During my many years as a supermarket retailer I saw my share of panic buying related to natural disasters like blizzards and hurricanes. Like many, I lived through the 9/11 crisis and its impact. But I have never experienced anything like what we are currently going through.
I’ve talked with many people across the supply chain these past few days, from brand manufacturers to distributors to retailers. I have been in our local stores seeking supplies but also watching how retailers are responding to a never-before environment.
While healthcare workers are always thought of as the front lines in a pandemic like we are experiencing, it is just as true that the workers in supermarkets and drug stores are equally on the front lines. The commitment by people across the massive grocery industry to serve the people in their communities during this crisis is to be commended. They don’t have to be there - they can stay home like many others, taking care of their families, and self-quarantining. But these store workers are unselfishly putting themselves on the front line of the coronavirus battle, realizing that feeding and providing needed supplies for their communities is as important as the doctors and nurses caring for the ill.
When the current crisis abates - and it will - I believe the retail industry can step back to realize what it has accomplished….
The CART Innovation Program is coming to Kraft Heinz, the fifth largest food & beverage company in the world! Kraft Heinz is seeking new innovative capabilities to help bring their brands to life. Interest is focused on digital media, shopper marketing, eCommerce, CRM, and consumer insights. Relevant solution providers will offer differentiated capabilities, fast scale, first-mover advantage to Kraft Heinz…
The CART Event at the NGA Show coming up in February, 2020, is focused on helping Independent Retail understand What it takes to Thrive in The Age of ‘i’.
Changes in the retail industry are happening faster than ever before, transforming the retail store, and how retailers go to market and interact with their shoppers. Retailers can embrace this change, avail themselves of capabilities never before possible, or be disrupted into irrelevancy. And disruption is exactly what’s happening as the industry undergoes gut-wrenching change as decades of product-first practices give way to a true customer-first retail experience…
