The Fresh Market is turning to a veteran of Walmart, Stop & Shop and Food Lion to help the struggling food retailer boost sales.
The Fresh Market Inc. has appointed Pamela Kohn as executive VP and chief merchandising officer, effective immediatey. The company saidKohn will be responsible for enhancing the customer experience while accelerating the improvement of merchandise selection, customer value, brand messaging, and in-store experience. She will also have oversight for merchandising, marketing, and supply chain functions and will report directly to Rick Anicetti, president and CEO.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Pam to The Fresh Market team. She is a highly innovative and experienced leader in food retail merchandising, succeeding as a proven change agent for go-to-market strategy, value creation and supply chain,” said Anicetti. “Implementing a fully integrated approach to branding and re-imagining our stores to further enhance the extraordinary food experience our customers expect is one of our key growth drivers, and Pam’s food merchandising and operations experience at Walmart, Stop & Shop and Food Lion will be a huge asset. Pam brings the ability to successfully select the right products, at appropriate prices, delivered to stores efficiently, and merchandised effectively.”
Kohn has more than 30-years of experience in retail, which includes most recently a track-record of achievement spanning 12 years at Walmart Stores, Inc. in supply chain, merchandising, store operations, real estate, sourcing and merchandising operations. During her tenure there, she led Walmart’s perishables business and Neighborhood Market program. Prior to her career at Walmart, Kohn led the merchandising program at the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. when it was a multi-billion dollar division of Ahold USA. Prior to that, she held the role of Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for Food Lion when it was a 1,100-store chain.
"I am thrilled to join The Fresh Market team and look forward to helping further build upon this company’s unique and compelling value equation, which includes a combination of freshness, flavors, service, experience and price, as we work to deliver guests high-quality foods that elevate their eating experiences,” Kohn said.
The Fresh Market, Inc. is a specialty grocery retailer with 183 stores in 27 states across the U.S.