Monday General Session
February 11, 2013 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Growth Opportunities For Independents: Four Major Trends
Sponsored By:
Discover how retailers and manufacturers are enhancing their capabilities to meet the competitive environment. We will explore four emerging trends reshaping the industry: a new consumer mindset, technology enhanced shopping, online encroachment and format and merchandising innovation. From in-store technologies to smart phone applications, the creation of needs and usage-based merchandising platforms, new price/value equations, and finally highly intensified shopper dialogues – creative new ways to differentiate your company from the competition are rapidly emerging.
Thom Blischok, Chief Retail Strategist and Senior Executive Advisor, Booz & Company
Tom Furphy, CEO and Managing Director, Consumer Equity Partners
Grant LaMontagne, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, The Clorox Company
Rich Niemann, CEO/President, Niemann Foods, Inc.
Eileen Thanner, Vice President, Commercial Capabilities, Coca-Cola Refreshments
Cheryl Williams, Vice President, eCommerce, Wakefern Food Corporation
Tuesday General Session
February 12, 2013 • 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Consumer Panel Survey: Understanding Shopping Habits
Sponsored by: 
Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru, will share the results of the latest NGA/Supermarket Guru Consumer Panel Survey. Understand how consumers' shopping habits have shifted as a result of the economy, economizing methods most frequently used, and opportunities to reach shoppers through social media. The Consumer Panel Survey helps you understand what your shoppers are looking for, and Phil and his panel will explore ways to use this trend's information to improve your go-to market strategy.
Phil Lempert, Supermarket Guru
Mark Batenic, Chief Executive Officer, IGA, Inc.
Jeffrey Brown, President and CEO, Brown’s Super Stores, Inc.
Alex Siskos, Vice President, Business Insights, CROSSMARK
Art Potash, Chief Executive Officer, Potash Market
Wednesday Closing Program
February 15, 2012 • 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Merchandising Magic + Store Tours
Millions of customers enter our stores each week yet minimal inflation, myriad new competitors, and rising commodity costs lead to flat sales with few encouraging trends in sight. Advertising, habit and impulse bring customers into your stores every day yet they are being subjected to a shopping environment more and more devoid of sizzle. This tendency to move toward “plain vanilla” merchandising plays right into the hands of your competitors; the category killers, niche marketers and on-line operators. How can you make shoppers stay, cover more square footage and buy more? We’ll share some significant merchandising strategies and tactics that can positively impact the way your customers move through the store and what they buy.
- Get in-store merchandising techniques that stimulate more consumer spending and maximize sales.
- Discover merchandising ideas that can be effectively implemented in 1, 10 or 100 days.
- Learn ways to invigorate associates with new and exciting ways to sell.
- Learn how to set smart, realistic goals to grow sales and increase customer count.
We’ll review what we’ve learned about the truly effective merchandising tactics as we tour Las Vegas’ leading independent food retailers. Attendees will share the best take-aways of the day and create an action plan for implementing new ideas in their own stores. Come away with new and exciting as well as tried and true tactics for increasing excitement, basket size and sales in your stores.
Confirmed Speaker:
Harold Lloyd, President, Harold Lloyd Presents