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Tuesday, March 25
Lemon Learning Lounge
9:30 - 9:55 AM
RDS/Vusion: ESLs & Digital Signage
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) - A retailer panel discussion
Learn about ESLs from your peers!
Are they paying for themselves and in what ways?
How have customers responded?
How have employees responded?
Are they easy to install?
Would they do anything different next time?
Learn about ESLs from your peers!
Are they paying for themselves and in what ways?
How have customers responded?
How have employees responded?
Are they easy to install?
Would they do anything different next time?
Presented by Chuck Korenic
[more]
Chuck Korenic has been working in the grocery industry for over 25 years. Working for a three-store chain in the suburbs of Chicago, he started his grocery experience working summers in the meat department. After college, he accepted the Director of IT position for the same company, eventually settling into the position of General Manager of the company. After the company’s sale in 2010, he came over to RDS, where he continued to expand his grocery knowledge. Focused on customer service and product utilization, Chuck has been helping retailers navigate and get the most out of their technology for the last 14 years with RDS. He is currently General Manager of RDS North Central.
10:00 - 10:25 AM
HBC/OTC/GROCERY BENEFITS – A GATEWAY PATH FOR INDEPENDENT GROCERS
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Grocery, Healthy Benefit and Over-the-Counter cards allow your customers to spend Medicare and Medicaid funds for healthy food in your store. Learn about a new, simpler path to activating HBC/OTC/Grocery Benefits in all lanes, and even self-checkout.
Presented by Judd Ferrer
[more]
Judd is a globally recognized innovator in payments and retail technology, with over 25 years of experience across multiple continents. He has received the largest UK government innovation grant for software and holds several patents focused on enhancing retail Point of Sale systems through advanced data capture techniques.
10:30 - 10:55 AM
What's the Point? Part II - Driving Sales with Promotions
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Givex Rewards empowers you to make smarter, faster marketing decisions to put your customer data to work growing sales. Whether it’s crafting targeted promotions, rewarding loyalty, or delivering personalized offers, don’t let your customer data gather dust. Come see simple trip-building examples of what you should do right now with your investments in loyalty marketing to maximize your return.
Presented by Andy Ruff
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With over 30 years of experience, Andy has been optimizing grocery loyalty programs for large chains and independents retailers alike. He is a nationally recognized pioneer in the adaptation, margin management, data insights and advertising of breakthrough innovations in loyalty marketing.
11:00 - 11:25 AM
Unleashing Retail Potential with Instacart App, Storefront & Storefront Pro
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Discover how the Instacart Platform offers independent retailers unparalleled benefits through its Marketplace, including expanded customer reach and enhanced sales opportunities. Learn about the advantages of Instacart's white-label e-commerce solution, Storefront Pro, which provides retailers with a customized online presence while maintaining brand identity. Find out how Instacart’s innovative tools are driving growth, improving customer satisfaction, and streamlining operations for independent grocers.
Presented by Merrick Rosner
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Merrick Rosner leads growth strategies, sales, account management, and industry relations for Instacart’s Local Independent Grocery division. With over a decade of experience in grocery-tech – including e-commerce, personalized rewards, loyalty, digital coupons, and omnichannel integrations-- Rosner is a trusted advisor to leading retailers and wholesalers in the independent grocery space. Rosner currently serves on IGA’s National Retail Advisory Board.
1:00 - 1:25 PM
Elevate Your Food Service Offerings
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Presenting ways to elevate your food service or establish new food service avenues in your business through modern equipment (emphasizing on ventless cooking offerings), creating higher margin opportunities.
Presented by Danny Sizemore
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Danny Sizemore has a culinary degree from Purdue University in Restaurant and Hotel Management, a 25-year veteran in the foodservice industry. A pioneer in the food truck industry, being the founder of Skillet Street Food in Seattle. Giving him the experience to create elevated foodservice experiences in a nontraditional way.
1:30 - 1:55 PM
Grocery Financial Trends: Insights and Strategies
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Explore key findings from the Independent Grocers Financial Study and gain actionable insights into improving profitability. This session will cover financial benchmarks, trends shaping the grocery industry, and strategies to control shrink using GOT systems, helping you optimize operations and protect your bottom line.
