of flowers for students at the local grade school so they could present their moms with a gift on their special day; she has also been recognized by her district manager for exceeding all community fundraising goals at her store.

 Under Walls’ expert direction, the West Tampa location exceeded its sales forecast and operating income in 2024 and attained top-tier status within Whole Foods Market.

tion was within the top 20 stores in Whole Foods Market’s balanced scorecard ranking for two quarters in a row in 2024.

ranked second in the Midwest Operational Area and 33rd out of all Whole Foods Market stores in metric performance for 2024.

 Through her diligent eleva-

 Last year, she was elected as

tion of standards, the Fairfax store created a welcoming environment for customers and enhanced the overall shopping experience, which enabled the location to re-establish itself as the neighborhood’s favorite grocery store, with double-digit comps since last year.

the only store rep to the board of directors for the Whole Foods Market Foundation, in which capacity she visited Senegal to meet with partner organizations and several clients while creating a blog to celebrate the foundation’s success stories across that country.

 As well as maintaining a strong

 Nominated to participate in

 Kiely was also on the team

2024 executive leadership training, Amado was recognized as a star pupil by Laurel Gerencer, Whole Foods Market senior talent management consultant, team member services.

to create and launch Whole Foods Market’s company-wide Community Connections program, under which stores and facilities hold team-building volunteering events.

members through Whole Foods Market’s Cultivate program and was a highly engaged, supportive partner for various new store team leaders; she and her team also activated multiple community connection events.

team member culture at her own store, she was the cultural ambassador point of contact for the entire Southeast Operational Area, actively serving in this capacity for other Whole Foods Market locations.  Walls mentored several team

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025 103

ADVERTORIAL

Equinox added the Luxe 8700x payment POWERING GROCERY PG: acceptance solution last year. Why? MN: The Luxe 8700x was borne out of direct collaboPAYMENTS WITH ration with our enterprise customers. We asked, “What do you want in a point-of-sale payment acceptance PRECISION AND solution?” Their feedback shaped every detail of the PARTNERSHIP device — its intuitive design, speed of payment, intelSpeaking With…MEGAN NORFLEET, Vice President Sales, Payments Expert, Equinox For over 50 years, Equinox has provided point-of-sale experiences designed for customers’ unique needs. While payment terminals are what customers see, Equinox is much more than a hardware provider. Their payment solutions help clients not only accept payments but also grow their business. They do this with a high-touch service commitment and a deep understanding of their clients’ needs. Progressive Grocer reached out to Megan Norfleet, Vice President Sales, Payments Expert, to learn what distinguishes Equinox in the payment acceptance space. Progressive Grocer: What does Equinox offer grocery retailers that they cannot get from other companies? Megan Norfleet: Equinox empowers grocery retailers not just to accept payments, but also to control the moment of payment as a seamless, secure, brand-enhancing customer touchpoint. Many grocers recognize Equinox for its durable, elegantly designed terminals, but our true value lies in the intelligence, flexibility, security, and speed we provide at the point of interaction. PG: What are some pain points the Equinox team has helped grocery retailers solve? MN: Navigating ever-changing compliance standards that can drain time and resources and dealing with terminal failures that result in lost sales, long lines, and poor customer experiences are two common issues. Equinox has solutions to minimize retailers’ pain. Our ‘Voyager’ software solution supports loyalty programs, ads for slow moving inventory and terminal uptime management, to name a few — making it well-suited to mid-sized grocers. Our infield upgrades meet the latest security standards, reducing total cost of ownership. Our durable, high-performance hardware is backed by a single-point-of-contact support model, so we can deliver the fastest repair service in the industry, with an average turnaround time of 10 days, compared to the industry’s standard of four to six weeks.

ligent secure software, screen location, and durability that endures the wear and tear of high-volume grocery retail environments.

PG: Are there other Equinox terminals that are reliable in grocery environments? MN: Yes — the Luxe 8500 is another great solution. It allows cashiers to clearly see when a valid card has been inserted, helping deter fraud at the point of sale. It has also demonstrated exceptional durability, performing reliably for five years with minimal maintenance. PG: What should retailers remember when shopping for a new payment acceptance solution? MN: You’re not just buying a payment terminal — you’re investing in a customer engagement platform where loyalty, security, speed, and brand come together in seconds. Choose a partner who gives you control, not constraints, and the service support you need to keep lanes running smoothly and efficiently. Grocery isn’t a one-size-fits-all business. Equinox partners with grocers to understand their operational nuances, whether it’s multi-format deployments, compliance challenges, or brand consistency across thousands of stores. We design custom roadmaps and provide hands-on support every step of the way.

WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE SAYING Fareway Meat & Grocery, a Midwest grocery company, has partnered with Equinox for more than 15 years. The company has 1000+ terminals throughout its 140 stores. But it takes more than reliable terminals to fuel a successful partnership. For Fareway, it comes down to Equinox’s customer service. “I don’t have to worry about going to a general help desk or my email getting lost. I know who to go to, I know who to call,” says Zach Lane, director of retail systems. “When we’ve had technical issues in the past, they’re always addressed — and it’s done quickly. If I don’t get an email back within 24 hours, I start getting concerned that my rep has gone missing!”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT equinoxpayments.com.

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FEATURE

Consumer Insights

Inside Danone’s Shopper Marketing Breakfast Expansion THE PATH TO PURCHASE INSTITUTE OFFERS GROCERY TAKE AWAYS FOR COMMERCE MARKE TERS.

By the Path to Purchase Institute anone North America expanded its reach earlier this year through a broad, breakfast-themed national shopper marketing program in tandem with retailer partnerships and activations. The campaign provides a valuable window for grocers looking to drive higher basket size, attract new customers and engage core breakfast buyers.

Boosting Basket Size With Targeted Shopper Marketing

The Mornings Upgraded campaign focused on driving basket size, encouraging cross-purchases between Danone brands and bringing in new households. The program ran Jan. 1 through Feb. 28. The goal of the campaign was to drive sales for six Danone brands: Silk, International Delight, Oikos, Too Good, Stok, and Light & Fit. It highlights how retailers can drive cross-category purchases and increase basket size by promoting complementary breakfast items. Why It Matters to Shoppers: Breakfast remains a consistent meal occasion for shoppers who prioritize health and convenience, with 86%-plus of breakfast occasions occurring at home, Erin Anderson, senior director, omni-activation and e-commerce at White Plains, N.Y.-based Danone North America, tells the Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI). “Our target audience for the breakfast scale event included purchasers of breakfast foods, including plantbased milk, yogurt and creamer, during their typical stockup trips,” says Anderson. “We specifically targeted Gen Z and Millennial shoppers, who have an affinity for betterfor-you products, especially as they start new habits for the new year.” Promoting Complementary Products: The addition of yogurt and plant-based milk alternatives to the basket resulted in a 29% increase in basket size, while adding creamer led to a 42% increase. Retailers should consider creating bundle promotions or shelf setups that combine related products.

Targeting Health-Conscious Shoppers: Danone’s focus on Gen Z and Millennial shoppers, particularly those interested in better-for-you products, is an opportunity with a lot of runway. For example, these demographics prioritize health-conscious choices as part of their new year’s resolutions, and retailers can target them with tailored messaging and promotions. Extending Opportunities: To extend the program’s reach and drive stock-up trips, Danone launched a Spend $15, Get $5 national promotion. Shoppers who submitted receipts via either a promotional web page or email received a $5 retailer gift card or a $5 virtual Visa prepaid card.

In-Store and Online Activation: A Dual Approach

The campaign was successful because it blended in-store and online activation strategies, a table-stakes tactic for today’s omni-commerce environment. In-store: Shelf talkers positioned next to Danone creamers, and shelf labels with Mornings Upgraded messaging touted the promotion. Custom display coolers adorned with creative from the program appeared in regional grocers such as Hy-Vee and ShopRite. Other in-store collateral supporting the program included display headers, end cap placement, instant redeemable coupons, balloons (at Albertsons Cos. banners) and neck hangers across channels. Danone’s Mornings Upgraded campaign focused on driving sales for six of the company’s brands.

PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

107

FEATURE

Consumer Insights Online: Danone worked with Instacart and various retail media networks to reach shoppers, including Walmart Connect, Kroger Precision Marketing, Target’s Roundel, Albertsons Media Collective and AD Retail Media (Ahold Delhaize). Retail Media Networks: Partnering with retail media platforms extended promotions beyond the store and targeted shoppers online. Danone had gallery takeover ads on Walmart.com, as well The Mornings Upgraded campaign included a Spend $15, Get $5 national promotion. as landing pages on Kroger, Target, Albertsons and Ahold Delhaize websites. On-site and off-site display ads were used throughout the campaign. Influencer Marketing: Influencers created breakfast solutions across brands and drove awareness of the promotion on Instagram accounts (such as @iheartpublix) and TikTok, according to Anderson. The marketing team also partnered with a Danone dietitian to create custom cross-portfolio recipes for shoppers to use during their mornings.

Danone’s campaign was successful because it blended in-store and online activation strategies, a table-stakes tactic for today’s omni-commerce environment.

