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SpartanNash names Amy McClellan as chief marketing officer

Promotion fills role left by departure of Lori Raya last summer

Russell Redman

January 10, 2022

2 Min Read
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SpartanNash brought Amy McClellan to its executive team with its acquisition of Martin's Super Markets in 2019.SpartanNash

Amy McClellan, vice president of fresh merchandising for retail at SpartanNash, has been promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

SpartanNash said Monday that McClellan takes over the post effective immediately. In her new role, she will lead the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based grocery distributor and retailer’s marketing function and report to President and CEO Tony Sarsam.

McClellan’s elevation to marketing chief comes after Lori Raya, chief merchandising and marketing officer at SpartanNash, left the company this past summer to become Mid-Atlantic division president at The Kroger Co. SpartanNash currently doesn’t list a chief merchandising officer on the corporate leadership page of its website.

“Promoting from within is a key component of our people-first culture. Amy has brought invaluable expertise and leadership to SpartanNash, and this role is a natural progression in her career path,” Sarsam said in a statement. “We look forward to implementing her creative, data-driven strategies for enhancing our retail branding, expanding our e-commerce business and growing our total market share among primary and secondary shoppers.”

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McClellan (left) has served as vice president of fresh merchandising for SpartanNash’s retail operations since early March. In that role, she oversaw fresh food categories at the wholesaler’s 145 corporate stores and 2,100 independent retailer customers. She was promoted to the position after serving as division vice president of retail at SpartanNash and senior vice president of retail operations and merchandising at Martin’s Super Markets, the post she held when joining the company after the acquisition of the Indiana grocer in January 2019.

Related:Buehler’s taps SpartanNash’s Amy McClellan for board

Before coming to SpartanNash, McClellan had spent over 20 years at Martin’s. She started her career at the South Bend, Ill.-based chain as a part-time cashier while in high school and advanced to roles of increasing responsibility, including as communications specialist, market research supervisor, loyalty and marketing program manager, director of marketing, vice president of sales and marketing, and senior vice president of retail operations and merchandising.

McClellan also serves on several boards, including on the board of directors at Ohio grocer Buehler’s Fresh Foods, which appointed her to the post in late October.

Overall, SpartanNash serves independent and chain retail grocery customers and military customers in all 50 states the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as internationally. The company owns and operates 145 supermarkets under such banners as Family Fare, Martin’s, D&W Fresh Market, VG’s Grocery and Dan’s Supermarket in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Related:SpartanNash names Amy McClellan to head fresh merchandising

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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