- Advertisement - Alfonso Cano joins Albertsons February 14, 2018 Alfonso Cano, formerly assistant produce director at Southern California-based Northgate Gonzales Markets, has joined Albertson’s Inc. in Boise, ID, as director of produce and floral. Cano, a Southern California native, has moved to Idaho and began his new position the first week of February. He reportedly will be involved in the expansion of Albertson’s Lucky banner. He recently self-identified as being affiliated with Lucky at an event of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council. Cano is the 2018 chairman of the board of that group. 1 / 2 When Albertsons purchased the American Stores Co. in 1998, it acquired the Lucky Store banner as well. However, all the Lucky Stores were renamed for the parent company and that banner was basically unused. In late 2006, Save Mart Supermarkets, a regional chain headquartered in Modesto, CA, bought Albertson’s Northern California division as well as the right to use the Lucky Stores banner in that specific geographic region. Others have used variations of the “Lucky” moniker since it was retired by Albertsons, which resulted in a number of lawsuits and settlements. Albertsons does have a handful of Lucky stores that it has opened over the years. A spokesperson for the firm confirmed Cano’s position as director of produce for Albertsons but did not elaborate on the specifics of his position. Cano started his career at Albertsons as a produce clerk in 1991 and stayed with the company for about a decade. He then went to Vons for four years and then worked for a one-store outfit and a distributor before coming back into retail with Northgate about a decade ago. Print Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) 2 / 2.