Kroger Names New Our Brands Vice President
Kroger has a new leader for its expanding private label assortment, as the grocer named Ann Reed group vice president of Our Brands, effective Aug. 4.
Currently president of Kroger's Cincinnati-Dayton division, Reed has been with the company since 1993, when she served as co-manager of the Central Division. Throughout her tenure, she has held a number of leadership positions, including store manager, category manager, deli/bakery merchandiser, director of deli/bakery, and director of Fresh Ready Meals.
Reed was promoted to vice president of Merchandising at Fry's in 2010, followed by vice president of Merchandising at Fred Meyer in 2013. She was named vice president of Customer 1st Promise in 2015, promoted to Louisville division president in 2017, and named Cincinnati-Dayton division president in 2022.
She fills the position vacated earlier this year when Juan De Paoli left the company.
"Ann has deep experience across our organization, and she understands what our customers want to buy," said Ron Sargent, chairman and CEO of Kroger. "She worked in divisions throughout the country, getting to know how our customers want to shop and what they want to buy. Ann is bringing a great perspective on the ways we can better take advantage of the significant growth opportunities Our Brands represent for Kroger."
Reed takes over the Our Brands division at a time when consumer demand for private-label products continues to grow. Kroger recently reported that its Our Brands product assortment outpaced national brands for the seventh consecutive quarter. Additionally, the company is launching 80 new items for its Simple Truth store brand.
In the company's recent conference call to discuss first-quarter results, Sargent said as more shoppers search for value, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based grocer is excited about the potential for its Our Brands business.
"We are growing sales by offering high-quality products to customers at all budget levels," he said. "Simple Truth and Private Selection led our sales growth, highlighting that customers want premium products while also spending less."
In addition to Reed's appointment, Kroger named Ed Oldham as its new head of Sourcing, Jake Cannon as the new president of its Cincinnati-Dayton Division, and Josh Harpole as president of its Louisville Division.
Oldham joins Kroger from PetSmart, where he was senior vice president and chief supply chain officer. Both Cannon and Harpole are longtime Kroger employees, having served in several roles.
