Weis Markets names Alison Gregas to direct private label

Alison Gregas has been promoted to director of private brands at Mid-Atlantic grocer Weis Markets.

Previously, Gregas served as manager of private brands. In her expanded role, she will oversee new product development and daily management of the retailer’s 6,500-item private-label program, Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based Weis said Wednesday. She reports to Bob Gleeson, senior vice president of merchandising and marketing.

Weis Markets’ roster of private brands includes Weis Quality, Weis Signature Collection, Weis By Nature and Weis Organics, among other product labels.

Alison Gregas, director of private brands at Weis Markets. / Photo: Weis Markets
 
Gregas joined Weis Markets in 2020 as private-brands sourcing specialist and then in January 2021 was elevated to private-brands manager, a role that she held for over two years.

She came to the company after spending two years at private-brand specialist Daymon as perishables business development manager. Before that, Gregas served in various roles in over three years at sales and marketing firm Marketing Management Inc., most recently as business manager.

Overall, Weis Markets operates 197 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia and Virginia.

With food price inflation still high, consumers have continued to embrace private labels as a way to help stretch their grocery dollars.

In a recent grocery shopper survey by FMI-The Food Industry Association, 41% of shoppers said they’ve bought more private brands since 2020, with 30% citing higher grocery prices as the reason for doing so. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they purchase store brands because they’re less expensive, and 63% reported that these products offer good value. Going forward, 77% of current private-label buyers plan to purchase more of these products.