Behind the Results

Danone’s Mornings Upgraded program required more than 10 months of advance work and planning. This lead time enabled Danone to coordinate with various stakeholders, establish retailer partnerships, produce promotional materials and set up measurement frameworks to track the campaign’s performance effectively, notes Anderson. The company also worked with such partners as Acosta, Chicory, Cooler Management, InMarket and Snipp Interactive to bring the campaign to life. Through digital media, the program delivered more than 332 million impressions. Special product signs hanging “Breakfast is a key meal occasion, from shelves can be extremely and by inspiring shoppers to upgrade valuable. their morning and highlighting the unique benefits of our portfolio, we were able to truly own the breakfast occasion,” Anderson observes.

Shopper Marketing Takeaways

 Simple, incentivized promotions can drive stock-up behavior: According to a recent consumer survey from P2PI, personalized promotions and discounts were the No. 1 factor driving interest in retailer loyalty programs.

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 In-store visibility drives promotion success: 36% of shoppers say that special product signs hanging from shelves are extremely valuable, according to P2PI research.  Retail media networks support targeted digital advertising: Retailer DSP (demand-side platform) ads, on-site display ads, search engine shopping ads, on-site search ads and social commerce ads each were part of the retail media strategy of 60% or more of brand respondents, a recent P2PI survey found.  Segment promotions for younger, health-conscious shoppers: Retailers can benefit from influencer partnerships to create buzz regarding promotions, particularly for trending categories like plant-based or wellness-focused foods. According to 84.51°, Kroger’s retail data science, insights and media arm, 57% of shoppers would like to receive nutrition information while shopping, thereby creating opportunities for brands to engage consumers through targeted messaging and educational content.

Today’s Retail Is Complex. We Help You Win It. Join the Path to Purchase Institute (P2PI) and connect with the insights, tools and people driving smarter brand growth.

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RETAILER PROFILE

Target Corp.

Target at a Crossroads THE RETAILER NAVIGATES CONSUMER SPENDING SHIFTS AND POLITICAL FALLOUT.

T By Gina Acosta

Target has recommitted to providing a great in-stre experience.

arget is experiencing one of its most difficult times in recent memory. performance with declines in both traffic and sales, most notably in CEO Brian Cornell our discretionary categories,” Cornell said during the company’s Q1 earnings call in May. “For several years now, we’ve seen pressure in acknowledged in an our discretionary businesses as spending adjusted down from eleinternal email last vated levels during the pandemic and then moved further away in the month – subsequently face of historically high inflation and needs-based categories. On top published in Target’s of those ongoing challenges, we faced several additional headwinds hometown newspathis quarter, including five consecutive months of declining consumer per, the Star Tribune confidence, uncertainty regarding the impact of potential tariffs and – that the company the reaction to the updates we shared on belonging in January.” has had “a tough few months,” and cited silence from In response, Target says that it’s doubling down on its food and leadership that has created uncertainty among staff. beverage business in 2025, identifying the category as a vital lever However, the Minneapolis-based retailer’s disapfor long-term growth, guest pointing drop in net sales, Target has been especially vulnerable loyalty and daily relevance. traffic and transactions in its first Despite a 3% year-over-year quarter were driven not by “bad to what many U.S. retailers face today: decline in overall Q1 net communications,” but by a con- a fraught marketplace in which neutrality sales, food and beverage vergence of disruptive trends. is elusive and perception can swing was indeed a bright spot for Inflation-weary consumfaster than earnings can recover. Target, generating $5.9 billion ers have been feeling worse in revenue, compared with $5.85 billion in the prior-year quarter. about the economy and pulled back on discretionary This performance underscores the company’s plan to stay focused spending. The company continues to face reputational on everyday essentials that drive frequent trips and deepen brand backlash linked to political and cultural polarization. trust with core shoppers. And Target – lovingly known to many consumers as The company continues to grow its Good & Gather and Favorite “Tarzhay” – has been hit with shopper complaints relatDay grocery private labels, which now play a big role in reinforcing ed to in-store service and execution. Some of these headwinds aren’t unique to Target, price perception and quality. These brands help Target deliver but they’re especially detrimental to a retailer known compelling options across fresh, frozen, snacking, dairy and pantry for curating the perfect mix of lifestyle branding and staples – categories that attract families and repeat customers. everyday essentials.

The Discretionary Downturn

The most direct hit to Target’s top line has been a dramatic shift in consumer behavior. Inflation and other macro headwinds have made shoppers more cautious this year, especially with nonessential purchases. While categories such as food and beverage and beauty have held up at Target, discretionary categories such as apparel, home décor and electronics – core pillars of the company’s differentiation – have softened significantly. “In the first quarter, our team and our business faced an exceptionally challenging environment that affected our

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Cultural Flashpoints

Adding to the strain at Target is a wave of sentiment that has put it in the crosshairs of consumers, social media and the press. The retailer has experienced backlash and boycotts since at least 2023 over its culturally relevant merchandising decisions. While executives have played down the long-term financial impacts, the reputational toll has been harder to measure. Retailers today face more scrutiny than ever before not just for what they sell, but also for the values they signal. Every assortment decision, marketing campaign or social stance risks alienating one side of the cultural divide. It’s a nearly impossible needle to thread for all retailers. Target CEO Brian Cornell has acknowledged that the retailer is currrently experiencing tough times.

Target continues to grow its grocery private labels, including Favorite Day.

But Target has been especially vulnerable to what many U.S. retailers face today: a fraught marketplace in which neutrality is elusive and perception can swing faster than earnings can recover.

In-Store Experience

While Target’s digital sales grew 4.7% in Q1 and same-day services such as Drive Up surged 36%, the physical shopping experience – once a crown jewel for Target – has shown signs of deterioration. “We’ve got to make sure in this environment we are consistent, we’re reliable,” Cornell said. “That’s code for making sure we’re in stock every time you shop. We’ve got to make sure we provide a great in-store experience. That starts with great assortments, great newness and great value. And we got to be really laser-focused on providing a great in-store experience every time our guests shop. We’ve got to make sure style, trend, fashion – that ‘Tar-zhay’ magic – is something we lead with, and we complement that with great essentials, great food and beverage, and great execution each and every day.” In an era when convenience and experience are critical differentiators, even small lapses can drive customers to competitors. Retail executives have acknowledged the need for faster execution and

more consistent in-store standards. In response, Target has created a new “Acceleration Office” tasked with improving operational speed and decision-making. “We’re finding new ways to move faster and operate differently, given that uncertainty and the pace of change are higher than ever,” Cornell said. “We announced the formation of an enterprise, an Acceleration Office, as well as several organizational changes to bring even more clarity and speed to how we operate and advance our strategy across the company.” Target is also investing in fresh merchandising layouts, improved refrigeration infrastructure, and new team training protocols designed to restore trust in perishables and fresh categories. Remodeled stores will feature intuitive wayfinding, smaller formats tailored to urban markets, and enhanced cold-chain capabilities – all designed to reinvigorate the in-store experience. While Target is a recent example, the company’s current struggles speak to a larger truth: All retailers are navigating a minefield. Economic pressures, cultural polarization and rising customer expectations have created a volatile environment in which any strategic move can be misinterpreted, politicized or weaponized. Whether it’s balancing inclusive branding with political neutrality, optimizing inventory without overextending, or modernizing stores while managing labor costs, today’s retail leaders face unprecedented complexity. The margin for error is shrinking.

SOLUTIONS

Bread

La Brea Bakery aims to refine the pretzel segment with items that work across many types of meal occasions.

Fresh From the Oven TRENDS IN THE PREMIUM SEGMENT OF THE BRE AD CATEGORY OFFER VARIOUS SIGNPOSTS TO RE TAIL GROW TH.

P By Mike Duff

Kurt Burmeister, SVP, national sales and importing at Lipari Foods, in Warren, Mich., affirms that bread products with an elevated cachet are currently in demand. He points out that consumers are trading up to gourmet, grain-forward and internationally inspired breads, which means that these shoppers are increasingly “seeking flavor and function over blandness” and will pay more if an item delivers on freshness, ingredients or a satisfying culinary story. “Consumers aren’t just tightening spending,” observes Burmeister, “they’re prioritizing value over price.” Bread, especially in the in-store bakery or in specialty packaged formats, is for many consumers a small indulgence that can enliven everyday meals without costing a lot. Burmeister underscores that Lipari has been working with retailers to help them identify and address premium bread opportunities in a category that’s advancing based on some larger and some subtle shifts.

remium bread products can function to give consumers what they’re looking for today, something closer to the restaurant experience at home. With consumers concerned about the economy, and, in some cases, less inclined to eat out or even to opt for delivery or takeout, given the costs involved, premium bread Key Takeaways products can be a way to enhance just about any meal occasion. Also, it doesn’t hurt that f Bread, especially in the in-store foodservice operators bakery or in specialty packaged Lipari Foods recognizes that have for some years now formats, is for many consumers a better breads can enhance emphasized artisan and small indulgence that can enliven burger-based meals and more. everyday meals without costing even exotic breads as a vital part of meals. Breads with an a lot. international pedigree can engage consumer interest, too, and that’s one reason that brioche, for instance, has been f Brioche, along with some other getting more play in restaurants and, increasingly, shoppers’ bread styles with international or dining rooms. artisan associations, can attract Eating better isn’t just about eating out, however. Further, consumers looking to enhance meal occasions. with consumers defining their approach to food more precisely today, especially for health reasons, premium f Premium bread is evolving in a products, including those with a specific profile such as way that continues to incorporate vegan or gluten-free, give many consumers a higher-level traditional approaches but also eating experience while enabling them to adhere to their pays attention to consumer trends dietary disciplines. and needs.