Presented by Jon Cline
[more]
Jon Cline has an extensive background in the grocery industry in both operations and CFO roles. His many professional roles have included accounting, finance, merchandising, operations, sales, corporate management in wholesale, retail, and CPG environments, and now FMS’ Client Relationship Officer.
2:00 - 2:25 PM
How to Grow Bigger Baskets: Using Data and AI to Drive Higher Spend and More Frequent Shopping
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Wondering what the magic formula is for increasing shopping trips and spend? Join this session as we share our top-performing loyalty campaign strategies, including how machine learning AI drives personalization to engage consumers on a deeper level. We will walk through an analysis of shopper data and sales impact that demonstrates the proven effectiveness of these campaign strategies. No matter what your technology stack, you will walk away with actionable ideas and real-world case studies that increase your customers’ loyalty, spending, and trips.
Presented by Daniel Smith & James Councill
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Daniel Smith serves as the Analytics and Reporting Business Unit Manager at ECRS, where he also acts as the Product Owner for Cognition—a cutting-edge data warehouse, visualization, and AI tool designed to empower retailers with actionable insights. With over 7 years of experience in data analytics and business intelligence, Daniel specializes in helping grocers leverage analytics to optimize operations, improve decision-making, and drive profitability. He has a proven track record of developing innovative strategies and is passionate about delivering scalable solutions that maximize ROI for retailers.
James Councill is the Product Owner and Business Unit Manager for the ECRS CATAPULT Loyalty & Promotions Team. With 10+ years of product development experience and a background in digital marketing, he leads an expert services team and drives the development of a comprehensive suite of loyalty products, focused on driving customer engagement and promotional success for retailers.
James Councill is the Product Owner and Business Unit Manager for the ECRS CATAPULT Loyalty & Promotions Team. With 10+ years of product development experience and a background in digital marketing, he leads an expert services team and drives the development of a comprehensive suite of loyalty products, focused on driving customer engagement and promotional success for retailers.
2:30 - 2:55 PM
Revolutionary AI for independent grocery decision makers
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Hear how grocers are leveraging AI to gain fast, efficient insights into sales, profits, inventory, customer behavior, and emerging opportunities. By utilizing AI, decision-makers can ask a limitless number of questions and receive detailed answers in seconds. AI can also proactively identify key actionable opportunities and detects anomalies, providing timely alerts without the need for manual requests. Discover how AI is transforming business intelligence and driving smarter, faster decision-making in your organization.
Presented by John Abbene
[more]
During his 35+year career at BRdata, John has worked specifically on developing software solutions and best practices for independent retailers and wholesalers in the grocery industry.
John sits as the chairman of the board of the BRdata User Group and serves on the IGA National Retail Advisory Board.
John sits as the chairman of the board of the BRdata User Group and serves on the IGA National Retail Advisory Board.
3:00 - 3:25 PM
Revolutionizing Grocery Accounts Payable Automation
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Join us for an engaging Lounge & Learn session tailored to grocers looking to transform their back-office operations. We’ll explore how Ottimate’s AP automation solution streamlines invoice processing, resolves vendor discrepancies, and enhances cost controls. Learn about our seamless integrations with grocery-specific solutions like FMS and LOC SMS, and discover how features like Cost File Validation, Invoice Automation, and PO Matching can drive efficiency and deliver measurable ROI. This session will include real-life success stories, interactive Q&A, and practical insights to help your business work smarter, not harder.
Presented by Sade Santana
[more]
Based in sunny Tampa, Florida, Sade Santana is a trailblazer in AP automation for the grocery industry. As the founder of Ottimate’s Retail Team, Sade has been instrumental in shaping solutions tailored specifically for grocers. She played a pivotal role in identifying and developing the use case for Cost File Validation, a game-changing feature that enhances accuracy and streamlines back-office operations. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges grocers face, Sade is passionate about delivering innovative tools that drive efficiency and maximize ROI.
3:30 - 3:55 PM
Mastering Store Data Analytics to Unlock Hidden Gross Margins: 5 Strategies to Reduce Shrink 15% and Boost Gross Margins
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Grocers large and small are working to “Battle Profit-robbing Shrink Loss” realizing that reducing store shrink is the fastest and most certain way to increase gross margins.
In this session, participants will hear AWG Retailer Success Stories and learn how to redefine and reduce “shrink loss” 15-20%, create a Profitable Selling Culture to add 100-150 basis points in sustainable gross margins with Smart Analytics and 5 Strategic Keys for Whole Store Gross Margin Optimization.
