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Sprouts hires longtime Walmart merchandiser as chief fresh merchant

J. Scott Neal joining Sprouts Farmers Market in newly created position

Russell Redman

June 8, 2020

2 Min Read
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J. Scott Neal will be joining Sprouts Farmers Market on June 15, after eight years as senior vice president and general merchandise manager for the fresh food division of Walmart U.S.Sprouts Farmers Market

Walmart executive J. Scott Neal is joining Sprouts Farmers Market as chief fresh merchandising officer, a newly created position.

Plans call for Neal to start at the Phoenix-based specialty grocer on June 15, Sprouts said Monday. For the past eight years, he has served as senior vice president and general merchandise manager for the fresh food division of Walmart U.S., where he oversaw quality control and merchandising of produce, meat and seafood.

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In his new role, Neal (left) will oversee all of Sprouts’ fresh product offerings and report directly to CEO Jack Sinclair.

“I am excited to join Sprouts at this pivotal time in its growth trajectory,” Neal said in a statement. “It is more important than ever that our customers have access to fresh, healthy food to feed their families, and I look forward to joining Jack and the Sprouts leadership team to advance the company’s long-term vision of building a brand that is good for you, good for your family and good for the planet.”

Neal has spend more than 24 years at Walmart across a range of roles, with a focus on fresh food merchandising. He was promoted to his current post at the retail giant, senior VP and GMM of fresh food for Walmart U.S., in February 2013 after serving three years as VP of meat and seafood. Before that, he was VP and divisional merchandising manager of the meat division at Walmart U.S. from 2009 to 2011; VP and DMM of the commercial bread and bakery divisions from 2007 to 2009; and VP of international merchandising from 2000 to 2007. Neal also has served as a board member at national food bank organization Feeding America since 2016.

Related:Sprouts Farmers Market CEO talks strategy and the future

“We’re thrilled to welcome Scott to the Sprouts team,” Sinclair stated. “Scott joins us at the perfect time to leverage his deep experience in fresh merchandising and sourcing as we begin to implement our long-term growth strategy by creating an advantaged fresh supply chain to bring better-for-you options and innovative products to support our customers’ healthy lifestyles.”

Sprouts specializes in natural, organic and fresh groceries, offering an open market-style shopping experience. The retailer opened four new stores for its first quarter ended March 29 and now has 344 stores in 23 states, with plans to grow by 20 overall this year.

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Sprouts Farmers Market

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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