FMI's 2005 managing the total store: operations course to address industry trends, cost-control methods and effective techniques in marketing and merchandising

Frozen Food Digest, July, 2005

Current industry trends, category management basics, segmentation marketing, easy and innovative merchandising tips, and cost controls for the bakery and deli departments are among the highlights of the 2005 Managing the Total Store: Operations Course. Presented by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), this training and education program will be held July 10-14, 2005, at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI.

The operations course will offer attendees cutting-edge views and practical solutions to day-to-day issues affecting store operations using case studies, group exercises and workshops. The course is designed for store managers, owners and operators, general managers, district and divisional managers and high-potential management candidates.

"Managing a successful operation is increasingly difficult due to the fast-paced and rapidly changing food retailing environment," said Kimberly Roberts, senior manager of education programs, FMI. "The Managing the Total Store: Operations Course is a unique opportunity for participants to learn how industry leaders are effectively meeting current challenges and gain hands-on experience solving some of today's most pressing and complex problems.

Specific program topics include:

* 10 Top Retailers ... 10 Top Tactics to Top Last Years Sales--How do they do it ... and keep doing it? Some companies never seem to have bad sales news to report. This keynote address will identify the top tactics retailers use each day to continually grow their sales. These tactics should be considered by attendees in order to tell if they apply to their businesses. Attendees will walk away with at least five ideas to grow sales in the days' months and years ahead.

* The State of the Food Industry--Technology, competition, labor, government legislation, electronic commerce and consumer demands are all forces that are changing the food industry. This session will explore current trends in the food industry and how they are changing the way retailers compete in today's highly volatile marketplace.

* Price Mix Strategies and Analysis--There's no doubt about it: retailers have to make the margin in order to keep their businesses alive. In this work group exercise, the key components of sound financial management are demonstrated using hands-on case examples.

* Creating Excitement Through Merchandising and Promotion--In today's crowded retail marketplace, success is determined by a store's ability to differentiate itself in ways that are meaningful to the consumer. Special Event Marketing is one way to truly have a point of difference against alternative formats. This session will give attendees a glimpse of what is possible through the use of in-store event marketing and merchandising activities that benefit both the store and the community.

* Department Shrink Control Series--What can be done to improve departmental performance in an organization? Once the opportunities for improvement are determined, how can they be effectively executed for enhanced departmental results? In this session, participants will learn how to develop strategies to improve deli and bakery merchandising and cost controls.

* 10 Things About Creating a New Food Business Model--What are the primary business challenges that need to be overcome to succeed in the marketplace today? This session will demonstrate several operational lessons of a low-cost, low-margin operator and how it thrives with other format operators in its backyard.

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of its 1,500 member companies--food retailers and wholesalers--in the United States and around the world. FMI's U.S. members operate approximately 26,000 retail food stores with a combined annual sales volume of $340 billion--three-quarters of all food retail store sales in the United States. FMI's retail membership is composed of large multi-store chains, regional firms and independent supermarkets. Its International membership includes 200 companies from 50 countries.

For more information contact the web site. www.ifm.org