1. Hear AWG Retailer Sales and Gross Margin Success Stories.
2. Learn how to Simplify for Operations and Merchandising Excellence with an All-In-One Technology.
3. Learn 5 easy to follow Best Practices Guaranteed to Improve Store Gross Margins and Improve Cash Flow.
4. Learn how AWG Retailers are keeping prices low by growing Gross Margin dollars
5. Hear how improved freshness improves the customer shopping experience.
The Bottom Line: Learn to See It, Fix It, and Grow Your Grosses…
Presented by Larry Miller
[more]
Larry Miller is a Grocer with over 50 years of Store Operations experience as an Operations Executive at A&P, Big Box Stores, and an Independent Operator.
He is the creator of the Shrink Trax and Total Store Manager programs, The National Shrink Survey, and the ProfitTrax System for Whole Store Profit Optimization.
Over 17,000 Store Managers and Supervisors have taken his training.
He is the creator of the Shrink Trax and Total Store Manager programs, The National Shrink Survey, and the ProfitTrax System for Whole Store Profit Optimization.
Over 17,000 Store Managers and Supervisors have taken his training.
4:00 - 4:25 PM
4 Things Grocers Should Watch in 2025
Courtyard #3 First Floor
In this session, DCR will explore four topics that grocers should keep on their radar in 2025. Join us to learn more about how AI, PCI 4.0, Shrink, and changes in shopper preferences will impact grocers in 2025 and beyond.
Presented by Jason Dilleha
[more]
Jason Dilleha, Director of National Accounts at DCR has over 38 years of experience working in and directly with Independent Grocers across the US.
4:30 - 4:55 PM
Empower Fresh: The AI-Powered Secret Weapon for Independent Grocer's Produce Success
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Stop letting out-of-stocks, margin losses, and labor inefficiencies eat away at your bottom line. Empower Fresh is here to level the playing field, giving you the tools and insights to compete with the big guys. Join us to learn how this groundbreaking platform can:
* Automate time-consuming tasks like ordering and ad planning
* Optimize inventory levels to prevent both shrink and out-of-stocks
* Deliver actionable competitor price data
* Provide your team with the training and support they need to excel
* Automate time-consuming tasks like ordering and ad planning
* Optimize inventory levels to prevent both shrink and out-of-stocks
* Deliver actionable competitor price data
* Provide your team with the training and support they need to excel
Presented by Jesse Hilmango
[more]
Jesse is a second-generation grocery retail veteran, serving in all rolls from Clerk to Director both in the independent and the corporate worlds.
Jesse and his wife Samantha have been married for almost 19 years and are parents to 5 children. Out of a labor of love and heart to serve they run a church ministry on the weekends.
Jesse and his wife Samantha have been married for almost 19 years and are parents to 5 children. Out of a labor of love and heart to serve they run a church ministry on the weekends.
Orange Learning Lounge
9:30 - 9:55 AM
Kellanova: Frozen Veggie Category Growth Potential
Courtyard #4 First Floor
A category struggling for growth in a confined space combined with inconsistent shelving practices has caused retailers to question the category’s role. We will discuss unlocking consumer barriers, shelving and assortment solutions and reframing innovation to drive future category growth.
Presented by Brad Dennis
[more]
Self-proclaimed data nerd with 25 years of industry experience, 18 at the Kellogg / Kellanova organization. Brad is currently the Sr. Manager of Category Strategy for Plant-Based Protein studying how assortment, shelving and category adjacencies drive category efficiency and sales for retailers.
10:00 - 10:25 AM
Winning in a Diverse Marketplace: Hispanic Families
Courtyard #4 First Floor
The face of the consumer is evolving, and multicultural audiences are driving the next wave of growth in our industry. Are you ready to connect authentically and win in this diverse marketplace? Join us for an engaging and insightful Multicultural Marketing Strategy Session, where we’ll dive into key demographic trends, uncover what truly resonates with Hispanic consumer groups, and explore General Mills winning multicultural brand strategies!
Presented by Isabel Esperante
[more]
Isabel Esperante is a dynamic marketing leader with expertise in brand management, partnerships, and multicultural marketing. At General Mills, she has driven $45 Million in incremental sales and managed partnerships contributing to $600 Million in revenue. With a career spanning at General Mills and Procter & Gamble, she excels in strategic brand growth, cross-functional leadership, and innovative marketing. Isabel holds a master’s in marketing & management from IE Business School located in Madrid, Span and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Central de Venezuela.