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SOLUTIONS

Bread

The Differentiator

in the market takes the desire for good The right bakery products can do a lot for times into play, along with wariness about a company. Bobby Turner, president of finances. Busch’s Fresh Food Market, in Ann Arbor, “Consumers are increasingly seeking a Mich., says that investment in bakery operbalance between premiumization and pracations has been a major force buoying the ticality,” she says. “In the in-store bakery, 16-store company, which just celebrated its there’s a clear trend toward elevated of50th anniversary. Premium bread products ferings that deliver on taste, quality and perPremium bread products enable help boost Busch’s bakery position, in part ceived value, especially as shoppers look consumers to enjoy restaurant-style by providing tastier options, such as artisan for affordable indulgences amid economic experiences at home. bread, than the standard offering. uncertainty. Traditional premium breads like “Bakery is one of the cornerstones of brioche and sourdough remain strong performthe Busch’s guest experience, and a key differentiator ers, though sales often ebb and flow based on price. Shoppers are for our stores,” explains Turner. “It’s not only about willing to pay a premium for quality, but their spending is influenced freshness and quality – it’s about creating connection by promotions and seasonal occasions. Brioche appeals broadly across demographics, while sourdough has seen a notable uptick through food.” among Millennials and Gen Z, fueled by social media and interest in Busch’s recognizes that keeping up with consumers its fermentation-based health benefits.” and giving them attractive options in bakery can be From the larger perspective, according to Conciatori, premium a competitive advantage. The company’s premium bread suits how consumers are eating in 2025. bread products come in multiple forms. For example, “Overall, premium bread is benefiting from the ‘restaurant-qualshoppers can find brioche bread, as well as brioche ity-at-home’ mindset,” she says. “Consumers are willing to spend hamburger and slider rolls, under Busch’s own label. a bit more for products that feel like an upgrade but still align with However, a critical mainstay of Busch’s bakery budget-conscious habits.” operation enables the company to offer customers Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at San Antonio-based market freshness, newness and even trendiness when approresearch firm 210 Analytics, observes that a lot of consumers are priate in artisan bread and a range of other products: looking for alternative ways to have a restaurant eating experience the Bakehouse. while saving money. “The Busch’s Bakehouse, established in 1995, is our “There is no doubt about it: Many households are experiencing in-house commercial bakery, located in Clinton, Mich.,” tremendous pressure on income after several years of inflation,” notes Turner. “It’s where over 40 skilled associates, says Roerink. “Households across the income spectrum are including artisan bakers, sweet specialists and cake making changes to their food spending, and this is impacting decorators, produce fresh baked goods for all 16 of categories around the store, including the bakery category. While our stores daily. Many of our team members have been it may seem logical to assume that consumers are trading down with Busch’s for 15 to 20 years, which speaks to the and cutting back, reality isn’t quite so simple. Reality is that level of craftsmanship and consistency they bring. It is consumers sometimes skip what they consider nonessentials, a heartbeat of our operation, and a direct extension of buy private-brand items, buy what’s on sale or buy a smaller pack our quality promise.” size. Other times, they show strong willingness to splurge and buy At Allegiance Retail Services, a retailer-owned cooperative based in Iselin, N.J., Alexa Conciatori, category indulgent baked goods, whether a more premium bread or a sweet manager for bakery, says that value as reckoned today treat; buy the brand they love regardless of whether it is on sale; or trade up to a larger pack size. This nonlinear behavior drives today’s complex marketplace that still holds ample opportunity for premium bread.”

“Consumers are increasingly seeking a balance between premiumization and practicality. In the in-store bakery, there’s a clear trend toward elevated offerings that deliver on taste, quality and perceived value, especially as shoppers look for affordable indulgences amid economic uncertainty.” —Alexa Conciatori, Allegiance Retail Services

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The Brioche Component

Brioche is among those products in the more traditional core of the premium bread segment, along with some other styles that have international or artisan associations, and that can attract consumers looking for more than everyday bread to enhance any number of meal occasions, from breakfast to grilling. Pepperidge Farm, based in Norwalk, Conn., has introduced an new variation on breakfast bread, the Caramel Brioche Swirl. The item builds on the success of the brand’s Lemon Blueberry Swirl debut. Pepperidge Farm developed the caramel brioche innovation to cater to Millennial appetites for premium, flavorful options, the company contends. The item has become the seventh permanent flavor in the Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread lineup.

E H C O I R B C I T AUTHEN N O I T I D A R T H C N FRE Y T I L A U Q D E H C UNMAT From buttery brioche loaves and soft burger buns to our elegantly sweet brioche rolls, every bite delivers the rich, airy texture customers crave.

Brioche Gourmet brings a taste of France to every bite!

Contact KLT Global at info@kltglobal.com or 877.302.5710 to learn more.

SOLUTIONS

Bread

Ama Auwarter, VP of Pepperidge Farm, bakery and cookies at Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Snacks, says that developing the latest swirl bread came out of careful attention to what’s happening with consumers. “Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread is a breakfast staple and the No. 1 breakfast bread in America, affording us an exciting opportunity to experiment with different formats and flavors of bread to satisfy consumers’ evolving tastes,” she notes. “We identify new flavors by staying on top of the latest consumer trends and preferences while ensuring that our commitment to top-tier quality and taste remains consistent as we innovate. Pepperidge Farm is using the trending combination of caramel and brioche Caramel and brioche are a trending combination, so to further drive its already strong breakfast bread lineup. this flavor direction felt like a natural evolution for the line of rich, indulgent and approachable everyday breakfast bread flavors. With sweet breakfast options projected to be among the their everyday meals with better ingretop-10 growing foods for Millennials in 2025, we created Caramel Brioche Swirl dients, and our brioche delivers on both to meet the need for a convenient, delicious and elevated option for our target indulgence and value. These buns are soft audience, so that they can start their morning off with a treat worth savoring.” and rich, with a subtle sweetness perfect The foremost idea underlying the product, according to Auwarter, is to profor burgers, chicken sandwiches and pulled duce a better option for breakfast. pork, yet priced to be accessible for busy “Our goal was to bring something truly unique to the bread aisle with families and food lovers alike.” Caramel Brioche Swirl, a flavor that is indulgent yet familiar,” she explains. The company also formulated the product “Together, caramel and brioche fill a white space in the current breakfast bread for flexibility. set by delivering a rich, premium experience that effortlessly elevates the ev“One of our retail partners is featureryday for consumers. This innovation continues Pepperidge Farm’s legacy of ing the brioche buns both as part of a offering nostalgic flavors with a twist, all while staying rooted in what the brand hot-sandwich program in the deli and as a is known for: high-quality ingredients, distinctive taste and attention to detail in retail item merchandised in the perimeter,” every slice.” notes Gonnella. “That kind of dual-applicaIt’s also worth noting that Pepperidge Farm’s recent brioche introductions tion offering, meal solution plus take-home run the gamut from breakfast to grilling, given the brand’s Farmhouse Brioche option, is exactly where we see the perimHot Dog Buns. eter bakery and deli departments winning For its part, Gonnella Baking Co., based in Schaumburg, Ill., has introduced today.” new brioche buns, with the prime focus being retail foodservice and C-stores. The brioche buns deliver the rich, buttery flavor and soft texture of authentic French Connection brioche bread, according to the company, in accordance with its pledge and St Pierre Bakery, based in the U.K. city of slogan, We Bake to Differ. Gonnella’s brioche buns are certified Kosher, vegManchester and a brioche-centric brand, an-friendly and baked in sesame seed-free facilities. developed its first-ever marketing campaign Gonnella Baking Co. develfor the U.S. market with a tongue-in-cheek oped its brioche in accordance take on French superiority, to boost St with quality standards that Pierre’s quality perception. The campaign allow it to support any type of launched in several countries before St filling. Company product testing Pierre introduced a U.S. version on Feb. demonstrated proven resilience 3, with plans calling for a rollout across in use with toasters, ovens and retailer online channels, social and digital warmers, so that its brioche brand channels, and on televisions screens buns provide quality customer via Connected TV, targeting viewers in experiences for made-in-store the Pacific, Mountain, West North Central, and on-the-go programs. East North Central and West South Central The company cites regions. Social media activity and retailer Datassential’s market research online programs such as in-store activaattesting that the trending tions and public relations efforts in time for Gonnella Baking Co.’s brioche buns give consumers a brioche category is growing at a great-tasting premium product at a reasonable price. grilling season were launched to support the more than 21% pace. campaign. Dave Gonnella, the company’s VP for sales, maintains: “When we developed St Pierre sees a wide range of opporour new brioche buns, the goal was simple: deliver a great-tasting, premitunity for its brioche products, which it um-quality bun at a fair price. We know today’s shoppers are looking to elevate continues to explore, according to Sarah

