Dive Brief:

• Raley’s has named a new head of technology as well as a vice president of operations, according to a news release on Tuesday.
• Craig Benson, who previously served as vice president of technology, will take on the top tech role, while Levi Wingo, who was previously executive director of store operations, will assume the expanded operations role.
• The executive appointments come as Raley’s is expanding its digital capabilities as well as a new health-focused store format.

Dive Insight:

As it undergoes rapid digital and store-level evolution, Raley’s is elevating two long-serving employees into top executive positions.

Benson, who has been with Raley’s since 1999, has served in various information technology management roles with the company and is also a member of the grocer’s executive committee. In his new position, he will “play a key role in developing and executing our strategic plan and priorities as we expand our digital and technical capabilities,” according to Tuesday’s announcement. Benson will report to Raley’s President and CEO Keith Knopf.

Wingo, who has worked at Raley’s since 2002, has held various leadership roles in store operations. He was general manager of Market 5-One-5, leading the development of the neighborhood health-and-wellness format that debuted in 2018, and was named executive director of store operations that same year. He also serves on the company’s executive committee and will report to Raley’s Chief Operating Officer Kevin Konkel.

Raley’s, which operates more than 125 grocery stores in California and Nevada, is building new store formats to meet shopper demands and distinguish itself from competitors. In addition to Market 5-One-5, the company has converted two of its conventional stores to the O-N-E Market concept, which focuses on a “highly curated” selection of natural and organic goods and has a section dedicated to natural beauty products.

The grocer has staked out a position as a health-focused retailer in recent years, having also removed artificially flavored sodas from its private label lineup, rolled out a nutrition-focused shelf-labeling system and revamped its checkout lanes to sell more better-for-you products. In February, Raley’s announced its sponsorship of a food innovation lab where it can help develop new products that could potentially land in stores.

“It is our intent to be ahead of the consumer curve and inform customer choice through a commitment to education and transparency,” Knopf said in a recent statement.