Shipt Taps Joe Manning to Head Business Development
Shipt, an app-based grocery delivery service, has named Joe Manning, formerly Starbucks’ director of business development and channel development, to lead its own business development. As the Birmingham, Ala.-based company grows its grocery delivery platform, Manning will aim to establish and develop partnerships with grocers and consumer product companies.
“The Shipt marketplace and logistics platform allows grocers to serve the growing demand for grocery delivery,” noted founder and CEO Bill Smith. “With the addition of Joe, we are positioned to forge additional partnerships and further our mission of simplifying lives for families and helping grocers grow their incremental sales.” In particular, he cited Manning’s “experience developing relationships with national and regional grocers,” which Smith asserted “will lead to a number of key relationships that will move our company forward, helping us expand our footprint across the country.”
Before joining Shipt, Manning led the integration of Starbucks licensed stores into national chains, including Safeway, Kroger and Target. He additionally headed the consumer packaged goods integration of Starbucks coffees onto supermarket shelves on the West Coast.
“For the past year, I have been watching Shipt closely,” said Manning. “Based on Shipt’s emerging priorities, we are ready to pursue partnerships aggressively with grocers, retailers and consumer products companies. The Shipt platform enables grocers and manufacturers to extend their brand promise through delivery all the way to the customers’ homes.”
Using the Shipt app, members can shop for groceries, note preferences, select a one-hour delivery window for their items to be delivered and pay for their order. The delivery service connects members with local Shipt Shoppers to shop at partner grocers, hand-pick their items and deliver them to the member’s home or office. Shipt currently operates in 24 cities, including Birmingham and Orlando and Tampa, Fla.