Kroger VP to lead marketing at Sprouts

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. has tapped a veteran grocery retailer as its next head of marketing.

Sprouts named Gilliam Phipps as senior VP, chief marketing officer, to oversee all marketing, advertising, customer engagement and private label items. The appointment is effective April 14.

Phipps joins Sprouts from Kroger Co., where he was most recently VP of branding, marketing and “Our Brands.” Prior to joining Kroger in 2012, Phipps spent more than 11 years at H-E-B, where he held various positions, including most recently as a director of  its Own Brand portfolio, where he oversaw branding, innovation, product development, packaging and design. Before that, he led new product development and category management for  Hormel Foods Corp.  

“We’re extremely pleased to welcome Gil to the Sprouts team,” said Sprouts CEO Jack Sinclair, CEO, Sprouts, which operates 340 stores in 23 states. “The experience Gil brings will be instrumental in shaping Sprouts’ long-term strategy to build brand awareness and loyalty with our core shopper, including strengthening and defining our private label business.”