LANHAM, Md. — Dick Bergman, president of Supervalu Inc. chain Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, is slated to retire at the end of this week.

Bergman, who has served as president of Lanham, Md.-based Shoppers since 2006, informed the supermarket company that he plans to retire effective this Friday, Oct. 1, according to published reports.

A successor has not yet been named. In the interim, Bergman’s duties will be assumed by Brian Huff, senior vice president of specialty retail at Minneapolis-based Supervalu.

"I am very proud of the work we accomplished at Shoppers during my tenure as president, but am looking forward to retiring and spending more time with my family," Bergman said in a statement. "I will miss working with the many wonderful associates at Shoppers and wish the team the very best as they continue to grow the business."

In a nearly 50-year career in grocery, Bergman has worked in virtually every aspect of the business, from clerk to senior management. He joined Supervalu in 1998, serving as the senior vice president of merchandising and operations at Farm Fresh. He was then promoted to president of Scott’s Food and Pharmacy before becoming president of Shoppers.

"I appreciate the years of service Dick has provided Shoppers and wish him the best as he begins this new chapter in his life," Huff stated. "Dick has achieved many key successes during his tenure. By building on these accomplishments, we look forward to the continued success of Shoppers."

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy has 62 stores in the Baltimore, northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., markets.