Kroger Names VP Of Branding, Marketing And Our Brands Amid Private Label Push

Krogerwill promote Gil Phipps to VP of Branding, Marketing and Our Brands, effective Aug. 15. In his previous role as VP of Our Brands, Phipps spearheaded the evolution of this portfolio by introducing new products and packaging, reformulating recipes and introducing new brands.

Prior to working at Kroger, Phipps was head of H-E-B’s store brands program. He also has held positions at Guiltless Gourmet, Michael Angelo’s Gourmet Foods and Hormel Foods.

Kroger has been growing its private label offerings. The Simple Truth brand is valued at more than $2 billion in annual sales, and the retailer will introduce the Dip private label clothing line in the fall. Kroger Ship, the retailer’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-Commerce platform, will feature 4,500 Our Brands items alongside 50,000 center-aisle grocery and household products.