Dive Brief:
- Festival Foods has promoted Adam Whitney to chief operating officer, the Wisconsin-based supermarket chain announced Tuesday.
- Whitney is moving up to the role after serving since January as the grocer’s chief merchant.
- The appointment comes about a year after Festival Foods’ purchase by 1939 Group, an investment company owned by Schnuck Markets’ founding family.
Dive Insight:
In his new position, Whitney will direct Festival Foods’ daily operations and long-term growth. He will also oversee Hometown Grocers, which 1939 Group acquired in September 2025 along with Festival Foods, and remain on 1939 Group’s leadership team.
Whitney came to Festival Foods in November 2023 as the chain’s senior vice president of merchandising and marketing. He took on the added responsibility of directing the grocer’s fresh department when he was promoted to chief merchant at the start of this year.
The retailer credited Whitney with helping Festival Foods expand its center store and fresh market share, adding that he played a central role in a “broad transformation” of its merchandising and marketing functions. That process included an organizational restructuring, technology improvements and renewed ties with vendors as well as the development of a companywide strategic plan.
Ahead of his arrival at Festival Foods, Whitney was vice president of Meijer Express, the supercenter retailer’s fuel and convenience business, according to the announcement. Before assuming that position, he served in other roles at Meijer, including vice president of pricing and merchandise presentation and divisional merchandise manager. Earlier in his career, Whitney held merchandising positions at Sears, J.C. Penney and Target.
“As we build for the future across Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers, we needed a leader who combines deep retail experience with a clear vision for where our industry is headed,” Festival Foods Chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck said in a statement. “Adam brings a proven track record, a pragmatic ‘measure twice, cut once’ approach to execution, and a strong ability to leverage the new data and technology driving our growth.”
Festival Foods, which was founded in 1946 and assumed its current banner identity in 1990, runs 42 supermarkets across Wisconsin. Hometown Grocers operates nine stores in the state, all under different names.
