How to Be Competitive and Differentiate in Today’s Changing Retail Landscape | The Ballroom

Independent grocery retailers have never faced more competition—or more opportunity. As pricing pressure increases and consumer expectations continue to evolve, success depends on offering something customers can’t find anywhere else.

This interactive workshop explores practical strategies that help independent grocers compete beyond price. We’ll discuss how to build a compelling value proposition through thoughtful pricing strategies, a differentiated private label program, exceptional prepared foods, meaningful local partnerships, and authentic storytelling that brings your brand to life.

Participants will leave with actionable ideas for creating a shopping experience that strengthens customer loyalty, grows sales, and reinforces what makes independent grocers unique in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Topics include:
– Pricing strategies that balance value perception and profitability
– Building a successful private label program
– Leveraging local products as a true competitive advantage
– Growing prepared foods into a destination department
– Using storytelling to connect customers with your products, producers, and mission
– Creating a differentiated shopping experience that customers can’t get anywhere else
– Leveraging Data to help increase sales and provide a better customer experience

Whether you’re a general manager, category manager, marketer, or store leader, this session will provide practical ideas you can take home and begin implementing immediately.

Lisa Sedlar | General Manager / CEO | Community Food Co-Op

Lisa is a skilled and successful grocery executive with over 25 years of experience delivering smart growth in the natural and organic food marketplace. Lisa is currently the CEO of Community Food Co-op in Bellingham WA. Prior, she founded Green Zebra Grocery with a mission to increase access to healthy food. Green Zebra was designed to modernize convenience stores by offering healthy, natural, organic, and freshly made foods. Prior, Lisa was the President and CEO of New Seasons Market, where she helped grow the business to over $300M in revenue and more than 2,000 employees. Over 30% of the food and goods sold at New Seasons were produced by local farmers, fishers, ranchers, and makers. Lisa also served as the Director of Purchasing at Whole Foods Market and the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Pharmaca. She is deeply knowledgeable about sustainable food systems, regenerative farming, and food marketing. Lisa has dedicated her career and volunteer capacity to supporting local producers. She believes every person has a right to access nutritious, healthy, and culturally appropriate food.

Michelle O’Connor | Prepared Foods Systems & Operations Specialist | Moxie Consulting

Michelle O’Connor is a chef, recipe costing expert, customer service specialist, deli operations maven and genuinely enthusiastic and happy human being. As the founder of Moxie Consulting, she provides strategic, customized operational support to food co-ops and natural foods grocers all over the US and Canada. A leader in the natural and organic foods industry, Michelle helps her clients understand where they are on the path to success and gets them there by teaching systems that last and helping teams find joy in the work they do. With 24 years of experience spanning fine dining to co-op production kitchens, she rolls up her sleeves and works alongside her clients on food safety, menu and program planning, production scheduling tools, manager training, inventory and recipe costing, and whatever else they need. Michelle builds more than systems; she builds the confidence of the people who run them.

Michelle lives in beautiful Southern Oregon and is the proud mama of 2 great kids and 37 houseplants. She collaborates with Thought For Food Consulting to present an annual, 3 day intensive deli operations seminar. Learn more at deliops101.com.

Lauren Heumann | Grocery Consultant 

Lauren is a grocery operator with a background in city planning and public health. She’s interested in the role grocery plays in community, economic, and environmental resilience. She spent the first 6 years of her grocery career as an owner and operator of Treebird Market, a 1,400-square-foot natural food store in Hood River, Oregon, finding a way to move a lot of product and people through a very small space.

She is still new to the grocery industry (relative to the rest of the panel), but that’s part of what she brings to it: a fresh, curious perspective and a willingness to question. She’s currently working on her next project, a new natural food grocery concept, and is glad to be learning from operators who’ve been at this far longer than she has.

 

More amazing speakers will be announced soon!