MMR: Mass Market Retailers, June 24, 2019

MASS MARKET RETAILINGÕS MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN products and trusted advice and personalized care from pharmacists nurse practitioners dietitians and respiratory therapists working together to help customers get well and stay well she said We believe that if we can improve and deliver a differentiated customer experience we can drive greater consumer engagement she said The more engaged the consumer is with the right care the more their health improves And the better their health the lower their total health care costs will be Its a compelling HealthHUB experience that will drive greater demand for our products and services ultimately driving growth across our retail business This vision captivates and energizes team members across the organization Sansone said I am fortunate to work with a team that genuinely cares about our customers and most importantly creates solutions for their needs she said I believe that fostering talent and investing in the people who are passionate about your purpose is essential to seeing it succeed A big part of my job is seeing that my team is able to develop the skills that will make them successful as others have done for me throughout my career at CVS roads she says As demand for goods rises across the country so too does the manpower required to both deliver them and maintain excellent customer service in grocery stores In the area of food waste reduction and mitigation Sarasin points to the Food Waste Reduction Alliance FWRA an industry collaboration among FMI the Grocery Manufacturers Association GMA and the National Restaurant Association The alliance aims to divert food waste from landfills by reducing the amount of food waste generated repurposing through increased donations and recycling food waste that cant be avoided Three and a half years ago FMI and GMA joined forces to address important consumer and policy maker concerns by launching SmartLabel This innovative program has been successful in providing consumers with access to more product information and in growing the number of participating products which now includes 55000 SKUs across more than 800 brands We remain committed to the SmartLabel program and its future says Sarasin SmartLabel is a strategic priority for FMI and GMA and we see significant opportunities to enhance the program to meet consumer as well as regulatory needs Judy Sansone Senior VP Front Store Chief Merchant CVS WOONSOCKET R I CVS Health has turned to Judy Sansone to implement a set of initiatives intended to hasten the pharmacy retailers transformation into a broad based health care provider At CVS Health we have a sense of urgency about the need to bring real change to health care because the current system isnt working and worse its not sustainable Sansone said in an email Sansones portfolio was expanded in February when she was tasked with overseeing CVS new HealthHUB pilot the expansion of health services and the development of new formats and partnerships Ive expanded my role to focus on our next set of growth ideas that are most often linked to the CVS Health enterprise reinforcing our focus on becoming a health care destination for our customers said Sansone who has been with CVS since taking a part time job as a cashier at her local CVS outlet Id like to say I was initially attracted to CVS because of a grander purpose but honestly I joined CVS as a teenager and a customer who loved CVS and our beauty business It was a fun place to shop and a great place for part time work she said Judy Sansone In 2011 Sansone was appointed senior vice president of frontstore business and chief merchant a role that required her to take responsibility for a full range of consumer health and beauty needs Today the most exciting part of being at a company for 30 plus years is being able to not just see how a company evolves and reinvents itself but truly be a part of it she said Ive had amazing opportunities as a member of this innovative company and Im so proud that innovation continues From the start we have always been a customer centric company Our purpose today makes what we do so much more meaningful and exciting as we transform how health care is delivered A key milestone in this journey was CVS decision in 2014 to halt sales of cigarettes Sansone said That was a pivotal moment for us because it began a transformation that brought our purpose to life across all of our retail businesses Sansone remarked We realized that we could leverage our expertise in the health space to become a trusted partner in health and holistic wellness and that thinking has brought about a slew of innovations for our customers Over the past few years our commitment to becoming a health destination has led us to new store formats focused on health and beauty expanded better for you options in our food aisles the removal of certain chemicals from our beauty and personal care products the development of new standards for the vitamins and supplements sold in our stores and our stand in beauty promoting transparency in images with our CVS Beauty Mark commitment to create new standards for post production alterations of beauty imagery she said Im proud of the changes that weve made with our customers health and well being in mind In implementing these changes CVS has set itself upon the path of establishing its stores as the Leslie Sarasin President CEO FMI front door to health she said Sansone added that shes proud to contribute to the diverse and talented teams at CVS that innovate daily on behalf of customers Im proud of the agile mindset that we bring to the changing marketplace and the opportunities it creates to be the best at providing what our customers want in our products our digital and in store experiences and of course our ExtraCare program one of the most effective relevant loyalty programs in the world she said Im proud of the agile mindset that CVS brings Sansone noted that the front door to health metaphor is a driving force behind creation of CVS new HealthHUB format which envisions the store as a community based destination that provides consumers with convenient personalized and integrated access to local health care at a lower cost The format combines the best of todays CVS Pharmacy with a broader range of health care offerings including 20 new wellness categories thousands of new ARLINGTON Va Under the leadership of president and chief executive officer Leslie Sarasin the Food Marketing Institute has emerged as a member centered organization helping food retailers find new and future facing ways of feeding families and enriching lives A committed collaborator Sarasin has infused FMI with a vision of cooperative action that amplifies the associations ability to help its members address the critical industry issues of the day Over the past year Sarasin and her team have tackled a number of issues with extensive ramifications not only for food retailers but also for the larger business community and some of these issues have even reached the nations highest court In April the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that has far reaching implications for businesses confidential commercial information The issue before the court in Food Marketing Institute v Argus Leader Media is whether the Freedom of Information Acts FOIAs Exemption 4 protects from mandatory disclosure store level redemption data from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP The outcome of FMIs Supreme Court case has the chance to change history Sarasin says We are hoping the court agrees with us that there is a need to uphold and restore the plain meaning of FOIAs Exemption 4 She fears however that if the court narrows the test for the information protected by the exemption many industries will find that their confidential commercial data held by the government will become subject to disclosure In some ways this case may influence the larger societal debate regarding that which is considered personal private information that is safeguarded as compared to the data the public is entitled to know gather and use she explains As we move into the realities of an internet driven world these questions will become increasingly important On another front Sarasin notes that FMI is working to define the language that will help the entire value chain better understand consumers perception of genetically engineered food a challenge that the industry attempted to harness during the GMO labeling debate As the next initiative within FMIs Unified Voice Protocol we are exploring the topic of gene editing she says This project according to Sarasin is designed to gain a greater understanding of how best to communicate with consumers about gene edited food following similar initiatives related to perceptions of cage free eggs and broiler chickens Sarasin also points out that the changing business of food retail requires FMI to be much more inclusive at the membership and leadership levels For example the organization decided to change its bylaws this year to allow product suppliers to have FMI membership parity with food retailers and wholesalers For 2019 FMIs exploration of emerging issues is critical to delivering insights on the progressive nature of the food retailing business notes Sarasin adding that she often hears from FMI members that the hiring and retention of employees is top of mind That combined with the complexities the use of new technologies is bringing to the future of the workforce is the basis for FMIs identification of the future of work as the highest priority in one of the pillars of our revised strategic plan In Sarasins view the industry FMI serves thrives because food retailers bring their passion and talents to create unique food experiences for customers every day Celebrating todays leaders and the leaders of tomorrow uniquely positions us to tell a holistic story of how our industry does so much more than just sell food she says Leslie Sarasin Our industry is shaped by associates that lead with purpose compassion and a special dedication to their communities Partnerships are an important ingredient in FMIs operation according to Sarasin We are well acquainted with the power of collaboration its evident in our policy work with coalition building activities and its apparent when we have social or environmental challenges that require a greater input among stakeholders she says mentioning three areas infrastructure improvement food waste and SmartLabel to underscore this point Food retailers know all too well that infrastructure is not just a matter of having reliable MMR June 24 2019 57