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SOLUTIONS

Bread

Boddy, the company’s they normally only get managing director. at upscale restaurants. “Our brand is growAmong the ways that ing, and we are investing grocers might mermore into marketing chandise the line, La than ever before, in orBrea Bakery suggests der to maximize the disPretzel Baguettes as tribution we’ve secured an accompaniment over the past few years,” to charcuterie and says Boddy. “Part of this dipping boards. As is because of the opporsuch, according to St Pierre Bakery is supporting its brioche line with a new markeing campaign tunity we see in being the company, the new targeting Millennials and Gen Zers in particular, given their interest in brioche. able to bring younger pretzel lineup gives grocers shoppers into the catea high-quality, on-trend gory. Datassentials research shows that it is Gen Zs and Millennials who have option that can drive repeat purchases. the highest ‘interest’ scores in the category, and that’s the same shoppers who “Shoppers today are seeking more from are showing strong preferences for premium products. This year, we launched their bread,” notes Brie Buenning, senior our first ‘above the line’ creative – Eat Avec Respect, which was designed with director of marketing at La Brea Bakery. this in mind – a bold new creative platform that clearly demonstrates St Pierre’s “Our pretzel line offers a new take on a quality credentials and sees us advertising via new mediums at mass scale, to beloved classic that uses real ingredients reach our target shoppers where they are.” and proven techniques to deliver delicious Datassentials market research also suggests that brioche sales growth oppretzel flavor and texture.” portunity is significant. According to the Chicago-based market research comAs with La Brea Bakery’s pretzel inspipany, 75% of consumers are aware of brioche; in fact, it’s in the 59th percentile ration, premium bread is evolving in a way of awareness, meaning that it’s better known than 59% of food, beverage and that continues to incorporate traditional flavor products. However, only 62% of consumers have tried brioche, placing approaches but also pays attention to it as a class in the 69th percentile. Moreover, only 8% of consumers have had consumer trends and needs. To that end, brioche many times, putting it in the 67th percentile, so plenty of room exists to Nature’s Own, a brand of Thomasville, build steady consumption. Ga.-based Flowers Foods, has added When asked how they feel about brioche, 22% of consumers overall told Keto Life Multigrain Sliced Bread as well Datassentials that they love it, and 31% said that they like it. Of consumers who as Keto Soft White Buns as a hot dog have tried brioche, 34% said that they love it, and 46% said that they like it, companion, and Homestyle White, Ancient with 13% neutral. Although brioche performs relatively strongly among various Grain, 100% Whole Wheat, Hawaiian and demographic groups, Millennials and Sourdough to its Small Generation Xers had the greatest affinity Loaf series. The new for it. Among ethnic groups, white and products join a product Hispanic consumers had the strongest aflineup that already finity, while the West and Midwest were the includes Brioche Style strongest geographic regions, although the Perfectly Crafted artiNortheast and South weren’t far behind. san-style bread. For her part, Boddy points out: “Brioche According to is a subsector in growth, now worth more Allegiance’s Conciatori, —Dave Gonnella, Gonnella Baking Co. than $700 million to U.S. bakery. It’s specific products with growing faster in both value and volume than total breads in both [the in-store flavor and content profiles that appeal to bakery] and bread aisle.” consumers are important to consider, but those considerations should be made in the context of the premium bread category and Going Bavarian, and More Los Angeles-based La Brea Bakery, which focuses on premium and artisanal how it’s developing. products, introduced its Plant-Based Brioche Bun in 2023. It recognizes, how“Emerging segments, such as vegan, ever, that consumers continually want new choices in premium bread products, high-protein and gluten-free breads, continso this past April, La Brea Bakery launched a new and different premium produe to grow, driven by younger consumers uct that gives consumers a novel choice in baked goods. In fact, the company and those with specific dietary needs,” she asserts that it’s redefining the pretzel segment with its new artisan Pretzel explains, adding, “High-protein options Buns, Pretzel Sausage Buns and Pretzel Baguettes. are particularly appealing to fitness-minded Offering a rich traditional Bavarian pretzel flavor, the line features the simple, shoppers, while gluten-free continues to clean ingredients that more shoppers want today. La Brea Bakery regards its gain traction both as a necessity and a wellpretzel line as offering consumers the kind of inviting artisanal products that ness choice.”

“We know today’s shoppers are looking to elevate their everyday meals with better ingredients, and our brioche delivers on both indulgence and value.”

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SEAFOOD SPOTLIGHT

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

The Latest Frontier of Fish PG FINDS OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING AT ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING INSTITUTE WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY ADVANCES AND GETTING ITS PRODUCTS IN FRONT OF SHOPPERS AT RETAIL.

T By Bridget Goldschmidt

o find out the latest developments at Juneau-based Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) – and what those mean for retailers and consumers – Progressive Grocer reached out to Mike Kraft, executive director at Certified Seafood International (CSI), with which ASMI has embarked on a new partnership, and Amy Dukes, head of retail at ASMI. Their comments have been edited for length and clarity. Progressive Grocer: Talk about ASMI’s new Certified Seafood International (CSI) program. What does this mean for the products ASMI offers? Mike Kraft: CSI was formally announced in April, just ahead of the Barcelona Global Seafood Expo – providing a wonderful opportunity to showcase and educate harvesters, brands and retailers about the program. CSI offers a new choice in global wild-capture seafood certification. While ASMI has been a long-

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Alaska is recognized as a model of seafood sustainability for the world.

time and strong supporter of the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) program, the predecessor of CSI, CSI is not an ASMI-run program. The Alaska RFM program has now rolled into CSI in a natural next step that allows for broader adoption of the standard beyond the United States, where it has grown market presence. The CSI program carries forward many of RFM’s strengths. The Fisheries Standard will continue to be based on the UN FAO documents and guidelines, focusing on well-managed fisheries, and it continues to offer the ability to highlight harvest origin on the logo – a valuable feature for places like Alaska that have built strong brand equity with consumers. CSI is committed to delivering credible Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI)-Benchmarked assurance at a reasonable cost. The program builds on the strong foundation that ASMI helped create, and ASMI continues to support CSI and its mission to promote responsible seafood around the world. PG: How will the program manifest in consumer-facing venues such as retail stores? MK: CSI offers a logo that signals the product comes from a CSI-certified, responsibly managed fishery. It also allows for the harvest origin to be included, which is especially important for regions like Alaska that have built strong connections with consumers around place of origin. The CSI logo helps give buyers and shoppers added confidence that their seafood was sourced responsibly. We are also excited about the CSI website (https://csicertified.org/) and our fishery landing pages, which provide basic information about the aspects

The CSI logo helps provide confidence that seafood was sourced responsibly.

“Sushi holds its own against a broad section of categories in the store, like yogurt or cereal, and it is one of the biggest platforms for future growth in prepared foods.” —Amy Dukes, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute of the certified fisheries – with an option to dive deeper for those interested in doing so.

weekly and monthly print and digital ads, and strategic placement of in-store point-ofsale (POS) materials. PG: What were the aims of these campaigns, and what were the results? AD: The primary aim of these campaigns was to capitalize on key seasonal demand, increase consumer awareness and preference for Alaska seafood, and ultimately drive sales volume across participating retailers. For the recently completed Lent promotions, we observed significant upward sales trends. Specifically, these campaigns generated a sales lift ranging from 5.5% to 45% when compared to previous performance.

