PARSIPPANY — Sunrise ShopRite, the family-owned company that operates the ShopRite of Parsippany and ShopRite of West Caldwell, announced that Dara Sblendorio, a fourth-generation grocer and executive vice president of Sunrise ShopRite, will take over as president of the business from her father, Ned Gladstein.
Ned Gladstein will remain as chief financial officer and adviser to Dara Sblendorio, who will oversee day-to-day operations and focus on creating top-notch shopping experiences at the family’s two ShopRite stores.
“I’m very excited to turn over the reins to my daughter, a next generation leader who will honor our past and move us into the future. Dara grew up in the business and is an expert in areas that are important to both her and the business, including fresh foods, health and wellness, and human resources. She is hardworking and passionate about growing the company not just for our family, but for our associates, customers, and community,” said Ned Gladstein.
Ned’s father and grandfather opened Sunrise Market in 1940 in Caldwell. The family joined the retailer-owned cooperative, Wakefern Food Corp., in 1951 and later opened their ShopRite stores. Ned Gladstein joined Sunrise ShopRite full-time in 1976 and was named president in 1982, but his connection to ShopRite began with childhood duties in the family stores.
Like her father, Dara Sblendorio also started working in her family’s ShopRite stores as a child. She recalls lunching with her grandfather at ShopRite and earning 25 cents an hour to help stock shelves in the Health and Beauty Department. She got her first part-time job working in the Pharmacy department at the ShopRite of West Caldwell when she was in high school.
“I learned a lot in that first job about helping and talking to people and servicing our customers,” said Sblendorio. “I’m honored now to have the opportunity to lead the business as president of the company. It’s an exciting time for the grocery industry and I believe our family’s 77-year commitment to North Jersey communities positions us well for the future.”
Sblendorio has worked alongside her father for more than a decade, spending time in the Human Resources, Produce and Perishables departments of the company. She also worked in conjunction with the company vice president of operations to oversee store operations, budgeting and merchandising, and more recently she’s tackled marketing and advertising for the company.
At Wakefern Food Corp., where Sunrise ShopRite is a member, Sblendorio also serves as chair of the Produce and Floral Division and vice chair of the Human Resources Division.
She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University; a master’s in education from Lesley University and a master’s of business administration from the Stern School of Business at New York University. She worked with developmentally disabled children before returning to her family’s company 11 years ago.
Sblendorio’s husband, Frank Sblendorio, also works with the company as manager of the ShopRite of Parsippany.
“It really is a family operation,” she added. “And we plan to focus over the next several years on building our strong work culture and bringing our family of associates together as a team to deliver the best possible shopping experiences at our stores.
Sblendorio lives in the Caldwells with her husband and four children.
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 270 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than six million customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $43 million to food banks that support more than 2,100 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated $30 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information click here.
