Expo West never fails to disappoint. As a mentor and member of the Pitch-Slam Selection Committee, it’s always exciting to see all of the innovation and disruption in our industry. My team made it into the final four.  A common theme and hot topic throughout discussions and presentations this year was how do brands get their products on retailer’s shelves.

This important topic was also addressed in a panel during the The Disrupted Retail Summit. Panel members included Jim Nielsen, President & CEO Sprouts, Ben Friedland, Vice President of Marketing Lucky's Market, Danielle Vogel, Founder Glen's Garden Market, and Bob Burke, Natural Products Consulting. Discussion also included how brands should help retailers by providing actionable insights to their retail partners.

This common theme focuses on how retailers and brands need to partner to help drive sales, satisfy shoppers, and compete more effectively against mainstream brands and retailers.

Savvy retailers want more from brands than fees. They want brands willing and able to help them drive sales and compete more effectively. They want brands to provide actionable insights. They want happy loyal shoppers spending more in their stores and they want a reasonable profit. They want brands to respect them and brands that are focused on helping them achieve their objectives by leveraging the strength of their brand.

Read the rest of the article on Whole Foods Magazine

I dig deeper into these important strategies in my free Turnkey Sales Story Strategies and in my BulletProof Your Brand podcast, an audio natural products accelerator.