Grocery Outlet names new CFO amid national expansion effort

Grocery Outlet has named Christopher Miller executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Jan. 6.

The Emeryville, Calif.-based discount grocery chain made the announcement on Dec. 18, noting that Miller previously served for two years as CFO of a foodservice distributor Shamrock Foods Company.

He was also the leading marketer of fresh food and broadline supply solutions for Core-Mark Holding Co. for 15 years, where he held various positions, including CFO and chief accounting officer.

Miller succeeds Lindsay Gray, who has served as interim CFO since Charles Bracher’s departure from the role in March 2024.

Filling the CFO role is only part of the puzzle in rebuilding the company’s leadership roster. In October, Grocery Outlet announced that president and CEO RJ Sheedy was stepping down.

He was replaced by Grocery Outlet Chairman Eric Lindberg, who is serving as interim president and CEO.

The grocery chain has been troubled by system upgrades, including “poor data visibility, slow system speeds, and a loss of tools and functionality,” Lindberg said in November during a quarterly earnings call.

“These issues hurt our buyers’ ability to write purchase orders efficiently, our inventory planning and supply chain teams’ ability to accurately manage inventory, and our operators’ ability to see real-time inventory in their order guide to bring product into their stores. The impact on the business has been significant,” Lindberg said.

The discount grocery chain has continued to expand despite its challenges, noting in a Dec. 23 press release that it will end 2024 with 533 stores across 16 states.

The eastward expansion includes 34 stores in Pennsylvania, 12 in Maryland, seven in New Jersey, three in Ohio, and one in Delaware.

“We are incredibly proud of our footprint growth over the past few years,” Layla Kasha, Grocery Outlet’s chief new store growth officer, said in a press release. “As we round the corner on 2025, we will continue to focus on our core markets as well as clustered growth in Cleveland, Las Vegas and Baltimore.

“We see a lot of potential in the years ahead serving customers looking for a treasure hunt shopping experience to stretch their dollar on our wide selection of fresh produce, meat, deli, dairy, packaged groceries, frozen, health and beauty care products.”