Store operations tech provider Upshop, which aims to create more connected SaaS-based solutions for retailers, is making some of its own key connections. The company has hired grocery industry leaders Ryan Voorhees (at left) and Mark Hawthorne (at right) as COO and chief innovation and strategy officer, respectively.
Voorhees’s career spans 25 years in the grocery industry. He joins Upshop following a recent stint as an industry consultant; before that, he served in several roles for Albertsons Cos., including group VP of category management and merchandising support.
[Read more: "Partnership Opens Doors to New Fulfillment Possibilities for Grocers"]
Hawthorne is also a veteran of Albertsons, where his most recent position was group VP of analytics and finance. He, too, was a consultant over the past year or so, as a partner with Voorhees. Both Voorhees and Hawthorne will leverage their extensive operational knowledge and demonstrated retail growth success.
The additions to the Upshop leadership team say they are looking forward to helping retailers as part of their new roles. “Having the customer journey at the center of the business is a requirement, not a consideration,” said Voorhees. “Upshop is there: We have hardwired the customer into the organization, focusing all efforts on maximizing user adoption and financial results for our retail partners. Dedicating ourselves to enabling business process improvement is what’s going to help retailers get the most out of our technology — and help them make their business smarter.”
Hawthorne agreed. “The goal of our unified, total store platform is to simplify operations across the store,” he remarked. “We offer a solution that marries user simplicity with advanced analytics; providing retailers confidence that they are maximizing labor and limiting waste, all while giving shoppers access to the freshest possible experience.”
Based in Tampa, Fla., Upshop works with more than 150 retail chains in over 30,000 stores in nine countries.