Supervalu says that two renowned keynote speakers and an action-packed Education Day focusing on driving sales, retailer education and grocery innovation will highlight its second annual National Sales Expo in August.
Minnesota-based Supervalu expects to welcome nearly 4,000 grocery professionals to the RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul, Aug. 11-13. In addition to serving as a major buying show, the three-day expo also provides retailers with the opportunity to gain key insights on the latest trends from across the industry, according to the company.
“This year’s expo will be a great opportunity for the grocery professionals we work with to come together to reconnect, share knowledge and increase their expertise,” said Janel Haugarth, Supervalu EVP and president of independent business and supply chain services. “We’re excited to welcome back our independent retail customers and vendors with a robust agenda designed to equip them with insights to help grow sales and better engage consumers.”
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, the event will kick off with the 2015 National Expo Education Day sponsored by Supervalu University, a training and development program offered to the company’s independent business customers. This year’s educational sessions will focus on 14 diverse industry topics, including digital marketing, engaging associates to improve results, increasing center store sales and more.
Headlining the Education Day are keynote speakers Mike Rayburn and Josh Linkner.
Rayburn, an accomplished guitarist, comedian, successful entrepreneur and expert on personal development and human potential, will share an award-winning mid-day presentation on inspiring employees to embrace innovation by asking “What if…?” in order to transcend the status quo and identify more creative business solutions. Linkner, a best-selling author, two-time recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and winner of the President Barack Obama Champion of Change Award, will speak at the evening session with thoughts on creativity, entrepreneurship and “disruptive innovation.”
Supervalu is one of the largest grocery wholesalers and retailers in the U.S. with annual sales of approximately $17 billion. It serves customers across the U.S. through a network of 3,320 stores composed of 1,805 independent stores serviced primarily by the company’s food distribution business, 1,325 Save-A-Lot stores, of which 931 are operated by licensee owners, and 190 traditional retail grocery stores.
