Former Stop & Shop President Joins C&S Wholesale

It’s been a busy week for C&S Wholesale Grocers, with the announcement of the company’s agreement to acquire Piggly Wiggly Midwest and now, with the hiring of industry veteran Mark McGowan as SVP, retail.

McGowan has a strong industry pedigree. He worked for Stop & Shop for 30 years, most recently as president of the chain owned by Ahold Delhaize USA. With more than 65,000 employees across 416 stores, Stop & Shop is the largest Ahold Delhaize USA brand in the United States.

During his tenure at Stop & Shop, McGowan partnered with C&S several times. He will use that background and other knowledge and skills to help guide the wholesale grocery supply company at a pivotal time in its expansion.

“We are very excited to have Mark’s leadership in this important market. His leadership will be critical as we expand into the retail and franchise space, which is an active part of C&S’s growth strategy,” said Bob Palmer, CEO of C&S.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Boston, McGowan has also served as a board member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Greater Boston Food Bank.

C&S services customers of all sizes, supplying more than 7,700 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions with 137,000-plus products. The Keene, N.H.-based company is No. 16 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top retailers of food and consumables in North America. Operating more than 2,000 stores across 23 states, Ahold Delhaize USA is No. 10 on The PG 100.