Women Leading the Way in Produce

Melissa Kenny

Executive Vice President
Delaware Supermarkets Inc.
Owner/operator of six ShopRite stores, also known as the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware, headquartered in Wilmington, DE, and part of the Wakefern Food Corp.

Q. Tell us about your start in retail produce.

A. My father bought a supermarket business in 1995, and I started working at 14, beginning in the bakery. I loved working with fruits and vegetables and have worked at every station within the department.

The more I learned about the produce department, the more I got involved in its management. The challenge was exciting because, unlike grocery, your ordering must be close and accurate to prevent waste and ensure quality. I liked that seven-days-a-week challenge.

Q. Who were early mentors in your successful career in retail produce?

A. I’m on the Delaware Food & Farm Policy Council, under the direction of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse. Scuse, and his predecessor, Ed Kee, have both been incredible mentors, connecting me with local farmers and giving me a broader understanding of the logistics of produce and how trucks are as crucial as the quality of the produce.

Also, Annette Alden Phillips, of Phillips Mushroom Farms, is an incredible mentor, especially as a woman in the produce industry. She showed me that if you have a passion for what you do and persist toward your goals every day, on both good and challenging days, you can get to wherever you want to be.

Of course, my father, Bernie Kenny, was a mentor who brought me up in the business and focused on perishables. Perishables reflect the real skill of an operator because they move so quickly, and you have to keep an eye on the details.

Q. How did you climb the ladder? What skills, knowledge, and experience have been most instrumental?

A. I think it came from working in every department of the store and working in every management post to understand all the different perspectives. There are so many moving parts and so many people involved in retail, that it’s important not to work in a silo because everything is interconnected.
You’re only as good as your weakest link. So, I think understanding the challenges that everybody’s facing and how things look from different angles is super important.

And a love of people in food. I know that sounds incredibly simple, but it can sometimes be very complex. Genuinely caring about helping people to eat well is incredibly powerful when you bring that to a career in food.

Q. Could you share what you consider your most significant accomplishments in the industry?

A. Being a successful woman in a male-dominated industry — I’m particularly proud of that. My proudest accomplishment to date is staying open and serving fresh, healthy food seven days a week throughout COVID-19. Despite the risks, the demands, and the supply chain issues, I was here every day, seven days a week. We never closed. We never ran out of produce. We found toilet paper when no one else could. I think it’s all about being a resource for the community during a crisis. We did the same after Hurricane Sandy, too.

Q. What advice would you offer women about a career in retail produce?

A. It’s incredibly exciting, every day is a new challenge and adventure, and there’s a ton of room for individual style and creativity. I think a lot of people don’t see that in retail. They get lost in customer service perceptions. But there are a lot of exciting opportunities to be creative. It’s not as cut-and-dried as I think some people perceive.