The Modesto, California-based Save Mart Companies and Kingswood Capital Management have named Shane Sampson as executive chairman of the California-based, regional grocery retailer.
The news comes a week after Kingswood, a Los Angeles-based operationally focused private equity firm with experience in the retail sector, announced its acquisition of Save Mart. Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. To read the full story from The Shelby Report, click here.
Save Mart operates 200 Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx stores in the California Central Valley and Northern Nevada. In addition to its retail operation, the company also operates SMART Refrigerated Transport and is a partner in Super Store Industries, which owns and operates a distribution center in Lathrop and the Sunnyside Farms dairy processing plant in Turlock.
“The Save Mart Companies team has built a wonderful operation in the Central Valley of California throughout their 70 years of serving their customers and communities,” Sampson said. “The family and leadership team have done a tremendous job in establishing and perpetuating a commitment to innovation and service, and I think there is an exceptional opportunity to invest in and grow The Save Mart Companies’ brands.
“I’m excited to join the company at such a pivotal time for the Save Mart, FoodMaxx and Lucky California stores. I’m looking forward to leading the team into the next phase of growth and innovation and beyond.”
Sampson is a fourth-generation grocer with four decades of experience in building brands, implementing marketing and merchandising programs and leading strategic operations. He started his career as a retail clerk at a local grocery store and learned the business from the ground up. This culminated with him being named chief marketing and merchandising officer at the Albertsons Companies.
Sampson was instrumental in driving Albertsons’ merchandising strategy during a period of growth during which he oversaw development and innovation of digital and e-commerce strategies, scaled its private label brands and built customer and associate engagement across 2,300 stores.
As a result, he was recognized as Mass Market Retailer’s “Merchant of the Year” in 2017 and received the Retail TouchPoints’ 2018 Innovator Award.
Prior to his position as CMMO at Albertsons, Sampson was president of two separate Albertsons Divisions – Jewel-Osco and Shaws/Star Market. He also has held leadership positions at Ahold’s Giant of Landover, Walmart’s Sam’s Club and Schwazze, a Dye Capital portfolio company based in Denver, Colorado.
Most recently, Sampson held a leadership position at Jacksons Companies based in Meridian, Idaho, and served as a board member on their ExtraMile joint venture with Chevron.
“We are thrilled to have Shane on the team,” said Alex Wolf, a partner of Kingswood. “His retail acumen is unparalleled, and he has driven results across all the companies he’s been a part of leading. We’re looking forward to leveraging his significant retail experience into The Save Mart Companies’ operations.”
For more information, visit savemart.com.
