H-E-B, LP

A regional grocer has dethroned Trader Joe’s as the top grocer in the U.S.

San Antonio-based H-E-B is following in the path of major grocery players such as Kroger and Walmart with a new delivery pilot.

The growing importance of digital in grocery retailing is reflected in H-E-B’s newest appointment.

Two regional grocers beat all the competition in and out of their category in a survey of customer experiences across 20 different industries.   

(The following is an excerpt from the new book, Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do, by Denise Lee Yohn.)

Scott McClelland seems an unlikely candidate for his picture to appear under a "Why Is This Man Smiling?" headline. As spokesperson and president of the Houston food/drug division of Texas-based grocery store chain H-E-B, McClelland has plenty of reasons to be worried.

Grocery e-commerce has thus far mostly been the province of large vertical players like Kroger, mass merchandisers like Target and Wal-Mart, and online platforms like Amazon and Instacart.

However, a successful regional grocer is throwing its Stetson in the grocery e-commerce ring. Texas-based H-E-B, one of the nation's largest regional grocery retailers with more than 370 stores in Texas and Mexico, is making 50,000 food, drugstore and general merchandise products available to purchase and ship at its corporate site.

Abercrombie & Fitch continues its efforts to polish its brand image.

The retailer announced that Jeanetta Darno has joined the company as VP of diversity and inclusion in a role that will include “enhancing the existing global diversity and inclusion best practices throughout the organization.”

Former Walmart Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Duncan Mac Naughton has joined the board of directors of CROSSMARK, a sales, marketing and merchandising services company focused on the retail and consumer goods industries.

CROSSMARK CEO Steve Schuckenbrock in an internal company announcement said it is a privilege to have Mac Naughton join the company’s board given his extraordinary retail industry experience and leadership from both a manufacturer and retailer perspective.