Executive Director of Design and Construction Joel Riggs joins Sean Kosednar in the studio this week to tell AWG member retailers how Store Engineering can help them access public funds to pay for new store builds or even remodels. 

 On this week's Grocer Pod, several AWG teammates talk to host Sean Kosednar about what they learned, as well as the benefits of attending the Groceryshop 2024 conference. 

Doing everything from site selection to lease management, market research and store engineering, AWG's Real Estate department can help every member retailer. AWG's Director of Real Estate, Michael Galiga, joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to get the word out about the Real Estate Department.

Stacy Leeton, AWG Sr. Category Manager for Health & Wellness, is back on Grocer Pod. This week she tells Sean Kosednar about what is going on in the Cough and Cold medicine category.

AWG Brands has revamped its vitamin category. Stacy Leeton, AWG Sr. Category Manager for Health & Wellness, joins Sean Kosednar to discuss the new offerings on this week's Grocer Pod.

On this week's Grocer Pod, Sean Kosednar walks the show floor at the 2024 Kansas City Food Show. He talks with vendors and AWG teammates about some of the food show offerings. 

AWG University is here to help our member retailers provide comprehensive employee training for their staff. Learning Solutions Director Ana Velazquez talks with host Sean Kosednar about how retailers can get the most out of the program. 

Salty Snacks is a $60.5 Billion a year category. Category Manager Jared Grieve and AWG Brands Product Manager Tyler Olinger join host Sean Kosednar in the studio to help introduce new AWG Brands offerings to the category. 

We couldn't wait until Wednesday to bring you Category Manager Ernesto Otero's conversation with Sean Kosednar about the new General Mills cereal Kelce Mix. 

September is FMI's Family Meals Month. AWG Brands' Senior Marketing Specialist, Rachel Frierdich and Kaylee Keane, RMN Marketing & Data Specialist, join Sean Kosednar in the studio to talk about all the ways AWG can help member retailers celebrate Family Meals Month.

On this week's Grocer Pod, AWG Brands Senior Sourcing Manager Robert Fahr and Daymon Senior Director Emma Bryan join host Sean Kosednar to discuss the evolution of the AWG Brands paper program. Learn about the new offerings across the AWG Brands’ lines in the paper category. 

AWG has completed integration of VMC products, programs and teams into the AWG merchandising organization umbrella. Group Vice-President Scott Evans is in the studio with Sean Kosednar to explain what the change means to AWG member retailers on this week's Grocer Pod.

AWG Advertising Specialist Ryan Gellings joins Sean Kosednar on this week’s Grocer Pod. The two discuss what is new with AWG Grocer’s Kart. Visit https://awggrocerskart.com/ to place your order today!

We have a role reversal on this week's Grocer Pod. Sean Kosednar is in the hot seat as AWG intern Josh Gregory talks to Sean about how the variety of services from AWG's Media Productions can help our member retailers. 

AWG Brands has great new products in their Best Choice from the Bakery Line. Category manager David Villanueva joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to talk about the delicious new bakery offerings.   

On this week's Grocer Pod, IGA President and CEO John Ross joins host Sean Kosednar to discuss how the most successful stores recruit and retain their employees.

AWG Brands' best-in-class portfolio includes over 4,000 items across the brands: Always Save, Best Choice, Clearly by Best Choice, and Best Choice Superior Selections. To help AWG member retailers compete in the evolving marketplace, the AWG Brands team continues to bring new items to the shelf. This week on Grocer Pod, AWG Brands Product Manager Tyler Olinger joins Sean Kosednar in the studio to discuss the process and what new AWG Brands items have come to market this year.  

Learn how to reach more customers with digital circulars when Sean Kosednar talks with Ideal by Design House's SVP of Product Development Adam Zimmerman on this week's Grocer Pod. 

12AWG Brands has totally overhauled the ice cream category. Category Sales Director Brady Manning and Senior Category Manager Donna Yarbrough join Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. They didn't come empty handed. After talking about the changes to the category, the three sampled several of the new Best Choice Superior Selections flavors. 

2024 marks the 40th Anniversary for Always Save. AWG Brands Executive Director Emily Detwiler joins Sean Kosednar in the studio for this week's Grocer Pod. The two look back at Always Save through the years, as well as where the brand is going in the next four decades.

 Grocer Pod host, Sean Kosednar, looks back on the first 103 episodes of the show. 

It is the last of the conversations from Innovation Showcase. Sean Kosednar sits down with Our People and Truno. 

Learn how TimeForge can help AWG members attract and keep great employees from the TimeForge COO Audrey Hogan. Audrey joined Sean Kosednar at the 2024 Innovation Showcase. The two talk about all the ways TimeForge can benefit  retailers. 

Learn how you can claim the money you are owed from the recent class action lawsuit settlement from Stephanie Becker, AWG Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, as she joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. Visit the settlement website PAYMENTCARDSETTLEMENT.COM to file your claim. If you have any questions, contact the attorneys representing the class, Xan Bernay and Ryan Marth.    That is followed by a conversation with Andy Ruff, GiveX VP of Community Rewards. Sean and Andy talked at Innovation Showcase about all the ways GiveX can help AWG members.   

