Presented by:
Randy Edeker, Chairman, President, and CEO, Hy-Vee, Inc., Chairman, FMI Board
Leslie Sarasin, President & CEO, FMI

From the center of the battle against COVID-19, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn, M.D. is leading FDA’s efforts to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s food supply while monitoring the availability, safety and effectiveness of drugs, vaccines, disease treatments and medical devices. The COVID-19 crisis has put FDA on the center stage as they use regulatory tools to save lives and ensure the nation’s citizens can return to work. Commissioner Hahn will share his perspective on the work that lies ahead for each of us and how to prepare our workforce and our customers.

FMI’s 2020 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends research tells us what grocery shopping was like before COVID-19 changed our lives and FMI’s COVID-19 Grocery Shopping Trends Tracker surveys provide a picture of what it is like during the pandemic. The remaining questions are how long will the phase last and what will grocery shopping look like once we get beyond COVID-19?  Join Leslie Sarasin on a journey through COVID-19’s influence on grocery shopping trends, including where it interrupted, where it disrupted and where it accelerated. Attendees will understand exactly where, how and how much the pandemic influenced and reshaped grocery shopping patterns and will be provided a glimpse of the emerging picture of the depth and longevity of these reconfigured shopping patterns.

As the COVID-19 pandemic wave coursed over 180 countries on 6 continents in less than 6 months, FMI’s international members have been ahead of the U.S. in their response to the crisis. Join a panel of international retailers as they share an overview of how the crisis unfolded in their respective markets and how their consumers reacted. Hear lessons learned, what they are doing to prepare for a second wave and how this could apply to U.S. retailers.

In this time of unprecedented uncertainty, leaders are facing some of the toughest business decisions of their careers and need help making the right choices. This session will explore key takeaways from the COVID-19 crisis, examine the new societal and economic norms and discuss the constraints and challenges businesses face through the phased reopening of the economy. We will share a toolkit designed to help business leaders navigate through a complex maze of industry issues, develop predictive scenarios and assist in decision making.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused multiple issues to occur simultaneously in our supply chains and accelerated disruption and risk. But these are just the latest issues to impact our global food supply chains. In the last five years almost 90 percent of the food supply chain has experienced disruption. Our current tools are primarily reactive and have proven at times to be ineffective and inadequate to provide early warning of supply chain risks and addressing these risks. Leading organizations are now adopting techniques to predict supply chain issues, scenario plans, and to take actions to reduce the risk and cost impact of these disruptions.

The shock of COVID-19 has dramatically affected purchasing patterns across channels and categories. The Retail industry, already challenged to adapt to a changing consumer, must pivot even more quickly or risk losing relevance. To survive, organizations must act now to drive a culture of working capital productivity to unlock cash to invest for growth.

Food is central to the human experience. What happens when that experience radically shifts in a matter of weeks? The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the food ecosystem to reset and retool to serve customers in a new norm resulting from seismic shifts in consumers' purchasing and dining behaviors. Hear how changing consumer behaviors have led to a resurgence of innovation across the food system in spatial design, digital commerce, and new expectations in food transparency. Foodservice businesses that adjust now will restore consumer confidence and restart for success.

The food retail workforce was already in the midst of major shifts prior to COVID-19. The crisis has only accelerated the pace of these shifts. As we move through the COVID-19 crisis, how are these forces shaping the work, the workforce and the workplace?