FMI - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

In his role managing a Brookshire Grocery Co. store in Kilgore, Texas, Joseph Stephens regularly presents honor ribbons to team members with particularly strong performances. While he’s quick to recognize those who go above and beyond, Stephens sets a high bar for excellence at the 52,500-square-foot store he has managed since 2017, three decades after first joining the Brookshire business family.

Connecting with others through communication is a hallmark of Gary Cottingham’s managerial style. His nominators cite his authentic communications that combine the big picture, effective storytelling and encouragement of feedback.

We’re entering a new phase. While the pandemic isn’t over, the country is opening up, and consumers are relaying increased confidence about shopping and safety. This period provides an opportunity to get a 360 view of where we’ve been, how much has changed, and what lies ahead.

The ongoing pandemic has certainly put a crimp in my style. But I never stopped going to the grocery store. While COVID-19 fears shifted online grocery shopping spending from 14.5% to an astounding 27.9%, according to U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2020, for the first time in years I didn’t contribute to those stats at all.

In this time of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many food brands have seen surges in sales, but emerging brands are having to re-evaluate their businesses, distribution channels, marketing efforts, market strategies and make major unexpected adjustments.