PG: How does this program tie into ASMI’s longtime commitment to sustainability? MK: CSI is completely consistent with, and in some ways the PG: What seafood trends embodiment of, ASMI’s longtime have you been paying particcommitment to sustainability. In ular attention to, and why? helping to originally establish the AD: Sushi. Gen Z customers RFM program, ASMI recognized buy twice as much sushi as the ASMI has the tools and resources to make it easy for grocers to early on the importance of average U.S. household, and build successful promotions. offering choice in certification. we already know that Gen Z is Today, with certification often a requirement in many more interested in eating more seafood than other generations. regions, providing that choice to harvesters and the Sushi not only attracts younger generations to the deli and seamarket is more important than ever. food departments, but also resonates with a wide range of conCSI’s focus on certifying responsibly managed sumers across all demographics. According to Circana research, fisheries in line with UN FAO guidelines mirrors how it is the second most incremental item in the deli department and Alaska has always managed and cared for its fisherelicits repeat purchases. Sushi sells year-round and is purchased ies. Alaska’s dedication to sustainability is how they almost equally by men and women. continually supply the world with healthy and delicious Sushi holds its own against a broad section of categories in the Alaska seafood for generations to come. store, like yogurt or cereal, and it is one of the biggest platforms That commitment goes beyond sound fisheries for future growth in prepared foods. management – it also means protecting the environAt ASMI, we partner with retailers like Sam’s Club and Hy-Vee ment and preserving the purity and majesty of this last to highlight Alaska seafood in their sushi case offerings. wild frontier. Since statehood in 1959, it has been mandated PG: What are you doing to keep increasing consumption of by the Alaska state constitution that fisheries must Alaska seafood? be maintained on the sustained-yield principle. It is AD: Shoppers want to know where their food comes from, and because of this constitutional mandate, a comprehentelling the story of Alaska seafood is a true honor. Alaska is a sive fisheries management platform and the proven state, a people and an industry steeped in the tradition of fishing, track record that Alaska is recognized as a model of and whole communities have been intimately involved with harsustainability for the world. vesting and processing Alaska seafood for generations. Fishing is more than just a source of income; it’s a way of life, representing PG: Please discuss your latest retail promotions – a real relationship with the land and sea. ASMI tells the stories of where and when, and with which retailers. these incredibly dedicated, hardworking fishermen and makes Amy Dukes: Our most recent retail promotions inthese stories available for retailers to share with their customers in cluded successful Lent campaigns executed at Super our People Behind the Fish campaign. 1, QFC and Albertsons. These initiatives, running ASMI also has the tools and resources to make it easy for through the recent Lent season, featured a diverse grocers to build successful promotions. This includes promotional array of Alaska seafood species, including Alaska support including in-store demos, educational materials, simple Sablefish, Pacific Cod, pink and sockeye salmon, recipes, consumer trends data for retailer planning, staff training halibut, and surimi. To drive engagement and sales, on Alaska seafood varieties, and a library of photos, videos and we utilized a multifaceted approach, incorporating artwork to customize your needs – plus social media support to seafood sales contests, prominent features in both help extend your reach. PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

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FRESH FOOD

Dairy, Deli & Bakery

How Dairy, Deli and Bakery are Reinventing the Perimeter Store THE DEPARTMENTS ARE LINKED BY MORE THAN PROXIMIT Y IN PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S SHOPPERS.

T By Lynn Petrak

he perimeter of a typical grocery store may be shaped like a box, but today’s grocers are softening any hard right angles to create a more rounded approach to meeting shopper needs. For example, although categories remain traditionally defined, shoppers are likely to find more complementary and cross-promoted offerings in the dairy, deli and bakery sections. At the center of this blurring of departmental lines is a focus on providing solutions across dayparts and occasions. Those solutions may encompass prepared or nearly prepared meals and offerings that fit well for recipes and snacking. “For food retailers and suppliers, it’s really about providing shoppers value beyond just price and quality, offering experience, relevance and convenience,” says Rick Stein, VP of fresh foods at Arlington, Va.-based FMI – The Food Industry Association. “Grocers that offer this expanded definition of value across departments are helping shoppers solve the meal question. For the dairy, deli and bakery departments, this might mean cross-merchandising and supporting shoppers seeking hybrid meal options — where they combine scratch cooking with some pre-prepared items.”

Bakery sections can cross-merchandise their products with items in other parts of the store as meal solutions.

traversing the perimeter encounter a large case of ready-to-cook meal solutions and can browse a nearby case filled with portioned cheese and pre-made dips and spreads. According to Anne-Marie Roerink, principal at San Antonio-based insights firm 210 Analytics, such success in these areas is based on execution. “It has to be compelling. It can’t just be a bunch of random items,” stresses Roerink. “People have to be able to see the meal.” This approach is especially important in the increasingly heated battle for the consumer food dollar.

Simplify the Seach for Solutions

SpartanNash is one retailer that’s working to deliver such options, including at its recently refreshed Family Fare stores in the company’s home state of Michigan. “We’re seeing a real shift in how our shoppers think about grocery shopping,” notes Erin Storm, SVP and chief marketing officer at Grand Rapidsbased SpartanNash. “It’s not just about the weekly stock-up trip – it’s often about ‘What’s for dinner tonight?’ Our Family Fare remodels are built with that in mind, especially when it comes to the perimeter. People aren’t just picking up ingredients anymore – they’re looking for fresh, ready-to-enjoy meal solutions. As our guests explore deli, meat, bakery and dairy, they can easily find a chef-prepared entrée, fresh-baked rolls and a specialty cheese, all in one trip.” While shoppers are looking for solutions, retailers are becoming more thoughtful about how to present those items in high-traffic areas like the deli, bakery and dairy sections. At The Fresh Market store that recently opened in Algonquin, Ill., for example, shoppers —Rick Stein, FMI – The Food Industry Association

“For food retailers and suppliers, it’s really about providing shoppers value beyond just price and quality, offering experience, relevance and convenience.”

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Key Takeaways  At the center of the blurring of deli, dairy and bakery departmental lines is a focus on providing solutions across dayparts and occasions.  Purchase drivers like health, entertainment, exploration and convenience can urge shoppers to spend a bit more.  In addition to fully prepared meals, meal kits or complementary ingredients, as well as items for entertaining or grab-and-go snacking, are doing well in these parts of the store.

FRESH FOOD

Dairy, Deli & Bakery “Recently, I was doing one-on-one shopper interviews, and the lady commented on eating out at restaurants less frequently but wandering the store looking for something that her family would like that they would have ordered if going to a restaurant,” recounts Roerink. “Recreating that menu-like experience where visuals, cross-merchandising or recipes conjure up that meal in people’s mind is very powerful in driving a full-basket sale.”

Beyond Convenience

As for purchase drivers, convenience is a major impetus for dairy, deli and bakery assortment and merchandising, but other influences SpartanNash stores now have Brat Shops. come into play, too, as shoppers have a lot on their minds in today’s operating environment. “We see value-focused shoppers still willing to spend a bit more if it satisfies their need to ‘eat well,’” explains Stein. “This means purchase drivers like health, entertainment, exploration and convenience can urge shoppers to spend a bit more. Food retailers that lean into these purchase drivers for the dairy, deli and bakery departments will build customer loyalty and continue to be top of mind as shoppers solve their eating occasion needs.” Market research backs up the notion that consumers are browsing perimeters to solve their dining and pantry dilemmas. Progressive Grocer’s 76th Consumer Expenditures Study, released earlier this year, shows that more than two-thirds of shoppers recently purchased prepared foods, with hot entrees the most popular category. In another finding that bodes well for such options, 78% of shoppers say that they’re very or completely satisfied with grocery store prepared foods. Meanwhile, according to FMI’s “Power of Foodservice at Retail” report, released in 2024, nearly one-third of consumers noted that they’re dining out less frequently and turning to grocery stores for convenient meal solutions. Prepared foods sold in the deli area are filling that gap, with dinner (cited by 37% of shoppers), lunch (35%) and even breakfast (22%) emerging as key opportunities. Prepared foods are increasingly popular among consumers.

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The Fresh Market offers a case filled with portioned cheese and pre-made dips and spreads.

“Recreating that menu-like experience where visuals, cross-merchandising or recipes conjure up that meal in people’s mind is very powerful in driving a fullbasket sale.” —Anne-Marie Roerink, 210 Analytics

Cross-Merchandising Innovation

In addition to fully prepared meals, meal kits or complementary ingredients, as well as items for entertaining or grab-and-go snacking, are doing well in these related and sometimes blurred parts of the store. The latest report from 210 Analytics reveals that sales of breakfast items, including croissants, doughnuts and pastries, grew during the month of April. Roerink cites another opportunity for shoppers who are entertaining or looking for easy-to-assemble meal components. “Bakery and deli also have a dream opportunity in the ongoing popularity of charcuterie,” she remarks. “Think about cross-merchandising crackers, rolls and French bread with charcuterie-type items. Certainly, specialty cheeses continue their year-overyear growth and fall into this opportunity as well.” Of course, cross-merchandising is nothing new in food retailing, but grocers can get creative with such efforts as they become more solution-oriented in these and other departments. “Co- and cross-purchase data provides insight into many of these questions,” observes Roerink. “For instance, we see a very high cross-purchase between eggs and bacon; sliced cheese, hamburgers and buns, or pie and whipped cream, end up together in many baskets. That means retailers can drive a bigger ring by putting whipped cream next to or near pies for even more households to purchase whipped cream with their pie, or for others to purchase a larger size.” That said, there are operational hurdles in such displays, including refrigeration. “That’s why some retailers opt to use paper/digital coupons instead of physically moving merchandise,” she notes. “In this case, a coupon on or near the pie, giving consumers a discount on whipped cream. There are endless examples just like it.”

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SPECIAL SECTION: STOREBRANDS

CVS REFRESHING NAMESAKE OWN-BRAND ASSORTMENT THE DRUG STORE CHAIN IS WORKING ON A SIGNIFICANT OVERHAUL OF PACKAGING DESIGN THAT WILL AFFECT NEARLY 3,000 ITEMS. By Greg Sleter

he growth of private label across a multitude of retail channels was on display during the annual Velocity Conference + Expo, held this past May in Charlotte, N.C. With a theme largely focused on how to build on the growth seen across the industry in recent years, several retailers discussed their efforts to modernize their respective private brands while also identifying new opportunities to further enhance engagement with shoppers. Perhaps the day’s biggest news at the event came from CVS.

