Rick joined FMI in 2014 where he’s responsible for developing a portfolio of services and activities to assist members in formulating and executing their fresh food strategies. We got the chance to catch up with our good friend at the Annual Meat Conference in Nashville last week. Get his take on the conference, the current state of industry, and what the future holds.

1.) With your background in the retail space in our industry, what do you see as the biggest challenges for retailers today, and what gives you hope for the future?  

The biggest challenge the food industry currently faces is labor, including attracting and retaining talent. However, when consumers are asked about loyalty to their supermarket, most often it’s the relationship with the employees that rises to the top. So, food retailers need talent, and when they are successful at recruiting and retaining employees, it allows them to engage and keep shopper loyalty. What gives me hope is that technologies are being created that help supermarket employees focus more on the customer service aspects of their roles. With technology, ordering, doing inventories, and projecting is getting easier, which allows employees to focus on the customers and create experiential shopping trips.

2.) The Meat Conference show in Nashville just wrapped up. What stood out to you on the show floor as you worked your way around, and what’s your take on the business climate after visiting with leaders in the industry?

A couple of things stood out. Value is a big deal right now and driving the value image is helping certain retailers. However, value is not just quality and price. Shoppers are also looking for convenience, entertainment, and relevance. So making sure you are adding the fully expanded definition of value to the consumers is important.

Although 2023 had many challenges, I sense a tone of optimism for the upcoming years. The idea of focusing on the positives of the meat category, as opposed to the industry defending itself, stood out. Too often the industry is on its heels, defending many concerns and forgetting to emphasize our strengths. I heard a lot of conversations about focusing on the need for protein in a healthy diet and focusing on taste as a big positive for the meat category.

3.) There were some really great presentations at AMC. Which ones grabbed your attention, and what message resonated with you the most?

I always enjoy the Power of Meat presentation from the report that the Meat Institute and FMI co-produce. It’s literally a playbook on how to drive your strategy for the upcoming year. I also enjoyed the conversations around sustainability and packaging.

4.) For those thinking about an FMI membership, what are the key benefits, and what’s new these days?

We help the supermarket industry collaborate. We advocate for the industry and we help educate the industry on many new and emerging issues. Our key focus is on six imperative issues—marketplace, workforce, supply chain resiliency, evolving consumer behavior, rising ESG expectations, and finally accelerating technology. Through our programmatic work on these six imperative issues, we help strengthen our members and prepare them for what is ahead.

5.) Looking back on your career, what advice would you have for young people considering a career in food? And it wouldn’t be a “5 Questions” piece if we didn’t ask about your favorite meal.

I’d say try to learn the business from the ground up. I spent the first 10 years of my career in actual stores and despite all the roles I have held throughout my career, those 10 years provided me with an understanding of the operations and how our industry serves the community. Now, of course, many aspects of the industry have changed, and new technologies along with new consumer behaviors have driven change over the many years, but the basic understanding of store operations has allowed me to keep focused on the customer and the mission we serve. 

I wish I had only one favorite meal, but I love food and love to cook. I try to have seafood a couple of times a week (salmon, bass or shrimp), and I also enjoy beef, pork, and chicken. In the summer a grilled rib-eye or pork loin chop hits the spot. I also love to eat tomatoes and mozzarella along with meat or seafood.

Stay tuned for our 5 Questions series of interviews.

Due to popular demand, DecisionNext offers an ongoing series of interviews every month. We’ll catch up with influential leaders, movers, and shakers to get the pulse on the latest in the industry.

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