The Fresh Market has named Dave Ciesco its new CFO.
Ciesco comes to the specialty retailer from American Eagle Outfitters, where he recently held the role of SVP, head of international finance and operations. In addition to his 10 years at American Eagle, Ciesco also worked for Levi Strauss & Co. and General Motors. He brings more than 25 years of experience in finance and strategy to The Fresh Market.
Ciesco joins the specialty grocer as it celebrates its 41st birthday, showcasing the unique products that make it special. From premium meats to fresh seafood to various fresh produce, prepared foods, coffee, wine and bakery, The Fresh Market is known for its vast assortment of specialty products.
Additionally, the 40-plus-year-old retailer is making sure to stay current with the newest technology. Back in May, The Fresh Market and video commerce platform Firework teamed up for the beta release of what the companies have called “the first-ever generative AI live-shopping solution.” The patent-pending technology enables customers to use the in-video chat feature on a continuing, on-demand basis. Long after a livestream has concluded, shoppers can ask questions about the products or services featured in them, and Firework’s proprietary artificial-intelligence engine will give accurate, real-time responses based on user input, the content of the video and other associated metadata. The new AI engine employs a large language model (LLM), can understand and respond in various languages, and can be customized by brand.
The tech-savvy grocer also recently celebrated the opening of its 160th store in its already established market area of Carmel, Ind. This marked The Fresh Market’s second location in the Indianapolis suburb and its fifth in the state.
Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market operates 160 stores in 22 states. In 2022, Cencosud completed the acquisition of 67% of the shares of The Fresh Market Holdings Inc., with Apollo Global Management and other shareholders retaining 33% of the shares. The Fresh Market is No. 76 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.