CVS’ Total Update Mike Wier, VP of store brands at Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health, noted that the company is refreshing its entire CVS brand portfolio, which includes approximately 3,000 items. According to Wier, the effort uses some of the same principles that CVS employed when launching its Well Market brand in 2024. “It’s an exciting proposition and a big opportunity for us to lead the industry,” he said. “Inasmuch as we’re a follower in the food categories, we have to be a leader in health care.” The need to update the CVS brand with a focus on packaging design stemmed in part from a review of the drug store chain’s ibuprofen and acetaminophen assortment, including both branded and private label products. During the review, the individual accompanying Wier, whom he described as a former private label leader, asked to see the CVS-branded assortment in the two pain relievers. “We were standing right in front of CVS’ products for about 10 minutes, and it was as if they just faded into the background,” Wier recounted. Additional details on the CVS private label rebrand are expected to be made public in the coming weeks. The aforementioned Well Market line has been in CVS stores since debuting in the spring of 2024, with the retailer

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CVS is in the process of redesigning product packaging for its CVS-branded product line.

It’s an exciting proposition and a big opportunity for us to lead the industry. Inasmuch as we’re a follower in the food categories, we have to be a leader in health care. —Mike Wier, CVS Health now some 10 months into a full-scale launch. Wier noted that the line is exceeding expectations. “Well Market was a branding project as much as a flavor and trend project,” he said. “It was a transformation of our snack line and an opportunity for us to lean into snacks in a different way. But it’s not just about the brand, it’s also about the products that go inside. We had to ensure a high degree of quality, offer mainstream products, but also appeal to more of that frontier edge of flavor within the snacking space.”

Convenience Store Own-Brand Growth Similar to the drug chains, convenience store retailers in recent years have also focused their efforts on building their private label assortments. Casey’s is one example of a C-store chain that recognized a growth opportunity but also realized that it needed to do more to help its own-brand products stand out on the shelf. The Ankeny, Iowa-based retailer began its private label retooling effort in 2020, when officials recognized the need

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SPECIAL SECTION: STOREBRANDS

to build out its own-brand assortment, which at the time had about 300 items. Dana Sump, private brand manager at Casey’s, recalled that those 300 products performed well early on, driving profits, but then stagnated. “We had so many items throughout the center of the store and then in the cooler, and it was like a sea of red,” Sump recalled, referencing the red product packaging of Casey’s own brand. “While it was very on-brand for Casey’s, we thought, ‘Where do we go from here?’” According to Sump, Casey’s wanted to evolve its brand, become a more contemporary version of itself and make the private label assortment relevant for its shoppers for the next 50 years. “We weren’t happy anymore with the results that we were getting,” he admitted. Casey’s enlisted the help of Marketing By Design (MBD) to lead an extensive product packaging redesign, which included focus groups and an analysis of the C-store chain’s product assortment. “We started with defi ning the voice of Casey’s private brand and did interviews with everyone from the CEO on down to store managers,” noted Maria Dubuc, president of Bostonbased MBD. “We got some really great insights and found that everybody was ready for a change. They wanted some products at a higher level and were a bit tired and bored with the sea of red that Dana mentioned.” Ultimately, Casey’s chose to focus on its Casey’s brand and redesign product packaging to downplay the red that had long been used, bringing in different colors that allow individual items to stand out on the shelf.

The Fresh Market Also Refreshes Similar to Casey’s, the need to refresh was also a major motivator for The Fresh Market. “When a brand loses relevance with its guests is when that brand begins to die,” explained Michelle Beck, director of own brands at The Fresh Market. “When we’re doing our jobs right, it sparks something real in people, an emotion. We’re not just building stores – we’re building brands and crafting love stories between our guests and the products that we believe in.” The Fresh Market has updated packaging for its private label assortment to include unique designs to allow products to stand out on the shelf.

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When a brand loses relevance with its guests is when that brand begins to die. When we’re doing our jobs right, it sparks something real in people, an emotion. We’re not just building stores – we’re building brands and crafting love stories between our guests and the products that we believe in. —Michelle Beck, The Fresh Market

When it came to designing its packaging, she said that the Greensboro, N.C.-based grocer used the opportunity to reimagine its brand and create something that its customers would believe in and love. Bryan Bowers, creative director at The Fresh Market, said that the fi rst step was to remove a host of in-store signage that had a variety of typefaces and logos, items he termed “antiques.” “They were fi ne for a while, but it just needed a refresh,” he observed. While aesthetics were a key part of the refresh, which began in center store, upgrades to the product assortment were equally important. New selections, such as breakfast items, were added to the deli, in-store roasting of coffee beans and grinding as needed became part of the selection, and items such as pizza, ribs, salmon and pulled pork became menu staples. The next step was product packaging, and the grocer’s senior leadership had an ambitious request: to redesign 700 items in one year. While the previous design ethos for The Fresh Market’s own-brand product packaging emphasized consistency across the store, that strategy was now out the window. “We wanted to have fun, we wanted a personality, and we were really tired of taking ourselves so seriously,” Beck said. “We also had all these great legacy items that we and our guests love, and we lost all of those stories in that last redesign, in that push for consistency.” The newly designed product packaging for The Fresh Market’s own brands certainly offers more personality. Perhaps the best example of the grocer’s effort to think outside the box is its newly designed coffee cup. When the fully illustrated cup featuring The Fresh Market logo was presented by Manchester, U.K.-based design fi rm Equator, Bowers felt it was prudent to get buy-in from the company’s CEO. While the expectation was that approval was a long shot, the the chief executive’s decision was surprisingly swift. “He just looked at the options and said, ‘That one,’ choosing the design that is now in use,” Bowers said. “When we asked why, he said it just made him smile. That was the emotional response we were looking for.”

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Room for Sustainable Growth: Sofidel Eyes US Private-Label Opportunity The Sofidel Group is one of the leading manufacturers of paper for hygienic and household use (tissue paper) worldwide. Established in 1966, it is an Italian family business whose shareholders are the Lazzareschi and Stefani families. ‘Regina’ is its most well-known brand globally, with other household names including Sopalin, Le Trèfle, Hakle, Softis, Nalys, Cosynel, KittenSoft, Nicky, and Papernet. Sofidel is known for embedding sustainability into the business with a commitment to reaching net-Zero carbon emissions by the end of 2050. However, the company is taking its success overseas and driving growth into new markets, specifically with an opportunity to capitalize on the US private-label sector. Q: How has Sofidel managed to double in size since last year? A: Sofidel’s sustainable growth strategy has been catapulted through a series of M&As that are creating conditions for the company to meet additional demands and grow further: Most recently, Sofidel expanded its production capacity at the Circleville, OH, plant. The new building houses a new Valmet mill machine with a production capacity of 70,000 tons per year. With more than 200,000 tons of total production capacity per year, the Circleville plant will become Sofidel’s most important production hub globally. Next, Sofidel acquired a paper mill in Duluth, Minnesota, from ST Paper. During the year, a new expansion investment is announced for the Duluth plant, involving the construction of a converting plant and an automated warehouse, creating an additional 160 jobs. Sofidel also recently acquired the tissue division of Clearwater Paper Corporation — the largest transaction in its history, encompassing an annual production capacity of 342,000 tons spread across four plants in Shelby (North Carolina), Lewiston (Idaho), Las Vegas (Nevada), and Elwood (Illinois). With this move, Sofidel has become the fifth-largest tissue paper producer worldwide by production capacity, and the leader in the private-label sector. Q: Why is Sofidel investing in the US market now? A: Sofidel hopes to replicate the growth it has achieved throughout

Europe, utilizing a series of both greenfield investments and strategic acquisitions. The US represents the leading market in the world for per capita tissue paper consumption, but the structure of the US market is dominated more by brands than by private-label (opposite of Europe), so the share of private label brands is underdeveloped, leaving room for growth and innovation. Q: How is consumer behavior influencing Sofidel’s growth strategy? A: From supply chain issues to inflation and everything in between, US consumer behavior is shifting, where people are starting to rely on and gain more trust in private label brands. There is a growth opportunity for retailers to invest more in privatelabel, and Sofidel’s geographical footprint can help. While private-label paper products are a very mature market in Europe, Sofidel wants to bring that consumer confidence to the US and replicate that success for store brands. And, with greater geographical coverage, Sofidel aims to reduce transport costs and improve service to capture market share by delivering solutions that consumers need, so everybody wins. Q: How does Sofidel integrate sustainability into all aspects of the business? A: Sofidel believes that sustainability is a strategic lever for growth that can benefit all stakeholders. It is a part of Sofidel’s social-cultural efforts and

this forward-thinking approach drives change, while continuously improving to positively impact society. Sofidel’s sustainability commitments remain the same and will integrate into each expansion as it continues to grow — benefiting the retailer, the consumer, and the planet. Q: What’s next for Sofidel? A: While Sofidel is pursuing other consolidation and development plans in the North American market, it is first focused on the Circleville (Ohio) plant, where it is working on increasing paper mill capacity by 50%, and at the Duluth (Minnesota) plant, which will be equipped with converting lines and a new automated warehouse.

