IFPA Retail Conference strengthens bonds, yet gives edge

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Whether they represented a grocery retailer or supplier, attendees at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Retail Conference came for the education and networking in the only produce conference that laser-focuses on the retail side of the industry.

You could feel the excitement in the hallways between events as connections formed and further solidified, said Joe Watson, the association’s vice president of retail, foodservice and wholesale.

“This event is only in its second year, but you can already feel it growing,” he said at the conclusion of the June 6-8 event.

However, in 2024, the conference will be held in Phoenix in late April to early May, he said. The event could be co-located with the Consumer Connection Conference, known as a Produce For Better Health event but officially now a Foundation for Fresh Produce event, as it’s part of IFPA. But those details are still being solidified.

At this 2023 retail event, key messages were insightful, useful and thought-provoking. They included:

• Cultivating relationships, even with competitors, is not only productive for your business, it makes work more of a pleasure, in addition to the shared value and feel-good mission of feeding the country and improving health.
• How produce fits into overall retail transformation and can be a strength with all the retail disruptions of today and tomorrow.
• Retailers — and suppliers — need to take steps immediately toward meeting the quickly approaching record-keeping requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s 204 Final Rule, which will start being enforced Jan. 20, 2026.
• There are increasingly more ways retailers can scale produce prescription programs to get the millions, possibly billions, of dollars on the table as Medicaid and private insurance standardize it.
• Tips gleaned from a think tank session with a retailer, two suppliers and an organizational and executive development expert on forming and maintaining win-win partnerships include focusing on trust, empathy, resilience and innovation.

Several people new to the produce industry remarked on how warm and friendly the vibe was compared to other industries.

“I love seeing people from all parts of the supply chain having good interactions and sharing challenges and opportunities — true partnership in action," said Amy Tranzillo, global marketing director of AgroFresh, Philadelphia.

In the last session of the final day, Mike Emery, director of produce merchandising, category, and pricing at Hannaford Bros., Scarborough, Maine, shared how helpful it is to have frank, face-to-face opportunities with others in the industry that you might not otherwise have.

“It was really humbling how many topics, from supplier to retailer, that we’re all facing,” Emery said. “It was enlightening and refreshing to have that experience and that conversation.”