Amazon grocery store head leaves, reportedly headed to Wonder
Tony Hoggett, who ran Amazon’s global omnichannel grocery operation, is moving on – reportedly to the delivery-focused restaurant company founded by former Walmart executive Marc Lore.
In a post on his official LinkedIn profile, Hoggett announced that after nearly three years serving at Amazon as senior VP of worldwide grocery stores, he is taking the “next step” in his career.
"My time at Amazon has been incredible, and I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support, guidance and friendship," Hoggett, who came to Amazon in January 2022 from a previous role as group chief strategy and innovation officer at U.K. brick-and-mortar grocery giant Tesco, said in the post. "I’m optimistic about the work Amazon is doing to improve the grocery shopping experience for customers, and have no doubt the teams will keep the momentum going in my absence."
While Hoggett’s post makes no mention of where that “next step” will lead him, Fortune reports it has been informed by food delivery start-up Wonder that he is joining that company as its COO.
Marc Lore, who is credited with transforming Walmart’s e-commerce operations and served as president and CEO of Walmart U.S. e-commerce from 2016 to January 2021, founded Wonder Group and committed himself full time to the business in December 2021.
In March 2024, Lore announced that Wonder had raised $700 million in capital to "further its mission and expansion." The multi-pronged effort includes accelerating the expansion of Wonder’s physical retail locations from its March 2024 base of 11 locations to 35 by the end of 2024 and 90 by the end of 2025, focusing on communities throughout the Northeast. Wonder offers a variety of offerings from different restaurant brands from its physical locations.
[READ MORE: Marc Lore-led food startup raises $700M; plans 90 stores by 2025]
In a brief official statement on its website, Amazon confirmed Hoggett’s departure,
"After nearly three years of leading our grocery business, helping guide the organization to new levels of impact, and building a strong team that will continue to make grocery shopping simpler, faster, and more affordable, Tony Hoggett has decided to leave Amazon," the company said. "We thank Tony for his many accomplishments at Amazon and especially for what he’s delivered for customers."
Significant brick-and-mortar and omnichannel developments that occurred in Amazon’s grocery business during Hoggett’s tenure include the ongoing expansion of its Amazon Fresh high-tech grocery store footprint; the testing of a small-format grocery store; and the placement of the proprietary "Just Walk Out" frictionless, cashierless shopping platform in Amazon Fresh stores, followed by its removal and replacement with proprietary "Dash Cart" smart shopping carts.
Hoggett, who holds a degree from Harvard Business School, held a variety of high-level executive positions at Tesco between 2005 and 2022, including COO of the company’s U.K. business and CEO of Tesco Asia.
