The Kroger Co. has announced the appointment of Rudy DiPietro as the new president of its Dallas division, effective March 29th. DiPietro succeeds Keith Shoemaker, who is retiring after an impressive 48-year career with the company.
DiPietro brings extensive experience in the grocery retail sector, having spent 21 years with Ahold Delhaize USA. His most recent role was Vice President of Omnichannel Planning and Execution. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Omnichannel Merchandising Planning and Execution and Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations for Stop & Shop. He has also held leadership positions with the Food Lion and Hannaford banners.
“We welcome Rudy to our Kroger family. He brings a wealth of experience in the grocery industry, with a proven track record of driving operational excellence, fostering innovation, and delivering exceptional customer experiences,” said Valerie Jabbar, Senior Vice President of Retail Divisions at Kroger. “His leadership will play a critical role in elevating our business and our growth strategy in Dallas.”
Shoemaker leaves behind a significant legacy at Kroger, having joined the company in 1977. Throughout his career, he held various leadership positions, including store manager, district manager, and regional director of operations. His leadership in the Dallas division has been instrumental in shaping the company’s regional success.
“Keith has left his footprint in Dallas, leading the company in consistently delivering a good experience for our customers and mentoring and training so many up-and-coming leaders throughout our company,” added Jabbar. “We all thank Keith for his many years of service, dedication, loyalty, and his passion for people and results, and wish him all the best in his next chapter.”
Kroger is actively expanding its presence in the Dallas market. The company recently opened an Asian-focused Kroger Marketplace in Plano in January. A new Marketplace format store also debuted in Melissa, Texas, last October, with another set to open in North Fort Worth later this year. Additionally, plans are in place to break ground on new Marketplace stores in Little Elm and the Sendera Ranch neighborhood of Fort Worth.
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Kroger serves more than 11 million customers daily through a combination of digital shopping and brick-and-mortar retail stores operating under various banners. The grocer employs 420,000 associates nationwide, including 13,000 employees across its 110 stores in the Dallas division. Kroger currently ranks No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
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