MMR: Mass Market Retailers, June 22, 2020

MASS MARKET RETAILINGS MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN Megan Crozier Chief Merchant Sams Club helping to transform the frozen food business at Walmart by finding fun new and unexpected items Crozier says After earning a bachelors degree in industrial engineering and management from Oklahoma State University Crozier joined Walmart in 2003 as an engineer in a grocery distribution center in Temple Texas She moved to Bentonville the following year for a job as a supply chain manager supporting merchandising My role was to help merchants find efficiencies in their supply chain but I found myself becoming more and more interested in Gineal Davidson President Portland Division Albertsons Cos neighborhoods helping to create jobs and allowing our communities to grow Being decentralized allows us to make buying decisions that support exactly what our customers are looking for and essentially be able to operate like a small business Convenience is also important and Davidson notes that Albertsons is expanding its delivery and Drive Up and Go services in the market Shoppers can have their groceries delivered in many areas of Oregon and southwest Washington Or in a growing number of locations we offer convenient Sarah Davis President Loblaw blaw executive chairman Galen Weston said last year when Davis responsibilities were expanded And she has played an important role in many of Loblaws most defining moments the formation of Choice Properties the acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart the creation of PC Optimum and a long term strategy that demonstrates our passion for customers said Weston Together our team has put the company on an exciting strategic path and Sarah is a great leader to take us forward Last year saw Loblaw boost its investment in its digital BENTONVILLE Ark Megan Crozier has spent all but one of her 17 years with Walmart as a merchant working to find great items and deliver low costs Last September Crozier was promoted to chief merchant at Sams Club which is burnishing its appeal to members by streamlining its assortment collaborating with national brands to create unique product and enhancing its Members Mark private brand Some of my favorite projects over the years include working as an electronics buyer buying the first colored iPod Nanos and all the fun accessories and PORTLAND Ore Gineal Davidson oversees Albertsons Cos Portland Division which operates 141 stores 109 Safeway stores and 32 Albertsons stores throughout the state of Oregon and in southern Washington Making sure those stores serve their local communities is one of Davidsons priorities as Portland Division president One way is through merchandising Our Oregon and Washington customers love fresh local items as well as supporting local farmers Davidson says Weve spent decades nurturing partnerships with suppliers and farmers in our BRAMPTON Ontario Loblaw Cos named Sarah Davis company president in January 2017 putting her in charge of the retailers day to day operations Last year her duties were expanded as Davis assumed full responsibility for the companys 13 member management board and took on oversight of finance and human resources Davis joined Loblaw about 13 years ago Before being named president Davis served as chief financial officer and chief administrative officer Sarah and I have worked closely for over a decade Locapabilities the work of a merchant she says I was able to leverage my connections with the merchandising team to transition into a role as a buyer in electronics and Ive never looked back Her engineering background helped deepen her understanding of the supply chain and the replenishment business Crozier says Engineering taught me to solve problems Crozier is strategic dynamic and product driven according to a memo announcing her move to Sams Club by then Sams Club chief executive officer John Furner who is now CEO of Walmart U S As chief merchant Crozier leads a Sams Club team of merchants products managers pharmacists and others Our members pay to shop with us so their expectations for us are high We are constantly studying our members and identifying pickup at the store for online orders We also offer Just for U an online platform that offers our customers gas rewards personalized deals digital coupons free items and more Serving local communities is a key priority Albertsons supports local communities in other ways as well We are committed to helping people live better lives by making a meaningful difference neighborhood by neighborhood Davidson says In fiscal 2019 alone along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation the company gave 225 million in food and financial support These efforts helped millions of people a move that paid off We have continued to refine our food pharmacy beauty and apparel e commerce businesses improving customer service by shortening the wait time between clicking an order and receiving it Davis said during the companys fourth quarter conference call Our customers Now the company is responding to new consumer behaviors due to the pandemic rewarded us in 2019 with more than 1 billion in e commerce sales almost double that of the previous year Not surprisingly the big story this year has been the companys response to the coronavirus Davis noted in the companys first quarter call that Canadians initial response to the new ways we can bring them great items at disruptive prices while offering an incredible shopping experience Crozier says of her move from Walmart to Sams Club We need to be incredibly disciplined with our assortment Engineering taught Crozier how to solve problems in the supply chain business and work hard to make sure that were providing the items and brands our members want and need Adjusting to a new job is difficult under any circumstance but Croziers transition has been marked by the unique challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic Our merchant team has been constantly on the phone with suppliers adjusting orders in the areas of hunger relief education cancer research and treatment programs for people with disabilities and veterans outreach Davidson who joined Albertsons 30 years ago as a courtesy clerk in Boulder Colo credits her previous experiences with providing the foundation for her current leadership role I have been fortunate enough to work for Albertsons Cos in several markets including Boston Denver Boise and now Portland she explains This really allowed me to witness how we go to market in various parts of the country as well as make many long lasting relationships in those areas I also led the Albertsons Safeway integration for the Intermountain Division in 2015 This was a very fast paced and transitional time for our company Many of the things I learned during this time I still use today pandemic was to rush to retail stores In a matter of days customer counts and basket size spiked fourfold sales of paper frozen and meat products skyrocketed e commerce traffic tripled restaurants closed and our prepared meal business and recipe making categories took off And pharmacies were lined with patients filling prescriptions seeking health essentials and advice Now the company is responding to new consumer behaviors Right now people are shopping less frequently and spending more prioritizing one stop shops without long lines Loblaw expects further changes trying to find items for our members she says Our replenishment team worked around the clock to keep orders in stock Our private brands team found new ways of working on order to keep innovating Our health and wellness team leveraged their relationships to buy PPE for the entire company Our pharmacists and optical associates on the front lines adjusted to new ways of working Each and every team member operated with a one Sams Club mentality completely focused on delivering for the members And as a result weve gained new members and our existing members have rewarded us with their business After that critical position with Albertsons Cos Intermountain Division Davidson was promoted to the position of division vice president of marketing and merchandising at Shaws in 2016 and then returned to the Intermountain Division as vice president of strategic initiatives in May 2017 Davidson was named Intermountain Division vice president of marketing and merchandising in October 2017 where she led a large team of merchants We opened a flagship Albertsons Market Street store in Boise that was the first of its kind in the next generation of grocery stores providing a true culinary experience she recalls citing it as a career highlight She was named to her current position in 2019 I have worked in many areas of the company for many years and feel proud to have reached this level in our company The company is also working to serve its customers by striving to keep its employees safe I cant say enough about the pharmacists cashiers stock clerks managers franchise owners truck drivers pickers in our distribution centers and our vendor partners and farmers who are keeping the food and drug systems rolling I ve been sending daily notes to our nearly 200000 colleagues sharing news observations and customer praise for their efforts Davis said And many have been responding with suggestions stories of encouragement of their own I received one e mail early in this crisis from a colleague in our replenishment team It was short and a simple message that quoted Winston Churchill It read After all this is over all that will matter is how we treated each other I couldnt agree more MMR June 22 2020 35