Distributors

Cincinnati – The Kroger Co. is reportedly planning to close and rebrand some stores operating under the Harris-Teeter banner in Tennessee. According to the Nashville Tennesseean, Kroger will close four Harris-Teeter stores it operates in Nashville by June 2015.

Three of those stores will reopen under the Kroger banner. Kroger previously closed a Harris-Teeter location in Nashville, but has not yet rebranded any Harris-Teeter stores. Kroger purchased the Harris-Teeter grocery chain for $2.4 billion in January 2014.
 

A 38-year Kroger employee who started out in the company bagging groceries at a Cincinnati area store has been promoted to president.

Robert “Bob” Piccinini, the longtime chairman of Save Mart Supermarkets, has died. He was 73.

In a statement, the company said that Bob was most passionate about two things: his family and his company. He purchased Save Mart from the Piccinini and Tocco families in 1985 after working his way up through the ranks as a box boy, truck driver, store manager, vice president of real estate and on to president and CEO.

Mahwah, N.J. - Inserra Supermarkets has named Ron Onorato as its new president and COO. Onorato takes over the role as Steve Chalas retires from the Inserra after a more than 50-year career.

Onorato brings more than 35 years of industry experience to his new role at Inserra. Previously, Onorato served as the senior VP of operational initiatives of Ahold USA, and as the president of the New York division of Stop & Shop.

Inserra Supermarkets owns and operates 21 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey and New York.
 

New York -- Grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash has promoted Dave Staples, current executive VP and CFO, to COO. Staples will oversee all three operating segments of the company: retail, wholesale and military distribution. He will continue to serve as CFO until his replacement is hired.

Staples joined SpartanNash in January 2000, serving as the company’s executive VP and CFO since November of 2000

Cincinnati – Benefits from its acquisition of the Harris-Teeter grocery chain, which The Kroger Co. acquired in January 2014, helped boost results at Kroger during fourth quarter 2014. It was the supermarket giant’s 45th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth.

Kroger’s net income rose 23% to $518 million, beating Wall Street expectations with a 22% increase from $422 million last year.

Grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash is looking to a former Walgreens executive to help drive growth.

Derek Jones, currently SpartanNash’s EVP, food distribution, has been promoted to president, wholesale and distribution operations. He will oversee the entire supply chain, including military supply chain operations.

Boise, Idaho -- Albertsons and Safeway announced on Tuesday that they have received clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for the companies' proposed merger, which was announced on March 6, 2014.


The FTC's clearance follows Albertsons' and Safeway's agreement to a proposed consent order, which includes a commitment to divest 168 stores.



New York -- Supermarket operator Bi-Lo Holdings LLC, parent of the Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie chains, said that Randall Onstead will step as president and CEO, effective March 1. The company has identified a successor, who will be named at a later date.

Onstead has been with Bi-Lo, and its parent company Lone Star Holdings, since 2008 when he was named chairman of Bi-Lo, which was then a standalone supermarket company. Under his tenure, the company went though and successfully emerged from Chapter 11 protection after which it went on to flourish and expand.

Boise, Idaho – As part of divestures to receive FTC clearance of their proposed January 2015 merger, AB Acquisitions Inc. (Albertsons) and Safeway Inc. will sell 146 stores to Pacific Northwest grocery chain Haggen. With this acquisition, which remains subject to FTC approval, Haggen will expand from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies.