Albertsons Hires Narayan Iyengar as Digital Chief

Albertsons Cos. has selected Narayan Iyengar as its SVP of digital marketing and ecommerce.

In this role, Iyengar will be responsible for leading all aspects of digital marketing for the Boise, Idaho-based grocery retailer, including loyalty programs, shopper marketing and the overall digital presence, as well as the ecommerce business, including home delivery.

"As a company, we've made significant investments in the customer experience over the last two years, from new technology that originated in our Culinary Kitchens and Technical Center to our comprehensive data and analytics platforms," said Shane Sampson, Albertsons’ chief marketing and merchandising officer. "Ecommerce, digital and social media channels hold unlimited potential for delivering the kind of personalized service our customers want. Narayan's expertise will enable us to deploy new service and marketing models to attract more shoppers and grow our business both in stores and online."

Iyengar's career spans nearly 20 years in ecommerce, digital and business transformation. He joins Albertsons from the Burbank, Calif.-based Walt Disney Co., where, as VP of ecommerce and digital travel trade, he built, enhanced and optimized ecommerce capabilities across an ecosystem encompassing 20 websites and apps.

"I am thrilled to be joining this great company at such a crucial time of digital-led change in the grocery industry," Iyengar said. "I was drawn to Albertsons for its core values, culture and the people, and I look forward to working with Shane and the Albertsons leadership team across all 14 divisions to enable and enhance their core business by using digital tools across more product lines to personalize the shopping experience for customers."

Albertsons Cos. operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs.