Tim Chalk has stepped down as CEO at SimplyFresh, The Grocer can reveal.
According to Chalk’s LinkedIn profile, his time at the business came to an end last month. He is now solely focusing on his consultancy business, Chalk International, which he set up in 2016.
Chalk joined SimplyFresh in November 2018 to focus on the strategic direction of the business and drive its future growth plans.
A big element of that became the wholesale partnership with Sainsbury’s, which kicked off in January 2020. It eventually saw five stores trade under the tie-up and in February last year, SimplyFresh announced ambitions to sign up 30 retailers to the supplied by Sainsbury’s model.
“We managed to become the wholesale partner for Sainsbury’s into the independent trade and had a great pipeline of quality retailers lined up based on our ability to significantly increase sales and margins,” Chalk told The Grocer.
However, later that year Sainsbury’s axed its wholesale to focus on its core business, “effectively ending that element of the SimplyFresh business”, he added.
“SimplyFresh is still working closely and growing with Bestway but Kash [Khera, COO] and the team are more than capable of managing that so I’m not currently working with them,” he said.
It was understood that SimplyFresh was in talks with prospective suppliers as a replacement for Sainsbury’s during the wake of its wholesale exit. This included Waitrose, which continues to grow its wholesale arm, but it is understood the parties did not come to an agreement.
One industry source suggested Chalk’s departure indicated that there was not currently another obvious supplier partner in the pipeline.
SimplyFresh’s main supplier remains Costcutter, which is owned by Bestway.
SimplyFresh co-founder and COO Kash Khera said: ”Tim Chalk took the role as CEO at SimplyFresh to support the business through our ongoing review of the UK wholesale sector. We had made good traction with the Sainsbury’s wholesale supply agreement and as Sainsbury’s has pulled that for all retailers, UK and internationally, Tim has supported in strengthening our relationship with Bestway Wholesale Group. As that relationship has evolved Tim has now moved to an advisory role for the business.
“SimplyFresh continues to roll out exciting and innovative convenience stores with a strong pipeline over the next two quarters, adding 10 more stores to the group.”
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