10:30 - 10:55 AM
Get to know Gen Z
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Currently, there are roughly 70 million young people that comprise Gen Z in the US. As they grow older, their spending potential is expected to reach $12 trillion by 2030. This presentation will explore attitudes and behaviors that uniquely define this generation. Understanding these shoppers is critical to delivering continued success in retail.
Presented by Karen Lee
[more]
Karen has almost 20 years of experience working in Consumer & Shopper Insights across Retail and CPG. She is currently at Kraft Heinz, leading the efforts to uncover enterprise-level shopper insights and bring world class thought leadership to our retail partners.
11:00 - 11:25 AM
Feeding Success: Winning with Private Brands Pet Food
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Join Simmons Pet Food, the supplier of the new Pure Wonder by Best Choice brand, to learn about the importance of wet pet food in diet, private brands relevance to shoppers and retailers, and how to win with the AWG Brands assortment and merchandising strategies. Puppies will be on-site to cuddle after the session.
Presented by Bri Hayward
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Bri has been with Simmons for 2yrs and working in Category Management for almost a decade across multiple categories. Currently she is leading large-scale projects around assortment optimization and perfect shelf merchandising principles for the total Pet Category. Bri currently resides in Northwest Arkansas with her husband and two dogs.
1:00 - 1:25 PM
The Dollars are in the Details: Shelf Strategies that Drive Results
Courtyard #4 First Floor
In today’s world, there are any number of tools and assets available to retailers that promise large outcomes, but ultimately just create more and more to-do lists. In order to prioritize, let’s get back to basics by taking a hard look at how to maximize the impact of your shelving strategy, in order to delight your customers and drive sales. In this session, we’ll tackle:
1) Managing shopper perceptions to drive real outcomes via the shopping experience
2) Top challenges to the at-shelf purchase and how to solve them
3) Available assets at your fingertips
Presented by Mariana Eagen
[more]
Mariana Y. Eagen has worked for Procter & Gamble for 17 years and is an Analytics & Insights Director for the Midwest grocery channel. Mariana has had a diverse set of experiences impacting brand strategy across various P&G categories and is currently focused on the application of Deep Shopper Insights & Market Analytics across retail strategies to drive sustainable growth for both P&G and our retailer partners.
1:30 - 1:55 PM
How Asian Flavors will Unlock Growth: Understanding Trends Shaping the Modern Consumer
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Join us as we explore the growing popularity and trends of Asian foods and flavors. We’ll uncover who the consumers are and what makes them unique, how they shop for Asian food, and how you can introduce these exciting products into your store to attract new consumers and unlock growth.
Presented by Tae Lee
[more]
Director - Consumer Insights and Analytics / CJ Schwan's
2:00 - 2:25 PM
The Hershey Company: Case for Confection
Courtyard #4 First Floor
This session will focus on the basket-building confection category and dive into why it is essential for total store growth. We will discuss topics around household penetration, seasonal incrementality, and strategies to achieve your fair share of the category.
Presented by Kaylea von Seggern
[more]
Kaylea is a category strategist at The Hershey Company where she has worked for the past 5 years. In her current role, she works with AWG and their retailers to drive category centric growth through planogram creation, macro-space planning, and data trend analysis.
2:30 - 2:55 PM
Using Produce KVIs to Drive Sales
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Drive consumer price impression in your produce department by leveraging the AWG Produce KVI program. Learn tactics to help you better compete with mass and club EDLP formats and build consumer foot traffic.
Presented by Dan Triplett
[more]
Dan joined AWG as VP of Produce in spring of 2024 coming from UNFI as VP of Merchandising for Cub Foods. With 30 years of experience in produce and floral in regional independant retail, large chain environments and mass formats, along with wholesales distribution roles in all areas including sales, merchandising, and procurement.
3:00 - 3:25 PM
Guiding Trends & Influencers for Deli Bakery
Courtyard #4 First Floor
David Haaf, President & CEO for IDDBA will be presenting the latest guiding trends & influencers impacting deli, bakery, & foodservice for 2025 and beyond.
