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Big Y Foods promotes Michael Cormier to center store VP

Industry veteran oversees sales, marketing and merchandising duties of core grocery categories

Russell Redman

September 11, 2020

2 Min Read
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Big Y operates 83 stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut, including 71 Big Y World Class Market supermarkets.Big Y Foods

Michael Cormier has been elevated to vice president of center store at New England grocer Big Y Foods.

Previously senior director of center store, Cormier now will oversee all sales, marketing and merchandising for center store departments — covering grocery, health and beauty care, pharmacy, general merchandise, frozen and dairy — as well as retail pricing and space management, Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y said this week. He reports to Guy McFarlane, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

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Cormier (left) joined Big Y in August 2019 as senior director of center store, steadily adding more responsibilities until his promotion to vice president.

A 23-year grocery industry veteran, Cormier started his career in 1996 on the grocery night crew at Price Chopper Supermarkets in Connecticut. One year later, he was promoted to grocery manager and then to assistant store manager and store manager. In 2001, he joined Adams Hometown Markets as manager of the West Hartford, Conn., store, later becoming grocery category sales manager and then director of retail sales for the chain’s 35 locations.

Shifting gears, Cormier next entered the wholesale area by joining distributor Bozzuto’s as grocery category sales manager, serving retailers in New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In 2008, he returned to Price Chopper as a grocery department category sales manager, later on being promoted to such roles as director of center store, vice president of own brands and, in 2013, vice president of center store. In 2016, he joined C&S Wholesale Grocers as senior director of customer development.

Related:Big Y Foods extends pricing freeze

Overall, Big Y operates 83 stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut, including 71 Big Y World Class Market supermarkets, one Fresh Acres Market, one Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors store, and 10 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations.

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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