By: Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI
I recently shared my thoughts on "The Ready Stance" sports posture and how it provides optimal positioning to allow your body to change directions, practice preparedness swiftly, stay aware and agile. Another position to consider is the “Forward Stance,” which involves shifting to an offensive stance and moving from a position of core strength. The purpose of the froward stance is to provide stability while projecting the body weight forward, such as when punching. The Forward Stance reminds me that in food retail when we speak about digital transformation and omnishopper we don’t just need to be prepared, we need to be ready for action.
The Demand for Technology in Food Retail
Our U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends series explores the food shoppers’ journey and offers insights into the hybrid shopper landscape. Digitally connected consumers do not think about channel—they are the channel and expect a seamless experience across all interactions with a brand. The report finds consumers have an appetite for technology that can support their food shopping journey. Food retailers must shift to the Forward Stance and take action to deliver. But how?
FMItech Pitch Competition: Take Action on Your Technology Strategy
Acting involves finding partners and technology to help develop and implement successful digital strategies. To that end, we’re partnering with the Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART) to host an online pitch competition of technology innovators for food retail. Here’s what the competition looks like:
- An expert panel of judges will evaluate online video submissions from technology innovators.
- Six finalists will be invited to present their pitch at FMI's Midwinter Executive Conference and host a meeting table within the FMItech program.
The ecosystem of digital tools available to grocers consists of numerous platforms and solutions. The FMItech Pitch Competition is designed to showcase the best of the best technology solutions for food retailers. Our first FMItech competition winners shared their expertise in automation, robotics, AI-target loyalty, monitoring, digital receipts, and coupons. We look forward to more technological innovations that will assist retailers in achieving business outcomes and meet consumer expectations.
To enter the pitch competition companies must:
- Have received less than three million in funding.
- Complete the application within the submission site.
- Submit a three-minute pitch video.
The 2023 FMItech Pitch Competition is open now for submissions and closes on November 7, 2022. The six selected companies will receive one Midwinter Executive Conference registration, one FMItech private meeting table, and a five-minute speaking slot. Help us spread the word among startup and tech solution companies.
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