Gelson’s Hires Senior Director of Produce and Floral
Gelson’s has named Bob Veilleux to the position of senior director of produce and floral. Veilleux comes to the Southern California independent grocer from his previous employer, Scranton, Pa.-based Gerrity’s Supermarkets, where he was director of produce, floral and bulk goods.
Owned by the Fasula family, Gerrity’s became the 48th member to join retailer cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. in June 2022. After the grocer joined the co-op, its 10 stores under the Gerrity’s banner were rebranded as Gerrity’s The Fresh Grocer, one of Wakefern’s banners. The Fresh Grocer specializes in serving high-quality fresh prepared foods to communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In his new role, Veilleux will be responsible for all aspects of Gelson’s produce and floral operations, including quality and freshness, merchandising and customer experience, marketing and messaging, and team building. He brings to the position “more than 36 years of experience in the grocery and produce industry, with a demonstrated record of achievement in management and customer service, and proven skills of leadership and communication,” according to Gelson’s.
In other recent Gelson’s news, the grocer has partnered with Rove, a developer and operator of full-service electric vehicle charging centers, to offer food and beverage services as part of a new concept, ReCharge by Gelson’s. Rove will construct an initial six locations in Southern California beginning this year, with 20 charging centers planned by 2026. The deal is a first-of-its-kind retail brand partnership for Gelson’s.
Founded in 1951, Encino, Calif.-based Gelson’s operates 27 locations throughout Southern California. It plans to open its 28th location in the mixed-use West Edge development in West Los Angeles this month. Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern is the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. Some of its other independently owned and operated banners include Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market. Together with its member companies, Wakefern employs nearly 80,000 people. The company is No. 29 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 listing of North America’s top food and consumables retailers in North America.
