John Jones, Executive Vice President/Director of Store Operations for Food City’s retail grocery chain was just named 2020 Retailer of the Year by Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association.  Each year, TGCSA selects one outstanding Tennessee retailer who exemplifies the high standards of integrity and efficiency upon which the organization was founded to be named Retailer of the Year.  

TGCSA is a Nashville based trade organization representing the interests of the Tennessee food market.   The association’s primary function is to educate and promote the welfare of its business members, which are comprised of retail grocery, convenience and food industry suppliers throughout the state of Tennessee.   Jones will receive his award in May of 2020 at TGCSA’s annual convention in Nashville.

“I am honored to have been chosen as TGCSA Retailer of the Year.  It is a very humbling experience to be counted among the ranks of such a great assembly of industry leaders.  I would like to thank Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association for the great work they do and the tremendous impact they have upon our industry,” said Jones. 

Jones joined the Food City team in 1980, accepting a position as a courtesy clerk in Johnson City, TN, while attending Hampton High School. What began as a part-time job, quickly grew into the makings of an extraordinary career, as Jones developed a passion for the business that quickly catapulted him through the ranks. 

Throughout his career, Jones has served in a number of key positions, including store manager of the company’s Newport, TN and Euclid Avenue (Bristol, VA) locations; district manager, overseeing store operations for locations throughout Sullivan County, TN, and Scott, Lee and Wise counties in VA. In 2003, he was promoted to executive vice president of store operations for Food City’s Knoxville based division; and in 2014, he was again promoted to his current position as executive vice president/director of store operations.  Jones is responsible for guiding store operations for the company’s entire chain of 132 supermarkets, including 105 fuel centers and 108 pharmacies. 

He is also active within his community, having served on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Board of Directors, Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association Executive Committee, TGCSA Annual Convention Chair, past Chairman for TGCSA Board of Directors, University of Tennessee Retail Hospitality Board, Kingsport TN Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation Golf Tournament and The 2014 Medal of Honor Convention Executive Committee.  He is a member of Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation Hall of Eagles and Tri-Cities Business Journal 40 Under Forty award recipient.  Jones also received special recognition from the National Grocers Association’s executive leadership program.

He is a 1981 graduate of Hampton High School.  Jones also attended Northeast State Community College and East Tennessee State University. He currently resides in Blountville, TN with his wife, Jennifer. They are the proud parents of Tyler, who is currently employed as a Food City Pharmacist and Brianna, a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and a senior at Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 132 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, Chattanooga and north Georgia.