Darren Caudill is helping reshape the grocery experience across Wakefern banners in the Northeast, delivering a more personalized and community-driven way to shop. As part of Wakefern Food Corp.—the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative—member companies operate supermarkets under well-known banners including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market, Di Bruno Bros., and Morton Williams. With a deep commitment to innovation, community, and customer experience, Caudill continues to drive meaningful change in the grocery industry—one store, one shopper, and one strategy at a time.
Caudill has over four decades of experience working in both grocery wholesale and retail. As Wakefern’s chief sales officer, he oversees the center store, own brands, fresh and prepared foods departments along with digital and innovation, marketing, merchandising and sales and analytics divisions.
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Caudill said he came to Wakefern after spending a decade at Cub Foods, Supervalu and UNFI, where he was senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and sales. He began his career at Kroger Co., where his experience would lead him from a store manager’s position through roles as a category manager and merchandiser in the grocery and meat divisions, pricing strategy, loyalty marketing, and data analysis.
“I’ve been doing this for well over 40 years now. I spent 28 years of those 40 with the Kroger companies in multiple roles,” he recalled.
Caudill shared that his career at Kroger provided a strong foundation of industry knowledge. “Kroger is a great organization that does a wonderful job of taking individuals who work hard and show potential, and then exposing them to more than just one piece of the business.”
After his stint at Cub Foods, Supervalu and UNFI, he made the decision to step back and retire for a year. “I thoroughly enjoyed retirement; I highly recommend it for everyone. But then an old friend called me.” He said Mike Stigers, who is the president of Wakefern, gave him a call one day and said, ‘Why don’t you come by and let’s have dinner and let me tell you what I’m doing out here.’ ”
He recalled over their dinner together that his passion for the business kicked in. “I got excited in hearing where Wakefern was and where it was going. Mike asked me if I’d be interested in helping. What started out as an advisory type role turned into a permanent position. I’ve been with Wakefern little more than a year and a half. It’s been an incredible
experience. And the real plus for me is I’m working again with family-owned businesses that have entrepreneurial vision and are focused on serving their communities.”
Caudill explained that one of the most rewarding aspects of Wakefern is its support for small businesses. “What’s fun about Wakefern is what we do for our small businesses. By leveraging the cooperative’s size, our member owners work together to collaboratively buy. This gives us the ability to drive prices down and offer move value to our customers. And our storeowners do a great job of creating stores and experiences that truly connect with the communities they serve. It’s a magical formula when all those pieces come together.
Caudill plays a multifaceted role overseeing all aspects of product sales. He leads merchandising across departments like meat, produce, deli, bakery, grocery, dairy, and frozen foods—guiding teams that collaborate with vendors to build partnerships, reduce costs for customers, and keep warehouses stocked. “I also head up advertising, making sure we communicate with one clear voice across TV, radio, and weekly ads.”
He added that e-commerce falls under his team’s responsibilities and is one of the areas he’s most energized about. “We’re enhancing customer loyalty programs and making sure our sales and promotions deliver what matters most to our customers.”
Caudill noted that AI initiatives are also part of his role. “When Mike and I discussed AI’s impact on our future and how we serve customers, it was clear it needed to be more than a tech project—it had to be embedded in the business. My responsibility is to ensure AI truly reaches the customer and drives meaningful change at Wakefern and in our stores.”
Caudill shared that his current leader has had a meaningful impact on his career. “Mike’s the reason I came out of retirement and went back to work. He’s an incredible leader with a clear vision and has greatly influenced the latter part of my career.” He also credited Marette Perry with shaping his early years at Kroger. “She was one of those exceptional leaders with strong presence, sharp focus, and deep knowledge. She had a significant impact on how I viewed the business—and the importance of both people and customers in the mix.”
Caudill emphasized Wakefern’s commitment to supporting local growers, vendors, and communities. “We buy a lot of products from regional suppliers. We are big believers in getting the freshest local product to our customers. And telling those stories about how we work with local businesses is a big part of helping customers understand the store’s role in their communities.”
He noted that the company shares these stories through its messaging and is enhancing its e-commerce experience. “Today the app connects to customers almost as much as the brick and mortar store. People pick up their apps and use them to make their lists, to look
for additional savings, to add digital coupons. So we’re spending time making sure that first connection point, where they’re using electronic devices to make decisions, delivers the information they need in a way that’s easy to navigate and supports what they’re trying to accomplish,” he explained.
Caudill also emphasized the importance of customer loyalty. “We’re really focused on how we’re going to bring customer loyalty to the front of what we do. Our most loyal shoppers will continue to be rewarded with exclusive deals and experiences tailored to them. We're investing our time, energy, and resources in building those connections, rather than relying solely on one-time promotions that may not build lasting loyalty.”
He added that health care is a key strategic priority for the company. “This is a major initiative for us. Operating in supermarkets, ShopRite Pharmacies live at the intersection of nutrition and wellness. This year we named Aaron Sapp as vice president of Pharmacy and Wellness. We know pharmacies are an important differentiator, and Aaron is working with members to expand our reach and ensure pharmacies have the tools to support customers in making informed medical and lifestyle decisions. Our members’ commitment to community care is exceptional, and we want to give pharmacists the time to step out from behind the counter and truly engage with customers.”
Caudill said they’re exploring technology solutions as the health care space continues to evolve for customers. “We want to empower customers to make informed decisions and offer products and services that support their individual health journey.”
He added that more programs are promoting healthy eating. “Organic produce is one area seeing strong growth. In some regions, where supply allows, organic is rivaling conventional in popularity—and pricing is starting to align, which helps. Customers are increasingly choosing fresh, high-quality options when it comes to the produce they buy.”
For the areas he oversees, Caudill said he depends on the strength of his team. “I work with great people. I give them the space and direction they need to succeed. When you create an environment where talented individuals can apply their skills with guidance and freedom, they will achieve things you never imagined. If I’m doing anything right, it’s helping people be their best professionally and find personal success,” he concluded.