Presented by David Haaf
[more]
David Haaf, President and CEO of the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA), brings over 30 years of retail deli, bakery, foodservice, Starbucks operations experience to the table. Haaf leads the strategic plans and operations for the trade association which provides 1,600 members year-round education, data, trends, and business solutions. Under his purview is the association’s premier industry flagship annual convention & tradeshow.
David has served as a certified Chef & hospitality industry leader, having spent over 35 years in our industry serving roles as VP of Foodservice & Starbucks Operations with Virginia based K-VAT Food Stores Inc, hotels, supper clubs, and campus dining prior to taking the helm at IDDBA in 2023.
David is a proud US Marine Corps Veteran. He resides in Madison, WI, with his wife Mellaine and daughter Asiana. The family is active in their local faith community through choir and worship. David and daughter Asiana are both Taekwondo 1st Degree Black Belts.
David has served as a certified Chef & hospitality industry leader, having spent 33 years as in our industry serving roles as VP of Foodservice & Starbucks Operations with Virginia based K-VAT Food Stores Inc, hotels, supper clubs, and campus dining prior to taking the helm at IDDBA in 2023.
David is a proud US Marine Corps Veteran. He resides in Madison, WI, with his wife Mellaine and daughter Asiana. The family is active in their local faith community through choir and worship. David and daughter Asiana are both Taekwondo 1st Degree Black Belts.
David has served as a certified Chef & hospitality industry leader, having spent over 35 years in our industry serving roles as VP of Foodservice & Starbucks Operations with Virginia based K-VAT Food Stores Inc, hotels, supper clubs, and campus dining prior to taking the helm at IDDBA in 2023.
David is a proud US Marine Corps Veteran. He resides in Madison, WI, with his wife Mellaine and daughter Asiana. The family is active in their local faith community through choir and worship. David and daughter Asiana are both Taekwondo 1st Degree Black Belts.
David has served as a certified Chef & hospitality industry leader, having spent 33 years as in our industry serving roles as VP of Foodservice & Starbucks Operations with Virginia based K-VAT Food Stores Inc, hotels, supper clubs, and campus dining prior to taking the helm at IDDBA in 2023.
David is a proud US Marine Corps Veteran. He resides in Madison, WI, with his wife Mellaine and daughter Asiana. The family is active in their local faith community through choir and worship. David and daughter Asiana are both Taekwondo 1st Degree Black Belts.
3:30 - 3:55 PM
Benefits of Using the AWG Reclaim Program and Recalls123
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Learn how participating in the AWG reclamation program along with Recalls123 can boost your overall store shrink management program.
Presented by Ben Gochnauer
[more]
Return Management Services, Inc is a third party service provider focused on maximizing recovery from damaged and otherwise unsalable products. Mr Gochnauer has more than 30 years with RMS and has managed the RMS / AWG business partnership during that entire time.
4:00 - 4:25 PM
Assortment and Shelf Optimization powered by Symphony AI
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Through recent collaboration between AWG and SymphonyAI, we are bringing our membership the opportunity to manage their own planogram space and customize their own sets for each of their unique locations. Improve efficiencies and take the guesswork out of the store reset executions by being in control of your planograms.
Presented by Gina Hargrave
[more]
25 years in Category and Space Management industry. Started career designing layout of retail stores and running an planogram staff.
The last 15 years have been focused on supporting retailers and CPG in best practice approach to Category and Space management with technology.
At SymphonyAI lead a team of consultants that work with prospective and current clients on how to blend people, data, process, and technology to drive increased sales and profitability
The last 15 years have been focused on supporting retailers and CPG in best practice approach to Category and Space management with technology.
At SymphonyAI lead a team of consultants that work with prospective and current clients on how to blend people, data, process, and technology to drive increased sales and profitability
4:30 - 4:55 PM
Pork for the Future: Balancing Production, Sustainability, and Consumer Trends
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Join our industry panel to explore the future of pork. Learn about today’s production practices, on-farm sustainability efforts, and how adapting to shifting consumer preferences can help you strengthen and support your pork offering.
Presented by Jamie Burr
[more]
Jamie Burr is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the National Pork Board.
He leads a team comprised of public health, animal science, animal welfare & environmental experts tasked with advancing the pork industry’s sustainability goals and protecting producers’ freedom to operate.
Joining him today is a panel of Missouri pork producers to talk about Pork for the Future.
