N.G.A.’s Center for Marketing Excellence
N.G.A.’s Grocers Research and Education Foundation sponsors the Center for Marketing Excellence that has a mission to enable the retailer, wholesaler, manufacturer and service supplier to better understand the needs and purchasing trends of the American consumer; to enable the retail grocer to maximize growth through cost-effective advertising and merchandising concepts and programs; and to promote effective marketing principles as an integrated process requiring the cooperative efforts of retailers with their wholesalers, manufacturers and service suppliers.
Through the Center, N.G.A. offers several marketing programs and services, including the Creative Choice Awards program, marketing share groups and regional seminars and workshops on industry-specific marketing issues. Click on one of the following sections to learn more about two of the programs offered through N.G.A.'s Center for Marketing Excellence.
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Getting to Great: Mapping Management Practices that Drive Great Store Performance offers a fresh look at store performance that delves far beyond the traditional bottom line and identifies specific management behaviors that lead to success. The yearlong research effort commissioned by the *Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council reveals common practices of “Great Performers” that can be used by any management team to improve store performance in a single location or across an entire chain. (.pdf 1.3 mb)
*The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC) of North America is an organization of food retailers and wholesalers created by The Coca-Cola Company to address issues of strategic importance to the North America supermarket industry. Members identify and frame the strategic issues to be addressed, direct and guide the conduct of the research and analysis, and ensure the results are reported in a way that is useful to and actionable by the supermarket industry. |
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Bring Retailing to Life in Your Stores
Jon Hauptman, Vice President, Willard Bishop
This workshop was presented at the 2007 N.G.A. Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Faced with new options, today’s consumers are much less dependent on supermarkets. Consequently, it’s more important than ever for supermarket operators to increase their focus on better understanding – and responding to – the needs of their most important and profitable shoppers. At this session, attendees learned how leading retailers efficiently and effectively determine how well they’re meeting shopper needs across the store, develop new strategies and tactics designed to better meet the needs of targeted shopper groups, and how to apply this approach to consumer-centric retailing in their stores.
To view the handouts:
Bring Retailing to Life in Your Stores - Jon Hauptman (.ppt 19.9 mb)
Men are from Home Depot; Women are from Bed, Bath & Beyond
Rich George, Professor of Food Marketing, Saint Joseph’s University
This General Session was presented at the 2007 N.G.A. Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Everyone knows that men and women are different. However, when it comes to food shopping we tend to treat them the same. This session presented findings from a recent national research study that highlights significant differences between the sexes when it comes to their perceptions and expectations from their favorite supermarket. This presentation highlighted these differences (as well as the meaningful similarities) and presented some strategic and tactical opportunities to capitalize on the uniqueness of the sexes in order to provide your supermarket with a differential advantage. Session attendees were invited to participate in the workshop by identifying what they perceive to be the relevant differences. In addition, attendees were asked to share their ideas and the accompanying results from their attempts to delight the two sexes.
To view the handouts:
Men are from Home Depot; Women are from Bed, Bath & Beyond - Rich George (.ppt 3.5 mb)
THE HEALTH CONSCIOUS TIPPING POINT: From Wellness Niche to Mainstream Market
Art Turock, President, Turock & Associates, Inc.
This super breakfast session was presented at the 2007 N.G.A. Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. It covered the progression of health and wellness selling from a small niche market to what is becoming a mainstream market focus. 63% of U.S. families have at least one family member suffering from a chronic health condition (e.g., allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure, or cholesterol). Obesity, aging, unhealthy nutritional practices in ethnic groups, increased number of wellness products (up 437% in past 4 years)…. are among the trends that suggest a tipping point poised to accelerate in the coming decade. Essentially, wellness which has been treated as a lifestyle choice will become a medical requirement. In other words, chronic illness will become a mainstream market. Progressive supermarkets and suppliers are making their initial moves to capture this lucrative market and making pivotal strategic choices: What are the innovative services that will cause shoppers to give a retailer credit for being a resource for wellness and sound nutrition? What new departments or entire new retail format innovations will capitalize on this tipping point? What new roles and capabilities will need to be developed or acquired? Where are the fruitful points of collaboration between retailers and suppliers to drive sales of innovative health products? This program focused on the following strategic issues: the perfect storm for whole health, the latent needs of health conscious shoppers, current best practices of supermarket leaders in whole health, speculating about retail format innovations in the next five years, and opportunities for retailer- supplier collaborations.
