Food Retail’s Golden Age of Experimentation

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

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Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

Just as the Golden Ages of art, literature and even television helped to shape society and stimulate a culture of creativity; this era of digital experimentation will further transform the future of food and enable food retailers to flourish.

By: Mark Baum, Chief Collaboration Officer and Senior Vice President, Industry Relations, Food Marketing Institute <img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/golden-era-1950-tv.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=d5de7a6e_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Golden Era 1950 TV" title="Golden Era 1950 TV" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /> I believe that in years ahead we will look back at this moment in the history of food retail as a true Golden Age of Experimentation. Food retailers are testing click and collect; home delivery; third-party picking and procurement models; tiered and paid service offerings; and artificial intelligence to leverage automatic replenishment, subscription mechanisms, and real-time decision making. It’s both an exciting and daunting time to be in the business of food because any and all of these innovations could be the new normal in how retailers and their trading partners meet the evolving needs of consumers. Just as food retailers and CPG manufacturers are making significant investments in their business collaboration models in order to deliver on the promises they make to an increasingly digitally savvy consumer, we, too, at the association for the nation’s food retailers and wholesalers are investing in resources to help create the models and tangible strategies that can be activated and implemented by our members. At the 2018 <a href="https://www.fmi.org/midwinter-conference">Midwinter Executive Conference</a>, we will unveil part-two of our digital strategy, in partnership with Nielsen to better understand and serve the <a href="http://www.fmi.org/digitalshopper">digitally engaged food shopper</a>, setting the stage to reveal six areas of opportunity to improve omnichannel readiness. Ultimately, our goal is to help our industry improve collaboration in a digital world. We predicted that by 2025 the share of online grocery spending could reach 20 percent, representing $100 billion in annual consumer sales – or the equivalent of 3,900 stores – but now that accelerated reality is more like 5-7 years due to the seismic shifts in the marketplace over the last 12 months alone. Year-two of our work with Nielsen will define the critical components of this strategy focusing on the people, process and technology that create an omnichannel-ready organization. We’ll explore how they function as a whole, providing the blueprint for an effective omnichannel strategy and support for organizational transformation. Notably, many of the retailers and CPG manufacturers we talked to overwhelmingly saw technology as the answer to digital transformation, but it’s not. Technology is an enabler. On its own, technology will not fix a broken process or train under-skilled people. Just as the Golden Ages of art, literature and even television helped to shape society and stimulate a culture of creativity; this era of digital experimentation will further transform the future of food and enable food retailers to flourish. Attendees of this year’s <a href="http://www.fmi.org/midwinter">Midwinter Executive Conference</a> can listen to a panel discussion hosted by Nielsen that features two manufacturers and their key retailer partners sharing how they have improved speed-to-market, reduced the cost of doing business and, most importantly, focused on real growth. Learn more with the full <a href="https://www.fmi.org/midwinter-conference/agenda/agenda-at-a-glance">agenda</a> and visit <a href="http://www.fmi.org/Midwinter">www.FMI.org/Midwinter</a>. FMI also recently announced a partnership with ShopTalk to create <a href="https://shoptalk.com/grocerytalk">GroceryTalk</a>, a new program designed to join the world’s largest conference for retail and ecommerce innovation.

Read full article on FMI

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Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.