GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Fresh Market has appointed Dan Portnoy as chief merchandising officer. He will report to president and chief executive officer Larry Appel.

Portnoy brings more than 35 years of experience in food retail merchandising and marketing, having been the president and CEO at Kings Super Markets/Balducci’s Markets and the chief merchandising and marketing officer at Winn-Dixie Stores. Portnoy also held leadership positions at Cott Corp., a leading beverage company, and Daymon Worldwide, a private brand development company.

“I believe Dan to be one of the brightest and most creative merchants in the industry,” said Appel. “He possesses both a strong understanding of our specialty brand and the business acumen to deliver results. With Dan at the helm of our merchandising team, I am confident that we will achieve our vision of being the premier fresh-focused specialty food retailer.”

In addition to serving on the senior leadership team, reporting to Portnoy will be the Fresh Market’s merchandising directors, as well as group vice president of merchandise operations Lance Twitty.