Trailblazers: Women Leaders in Grocery

The grocery industry has seen significant changes in the last few years with shopping habits and competition getting stronger. It has taken agile leaders to see iconic chains come out the other side unscathed and lead through challenging times. The conclusion of our series for Women’s History Month will focus on Kasey Sheffer, VP of Own Brands at Giant Eagle. Grocery stores had a financial boom during the pandemic, yet debilitating supply chain shortages limited that earning potential. With the looming merger of Kroger and Albertsons creating a powerhouse, the race is on for Giant Eagle to hold its position in the industry.

Kasey Sheffer’s success at Giant Eagle largely stems from her marketing background. After graduating with an MBA in Marketing from the University of Tampa, she stayed local and worked for the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team. She spent two years as the marketing partnerships manager where she managed sponsorship contracts. After leaving the Lightning and after a short time at Dunn&Co., Sheffer spent the next two years as an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa and Elizabethtown College teaching marketing. During this early part of her career, she honed her skills and then broke into the wholesale segment with a job at Ahold Delhaize in 2014. She worked her way up to Director of Private Brands in 2018. At Ahold Delhaize, Sheffer connected with the brand’s customers and developed strategies that could leverage and enhance private labels. She took this experience to Giant Eagle when she became VP of Own Brands in 2021.

During her tenure at Giant Eagle, Sheffer has overseen five private label brands and driven over $1.5B in annual sales revenue. Sheffer’s transformation of the company’s brands proved invaluable when the supply chain was disrupted. Third-party brands were difficult to source properly and Sheffer was hired to make private brands a strength of Giant Eagle. She overhauled their supply chain and altered store plans to make their brands more visible to consumers. By connecting with consumers and using her extensive marketing background, Sheffer was able to focus on the store brands that most fit consumer needs.

Kasey Sheffer has proven that her extensive marketing background and diverse resume were the perfect fit for Giant Eagle. As competition grows fiercer, it will be paramount to develop private label brands that can withstand future supply chain disruptions. Without Sheffer’s brand transformation, Giant Eagle would be facing a difficult challenge.