Big Y Appoints 3
Big Y Foods Inc. has made three noteworthy appointments, the first of which is Eric Swensen to VP of fresh foods. Swensen has been with Big Y since 1985, starting as a part-time service clerk, before moving up the ranks and joining the store manager training program.
After holding the role of store manager, Swensen was selected as a sales and merchandising assistant for 14 stores as part of the operations team in 2006. Then he moved on to become to manager of space management, director of frozen and dairy, senior director of center store, and, most recently, VP of center store.
As VP of fresh foods, he is responsible for developing strategies and team support for sales, marketing and merchandising for all fresh food departments for the entire supermarket chain, including all fresh meat, seafood, bakery, deli, produce, floral and meal solutions departments throughout each store.
Big Y has also appointed Michael Cormier to the position of senior director of center store. Cormier has worked in the grocery business for more than 23 years, including positions at Price Chopper Supermarkets, Adams Hometown Markets and wholesale distributor Bozzuto's Inc. Most recently, he was senior director of customer development for C&S Wholesale Grocers.
In his new role as senior director of center store for Big Y, he is responsible for all center store sales, marketing and merchandising, including the grocery, health and beauty care, pharmacy, general merchandise, store brands, frozen, dairy, retail pricing, and space management departments for the chain. He reports to Guy W. McFarlane, SVP of sales and marketing.
Christian D'Amour has been appointed sales and merchandising mentor for Big Y's district within Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties in Massachusetts.
D'Amour is the grandson of Big Y's co-founder, Gerald E. D'Amour, and son of President and CEO Charles D'Amour. He began working at Big Y at the age of 14 as a service clerk. He was most recently store director of the company's Table & Vine flagship location.
In his new role, D'Amour is responsible for all sales, merchandising and store team development across all departments for the 13 supermarket locations in these counties, while continuing to oversee the Table & Vine store.
One of the largest independently owned grocers in New England, Big Y operates 70 supermarkets, Fresh Acres Market, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors, and nine Big Y Express gas and convenience locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, with more than 11,000 employees. The Springfield, Mass.-based company is No. 36 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