AWG Vice-President of Meat and Seafood, Heather DeLuca is in the studio chewing the fat  with Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. DeLuca has just returned from the annual Meat Conference, and she has the update for AWG Members.

Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI, joins Sean Kosednar on this week’s Grocer Pod. Sarasin recaps her 2024 AWG Innovation Showcase presentation and shares what retailers should watch for in 2024.

This week's episode is the first round up of conversations Sean Kosednar had with vendors at the 2024 Innovation Showcase. Those conversations were with, Shop to Cook , Dana Industries,  ECRS. Be sure to follow the links to learn more about each great vendor.  

In this episode of Grocer Pod, we're joined by Daniel Burrus, global futurist, strategic advisor and best-selling author. Daniel recently spoke at the 2024 AWG Innovation Showcase, where he presented "Anticipatory Grocery: Using Hard Trends and AI To Accelerate Innovation and Growth." Today, he shares with this audience the most important Hard Trends and related opportunities that are shaping the future of grocery, and specific AI tools that can be implemented now to lower costs, increase efficiency and gain competitive advantages.

Last week AWG and Instacart agreed to a partnership that enables more direct access to same-day delivery and AI-powered smart carts to AWG member companies across 3,500 locations in 32 states. Sean Kosednar was joined once again by Nick Nickitas, General Manager, Local Independent Grocery at Instacart and Founder of Rosie, to talk all about what the partnership means for AWG members.

Learn how to take advantage of AWG's Retail Marketing Network revenue-share opportunitywith AppCard's SVP of Corporate Development and Strategic Partnerships, Eran Harel, as he talks with Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod.  

NCR Freshop's Nick Arlt joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. The two discuss what AWG member retailers can do to be successful in the eCommerce space.

Learn how monitoring your store's systems with OpSense. Sean Kosednar talks with OpSense CEO, Stu Gavurin and AWG Member Ward Ragland about how OpSense helps members.

Dr. Farhana Nusrat, Assistant Professor of Marketing,  Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego co-authored study "Feeling rewarded and entitled to be served: Understanding the influence of self- versus regular checkout on customer loyalty." Dr. Nusrat explains her study and its findings to Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod.

Kimberly Kubec joins Sean Koednar in the studio to talk all things Yogurt on this week's Grocer Pod. 

Executive Director of Bakery Deli & Food Service Michael Pursell joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. Michael talks about how they will use the strong end to 2023 to propel the department in 2024. He also outlines all the great new offerings they have for AWG members.

Category Manager Ernesto Ortero joins Sean Kosednar in the studio for this week's Grocer Pod. Ernesto is here to talk all about the cereal category, specifically what new products AWG Brands has to offer. 

Webstop CEO Shawn Tuckett joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. They two discuss a recent blog post Shawn wrote about three grocery trends for 2024 and what it means for AWG retailers. 

To celebrate Get to Know Your Customers Day, Pat Kerwin from Buche Foods joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. Pat and Sean discuss how knowing about their customers and community is critical to the store's success.

Get ready to expand your business with friend of the show Carey Berger, from Crossroads joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. Click here to visit the Crossroads website if you want help planning your future.

AWG’s director of Hispanic & International Sales, Crystal Gonzales, joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. The two discuss how  AWG members can attract and serve their multicultural customer base.

SVP of Special Projects, James Neumann joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. James talks about the process of moving from retail to working for AWG. He also describes how his new role will help AWG's members. 

No store is too small to have a floral department. Kansas City's floral specialist, Shannon Gatton, joins Sean Kosednar in the studio for this week's Grocer Pod. She has tips for established departments as well as stores looking to get into the floral game. 

Hear about the process of creating AWG Brands labels as Daymon's Creative Director, Steve Cox, joins Sean Kosednar on this week's episode of Grocer Pod.   

 IGA President and CEO John Ross is this week's guest on Grocer Pod. Sean Kosednar asks John how independent grocer can better market their stores. They also discuss the current state of the independent grocer as well as where we go from here.

Sarah Peck and Matt Amendola, from General Mills, talk with Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. They are introducing Yoplait Protein, a high protein low sugar addition to the yogurt category. As part of the launch AWG Members are able to get access two weeks before the rest of the competition. Listen in to learn all about this exciting new product.

ECommerce Manager Logan Bayless joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. Bayless details what AWG Retailers should be doing to succeed in digital. 

Senior Regional Sales Manager for AWG Brands, Jana Lagis, joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this episode of Grocer Pod. Lagis has merchandising suggestions for the fourth quarter of the year, including end caps, holiday baking displays, and the AWG Brands Display Contest.

Learn all about the 2024 change to DIR fees from VMC's pharmacy financial analyst Erica Fett. There are things your pharmacy can do to offset the changes and thrive moving forward.