Dive Brief:
- Jewel-Osco President Thomas Lofland has retired, parent company Albertsons told Grocery Dive, confirming a Jewel-Osco LinkedIn post.
- The grocer announced Lofland’s departure on LinkedIn Thursday, noting it marks the end of his 35-plus-year career with Albertsons.
- Jewel-Osco announced Lofland’s retirement just a day after Albertsons unveiled multiple internal changes, including the adoption of a new regional operating model and the upcoming departure of its president and CFO, Sharon McCollam.
Dive Insight:
While Lofland’s grocery career began at Albertsons in 1990, per his company bio page, his departure comes less than a year after he stepped into his role as Jewel-Osco’s president.
Lofland was named to the position during an executive shuffle in August 2025 supporting Albertsons’ new merchandising strategy. He succeeded Mark Laryea, who was promoted to president of merchandising for Albertsons.
Prior to leading Jewel-Osco, Lofland served as president of Albertsons’ Mid-Atlantic Division. During his tenure with the grocery company, he also held the titles of senior vice president of merchandising and marketing, president of the Eastern Division, and vice president of merchandising and marketing for Safeway’s Eastern Division, according to his Albertsons bio.
“Throughout his career, he led with vision, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to people, helping drive growth, innovation, and operational excellence across multiple divisions and thousands of associates,” Jewel-Osco wrote on LinkedIn.
But Lofland’s departure is just the latest change Albertsons is undertaking.
On Thursday, Albertsons announced that it has adopted a new regional operating model that consolidates 11 divisions into four regions and centralized center store merchandising. McCollam, like Lofland, also announced retirement plans. She expects to step down later this year, but will remain in her role until a successor is named. She will then serve in an advisory role with Albertsons until its fiscal year ends in late February.
