Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted prior to Albertsons Companies’ announcement that it was restructuring its 11 divisions into four regions. The Southern Division is now part of the South Region, operating as the Southern Market.
Just under five months into her role as VP of marketing and merchandising for Albertsons’ Southern Division, Ashley Canonica oversees marketing and merchandising for a footprint that spans five operating areas – Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, Louisiana and a continued expansion into Oklahoma.
“This is probably one of the most challenging and rewarding jumps I’ve made in my career,” Canonica said.
Before stepping into the role, she served as senior director of marketing for the Southern Division and, prior to that, held marketing roles on the national team in Northern California.
“My path to where I am today with Albertsons looks a little bit different than most, not following the traditional path through the ranks of working in the stores,” she said.
Canonica began her career out of college at a wine company, calling on retailers, an experience she said drove her to think differently and build a rounded skill set as she grew in leadership.
“I made it my goal when I got here and into the marketing roles in Texas to really engage with, listen to, invest my time learning about the store operations, what they did at every level, meet the teams, understand the challenges they had,” she said. “It was very important to me because they’re the backbone of what we do.”
That effort earned her what she calls one of the best compliments of her career, from one of the company’s leaders: “If I didn’t know you, I would have never thought you didn’t work in stores.”
Scrappy for local finds
Local products and partnerships remain central to the division’s identity going forward, she said, differentiating store offerings with fresher, region-specific products sourced from local growers and producers.
Finding those local items can come down to being scrappy. A floral sales manager on Canonica’s team discovered a Texas-shaped pecan candy in an airport, found the company’s name on the package, called and got the item into stores.
“I think we do our best to enable everyone, no matter what role they have in the division, to come to us with cool ideas, something exciting, and it never hurts to try, but always great to listen,” Canonica said.
Giving back is a core pillar as well, through the company’s Nourishing Neighbors platform and partnerships with food banks and foundations across Texas and Louisiana, including in areas surrounding the division’s most outlying stores.
“The pride our shoppers have in both Texas and Louisiana is overwhelmingly positive and really like nothing I’d ever seen in any other state,” Canonica said.