SpartanNash names new marketing exec for private brands

Grocery Dive reported the development on 2025-08-12. Jason Ulichnie brings decades of store brand experience from Walmart, Schnuck Markets and Southeastern Grocers to the company.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. SpartanNash announced Monday it has hired Jason Ulichnie as vice president of OwnBrands Marketing. Ulichnie will oversee the end-to-end portfolio management, product development and brand equity of SpartanNash’s private brands. He will also manage product innovation, pricing and promotions, and forecasting and sourcing.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. Ulichnie brings around 20 years of retail and restaurant experience to SpartanNash as the grocery company prepares for C&S Wholesale Grocers to acquire it. Ulichnie arrives at a time when SpartanNash is making progress on ramping up its private brands. The development is relevant to procurement, logistics and the resilience of food supply networks.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. Ulichnie’s prior private brand experience includes top roles at Walmart, Schnuck Markets and Southeastern Grocers. He most recently served as vice president of own brands at Schnucks for six years and, before that, held the same role at Southeastern Grocers for nearly three years, according to his LinkedIn profile.