He leads a team comprised of public health, animal science, animal welfare & environmental experts tasked with advancing the pork industry’s sustainability goals and protecting producers’ freedom to operate.
Joining him today is a panel of Missouri pork producers to talk about Pork for the Future.
Wednesday, March 26
Lemon Learning Lounge
9:30 - 9:55 AM
Unlocking Growth: Turning Uncommitted Shoppers into Loyal Customers
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Grocery retailers often focus on deepening loyalty with their core customers because uncommitted shoppers—those who visit occasionally or not at all—are notoriously tough to capture. Yet, this growing segment represents a critical opportunity for retailers to drive meaningful growth.
In this session, Simon Palmer from Upside and Price Mabry from Roberts Grocer will share actionable strategies to engage these shoppers profitably. Drawing from Upside’s data and consumer surveys, Tyler will explore how the rise of the “uncommitted customer” is reshaping the grocery landscape and creating opportunities for retailers to capture incremental visits and spending. They’ll also discuss how Roberts is leveraging its partnership with Upside to connect with these shoppers and turn them into loyal, repeat customers.
Presented by Simon Palmer & Price Mabry
[more]
Simon Palmer is a business development leader at Upside, where he serves as Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships. With over 15 years of experience, he specializes in identifying new segment opportunities, developing high-performance sales teams, and elevating company profiles with target markets. At Upside, Simon leads partnership go-to-market strategies that drive retailer adoption and fuel continued growth on the platform. Prior to joining Upside, he held leadership roles at Zulily and Groupon and worked as a consultant for consumer brands specializing in marketplace strategy.
Price Mabry is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Roberts Company, which operates Corner Market and Grocery Depot in Hattiesburg, MS. A lifelong grocery professional, he focuses on strategic initiatives that drive growth, align with market trends, and enhance profitability. His commitment to innovation and excellence has strengthened partnerships and expanded Corner Market’s presence. Price has previously held roles at HAC, Inc., AWG, and Albertsons.
Price Mabry is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Roberts Company, which operates Corner Market and Grocery Depot in Hattiesburg, MS. A lifelong grocery professional, he focuses on strategic initiatives that drive growth, align with market trends, and enhance profitability. His commitment to innovation and excellence has strengthened partnerships and expanded Corner Market’s presence. Price has previously held roles at HAC, Inc., AWG, and Albertsons.
10:00 - 10:25 AM
DUMAC Empowers Innovation: Adaptive Technology Transforming Customer Experiences
Courtyard #3 First Floor
Discover how DUMAC uses decades of POS expertise to deliver adaptive retail technology solutions to transform customer experiences. Explore the RORC ecosystem, empowering independent grocers to deliver seamless, impactful interactions. Gain actionable insights from real-world case studies and learn how innovation drives growth, loyalty, and the future of customer engagement.
Presented by Steve Methvin
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Steve Methvin possesses decades of experience in retail operations and technology. His experience spans industry leaders Market Basket(Tx), Winn-Dixie, Kroger, Welcome, BI-LO, Ahold, Bruno's and Bozzuto's. As Product Leader for RORC Steve is responsible for defining, building, and scaling innovative software solutions that align with business goals and customer needs.
10:30 - 10:55 AM
Back to Future: Behavioral Trends Resurface
Courtyard #3 First Floor
For the first time in five years, shoppers are spending more on food *outside* the grocery store than inside it. Welcome to the era of the "eating shopper," where experience, not price, drives purchasing decisions. In this session, we'll explore how personalized marketing, shopper analytics, and digital coupons are helping independent grocers connect with these evolving consumers—showing them they’re valued, realigning their shopping habits with the store’s core values, and proving that the local independent grocer is worth their business. Don’t miss out on how to turn these trends into opportunities!
Presented by Eran Harel
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Harel is responsible for all of AppCard's corporate development initiatives worldwide, partnerships, grocery sales and digital coupons among other responsibilities. Prior to joining AppCard, Eran served as managing director at Harel-Hertz Investment House, as a board member at Tokyo headquartered Explay Japan, and was the chairman of the board of its Israeli R&D subsidiary. Eran completed his research for a doctoral degree in economics at Keio University in Tokyo. He earned an MBA at the College of Management – Academic Studies in Israel and a bachelor’s degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Eran serves as advisor on RODFA's RAC.
