Mass Market News

As vice president of fresh foods, Eric Swensen is responsible for developing strategies and team support for sales, marketing and merchandising for all fresh foods departments. Big Y Foods named Eric Swensen as vice president of fresh foods and Christian D’Amour as district sales and merchandising mentor. As vice president of fresh foods, Swensen is responsible for developing strategies and team support for sales, marketing and merchandising for all fresh foods departments for the entire chain, including all fresh meat, seafood, bakery, deli, produce, floral and meal solutions departments throughout each store. Swensen began his career with Big Y in 1985 as a part-time service clerk. He moved on to clerk in grocery and then frozen foods and dairy before being promoted to full time grocery night crew in 1987. From there, he held the positions of night crew manager and grocery manager by 1992. Two years later, he was accepted into the store manager training program and was appointed assistant store manager in the Big Y World Class Market in Worcester, Mass. By 1997, Swensen was appointed to store manager, a position he held in Big Y’s in Mansfield, CT, as well as Palmer, Worcester, East Longmeadow and Springfield, MA, stores. In 2006, he was selected as a sales and merchandising assistant for one of the chain’s districts, which included 14 stores as part of Big Y’s operations team. By 2006, he was appointed manager of space management as he was responsible for all shelf space allocations for the entire chain. In 2009, Swensen was appointed director of frozen and dairy. In 2012, he became senior director of center store and in 2014, vice president of center store where he developed strategies and tactical direction, planning and support for all grocery, dairy, frozen food, health and beauty care, general merchandise, pharmacy, retail pricing, space management and store brand departments. In addition, he holds a HIPPA certification in food safety and has attended the University of Connecticut. He has volunteered for many store community activities as part of that team. D’Amour has been appointed the sales and merchandising mentor […]

Source: cstoredecisions.com