Save A Lot, Retail Partner Join GroceryTech Lineup
Obstacles to success can come from any side of a business, including work with partners who may mean well but don’t always align in approaches, timing or investments.
The upcoming GroceryTech event, with the overarching theme of “Breaking Barriers to Growth,” will explore the ways that retailers can work with suppliers, solution providers and business partners, to move their operations forward using the latest technologies. Hosted by Progressive Grocer, the intimate, experiential event is set for June 5-7 at the Marriott Dallas Uptown in Dallas.
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One session, “Synergy in Action: Uniting Customer Needs with Technology for Collective Success,” will focus on the importance of seamless business partnerships in delivering seamless customer experiences. Jennifer Hopper, chief information and digital officer at Save A Lot, and Gabe Disbrow, a Save A Lot retail partner, will share how they are innovating by synchronizing customer needs with technology opportunities.
The June 6 morning program will feature insights on creating a positive culture of collaboration between store owners and service providers for mutual success. Hopper, who leads Save A Lot’s comprehensive technology strategy, will talk about the importance of networking and infrastructure solutions that support the business’s retail partners. Disbrow will share his perspective as president and CEO of Leevers Supermarkets, Inc., where he steers growth through organizational design, detailed strategic planning and the thoughtful deployment of emerging technologies.
Together, Disbrow and Hopper will reveal how synergy can be achieved through a balance of human relationships and shared technologies, as partners must ultimately be on the same page to provide what their customers want and need. They will share examples from their own evolving corporate relationship: In August 2023, Save A Lot licensed the last several stores it operated to Leevers. Following that move, Save A Lot has continued to work closely with Leevers, as it does with other independent licensed owners, on testing and deploying innovations and programs, including tech-enabled improvements.
Attendees can learn more about how to break barriers to growth through other educational sessions and networking activities at the second annual GroceryTech event. A slew of topics will be covered, including retail media, IT modernization, e-commerce excellence, sustainability solutions, supply chain optimization, new AI-driven innovations, personalization, promotions and loyalty, pricing management, loss prevention and more. High-profile speakers from a variety of retail organizations are on the schedule, such as Walmart, Schnucks, SpartanNash, Big Y Foods, Erewhon Market, Northeast Grocery, Albertsons Cos., Hy-Vee, and many more.
Also on tap: a private tour of Kroger's robotic customer fulfillment center in Dallas, as well as Power Hour, a unique, high-value benefit of attendance featuring five rapid-fire meetings with peer retail and tech executives. Participants will also get a chance to connect with and learn from tech innovators such as Mercatus, Aperion, Preferabli, Verizon, Simbe, Inmar Intelligence, Wynshop, and Ibotta, among others.