Duncan Mac Naughton, who Monday resigned his position as executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Eden Prairie-based Supervalu Inc., has been appointed to a job as chief merchandizing officer at Wal-Mart Canada, according to industry trade publication SuperMarket News.

Grocery industry watchers suspected that Mac Naughton had been a candidate for the CEO job at Supervalu (NYSE: SVU) until Supervalu unexpectedly named company outsider Craig Herkert as its new CEO to replace Jeff Noddle in May.

As it happens Herkert came to Supervalu from Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Herkert had been president and CEO of the Americas at Wal-Mart, a $52 billion operation that encompassed stores in South America, Central America, Mexico and Canada.

A Wal-Mart spokeswoman told Supermarket News that Mac Naughton will start his new role Oct. 13 and that the job he’s taking had been vacant.