Target's ex-grocery chief lands new gig at Supervalu

Target's ex-grocery chief has landed a new job across town at Eden Prairie-based Supervalu.

The grocer, the parent of Cub Foods, has appointed Anne Dament to be its new senior vice president of retail, merchandising and marketing. For Dament, a Minnesota native, the move brings her 25-year career full circle. She started off her professional life as a buyer at Supervalu, followed by leadership posts at PetSmart and Safeway.

In April 2015, Dament was hired by Minneapolis-based Target to oversee its grocery transformation, which has included adding more organic and natural products as well as enhancing in-store displays. The initiative has been a major focus of CEO Brian Cornell as he looks to upgrade and differentiate the retailer's food offerings amid an increasingly crowded and competitive grocery market.

But she left Target in November, just 18 months into the job. Earlier this week, Target said grocery sales continued to slide in November and December when it reported weaker-than-expected holiday sales and profits. It still is searching for a new grocery executive to replace Dament.

At Supervalu, Dament will replace Mark Van Buskirk, who left the company last summer.

In her new role, she will be in charge of the company's retail operations: Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher's, Shop 'N Save and Shoppers. She also will oversee marketing and retail merchandising and will report directly to Mark Gross, Supervalu's CEO.

"As we focus on improving our retail store performance, Anne's experience across varied retail and merchandising disciplines should prove extremely beneficial," Gross said in a statement. "Anne is a dynamic, collaborative leader with great experience building and leading high performing teams through transformation and change."

Supervalu, one of the largest grocery wholesalers and retailers in the U.S., has been feeling the heat from increased competition in the grocery market. In the Twin Cities, for example, it is facing pressure from Hy-Vee and Aldi, which have been expanding their stores in the region. Last week, the company reported a net loss and a 5.7 percent drop in same-store sales in its most recent quarter.

Dament earned a marketing degree from the University of St. Thomas. Her first job in high school was as a cashier at the Kowalski's on Grand Avenue.

"Returning to Supervalu provides a great opportunity to collaborate with grocery veterans I've respected throughout my career," Dament said in a statement. "Together, I'm looking forward to bringing a renewed energy to our retail banners."

Dament was not available for further comment.

Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113