Dollar General Names Grocery Industry Vet Jerry Fleeman as CEO

Dollar General has chosen 35-year grocery industry veteran Jerry Fleeman as its new CEO.

Fleeman, who has served as chief executive of supermarket conglomerate Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. operations for three years, will join Dollar General at the start of 2027, the discount retailer announced in a Tuesday (March 24) news release.

He succeeds Todd Vasos, who led Dollar General for much of the past 11 years. Vasos will remain with the company in an advisory role through April 2 of next year.

According to the release, highlights of his tenure included digital innovations such as the company’s DG Media Network, a retail media platform which the company said generated approximately $170 million in retail media volume during 2025.

Vasos also led efforts to accelerate the company’s fresh produce offerings, and Dollar General’s expansion into Mexico.

Fleeman has been CEO of Ahold Delhaize USA since April 2023. The company’s stores include Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford Supermarkets, and Stop & Shop. Before becoming CEO, he held several other leadership roles in the company, and helped oversee the launch of its eCommerce platform.

“As a board member, I had the privilege of participating in the search for our next CEO, and after spending time with JJ and gaining insight into both his servant leadership approach and his eye for retail, I am fully confident in his capability to lead Dollar General into our next chapter of growth and service,” Vasos said.

The transition comes as Dollar General continues to expand on its digital capabilities. During a recent earnings call, management spotlighted the company’s digital ecosystem, which now includes upward of 7 million monthly active users on the DG mobile app and more than 100 million marketable customer profiles across its platforms.

Executives also said that more than 80% of delivery orders arrive within an hour, with delivery transactions typically producing larger baskets than in-store purchases. Deliveries contributed around 80 basis points to the retailer’s fourth-quarter comparable sales growth

PYMNTS discussed this trend as it relates to lower income shoppers in a report last week, after other retail earnings showed similar patterns.

“Across store formats and income segments, it’s apparent, especially, that lower-income consumers are concentrating spending, enlarging baskets and relying on digital tools to reduce uncertainty in both price and timing,” PYMNTS wrote.