Sprouts Farmers Market announced two executive appointments just ahead of reporting softer fourth-quarter results, naming Amanda Rassi as its first-ever chief customer officer and Don Clark as chief merchandising officer.
Rassi, a former Kroger and Michaels executive with experience in analytics and marketing leadership, will oversee marketing, personalization, loyalty, e-commerce and consumer insights.
Clark, previously chief merchandising officer at Giant Eagle and a senior merchandising leader at Whole Foods Market, succeeds retiring merchandising chief Scott Neal and will lead perishable, non-perishable and general merchandise operations.
Both executives will report to President and COO Nick Konat.
The new team has their work cut out.
Fourth-Quarter Growth Slowed Significantly
The leadership moves come as Sprouts acknowledged slowing momentum late in fiscal 2025. While full-year results were strong – indeed, net sales rose 14% to $8.8 billion, comparable sales grew 7% and diluted EPS increased more than 40% – fourth-quarter comp sales growth decelerated to under 2%. Leadership cited weaker transactions and less-engaged shoppers.
For fiscal 2026, Sprouts’ guidance points to 4.5% to 6.5% net sales growth, and flat to slightly negative comp sales (-1% to 1%). At the same time, the retailer plans to open at least 40 new stores this year, continue building its loyalty capabilities and complete its fresh meat self-distribution rollout, which now services roughly 75% of locations.
Here’s Why It Matters
The creation of a chief customer officer role signals that Sprouts views personalization, loyalty and engagement as central to reigniting transaction growth, particularly among lower-frequency shoppers navigating affordability pressures.
The merchandising transition, paired with ongoing supply chain investments and unit expansion, underscores a dual focus: sharpen value perception in the near term while preserving the specialty grocer’s differentiated positioning in natural and fresh.
