• “The key to the ‘big middle’ chains is to provide some value options for customers.”
• “It may mean taking a stand on the top 50 consumer products…things which can differentiate you in terms of strength in the market.”
• “Get rid of the soda on an end-cap for a month and put up the ingredients for a meal there - everything that you need for a good value meal that is easy to prepare.”

• “In addition to technology, consumers are faced with issues like food safety, sustainability, health, wellness, and the obesity crisis.”
• “How do we delight today’s customers?  Simple, solve their problems and make them feel good about themselves.”
• K-V-A-T (GH’s Independent Retailer of the Year) recognizes that while the customer, competition, and the environment continue to change, innovations based on delighting the customer will enable the chain not only to survive, but also to grow.”

• “Here it is 125 years since Barney Kroger started the company and they are still adding value by looking at customization as it fits a particular market.”
• “Kroger has recognized that unless there is a compelling reason to change the banner, that all retailing is local.”
• “As their private lable program has evolved, Kroger recognized that private label allows them to think like a brand and act like a retailer.
• “A lot of retailers still think that brands are those things that you put on the shelf.  Kroger says we’re a brand, and the products on our shelves reflect that.”

• “You can get E. coli from lettuce.  It is a larger issue than ‘Do I eat meat anymore?’”
• “Young people, who demonstrate a deep interest in ecology and the planet, may move toward making America a less meat-intensive culture.”

• “A very real opportunity presents itself to supermarket managers who want to improve the customer service experience for baby boomers.”
• “Cosmetic changes are not enough.  Nor will a ‘one size fits all’ approach work.”
• “Supermarkets need to understand the specific needs of baby boomers and then develop their unique approach to customer service.”

• “The middle of the road is no place for independent grocers trying to compete in a tough market.”
• “It is imperative that supermarkets get out of ‘no man’s land’ if they want to flourish and the key is to find a point of differentiation…discovering what makes them stand out and developing it from there.”
• “Retailers need to find the category that they can own.”
• “You can’t win against Wal-Mart in a price war, win in something else.”

• “Wegmans is ahead of the curve in the supermarket industry in banning cigarette sales.”
• “Wegmans markets itself to upscale customers as a grocer that sells fresh, wholesome food, which dovetails nicely from a marketing perspective with the decision to eliminate cigarettes.  However, don’t expect other supermarkets to follow suit, cigarettes are too profitable to remove.”

• “You go away from home and see the world from a different perspective.  You may ask yourself, for example, ‘Why do I eat meat?’”
• “A common result is kids going home on Thanksgiving eve and saying, ‘Mom, I’m a vegan and no longer eat meat.’”

• “Food co-op’s local appeal create a passion and loyalty that larger corporations are trying to imitate.”
• “There’s no longer a market for stores that everybody likes a little.  There’s only a market for stores that somebody likes a lot.”

“If you want to market convenience,  I recommend that you do not tell customers how good you make your product.  Instead tell the customer how good your product makes them.”