Visit: Sofidel.com to learn more.

SPECIAL SECTION: STOREBRANDS

PETS, BABIES HIGHLIGHT CONTINUED GROWTH WITH AWG’S BEST CHOICE OWN BRAND

Associated Wholesale Grocers recently launched its Hello World by Best Choice baby care assortment.

RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE CO-OP’S LONG-STANDING PRIVATE LABEL SHOW AN ONGOING FOCUS ON MESHING QUALITY AND VALUE. By Greg Sleter

ince its debut in 1985, Associated Wholesale Grocers’ (AWG) Best Choice private label has been a mainstay in the Kansas City, Kan.-based company’s own-brand portfolio, and today it includes a roster of more than 3,300 products. With the candles having been recently blown out on the brand’s 40th-birthday cake, Best Choice is showing no signs of slowing down. Recently, the company’s AWG Brands division launched two new product lines that carry the Best Choice name: Pure Wonder by Best Choice in pets, and Hello World by Best Choice in baby care. The new collections are now available to AWG member retailers and feature a host of products that company officials tout as offering quality at value prices. Store Brands spoke with Emily Detwiler, VP of AWG Brands, and Cara Finger, marketing manager with AWG Brands, about the recent additions to the Best Choice brand.

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Store Brands: What factors led to the development of Pure Wonder? Emily Detwiler: There continues to be growth in the number of pets in households, and we knew this was an area we needed to reinvent and reinvest in for our retailers. There has also been a humanization of pets in recent years, and people are treating pets as part of the family. Those factors were part of what inspired us to create Pure Wonder. Given the emotional connection people have with their pets, we started playing with different names and brand positioning. We came up with a name that says every pet deserves the best, and we want to provide these furry and feathered family members with the nourishment and care they deserve. All of our products are backed by our 100% guarantee. SB: Dogs and cats are the two biggest segments in the category, but what drove the decision to include products for birds? ED: We already had bird food in our existing lineup sold under our Best Choice brand, and we wanted to continue that. We have had success with [bird] products before, so everything we had from our prior Best Choice lineup, we wanted to bring into the Pure Wonder brand. SB: How do the new products available under Pure Wonder complement or build on the products that were already in AWG’s private label assortment?

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SPECIAL SECTION: STOREBRANDS

ED: First, we had been without a dry-kibble line for the past year and a half. It’s exciting for us to relaunch that entire segment within dry kibble for cats and dogs. That fi lls a void for our retailers. On the wet-food side, we had a nice assortment of canned items for cats and dogs, but we reformulated to a better-for-you ingredient standard. We also have quite a bit coming in terms of new items. We have 11 new wet cat-food products and 11 wet dog-food items, with many of those to be offered in variety packs. We know that households are looking for variety to feed their pets to avoid them eating the same thing every day. Also on the way for cats and dogs are wet-food pouches that can be easily opened and used as the pets’ main food or added to kibble. Wet food is of particular importance with cats, as hydration is an issue. Our food allows them to get more hydration into their diets. SB: Pet parents today are focused on the health content of the food they’re feeding their pets. Was this a big factor when developing products for Pure Wonder? ED: It was defi nitely something we were thinking about. We have a strong relationship with our wet pet-food supplier, and they have been encouraging us to have better ingredients in our pet food. This was something we were already working towards over the past year, and offering products with improved formulations at the same time we were rebranding was fantastic. SB: How do you balance the desire to offer products with better ingredients with making sure the products offer a high perceived value? ED: That’s always a challenge. As with our Best Choice family of brands, we strive to make sure we’re able to offer a savings of 20% over national brands. But we don’t want to sacrifice on quality, so we spent a good amount of time working to fi nd a supplier that was able to produce high-quality products at a good value. We’re also launching the program with some strong promotions for our retailer partners, and we’re trying some things we haven’t done before. These promotions are planned for the fi rst several months the product is out there. SB: The packaging is eye-catching and tells a clear story. It appears that a great deal of time was spent on packaging design. ED: Yes, the packaging looks amazing. We wanted to make sure that the brand would stand out on shelf and give the appearance of a true brand. That links

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Associated Wholesale Grocers expanded its private label assortment with the launch of the Pure Wonder by Best Choice pet products line.

into the idea of us establishing an emotive connection with the Pure Wonder by Best Choice brand. We partnered with Daymon Design to do this, and we think they knocked it out of the park. We recently showed it to our retailer members, and they were very excited to have it on their shelves. SB: When you look at the pet category as a whole, what opportunities do you see for future private label growth? ED: I defi nitely think we’re going to see some strong growth in the category and feel Pure Wonder will breathe some new life into pet. The way we have created this brand, consumers are not as likely to switch once they

There continues to be growth in the number of pets in households, and we knew this was an area we needed to reinvent and reinvest in for our retailers. There has also been a humanization of pets in recent years, and people are treating pets as part of the family. Those factors were part of what inspired us to create Pure Wonder. —Emily Detwiler, Associated Wholesale Grocers’ AWG Brands

are established with the brand. We have also taken steps on our packaging, our website and blog to create connections with pet parents. Our goal is to get into repeat purchases as Pure Wonder becomes their brand of choice.

comes with the Best Choice brand. With almost 30% of consumers buying private-brand diapers and almost 50% buying private-brand baby wipes, we know consumers are looking for private-brand products in this category.

SB: In addition to Pure Wonder, AWG also launched Hello World in the baby category. What were the motivating factors that drove the development and launch of the line? Cara Finger: Through category research, we confi rmed several important factors about the baby category that influenced our decision to develop and launch Hello World by Best Choice. We know that purchases in the baby category tend to be more emotional than other buying decisions, and shoppers are looking for products they can trust. Parents, especially fi rst-time parents, want quality products while also balancing the new expenses that come with parenthood. Technology, especially in diapers and training pants, has evolved. With all of these factors in mind, we wanted to establish a brand that serves as an expert in baby care with quality, advanced technology, while building upon the trust and value that

SB: With the baby category dominated by major brands, what steps were taken to allow the products to stand out on shelf? CF: A lot of care and consideration went into developing the name and packaging of Hello World by Best Choice. We want to communicate the quality of the products when customers read the packaging, and the pricing shows value to shoppers. Through an in-store signage package, online marketing content and digital coupons, we’ve created a suite of marketing and promotional support to help AWG member retailers. As with all AWG Brands products, Hello World by Best Choice is backed by our 100% guarantee, so customers can try these new products at no risk. We stand behind this guarantee, because we are confident in the quality and value that Hello World by Best Choice will bring to shoppers.

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EDITORS’ PICKS

Food, Beverage & Nonfood Products

 Snackified Pizza

An unexpected collaboration between frozen pizza giant Palermo Villa Inc. and snacking leader Kellanova, Cheez-It Frozen Pizza offers an ultra-thin, crispy 12-inch Original Cheez-It-flavored crust made with 100% real cheese and paired with sauce and popular pizza toppings. In fact, Palermo Villa likens the square-shaped crust to a large Cheez-It cracker. The product line comes in three flavors: Italian Four Cheese (16.85-ounce box), a blend of wholemilk mozzarella, yellow cheddar, parmesan and Romano cheeses with marinara sauce; Pepperoni (17.01-ounce box), featuring whole-milk mozzarella, yellow cheddar, pepperoni and marinara sauce; and Cheddar Jack Supreme (19.9-ounce box), a hearty combination of pepperoni, Italian sausage, green and red peppers, black olives, onions, yellow cheddar, Monterey Jack, and marinara sauce. Cheez-It Frozen Pizza is available now at select retailers for a suggested retail price range of $6.99-$9.99, with rollout of the product set to expand widely by August. Beanstalk, Kellanova’s exclusive global food and beverage licensing agency, facilitated the partnership. https://www.palermovillainc.com/; https://www.kellanova.com; https://www.beanstalk.com/

 Mindful Bites

Hu, a chocolate brand committed to simple ingredients and indulgent taste, is growing its product lineup with the launch of its inaugural individually wrapped product line, Dark Chocolate Bites, in three flavors: Hazelnut Butter, Cashew Butter + Vanilla Bean, and, for the first time, Creamy Coconut. The rollout marks Hu’s second major innovation in the past year, following the debut of its Snack-Size Bars last September. The bites feature a creamy center coated in Hu’s signature dark chocolate, with just four to six ingredients in each variety. Suitable for satisfying on-the-go cravings or as a post-dinner sweet treat, Hu Dark Chocolate Bites are available in 2.75-ounce pouches of six individually wrapped pieces for a suggested retail price of $7.49 (prices may vary between retailers). Hu’s USDA Organic, Fairtrade, Non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, Paleo, keto and kosher bites, which contain no refined sugars, sugar alcohols, soy/gluten, palm oil or emulsifiers, hit shelves in Whole Foods Market and Kroger stores nationwide last month. https://hukitchen.com/

