Nick Hahn

"The advent of the PLMA Show helped Kroger to expand into private label nonfood categories." -Nick Hahn

Mentor to Store Brand Managers

Nick Hahn started his career in retailing when he joined Kroger in March 1970 in the Cincinnati division as a management trainee.

Prior to that he taught high school history for two years and coached football and wrestling at Elder High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from Xavier University in 1967.

Today Hahn serves as the director of corporate brands within Kroger’s general office in Cincinnati. His responsibility, he says, “is to work with our corporate brand team, our merchandising departments, our suppliers, and our manufacturing facilities to drive corporate brand sales.”

“Nick’s 37-year Kroger career has had a positive impact on the growth and evolution of the Kroger private label program, as well as the industry,” says Ted Redmond, vice president, bakery/deli, at Kroger, in his nomination of Hahn for induction onto the 2007 Class of the PL Hall of Fame.

“One of Nick’s many attributes is his willingness and ability to mentor others throughout our company. When you have someone who has been with you for more than 30 years, you are talking about someone who has a great deal of company and industry knowledge,” points out Meghan Glynn, director of Kroger corporate communications. “Nick has played an instrumental role in helping our company better understand the needs and wants of our customers.”

Glynn notes that Hahn’s sharing ways do not end at the office. She points out that he is also actively involved in several community service organizations.

For instance, he serves on the board of directors of Crayons to Computers in Cincinnati. The organization provides free teaching materials to teachers in the local community. He has also served on the board of Free Store Food Bank, a Second Harvest affiliate.

“Kroger is very supportive of the Second Harvest program on a national basis,” notes Hahn. “Wherever we have Kroger people, in everyone of our divisions, they are involved in their local food bank.”

Through his career at Kroger, Hahn has acquired hands-on experience in all aspects of the company’s corporate brands program. In 1974, he became the Cincinnati’s division’s first pricing analyst and in 1976 joined the Kroger corporate brand procurement department at the general office. In 1978 Hahn joined the grocery department that coordinated merchandising programs for the company’s self-manufacturing divisions as well as the company’s procurement department for private label products that the company didn’t manufacture itself.

At the same time, Hahn was responsible for national brand merchandising programs. “Through our work with the national brands, we knew ahead of time what promotions they had planned in our stores. We managed our own private label promotions to avoid competitive conflicts and maximize sales for both segments of our business,” he points out.

Early PLMA Supporter

Kroger's premium food line, Private Selections, has tripled in items under Hahn's management.

In the early 1980s, Hahn assumed procurement and merchandising responsibilities for Kroger’s nonfood categories including health and beauty care and general merchandise.

“The advent of the PLMA Show in Chicago in the early 1980s provided the impetus for supermarket operators such as Kroger to expand their private label offerings into the nonfood categories,” says Hahn. “Before that, we had very little in the way of HBC and general merchandise offerings. This show affords retailers and wholesalers who want to expand their private label offerings a great opportunity to go to one place and see what is available in new categories.

The Kroger Co. was one of the driving forces in the initial stages of PLMA. We have been involved literally from day one in supporting this organization which we think does a great job in promoting the benefits of private label.”

When asked to single out some of the highlights of his private label career at Kroger, he points to the relaunch of the premium Private Selections line which Kroger acquired with the Fred Meyer merger in 1999. Under Hahn this premium grocery line has tripled and now includes approximately 900 items and is now found in nearly all departments including fresh and refrigerated sections of the store.

Another highlight was the launch last year of the exclusive food line of Disney Magic Selections. “The launch of this product was an interesting adventure,” says Hahn. “It provides us with a point of difference at retail. It also has been a fun project on which to work because you have the opportunity to put Mickey Mouse on cheese slices and the Incredibles on some other products.”

As Hahn sees it, the biggest change over time in private label has been the dedication on the part of retailers and suppliers to quality. “The successful private label retailers are the ones that provide value and quality and consistency so that when the customer opens that bag or box-or whatever it is in— they know what they are getting and they are happy with their purchase.”