Target Corp. Chief Executive Brian Cornell has hired a former
colleague from the supermarket chain Safeway Inc. to lead a revamp
of the retailer's grocery business.
Anne Dament comes to Target from PetSmart, where she was a vice
president. Before that, she spent nearly a decade at Safeway,
including during a three-year stretch when Mr. Cornell served as
chief marketing officer. She has also worked at Supervalu Inc. and
ConAgra Foods Inc.
Ms. Dament, who begins April 20, will help implement Mr.
Cornell's vision to revamp Target's grocery business by expanding
private-label products, adding more organic and gluten-free foods
and emphasizing categories that younger shoppers crave. The changes
to grocery are expected to play out over the next 12 to 18
months.
Grocery makes up a little more than a fifth of Target's $73
billion in annual sales, but its food offerings haven't helped the
retailer stand out from competitors, including Wal-Mart Stores
Inc., which has lower prices.
Target's current selection of dry groceries and limited fresh
fruits, vegetables and meats doesn't fit with what Target shoppers
want. A recent survey from consultancy Kantar Retail found that
just 18% of Target shoppers felt that the food sold at the retailer
matches with what they like to cook or eat.
Mr. Cornell joined Target last August, bringing with him a
robust food background, including as CEO of PepsiCo Inc.'s Americas
Foods and a prior stint leading Wal-Mart's Sam's Club unit. He was
also marketing chief at the grocery chain Safeway from 2004 to
2007.
Target began a broader rollout of grocery in 2008, hoping that
more frequent trips from shoppers would offset the less profitable
sales of cereal, milk and other consumables, in part by attracting
shoppers to other more lucrative parts of the store.
Write to Paul Ziobro at Paul.Ziobro@wsj.com
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