 Soft Touch

Long known for its best-selling thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies, Tate’s Bake Shop has unveiled the beloved brand’s first-ever premium Soft Baked Cookies in two chocolate-forward flavors – Chocolate Chip and Dark Chocolate Chunk – both featuring a soft texture and a rich, buttery flavor, while the latter is an inaugural flavor for Tate’s. In keeping with the brand’s spirit of innovation and commitment to quality, the Soft Baked Cookies were perfected over more than three years to ensure that they met Tate’s high standards. Available at grocery stores nationwide, as well as online, Tate’s Bake Shop Soft Baked Cookies retail for a suggested price range of $5.89-$6.99 per 8-ounce package of either cookie variety. https://www.tatesbakeshop.com/

 Convenience, Mexican Style

The well-known authentic Mexican food brand Herdez has expanded its Refrigerated Entrées line with a bold, savory pork dish. Heat-and-eat Herdez Al Pastor Seasoned Shredded Pork with Sauce features tender, seasoned shredded pork simmered in a rich, flavorful sauce, with limited prep required. Tacos Al Pastor is traditionally served in Mexico on small corn tortillas and paired with cilantro, green or red sauce, and sometimes pineapple, but home cooks are free to use their imaginations to create winning dishes. Providing a smart alternative to takeout or traditional cooking, the meat entrée retails for a suggested price range of $9.98-$10.98 at major retailers nationwide. Herdez is a brand of Hormel Foods Corp. https://www.salsas.com/herdez/; https://www.hormelfoods.com/

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 Protein for Breakfast

Thomas’ High Protein Bagels were created to satisfy the 64% of breakfast eaters surveyed by Mintel who believe that a betterfor-you morning meal should be packed with protein. Containing a hearty 20 grams of protein per bagel in two classic flavors – Plain and Everything – Thomas’ latest product line provides a convenient and nutritious high-protein option with the familiar taste and texture that the venerable brand’s fans expect. The bagel’s plant-based protein blend of soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate and fava bean proteins ensures a complete amino acid profile as well as a satisfying texture. Available currently in the Northeast, with national retail distribution expected by October, Thomas’ High Protein Bagels retail for a suggested $5.99 per 15.5-ounce bag of either variety. Thomas’ is a brand of Bimbo Bakeries USA. https://thomasbreads.com/; https://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/

 Better Use of Butter

U.S. farmer-owned butter brand Challenge has now launched Challenge Butter Cubes, an innovative cube-shaped butter format designed for easy measuring and less mess in the kitchen. Each cube is individually wrapped and pre-portioned into 4-tablespoon amounts, providing precision, convenience, a faster prep experience and easier cleanup for home cooks, who are increasingly seeking more meaningful moments at the table over time spent slaving over a hot stove, according to a survey conducted by Researchscape International. Distribution for Challenge Butter Cubes is already off to a strong start, with placement at key retail partners such as Walmart, Meijer and Albertsons, and expanded availability through summer and fall 2025. The product comes in a 16-ounce box containing eight individually wrapped 4-tablespoon cubes in both salted and unsalted varieties, at a suggested retail price of $7.99. Challenge Butter is part of California Dairies Inc., the second-largest dairy cooperative in the United States. https://challengedairy.com/; https://www.californiadairies.com/

 Learning as They Go

Made with organic whole milk, real fruit and no additional sweeteners, Stonyfield Organic’s YoBaby No Added Sweeteners Yogurt Pouches offer peace of mind for parents, as well as wholesome nutrition for little ones, in a convenient, mess-free format. Each pouch offers 50 milligrams of DHA and 60% daily value of calcium, in addition to brain health support. The product line comes in two baby-friendly flavors: Peach & Oat and Banana Apple & Oat. To sweeten the deal even further, popular YouTube educator Ms. Rachel is featured on YoBaby packaging as part of a collaboration between the online personality and parent company Stonyfield Organic to launch the O is for Organic program, which aims to instruct families on the benefits of organic foods. Available nationwide, the pouches retail for a suggested $7.49 for a 4-pack of either variety. YoBaby is the No. 1 pediatrician-recommended yogurt for babies who are 6 months to 2 years old, according to an IQVIA ProVoice Survey. https://hello.stonyfield.com/yobaby; https://www.youtube.com/@msrachel; https://www.stonyfield.com/

 Beans With Bluey

Bush’s Beans and BBC Studios, distributor and licensor of the Emmy-winning animated series “Bluey,” have teamed up to create Bush’s Bluey Baked Beans, inspired by the playful cartoon pup’s love of baked beans, as portrayed in several fan-favorite episodes. To celebrate the launch of the product, entrepreneur and mom Ashley Tisdale is teaming with Bush’s to help encourage families to play chef together with recipes and ideas to make mealtime fun. Bush’s Bluey Baked Beans were created with young eaters in mind, providing 6 grams of protein per serving and kid-friendly flavor – a classic brown sugar sauce – in every bite. Packed in a 15.8-ounce pop-top can retailing for a suggested $2.46, the slow-simmered beans are gluten- and fat-free, vegetarian, and a snap to prepare – just pour them out of the can, heat and eat. https://www.bushbeans.com/; https://www.bbcstudios.com/; https://www.bluey.tv/ PROGRESSIVE GROCER June 2025

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AHEAD OF WHAT’S NEXT By Bridget Goldschmidt

Eat at Sam’s

A SMALL GROCER EMBRACES TECH MODERNIT Y WHILE MAINTAINING ITS AGE-OLD VALUES. une offers many special occasions – Father’s Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, the first day of summer – but in the town of West Hempstead, on New York’s Long Island, the month is also known for Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace’s Customer Appreciation Day, which this year is on the 14th. Started by founders Andrew and Jean Morris back in June 1994, the event embodies Andrew’s motto of “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” This is not always easy, as Andrew would be the first to admit. “There have been days when customers came in angry — maybe about a product or just life — but once they realize the staff is here to listen, the temperature changes,” he notes. “One guy came in yelling, furious about something he bought. I let him talk for eight minutes straight, then said, ‘Would you like a refund or an exchange?’ His whole demeanor shifted. Sometimes, people just need to be heard.” With Customer Appreciation Day, “the goal was one of giving something back,” explains Andrew, “so we cooked, gave out samples and discounts, had live music — the works. It’s grown over the years and turned into a reunion of sorts. Grandparents come in with grandkids. Families meet other families. It’s not a store that day — it’s a celebration of culture and community.”

Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace has grown and evolved over the years while deepening its strong commmunity ties.

Jamaica in months. That same day, she got dinner from Sam’s at her doorstep. She cried. The team cried. That’s what it’s all about.” He further points out that the in-store pickup option has likewise been a hit. “No lines, no waiting — just pre-order, pick up and go,” he enthuses. “Caribbean efficiency at its finest.”

More to Come

Beyond AI-powered delivery, Sam’s has a few other tech enhancements in mind, among them subscription boxes so customers can get monthly essentials shipped automatically, collaborations with Caribbean chefs and influencers to demo products online, SEO and backlink campaigns to put Sam’s in front of people from coast to Humble Beginnings, Techcoast, and even AI-drivEnabled Future Named for Jean’s late father, the store en product recommenopened in 1993 in a tiny 1,600-square-foot dations on its website, space with an old toaster oven used to tailored to regional bake Jamaican beef patties, after Andrew Caribbean tastes. —Andrew Morris, Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace realized that the area had Caribbean “The goal is always people, but no places for them to purchase food from their home countries. As to merge technology with tradition,” notes Andrew tells it, the idea was “a Caribbean store owned by Caribbean people, Andrew. “You can order curry seasoning where the folks behind the counter didn’t just stock products, but used them, from your phone, but it still tastes like your and could tell you which spice goes best with which dish.” grandma made it.” Since that time, Sam’s has added a takeout kitchen and expanded its In the next five to 10 years, Andrew, product line to include more than 1,000 Caribbean staples. Customer Jean and their tech-oriented daughter, demographics have also expanded: While Sam’s remains rooted in the Melissa, want Sam’s to become “the Caribbean-American community, it increasingly serves foodies, younger Amazon of Caribbean culture, minus tech-savvy shoppers and those seeking authentic international flavors the cold warehouse vibes,” as well. Additionally, the store has evolved digitally, transitioning from a asserts Andrew. “I want folks dated Windows-based website to a modern e-commerce platform with across the U.S. to say, ‘If Sam’s nationwide reach and home delivery options. doesn’t have it, you don’t need Of this system, which Andrew gave the “techy” name of PAID – short it.’ That’s something a customfor Predictive AI Delivery – he notes: “It was born out of necessity. er once said, and it stuck.” Harsh winters, immigration worries keeping folks home and just plain convenience made the business ask: How can we meet our customers Bridget Goldschmidt where they are? Now folks within 100 miles can order hot meals or groceries Managing Editor and get same-day delivery. They get real-time tracking and notifications — bgoldschmidt@ensembleiq.com it’s like Uber Eats meets your grandma’s kitchen.” Adds Andrew: “One woman called recently, said she and her husband are both wheelchair-bound and hadn’t had a taste of

“The goal is always to merge technology with tradition. You can order curry seasoning from your phone, but it still tastes like your grandma made it.”

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