New CEO Steps in at Save A Lot
There are some more transitions in store at Save A Lot. After selling its last owned locations in its hometown market of St. Louis in August, the company is undergoing a leadership change.
The discount grocer announced that CEO Leon Bergmann, who was hired in February 2022, has departed the organization. He shepherded Save A Lot through the final phases of its move away from a corporate ownership model to a licensed wholesaler business.
“Leon Bergmann has announced his resignation as chief executive officer of Save A Lot following a personal decision to relocate back to California and dedicate more time to his family,” a company spokesperson explained in an email to Progressive Grocer.
While the board of directors begins the search process for his replacement, current board member Fred Boehler was tapped to serve as interim CEO. “Mr. Boehler brings over 30 years of experience in the industry, including serving as president and chief executive officer of Americold Logistics from 2015 to 2021,” the Save A Lot spokesperson added.
Boehler has been a member of Save A Lot’s board of directors since August 2021. He has also served as chair of the board of Interior Logic Group and a director at PLS Logistics Services.
In other company news, Save A Lot kicks off its annual holiday food donation program this week. The Bags for a Brighter Holiday campaign supports local Save a Lot owners and operators in their efforts to provide high-quality food to community hunger relief organizations.
Through Dec. 24, Save A Lot shoppers at 615 participating stores around the country can buy pre-assembled bags of food for $5 at the register. The bags are filled with a variety of private label and brand name foods, including pantry staples and holiday ingredients like stuffing mix and canned vegetables.
According to Save A Lot’s inaugural ESG report released last spring, customers donated more than 478,000 pounds of food — which the company matched with nearly $80,000 in financial donations— to 116 local charities during the 2022 Bags for a Brighter Holiday initiative.
Founded in 1977, Save A Lot services more than 800 stores in 32 states. The St. Ann, Mo.-based company is No. 57 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
