From Part-Time Cashier to Fortune 500 CCO: Amy McClellan's Shopper-First Approach To Grocery
Join us for an exclusive interview with Amy McClellan, newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer at SpartanNash, as she sharesΒ ...
Executive Vice President & Chief Customer Officer, Spartannash
Search every verified Amy Mcclellan interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote β each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Amy McClellan, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at SpartanNash, discussed her newly created role as Chief Commercial Officer in a 2025 interview. She stated that the position expanded her responsibilities to include the merchandising organization and that the company is focused on putting the shopper at the center of commercial discussions. McClellan said SpartanNash delivers solutions for its wholesale customers by leveraging insights from its retail business, and that the company creates and curates solutions for neighborhoods and communities of all sizes, including military commissaries and rural stores. She noted that innovation can include product, service, and convenience, and that the company uses data, technology partnerships, and AI-enhanced tools to understand shopper needs. In a 2024 interview, McClellan described SpartanNash as a wholesale distributor of groceries that owns 144 retail stores and serves U.S. military commissaries. She said the company provides electronic shelf labels to independent customers, helping them gain scale, and that several independent stores have deployed the technology. McClellan emphasized the importance of fundamentals in grocery operations, such as checking produce and bathrooms during store tours. She expressed excitement about helping independent grocers grow, noting that they represent one-third of the U.S. grocery business and that the company aims to bring solutions that meet their needs.
“In this chief commercial officer role, I'm also now responsible for the merchandising organization and we're thinking about the business more commercially as we deliver plans to both our corporately owned retail stores and our independents.”
“Putting shoppers in the center of every commercial discussion at Spartan Nash is our focus. We deliver solutions for our wholesale customers that meet what shoppers need in their stores, leveraging insights from our retail business to serve independent wholesale customers.”
“We put salespeople in the same room with merchandising people to share firsthand experiences from independents in the field, helping merchants better inform discussions with the vendor community.”
“The shopper needs in a military commissary aren't so dissimilar from shopper needs in a rural store in a small town. We create and curate solutions for neighborhoods and communities big and small, unlocking power from scale to serve those communities.”
“Innovation can be product, but it can also be service and convenience. Shoppers think about many things when deciding where to spend their dollar, so we help our customers create a value proposition that breaks through the clutter and wins in the space.”
“Technology plays a critical role in helping us stay ahead of understanding shopper needs. We use data and insights, partner with tech companies like Simbi and Dunnhumby, and employ AI-enhanced ordering and pricing solutions to be more efficient and effective.”
“Being relentlessly focused on the shopper has helped me succeed. Meeting their needs with simple solutions is gratifying, and I encourage my teams to deliver the same ingredients for a better life to our stores and customers.”
“My best days are spent with independent customers in the field chatting about how they serve their community. The community service of our industry is what has kept me going all these years.”
“Spartan Nash we are a Wholesale Distributor of groceries and we own 144 retail stores. We also serve the US military commissaries through Deca. At the end of the day we are a Food Solutions company and we want to deliver the ingredients for a better life.”
“When I'm here I'm here on behalf of our customers and for the Independent Community. It's super important that you're always learning what's new, what kind of technology can I apply in my store? The solutions aren't going to be right for everybody but being here at NGA is a great way for retailers to get exposure to wh...”
“We have electronic shelf labels that we're providing on behalf of our independent customers. We work with tech companies to help our independents who may not have the scale on their own, but we can bring that scale and provide a common solution. Several independent stores have deployed electronic shelf labels which has...”
“Post pandemic we're really getting back to fundamentals and how do we best run grocery stores to serve our communities. Independents are looking for insights, partnerships, and support so they can compete at scale. Independent grocers have a voice and represent one-third of the grocery business in the United States.”
“The ability for electronic shelf labels to do more than just surface a price point for a consumer is key. They help with stocking products and e-commerce shopping paths. Added benefits like color enhancements allow for more promotional messaging, helping retailers get more ROI right out of the gate.”
“I don't think things are overhyped but we have to get to the fundamental understanding of buzz like retail media networks. You could ask four different people and get four different answers. It's important to fully understand these before jumping in.”
“We're assessing generative AI for customer service. On my sales team, we're looking at how we can augment customer service requests with AI. It has to be rooted in the business and driven by business folks in partnership with IT. For example, we have tally robots in some of our supermarket stores leveraging computer vi...”
Join us for an exclusive interview with Amy McClellan, newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer at SpartanNash, as she sharesΒ ...
In this exclusive interview from the NGA conference, Amy McClellan, Chief Customer Officer, SpartanNash, shares her insights onΒ ...
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