Dive Brief:
- SpartanNash has named Graham McIvor to the newly created position of vice president of merchandising and pharmacy, the grocery retailer and wholesaler announced Monday.
- McIvor will help the company press ahead with its efforts to overhaul its merchandising strategy and redirect its pharmacy business.
- McIvor’s appointment continues SpartanNash’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its results as it contends with declining sales.
Dive Insight:
McIvor is arriving at SpartanNash at a pivotal time for SpartanNash, which has been focusing on its merchandising and supply chain operations to help reinvigorate its financial performance.
The company reported last week that while its net and same-store sales declined for the second quarter in a row, its efforts to improve how it manages data and interacts with customers are bearing fruit.
During an earnings call on Thursday, CEO Tony Sarsam said SpartanNash is on track to reach a goal of achieving $125 million to $150 million of gross benefits by the end of 2024 — a year ahead of schedule — due in part to its supply chain and merchandising improvements.
Those changes include strengthening category planning, engaging more effectively with vendors and using artificial intelligence to optimize pricing, Sarsam said during the earnings call.
“Building our customer value proposition keeps us well positioned to continue to win customers and to improve profitability as the tide of inflation retreats,” said Sarsam.
McIvor will “play a pivotal role in evolving our retail customer value propositions, supporting our growth ambition through M&A integration, and charting a sustainable course for our pharmacy business,” Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Bennett Morgan said in a statement about McIvor’s appointment.
Morgan noted that McIvor’s “extensive industry experience will benefit our teams in developing strategies that drive exceptional value for our retail store shoppers, pharmacy patients and independent grocer customers.”
McIvor was a former vice president of merchandising for grocery, snacks, beverages and pets at discount chain Big Lots and also served in merchandising and strategy roles at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar.
McIvor is the third vice president to join SpartanNash’s merchandising group since Morgan arrived at the company in 2022. The company appointed Arpen Shah as vice president of merchandising strategy and analytics in April 2023 and brought on Brandon Pasch as vice president of center store merchandising last June.
