Happy winter everyone! While the weather hasn’t been too bad so far this winter, Mother Nature gave us a nice wakeup call right before we went to press with this issue. Prior to the winter muck arriving it was nice to get down to the 2024 FMI Mid-Winter Executive Conference in Marco Island, FL in late January. It was one of the largest turnouts for Leslie Sarasin, FMI’s president and CEO, and her team and a promised full agenda of presentations filled with technology talk, AI and collaboration delivered. One of the more impressive speeches kicked off the event with the opening keynote session by Omar Jorge, CEO of Compare Foods and chairman of the Aurora Grocery Group.
Omar gave a spirited talk about how food helps transcend borders, cultures and religion and is indeed the sacred ingredient of life. Food is about family, friendship and tradition. Especially touching was the home video he showed of his abuela saying the grace before the family meal. Touching and extremely well done, Omar!!!
While many presentations were given throughout the three-day conference and most with an AI, technology and retail efficiencies theme, I thoroughly enjoyed one of the last presentations, “Navigating the New Economic Normal.” The talk was moderated by FMI’s Andy Harig and the panel consisted of John Ruane, President The Giant Company, and Leo Feler, chief economist at Numerator. John and Leo shared their thoughts on customer purchasing habits and current economic challenges and unfortunately offered a very tepid look for the balance of 2024. Stay tuned.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for May 9 as the Friends of the Food Industry will hold its annual fundraiser at the Hackensack golf club in Oradell, NJ. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this event is reminiscent of the old food industry days, as it brings together all industry personnel to gather for a terrific cause. It’s not a “customer-centric” event and friends and competitors alike come together to help people in the food industry who are in financial distress. Put it on your calendars and for more information, go to www.friendsofthefoodindustry.org. Hope to see you there!
Another Allegiance Retail Services (ARS) store was unveiled with the Foodtown of Noll Street opening in Bushwick, Brooklyn in late January. Owned by co-op member Shady Widdi, the 15,000 square foot state-of-the-art supermarket is positioned as a key player in the community’s ongoing renaissance. Joe Fantozzi, COO and president of Allegiance Retail Services and Foodtown, revealed that developers approached ARS to contribute to the area’s revitalization. Recognizing Shady Widdi’s commitment to crafting exceptional supermarket experiences, Fantozzi enlisted him to build, own, and operate this visionary store. Widdi designed Foodtown of Noll Street to be a supermarket of the future and prioritize the customer shopping experience. The store is characterized by majestic ceilings, produce aisles adorned with lit trees, and decorative tile walls, transporting customers and creating an immersive shopping experience. Widdi expressed his aspiration to go beyond conventional standards and be a trendsetter, emphasizing that the supermarket represents the realization of his dream for tomorrow’s grocery shopper. “In all the stores I have built, I have always wanted to go beyond what everyone else does,” said Widdi. “Foodtown of Noll Street is the actualization of a dream for me.” The new store boasts an extensive selection of high-quality fresh produce, natural and organic product lines, daily fresh seafood, baked goods, beers, and other novelty beverages. If you’re tired when you leave, stop by the barista coffee counter. Foodtowns are locally owned, and family operated. The Widdis own three Foodtown supermarkets, and according to Frank Widdi, patriarch of the family, promise to always strive to deliver fresh food, good prices, and courtesy to the communities they serve.
Congratulations to Ken Atkinson of Douglas Sales on the announcement that he’s been named as the 2023 Joseph T. Cleary Excellence Award winner. The award is a Douglas Sales internal recognition awarded annually to the employee who best exemplifies a steadfast work ethic symbolic of Joseph Cleary a longtime retail representative who demonstrated a commitment to the Douglas Sales’ values of professionalism, dedication, and excellence. Ken started with Douglas Sales in 1977 as a retail rep and worked his way to the top. At that time, he had the opportunity (along with John Pavlik and Roni Potocco) to purchase the company after the sudden passing of owner Richie Kmec. Even though Ken retired last year and his son Mike has taken over the reigns of the company, he is still the first one in the office, even on his days off. Congratulations, Ken!!
February is National Canned Food Month, and you “can” help make a difference in communities experiencing food insecurity by contacting your local food bank. For example, on Long Island, the good folks at Island Harvest Food Bank invite everyone to celebrate the season of love in a meaningful way by making a contribution to Island Harvest in honor of or in memory of someone special. Whether it’s a tribute to a loved one, a gesture of appreciation for a friend, or a memorial for someone dear, your donation will not only warm hearts but also help provide essential support to those facing food insecurity on Long Island. For more information go to www.islandharvest.org or visit your local food bank’s website.
In Wakefern news, ShopRite has once again been named the “Most Trusted Conventional Grocery Store in the Northeast” in this year’s edition of the BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards. Research and consulting firm BrandSpark International, in coordination with Newsweek magazine, conducted an extensive survey to assess which brands American customers trust the most and for the third year in a row, ShopRite earned the most trusted honor amongst supermarkets in the Northeast.
“We are so proud that our customers have again named ShopRite as their most trusted supermarket. The majority of our stores are family-owned and operated by grocers who live and work in the neighborhoods they serve. These close connections with communities help us create shopping experiences that our customers value and trust,” said Mike Stigers, president of Wakefern Food Corporation. As part of the ranking, brands were considered in 10 broad sectors, with grocery brands included in the retail sector, and shoppers were asked to vote on which brands they trust the most and why. Participants cited transparency in business practices, fair prices, and timely customer service as important to their vote. ShopRite also earned trust by providing the best value shopping experience to customers, its Own Brands, loyalty program, online shopping and iconic sales events such as the iconic Can-Can. Stop & Shop placed second in the survey.
As I stated earlier, Mother Nature walloped us right before we went to press. That particular day also happened to be the same day that Krasdale Foods was hosting its first selling show since 2019. While it was treacherous driving getting to the Westchester County Center in White Plains and what started out slow due to the weather, turned into a big crowd with a lot of activity. Kudos to Bridget Maloney and the Krasdale and Alpha 1 Marketing team for putting a new fresh look to the show and for already laying plans for even bigger and better things for next year’s show. Well done!!
As always, you can reach me at 201.250.2217 or [email protected].