Kimberly James has joined Amazon to lead the U.S. convenience categories for its cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores, according to a post on her LinkedIn page.
The former vice president of merchandising for Chicago-based bp posted on LinkedIn that she is “so thankful to the recruiting team that found me, and the remarkable leaders who have already made me feel at home.”
Photograph courtesy of Kimberly James
An industry veteran in the c-store channel, James has held various positions in the merchandising, product and marketing space as well as operations.
Before bp, James spent over 15 years with Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s convenience-store chain Circle K, most recently as the head of global center of excellence for merchandising and marketing.
James joins Rodney Blanton, formerly the global head of proprietary brands at Couche-Tard. In July 2024, Blanton left Circle K to become director of category management for its Amazon Go convenience-store concept.
“Icing on the cake is getting the chance to work and collaborate with Rodney B. again from my Circle K days,” she posted on LinkedIn.
In May of 2024, James wrote a Convenience-Store Women (CSW) industry perspective regarding her journey as a woman in the c-store industry. She offered career advice to women.
“First, don’t always look for the next position up the ladder; look sideways,” she said. “In my experience, cross-functional knowledge from a lateral move can be the differentiator that makes you more successful in that next-level role. Don’t be afraid to go sideways to go up.”
Seattle-based Amazon opened the first Amazon Go cashierless convenience store using its “just walk out” technology in January 2018.
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