Countdown has announced Scott Davidson’s appointment to the General Manager Merchandise role, a senior retail executive with more than 20 years experience.
Scott Davidson joins Countdown from his current role as Head of Produce for Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket operator. He leads a Woolworths team of 120 people and is responsible for buying, operations and quality.
Countdown Managing Director, Dave Chambers said that appointing such an experienced and skilled general manager is a positive for both customers and the Countdown team.
“Scott is a diverse and well-rounded retail executive and a welcome addition to our leadership team. He has proven merchandise management expertise with an emphasis on strategic planning, brand development and global sourcing. He’s described by many as a visionary leader who values partnering with suppliers to create sustainable outcomes and great results.
“I am sure Scott will build on the strong foundations that we have established in the Countdown merchandise team. We have achieved a great deal in the last few years with data-driven decision-making, getting our store offer right for the right area, the introduction of a supplier charter, and a new quality assurance process that makes it easier for smaller suppliers to work with us. Ultimately this is all about getting customers the products that they want, easily and at an affordable price,” said Chambers.
Scott has been in his current role with Woolworths since December 2013 and was previously Merchandise Manager – Packaged and International Foods. He has also managed a wide range of supermarket categories for Woolworths including drinks, private brands and pet needs.
Scott Davidson says he has been fortunate over the past eight years to work directly and indirectly with the Countdown team.
“I’ve spent quite some time in New Zealand, and during this time I’ve been impressed with the teams open, innovative and customer-centric thinking and I’m looking forward to supporting them to achieve their goals.”
Scott starts with Countdown towards the end of the year.
