The Fresh Market Quickly Fills CEO Position
The Fresh Market Inc.’s board of directors has appointed Brian Johnson president and CEO, effective Feb. 3. The move follows Jason Potter’s departure from the specialty grocer to accept the CEO position at Grocery Outlet. The Fresh Market thanked Potter for his service and leadership over the past five years.
Johnson has been COO at The Fresh Market since 2020, having brought more than 30 years of experience to that role. In the past five years, Johnson has helped oversee the expansion of The Fresh Market stores into new markets across the East Coast and the Midwest. Previously, Johnson was division VP at Brookshire Grocery Co. in Texas.
[RELATED: The Fresh Market Expands in New England]
Johnson said: “I want to thank the board of directors and our team at The Fresh Market for putting their confidence in me. As a company, we have a lot of momentum going into 2025, and I look forward to working alongside the team at The Fresh Market as we continue to grow, innovate and create meaningful customer experiences. I also look forward to working with the board of directors as we chart our course to becoming America’s premiere specialty fresh food retailer — or America’s most loved brand.”
According to dunnhumby, health-focused consumers are worth $285 billion to the grocery industry every year and represent a solid one-third of the U.S. population. Its report identified top-performing retailers that appeal to these valuable shoppers, including The Fresh Market.
Included in the healthy grocer’s senior leadership team reporting to Johnson are Revae Embs, group VP of human resources; Emily Turner, group VP and chief marketing officer; and Marcio Ribeiro, group VP and CIO, all of whom have joined the senior leadership team within the last year.
Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market operates 166 stores in 22 states. The grocer is No. 71 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. This past June, The Fresh Market was one of the recipients of PG’s inaugural Innovation Awards in the Mid-Tier (50-299 stores) category. The award was presented at the publication’s 2024 GroceryTech event in Dallas.
