Amazon Go has named Kimberly James, one of BP’s top product and merchandising executives, as head of category management, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to C-Store Dive.
James said in a LinkedIn announcement that she’ll be tasked with leading Amazon Go’s U.S. convenience categories. She’ll be working alongside Rodney Blanton, a former vice president with Alimentation Couche-Tard who became director of category management for Amazon Go last July.
Amazon Go’s spokesperson said that James was officially hired by the tech-focused retailer in December.
“High tech solutions coupled with a strong team to fuel bullish growth and expansion to new formats to serve the customer is what gets me excited!” James said in the LinkedIn post. “So thankful to the recruiting team that found me, and the remarkable leaders who have already made me feel at home.”
James joined BP in late 2022 as vice president of merchandising and became the company’s chief product officer in March of last year, according to her LinkedIn page.
While with BP, James worked with the retailer’s merchandising and buying, fresh food and proprietary beverage, and marketing teams on various product initiatives. Such programs included collaborations with national brands, like when BP partnered with Frito Lay to bring co-branded cups to its Ampm and Thorntons c-stores.
Prior to joining BP, James spent over two decades with Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent of Circle K convenience stores. She held several leadership positions with the company, including director of marketing, senior director of global brand management, and head of global center of excellence for merchandising and marketing.
At Amazon Go — which operates 16 locations across Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York — James will oversee a merchandise assortment that encompasses a broad selection of grab-and-go food and drinks, including a wide range of beer, wine, spirits and everyday essentials.
Some Amazon Go stores also feature a made-to-order kitchen, which offers freshly prepared food, including breakfast items, hot and cold deli sandwiches, salads and wraps for customers to choose from or customize. These locations also include automated checkout technology and a variety of specialty beverages and on-tap coffee, kombucha and soda.
