DALLAS -- Tom Gerrity, who led 7-Eleven Inc.'s foray into private-label packaged food while supervising the grocery category, will now focus his merchandising efforts solely on the company's growing 7-Select line of products. As the new senior product director for private-label products, Gerrity will oversee product development across all categories in the store.
The company's recently held Private Label Summit, which had 100% participation of food manufacturers and distributors invited from across the country, was Gerrity's idea.
"Establishing this key role in the [image-nocss] organization supports our commitment to develop a best-in-class private-label program with products to meet the needs of our customers and franchisees," said Kevin Elliott, senior vice president of merchandising and logistics. "Tom has the breadth of merchandising experience with 7-Eleven to take on this important fast-emerging opportunity."
Joining the company in 1981 as a management trainee in St. Louis, Gerrity served in a variety of roles in operations, including field consultant, field merchandiser and human-resources manager, before moving to the category management team 18 years ago.
He led the tobacco-merchandising category before taking on leadership roles as senior product director for non-foods and director of supply/logistics. Most recently Gerrity directed the processed-foods category management team.
Before his career at 7-Eleven, Gerrity was a category manager/buyer for Venture Stores and later Target, with general merchandise and private-label responsibilities. He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Lindenwood College in St. Louis.
Based in Dallas, 7-Eleven Inc. operates, franchises or licenses about 7,850 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 36,600 stores in 15 countries. During 2008, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $53.7 billion.
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