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SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Village Super Market Inc. chief executive officer Robert Sumas is stepping down from his role at the helm of the company, which operates 34 ShopRite and Fairway supermarkets across New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and eastern Pennsylvania.
Sumas will retire as CEO on December 13 after more than five decades with the company. He will continue as a senior advisor and remain on the board of directors, supporting the family-run supermarket operator, which was founded by Nick and Perry Sumas in 1937.
Robert Sumas has been integral to Village Super Market’s leadership since 1969, holding various roles, including executive vice president, chief operating officer, and president. He became CEO and vice chairman of the board in 2017, steering the company through periods of growth and transformation. His leadership has been instrumental in the expansion of Village Super Market, which also operates three Gourmet Garage specialty markets in New York City.
The board has announced that John J. Sumas will succeed Robert Sumas as CEO, while Nicholas Sumas will assume the role of president and board chairman. Both executives bring extensive experience within the company, having served as co-Presidents since 2018. John J. Sumas has been with the company since 1987 and has held roles such as chief operating officer and general counsel. Nicholas Sumas, employed by the company since 1994, has been chief marketing officer and is also an executive officer at Wakefern Food Corporation, the cooperative that supplies Village Super Market.
The transition in leadership marks a new chapter for Village Super Market as it looks to maintain its competitive edge in the grocery sector, which has seen rapid change due to evolving consumer habits and technological advancements.
The board also said it has decided not to fill the vacancy left by William Sumas's passing in July 2024. That decision reduces the board's size from ten to nine members.
