Dynamic content, store tours offer actionable insights for nearly 100 attendees at 3-day event for independent grocers

Kansas City, MO – Nearly 100 operations-focused grocery leaders came away with actionable insights and first-hand perspectives from the Store Operations Summit, the latest signature event in the National Grocers Association’s Engage Series.

Designed for store leaders who are focused on store operations and merchandising, the summit was held July 24-26, 2023, at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown in Kansas City, Mo.

Attendees found the summit to be a worthwhile experience. “This conference allowed me to step away from my business for a few days to reflect and learn new ideas or strategies I could implement immediately upon my return,” said Jenny Osner, owner of Conway Springs, Kan.-based Hired Man’s Grocery & Grill. “It also kept me up to date on trending industry topics and issues, and the store tours were top notch on displaying best practices that retailers in the area were executing.”

Returning to lead the summit’s roster of presenters was Harold Lloyd, a longtime retailer, author, observer, adviser and presenter whose “12 Ps” focused on key aspects of store operations aimed at elevating performance and achieving sustainable profitability. Other industry experts assisted Lloyd in delivering discussions of the individual areas including position, package, product, price, promotion, personality, place, property, processes, profitability, partnering and people, as well as remodeling strategies, operating systems and customer loyalty.

Store tours were an additional highlight of this year’s summit. Attendees had the opportunity to visit four Kansas City-area independent supermarkets, where they observed typical daily operations: a Cosentino’s Market, Queen’s Price Chopper and Hen House in Overland Park, KS; and Red X in Riverside, MO. Tours were coordinated by Associated Wholesale Grocers, based in Kansas City. NGA worked closely with both the Missouri Grocers Association and Retail Grocers Association of Greater Kansas City to engage local stores and their associates that would benefit from the actionable insights and first-hand perspectives provided by the summit.

“It was really good seeing how the Red X owners made their new store happen,” attendee Dennis Toney, director of retail at Storewise, a developer of software solutions for independent grocers, remarked on LinkedIn. “The results are something really unique!”

Engage Series events are engineered to provide independent grocers – owners, managers and directors of operations, merchandising and purchasing – with actionable insights, not just theoretical options. Participants will be led on a deep dive into operations with industry leaders and find themselves immersed in ideas designed to give independent operators an edge. The interactive educational experience includes in-store experiences, industry guest speakers and unbeatable networking, combining to make the Store Operations Summit the perfect event for professional development that benefits your business.

“NGA’s series of ops-focused educational events bring independent grocers together to share best practices and solutions for common challenges in an ever-changing food retail marketplace,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO. “We appreciate the feedback from our attendees, which will help us make future events even more relevant and impactful.”

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About NGA

NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.