To view the presentation handouts:
The Health Conscious Tipping Point: From Wellness Niche to Mainstream Market – Art Turock (.pdf 381 kb)
Identifying Opportunities and Trends in the Industry
David Schoeder, Principal, The Food Partners
The retail grocery industry is undergoing significant reshaping. Private equity companies are buying stores, chains are divesting under performers, and store purchase opportunities are plentiful. Learn how to find these potential deals, what sellers are looking for and what you need to look for in this changing environments and take advantage of it to grow your business.
Click here to link to The Food Partners website
David W. Schoeder , Principal, The Food Partners
dschoeder@thefoodpartners.com
Schoeder has 27 years of investment banking experience within the food industry specializing in debt restructuring, private placement, debt placement and strategic advisory services. He is also a leading national expert on capitalization and governance issues relating to cooperatives. Over the last seven years, he has been involved in the placement of nearly $2.5 billion of debt financing. Schoeder served as managing director at both KPMG Retail Ventures and the Cooperative Funding Corp., the investment banking affiliate of National Cooperative Bank, prior to forming The Food Partners. While at the Cooperative Funding Corp., Schoeder was involved in the placement of more than $1 billion of debt financing. Prior to the Cooperative Funding Corp., Schoeder served as the assistant treasurer of Farm Credit Banks of St. Paul, a $12 billion lending institution to agribusinesses. He serves on the board of a number of private companies including Blooming Prairie, a leading wholesale cooperative distributor of natural and organic foods. Schoeder is second generation to the food industry.
Natural and Organic Foods: A Growth Market Attracting the Attention.
Scott Silverman, Retail Manager, Go Organic!
Wes Harrison, Professor of Food Marketing, Louisiana State University
Emile Breaux, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Associated, Grocers Baton Rough, Inc
This workshop was presented at the 2007 N.G.A. Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. It covered the latest information on retailing trends in the rapidly growing natural and organic food market. The impact of Wal-Mart’sdecision to offer more organic food in their stores was addressed. In particular, some industry experts believe that Wal-Mart’sexpansion into organics will accelerate the growth of this category, but will also result in lower margins for retailers. Wal-Mart’sinterest in organics is also expected to accelerate the emergence of national organic brands such as those planned by Kellogg’s, Kraft, General Mills, and PepsiCo. How well will these trends affect the community-based independent retailer? This session provided insights into answering this important question. The objective of this session was to exchange information and stimulate discussion of important retailing trends in natural and organic foods. Emphasis was placed on the consequences of expansion of organic lines by Wal*Mart, and the effect on the community-based independent retailer.
To view the presentation handouts:
Organic and Natural Foods: Retailing Trends -- Dr. R. Wes Harrison (.ppt 12265 kb)
Natural and Organic Foods: A Growth Market Attracting Attention – Scott Silverman (.pdf 593 kb)
Blue-Collar Organics: Selling Organic Produce to Every Customer with a Total Store Approach
Joe Himmelheber, Director of Merchandising, Caito Foods Service, Inc.
Steve Dillard, Vice President Sales & Business Development, Associated Wholesale Grocers
This workshop was presented at the 2007 N.G.A. Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The phenomenon of growing sales in natural and organic produce has gone beyond the upscale shopper. The changing customer profile of the organic consumer is giving retailers a unique opportunity for profitability. But retail grocers have to be ready to reach out to potential shoppers with education about organics and a willingness to convert “dead zones” in their stores into dynamic sale areas. This session was a fast-pace look at how to make organics work in blue-collar areas and add passion to organic produce merchandising. Experts showed how to allocate organics properly and discussed what the essential (core) fresh organic produce items are that should be featured in your stores. Attendees learned the difference between “natural” and “organic” trends on the fresh product side along with trends on the packaged goods side, and the importance of organic certification.
To view the presentation handouts:
Blue Collar Organics – Joe Himmelheber (.pdf 283 kb)
Natural and Organics – Steve Dillard (.pdf 12261 kb)
