One of the best retail executives I know is looking for his next challenge. Brad Chivington, senior vice president of High’s of Baltimore, confirmed that he is no longer with the convenience-store chain as of March 4.
For nearly seven years, Chivington had transformed the retail brand moored on its dairy and ice cream legacy, into one of the best mid-size c-store chains in the channel. The 52-unit retail network is part of Carroll Motor Fuels, the 117-year-old fuel wholesaler run by the Phelps family.
An industry veteran, Chivington joined High’s in 2017 as senior vice president after more than 11 years guiding the Turkey Hill brand under Kroger’s vast c-store network. Chivington faced a tall task upon his arrival.
- High’s ranked No. 118 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 list of the largest convenience retailers in the country.
Run by the Darnell family, High’s remained a solid fuel wholesaler in the Mid-Atlantic market. But its retail program was rapidly falling behind as Wawa and Royal Farms extended their market presence and elevated their renowned foodservice programs. The family, represented by M&A specialists Matrix Capital Markets Group, then sold High’s in 2012 to Carroll, with several senior members of High’s of Baltimore joining the Carroll team.
A Retail Vision
When Chivington arrived roughly five years after Carroll’s purchase, he laid out a vision that addressed High’s brand, operations, back-office and customer-facing technology and in-store talent. During this period, the company poured tens of millions of dollars, remodeling dozens of sites, modernizing its planogram and opening larger ground-ups stretching 5,000 square feet and featuring a competitive foodservice program.
More recently the company has entered the next generation of mobile rewards, garnering 100,000 members in recent years and representing 35% of all inside transactions. Its loyalty program has also become popular with store associates, rewarding them with periodic freebies and an annual Employee Appreciation Week.
The retail turnaround was recognized in the 2023 CSP Mystery Shop, in which High’s stunned many more prominent operators by finishing second, behind only Rutter’s.
What will happen next with High’s remains an open question. The company could simply replace Chivington internally or seek an experienced leader outside the organization.
I expect the Phelps family and its board of directors to explore a bevy of options, including divesting its retail division, whose value is at an all-time high. A sale would allow them to invest more capital into the fuel wholesale business, which has proven quite profitable, and Carroll’s dealer network of 180 locations.
High’s representatives did not respond to CSP’s requests for comment on this story.
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