The Pantry Expands Executive Team

CARY, N.C. -- The Pantry Inc. is building its executive team with the addition of Boris Zelmanovich as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer.

Zelmanovich will lead merchandising at The Pantry, parent of Kangaroo Express, effective June 3. He previously served as vice president of merchandising strategy at Big Lots, a value store chain with 1,500 stores in the United States and Canada. There, Zelmanovich was responsible for the development of strategic merchandising plans and repositioning the merchandising portfolio to drive market differentiation.

Prior to Big Lots, he held various vice president positions in merchandising at Family Dollar where he was responsible for the food, beverage, candy, general merchandise and household products categories. He has additional experience in supply chain management, management consulting and running his own business.

"Boris is a proven leader who possesses a depth of merchandising experience," said The Pantry's CEO Dennis Hatchell. "He has a track record of growing sales, gross margin and market share."

The move comes as The Pantry is rolling out its lifestyle marketing initiative, which aims to stock shelves with products specifically chosen for local demographics, as CSNews Online previously reported.

Cary, N.C.-based The Pantry operates 1,567 convenience stores in 13 states under select banners, including its primary operating banner Kangaroo Express.