11:00 - 11:25 AM
Store Source / RollSeal: Were You Raised in a Barn: The Benefits of Automating Walk-In Cooler & Freezer Doors
Courtyard #3 First Floor
This course has been designed to outline and explain the various options for doors that can be used in walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer applications, with a special focus on how these options are impacted by the shift to on-line grocery pick-up scenarios in retail settings. We'll review examples of various types of walk-in doors and highlights of the differences between them. We will focus on critical areas such as footprint, sealing capacity, automation, activation, r-value/infiltration, and code compliance; again, specifically highlighting how the tighter footprints and vastly higher daily cycles impact the door selection process in grocery pick-up applications.
Presented by Zach Morrow
[more]
Zach graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Huntsville and has since worked in and around the grocery store industry for more than 20 years, supplying a wide range of door solutions for both backroom as well as retail space applications. He is an AIA accredited presenter, who works with grocery store architects to design the most efficient backroom layouts based on traffic flow, available footprint, and daily cycles, and advise the best door solution for each opening location. He is a member of the International Door Association and works as the National Sales Manager for RollSeal, a family-owned company based in Bremen, Alabama, that manufactures a wide range of doors that are used in applications ranging from -10 degree freezers to 500 degree ovens.
Orange Learning Lounge
9:30 - 9:55 AM
TRUNO: Loss Prevention (Card Skimming & Self Checkout)
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Discover cutting-edge strategies to combat card skimming and mitigate risks at self-checkout stations. This session highlights TRUNO's innovative loss prevention solutions, empowering retailers to safeguard transactions, enhance customer trust, and maintain operational efficiency. Learn actionable insights to protect your business from emerging threats in today’s retail landscape.
Presented by Uwe von Sehrwald
[more]
With over 45 years in the retail industry, Uwe von Sehrwald brings a wealth of hands-on experience to his role as Vice President of Sales at TRUNO. Beginning his career in a regional grocery chain in Houston, Texas, Uwe worked his way up to Store Director, mastering every aspect of retail operations. His leadership and deep understanding of store-level challenges shaped his transition to retail technology, where he now helps grocers navigate the complexities of modern retail. Since joining TRUNO in 2006, Uwe has combined his operational expertise with innovative solutions, driving success for retailers across the country.
10:00 - 10:25 AM
Swiftly: Print Circulars are Quickly Becoming Extinct - Are You Prepared?
Courtyard #4 First Floor
As print circulars costs increase and distribution decreases, retailers are turning to new digital solutions to engage customers effectively. To get to table stakes, retailers are looking for ways to make their digital circular both interactive and shoppable. Digital provides tremendous opportunity to go beyond the basics—best in class retailers are leveraging their shopper data and the latest AI technologies to take the digital ad farther than paper ever could with personalization and more effective, targeted ways to reach shoppers on their digital devices.
Presented by Sean Turner
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Sean Turner, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Swiftly, has spent 17 years building technology, with the last decade focused on helping brands and retailers succeed in digital. Previously he was Head of Product at Symphony Commerce, where he helped Symphony transition from serving mid-market brands to enterprise customers. Before Symphony, Sean worked at Microsoft as a Technology Lead covering products including Bing Advertising, Speech Recognition, and the Starbucks app for the Windows platform. Sean holds a BS in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Southern California.
10:30 - 10:55 AM
Why retail is outsourcing to a single platform for all tag and sign needs
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Join us for insights on how outsourcing to a single platform for tags and signs can both provide immediate benefits and position retail for the future.
Presented by Mike Hay
[more]
Mike Hay has been in the grocery industry for 43 years (30 as a retailer). He has worked in all areas of the business; both in store and corporate positions.
11:00 - 11:25 AM
Price Smarter, Not Harder: Proven Strategies to Streamline Pricing and Boost Margins
Courtyard #4 First Floor
Unlock the transformative power of enhanced visibility, data-driven processes, and software tools to execute pricing strategies across your entire store. Stay competitive without adding complexity by learning proven strategies to grow margins, manage vendors, and streamline pricing from the back office to your shelf edge.
Presented by Jason Holborow
[more]
Jason Holborow, Storewise’s VP of Sales, has two decades of food industry experience working with independent retailers, wholesalers, and CPG companies. From bagging groceries to managing partnerships with some of the largest CPG companies, Jason is passionate about helping independent grocers drive labor savings and margin improvements with technology.