May 24, 2016

By: Matt Grizzard, Director of Membership, Food Marketing Institute
Store Tours at FMI Connect
Activities at McCormick Place may wrap up on Thursday afternoon, June 23, but that doesn’t mean your FMI Connect experience has to end there. Now that you’ve learned about the latest innovations in food retail, heard from the cutting-edge speakers in the education sessions and met with those who can help you in CBX, it’s time to hit the road and see some of the latest trends in action.

Beginning Thursday afternoon, FMI Connect will offer two exciting tours that will allow you to visit food retailers who are working to stay ahead of consumer demands by exploring new culinary options, offering the tastes shoppers are looking for, and changing the way shoppers think about the traditional grocery store.

Retail, Dining, Culinary and Design Trends - Thursday, June 23

Thursday afternoon’s “Retail, Dining, Culinary and Design Trends Tour” will begin at Hillphoenix’s outpost in the Expo (Booth 2422), where company experts will lead you through an overview of the latest trends in store design, covering everything from lighting to efficient space design and display equipment. Those who register for the tour will have the opportunity to consult with the company’s design experts about their own particular needs

Then you’ll be off to visit some of the most cutting-edge food retail establishments available in downtown Chicago.

At Mariano’s, a new concept supermarket which opened its first store in the Chicago area in 2010, you can try out the Italian coffee shop, the sushi bar or the wood-fired pizza oven. Or, if you’re in the mood for a steak, you can pick it out in the meat department and have it grilled to enjoy right there on the spot for no extra charge.

The next stop is Eataly, nearly 30 different dining options spread out over 63,000 square feet on two floors – and Sabbia, an alfresco Italian seafood restaurant on the roof. The latest addition to the already staggering varieties of summer truffles, caviar and pasta de gragnano on hand (to mention only the latest featured items) is a new gelato bar.

The tour will wind up at the Lincoln Park branch of Whole Foods, where the high-end chain has one of their regional format stores, focusing on foods and wines from the surrounding Midwest, including salumi from the West Side of Chicago, beef and pork bred in Iowa and craft beers brewed in nearby Milwaukee.

Insights Into U.S. Retailing: Chicago Food Retail - Friday, June 24

The next day’s “Insights Into U.S. Retailing: Chicago Food Retail Tour” will include stops at the same three food retailers as Friday’s tour but add on an overview by experts of U.S. retail trends and marketing and an additional stop at the downtown outlet of Jewel-Osco, a traditional grocery store that now has a butcher block with live butchers on duty, sustainable seafood, a bakery and a deli.

These are two excellent opportunities for you to get a first-hand look at retailers who are ahead of the curve in giving consumers the convenience and quality they’re looking for today.

How to join us:

Retail, Dining, Culinary and Design Trends Tour

1 to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 23

$150 per person

Insights Into U.S. Retailing: Chicago Food Retail Tour

9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, June 24

$180 per person (includes a $30 gift card from Eataly for lunch)

Learn more about our store tours and register on the FMI Connect website. This event is closed to press.