Grace Colalillo joins ShopRite

FLEMINGTON, N.J. – Grace Colalillo has officially joined ShopRite of Hunterdon County BB #:201749, bringing a strong background in human resources to her family’s supermarket business, which operates five ShopRite stores located in Flemington, Greenwich, and Clinton, NJ, and Yardley and Bethlehem, PA.

A member of the third generation of the Colalillo family to help lead the business, Grace returns after establishing a successful career in human resources, where she held roles in recruiting, benefits administration, talent acquisition, employee engagement and organizational development. Along the way, she gained experience supporting corporate growth initiatives and acquisitions, workforce planning and employee programs while working with teams across multiple disciplines.

Grace’s connection to ShopRite began long before she joined as a full-time team member. Growing up, Grace spent many hours helping in the family’s stores, working in departments ranging from floral and bakery to online shopping, front-end operations and seasonal holiday support. Those experiences gave her an appreciation for the retail teams that help make the stores successful.

Now, as she begins working alongside her father, Joseph Colalillo, brother Sam, and mom Jeannie, Grace plans to focus on both the people and operational sides of the business, with a particular interest in supporting associates and fostering a strong workplace culture.

“My dad always says people are the most important part of our business. That’s why we’re able to do what we do in supporting our stores and communities,” she said. ” I want to continue learning the business from the ground up, spending time in our stores and understanding the many different roles that make our company successful.”

Grace earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Fairfield University in 2022, with a concentration in Human Resources. During her time at Fairfield, she served in student leadership roles that focused on mentoring and training, experiences that helped shape her passion for helping people grow and succeed. After graduation, Grace joined Crane Company, where she quickly built experience across recruiting, talent acquisition, benefits administration and employee engagement. She also earned her SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential, reflecting her commitment to the HR profession. In her most recent role as Corporate Benefits Specialist, she supported health, welfare and retirement programs for more than 4,000 associates, led annual open enrollment initiatives, helped onboard employees and transition benefit plans through company acquisitions, and partnered with business leaders on workforce programs and process improvements. She designed and implemented a company-wide wellness program in partnership with senior leadership, helping promote associate well-being while tracking engagement and participation across the organization. She also played a key role in recruiting efforts during a major organizational transformation, helping fill positions across a range of business functions and levels.

Joining the family business alongside her brother, Sam Colalillo, who became part of the team in 2023, Grace believes their different experiences and perspectives will help strengthen the company while building on the legacy and values set by their parents and grandfather.

Their father, Joe Colalillo, is president of ShopRite of Hunterdon County and a past chairman of Wakefern Food Corp., the retailer-owned supermarket cooperative behind the ShopRite brand. Joe’s father, Joseph A. Colalillo, founded the family’s grocery business nearly 70 years ago and ShopRite of Hunterdon County today employs more than 1,300 associates across its five stores. For generations, the Colalillo family has also been deeply committed to helping the communities it serves, combatting hunger through its support of local hunger-fighting organizations and ShopRite Partners In Caring, while also supporting schools, nonprofits, youth organizations and other local causes.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the same level of involvement and service that my parents have shown to the company and our communities. It’s an honor to become part of the next generation of leadership and to help support the associates, customers and communities that have been at the heart of our family’s business for decades” added Grace.

About ShopRite

ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With hundreds of ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves millions of customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $65 million to food banks that support more than 2,500 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern, ShopRite has donated $47 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.ShopRite.com.