Healthy Living Market and Café Names Director of Marketing

Healthy Living Market and Café has added John Akots to its team as director of marketing. In his new role, Akots will lead communications and marketing efforts for all three of Healthy Living’s locations. He will be based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

An independent grocery industry veteran, Akots comes to Healthy Living with more than a quarter-century of experience in leading creative teams, including eight years as the director of creative services for Price Chopper/Market 32 and its flagship Market Bistro location in Latham, N.Y. Akots’ recent experience also includes a stint as director of marketing for Honest Weight Food Co-op, in Albany, N.Y.

“With John now on board, we are confident we can show our guests how Healthy Living differentiates itself through hospitality, product mix and overall shopping experience,” said Healthy Living CEO Eli Lesser-Goldsmith. “John brings an experienced vision to the company and will help us evolve our marketing for years to come as we continue to grow and expand.’

“I am so happy to be part of the Healthy Living story,” said Akots. “I’m inspired by the roots that [founder Katy Lesser] planted back in 1986 to offer healthy, clean food to her neighbors, the communities and lives that have changed for the better since, and the incredible efforts our store teams have put forth for our guests over the last year. Our mission to fuel a passion for great food, health and well-being and be the place where people gather to shop, eat, and work has never been so relevant and important. I’m looking forward to writing our next exciting chapters together!”

In April, chef Michael Daley joined Healthy Living’s South Burlington, Vt., location’s culinary team to further develop the retailer’s recently introduced HL Fresh line of chef-prepared meals.

Healthy Living Market and Café is an independent retailer of local, organic and natural foods with stores located in South Burlington and Williston, Vt., and Saratoga Springs. The retailer now employs 320 team members across its three locations and remains a family business led by Lesser and her two children, Eli and Nina.

Based in Schenectady, N.Y., Price Chopper/Market 32 operates 130 Price Chopper and Market 32 grocery stores and one Market Bistro, employing 18,000 teammates in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The company, No. 56 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, is in the process of merging with Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Markets LLC, which has 162 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including five run by franchisees, and is No. 66 on The PG 100.