Herring Returns to Giant Food as Chief Merchant
Giant Food, the leading greater Washington, D.C. regional grocery chain, has hired Tonya Herring as chief merchant effective immediately. In her role, Herring will oversee all merchandising strategy and execution across Giant Food.
With more than 30 years of retail grocery experience, Herring most recently served as the senior vice president of omnichannel development for Peapod Digital Labs, which supports Ahold Delhaize USA. There, Herring led the commercial evolution of Ahold Delhaize USA’s omnichannel ambitions. Prior to that, Herring was the senior vice president of merchandising for Giant Food, where she was responsible for strategic leadership, business plan design and merchandising organization including category management, pharmacy, pricing, promotion and merchandising planning.
“The entire Giant Food family is thrilled to welcome Tonya back to our team,” said Ira Kress, president of Giant Food. “With her deep merchandising expertise, she will bring a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the Giant Food brand in this role.”
Throughout her experience, Herring has held multiple roles including over two decades at Safeway Inc., where her positions included vice president of category development, group director category development for consumer brands and regional director.
“As a Maryland local, Giant Food has been part of my community for years,” said Herring. “I am ecstatic to be continuing my career back at Giant and look forward to implementing positive changes within our merchandising sector.”
Tonya lives in Odenton, Md., with her husband, Brent, and enjoys their leisure time walking their dogs, golfing, bike riding and visiting family in their home state of California.
Since opening its first location over 88 years ago in Washington, D.C., in 1936, Giant has been an integral part of the communities and customers it serves. Giant is committed to being a Better Neighbor and has designated four main giving pillars that address local Food Insecurity, Military Support, Pediatric Cancer Research, and Social Equality.
Giant is headquartered in Landover, Md., and operates 164 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia with approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 164 stores are 154 full-service pharmacies and 28 Starbucks locations. Giant fits all the way today’s busy customers want to shop – in-store or online.
With 162 Giant Pickup locations and delivery options available in all its markets, customers have even more convenient options to get the best products and prices whenever and however they choose.
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Sprouts Healthy Communities Applications Open
The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation announced that organizations can now apply for funding for programs that advance nutrition education, nutrition access and wellness for children and adults in the communities where Sprouts operates. Sprouts will award a total of $3 million to approximately 300 local organizations.
“Our 32,000 team members want to see our communities thrive. Supporting local organizations that focus on wellness and nutrition access is an important part of what we do,” said Jack Sinclair, chief executive officer of Sprouts Farmers Market.
The Foundation’s mission is focused on improving health outcomes by supporting nutrition education, nutrition access, and wellness programs. Each of the grants will provide organizations with $5,000 to $10,000 in funding. The grant categories include:
- Sprouting School Gardens – Funding for new or existing school-based gardening programs that provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that bring nutrition education to life for students
- Growing Healthy Kids – Funding for community-based programs focused on children’s nutrition access, nutrition education, and health and wellness
- Wellness Across the Lifespan – Funding for community-based programs focused on adult health and wellness
“Our goal is to help children and adults connect with vital resources, learn new skills, and improve their health and wellness,” said Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “We look forward to working with over 300 organizations to drive meaningful impact in our communities.”
Since 2015, the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation has awarded over $20 million in grants to organizations that are working on the front lines of nutrition education and wellness. An estimated 3 million children participate in programs supported by the Foundation each year and Sprouts expects to more than double its grant programs in the year ahead.
The deadline to apply is July 15. For more information on the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation visit www.sprouts.com/about/sprouts-foundation/
True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 32,000 team members and more than 400 stores in 23 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts, and the good it brings communities, visit about.sprouts.com.
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Ex-Football Player Clay Matthews Stars in Bar-S Parody Brand Spot
Former professional linebacker Clay Matthews takes on the role of Golden Locks in Bar-S Foods’ new parody brand spot, Golden Locks and the Three Fridges.
Bar-S consumers’ affinity for football, paired with the former pro athlete’s iconic long blonde hair, made Matthews the perfect celebrity partner for the campaign. Research showed that the fairytale theme would resonate with our target audience and their children, thus reinforcing the brand’s commitment to family-friendly values and accessible, delicious products.
“I loved being part of Bar-S Foods’ reimagined fairytale—it’s funny, clever, and guaranteed to make everyone smile,” said Matthews.
The 90-second parody commercial mirrors the original Goldilocks plot and supports the brand’s new tagline, “Bar-S. It’s Just Right.” However, rather than face a few bowls of porridge, Golden Locks has to choose from three refrigerators. The first is home to a loudly dressed designer meat “salesman” who offers Golden Locks name-brand meats that are way overpriced.
The second holds a roughly 40-year-old man who lives with his mom and has no taste or variety in his meal choices. It isn’t until he discovers the third fridge, stocked with Bar-S products, that Golden Locks finds the perfect balance of quality and value, appealing to his sense of taste and budget.
“Since the majority of our consumers have young children, we saw parody fairytales as the perfect vehicle for reaching the whole family,” said Linda Rodriguez, Bar-S’ marketing director. “The campaign not only showcases our diverse range of products but also highlights our dedication to providing exceptional value without compromising on taste.”
The creative strategy was orchestrated in collaboration with Heart & Soul Marketing, a full-service creative agency based out of Phoenix, Arizona. The campaign will be aired on CTV in select markets and across digital and social media.
To watch the full-length parody commercial visit this link and be sure to follow @barsfoods on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
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