Federated President & CEO Jeffery Gross.
For more than 95 years, Federated Group has provided grocers with quality private brand products that allow regional players to remain competitive with the larger grocery retailers in the market.
In July, the company named Jeffery Gross its new president and chief executive officer. No stranger to Federated, Gross for the prior 13 years served as the company’s vice president and general counsel.
In charge of the company at a time when demand for private brand products is strong and is expected to continue to grow, Gross is working off the company’s foundation that’s nearly a century old while also staying nimble to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers.
Recently, Gross spoke with Store Brands to share his vision for the company along with the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
STORE BRANDS: Federated has a history that dates back more than 90 years. How does that history shape your approach moving forward?
JEFFERY GROSS: Federated has been in business for almost 100 years, which is pretty remarkable and we have a long history in grocery and in particular private brands. Our Red & White brand goes back to our early days and that brand played a similar role to the private brands we have today, especially for independent grocers as they compete against today’s larger retailers. I’m mindful of the company’s long tradition and the responsibility to guide Federated forward as the grocery industry continues to evolve.
SB: What are the values and characteristics that remain central to Federated’s identity?
JG: People always ask me what we do here at Federated, and my answer to them is “Where do I start?” We’re focused on store brands and focused on supporting the independent grocer. That’s really our central focus, but we do other things as well. Store brands are such an important part of an independent grocer’s ability to compete against the bigger retailers out there. The recent report about private brands from FMI showed just how important a really good store brand program is in terms of driving consumer loyalty and the decisions they make about where they shop. Consumers today are much more open to private brands and our focus continues to be on having an assortment of own brands that are as good or better than the national brands.