CASEY CREEGAN

Manager of Merchandising Love’s Travel Stops

Private brands are a growing segment at Love’s Travel Stops, and Casey Creegan, the convenience store chain’s manager of merchandising is credited with developing its proprietary product assortment.

In developing Love’s current four own brands in stores today, Creegan led the charge in all aspects of the business inclusive of new branding strategies and creating a self-distribution model with the company’s in-house sourcing team.

As a 2023 Private Label Hall of Fame honoree in the Private Brand Innovator category, Creegan said she was “incredibly honored and excited” to receive the award.

“Love’s culture is a big part of the success that I’ve had,” she said. “They allow you to be innovative and to fail brilliantly, which is the best way to learn. I have had a lot of creative freedom and a ton of internal support.”

Creegan has spent most of her professional career in the retail/consumer goods industry, which she finds exciting and challenging as things typically move fast.

“I have also built up a lot of industry partners, and friends, and I plan to spend the rest of my career working with products and retail,” she said.

Those relationships have also had a positive impact on her career at Love’s and allowed her to grow professionally. Having the biggest influence on her has been Kyle Sloan, senior manager of Category Management at Love’s. Creegan said that during her tenure with the convenience store retailer, Sloan has helped identify solutions to challenges that arise.

“Kyle has supported me, but has never given me the answer to my question,” she said. “He always asks me exciting questions that keep me driving towards success and greatness.”

In the ever-evolving cycle of new product development, Creegan cited the launch of Love’s Jerky this past January as one of her more memorable moments.

“It was the first product line launched with Emilee Albright, my new brand manager of Consumables,” she said. “ It is doing very well and we are quite happy with the success.”

As she looks ahead at the next step in her career, Creegan has a very specific goal in mind.

“I would love to continue to build the brand equity of Love’s for product applications,” she said. “We have such a strong brand and I’m very excited to continue to use this amazing asset to help us sell more products.”

ALICIA COOK Category Director Save A Lot

Developing a private label brand that builds a loyal following with shoppers is the goal for all retailers, and something Alicia Cook, category director with Save A Lot, has been able to achieve.

A 2023 Private Label Hall of Fame Honoree in the Private Brand Innovator category, Cook’s multitude of notable accomplishments include the success of Save A Lot’s J. Higgs salty snack private brand.

Cited by colleagues as an example of her commitment to providing shoppers quality products, the J. Higgs line has developed a loyal following and is now a highly recognized brand with Save A Lot’s customers.

Cook said the success she has enjoyed throughout her career is the result of several factors.

“I believe that getting my footing in retail at the store level was a foundation of my success, as it allowed me to be on the front lines and understand the day-to-day operations first-hand,” she said. “Having this fundamental knowledge as I entered a career in the corporate world helped drive many of my decisions along the way and taught me a lot of the basics of business acumen.”

Retail has been in her blood, and family, as she grew up with her father working for Target. At age 16, Cook took her first job in retail and immediately enjoyed the industry’s fast-paced environment and its constant change.

“I take pride in knowing that I have a real impact on the lives of consumers and appreciate that the results of my actions are measurable,” she said. “I enjoy the ever-changing nature of retail and the evolution it demands in order to stay relevant.”

The changing retail environment was never more evident than at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the challenges of the pandemic also brought with it a success story that stands out to Cook.

Working to launch a new line of private label chocolates under a tight time frame, Cook recalls she was meeting with Save A Lot’s senior leadership, including the CEO, to provide updates and note the challenges faced. But a few words from the then-CEO made her feel at ease.

“The CEO said, ‘If anyone can do it, Alicia can,’” she recalled. “Receiving that affirmation from our highest-level executive was certainly encouraging and gave me the confidence I needed to deliver the project on time. I successfully launched six new private label SKUs from the initial concept to shelf in 3 months.”

Looking toward the future, her focus is to continue growing as a leader and mentor to her team.

“I am always looking for opportunities to take on new projects that challenge me and fuel my desire for personal growth and look forward to all that is yet to come in my career,” she said.