PHOENIX — Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Nasdaq: SFM) today announced that J. Scott Neal will join the company as chief fresh merchandising officer, effective June 15, 2020. Neal will report directly to Sprouts chief executive officer Jack Sinclair and will oversee Sprouts’ fresh merchandise offerings.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Scott to the Sprouts team,” said Sinclair. “Scott joins us at the perfect time to leverage his deep experience in fresh merchandising and sourcing as we begin to implement our long-term growth strategy by creating an advantaged fresh supply chain to bring better-for-you options and innovative products to support our customers’ healthy lifestyles.”
Neal brings more than twenty-five years of retail experience to Sprouts, focused largely on fresh food merchandising. For the past eight years, he has served as senior vice president and general merchandise manager for the fresh food division of Walmart U.S., where he oversaw quality control and merchandising of produce, meat and seafood. Neal served Walmart over a twenty-four year career, including as vice president – divisional merchandising manager of the meat division of Walmart U.S. from 2009 to 2011, vice president – divisional merchandising manager of the commercial bread and bakery divisions from 2007 to 2009 and vice president of international merchandising from 2000 to 2007. Neal has also served as a member of the board of directors of Feeding America since 2016. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Brigham Young University.
“I am excited to join Sprouts at this pivotal time in its growth trajectory,” said Neal. “It is more important than ever that our customers have access to fresh, healthy food to feed their families, and I look forward to joining Jack and the Sprouts leadership team to advance the company’s long-term vision of building a brand that is good for you, good for your family, and good for the planet.”
Corporate Profile
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country, has made healthy living accessible to shoppers for nearly two decades by offering affordable, fresh, natural and organic products. True to its farmers market heritage, Sprouts is known for pioneering its unique grocery model by offering a welcoming store layout featuring fresh produce at the center of the store, an expansive bulk foods section, and a vitamin department focused on overall wellness. Sprouts also offers a unique assortment of healthier products with special attributes, such as plant-based, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and grass-fed, to meet the growing and diverse needs of today’s consumer. Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., Sprouts employs more than 35,000 team members and operates over 340 stores in 23 states from coast to coast. Visit about.sprouts.com for more information.
