Attitude of Gratitude
A peek behind the PG curtain reveals a whirlwind of autumn activities undertaken by our seasoned editorial and creative teams, which have been immersed in some of the most significant projects and passions of our entire calendar year.
Amid the demanding, detail-oriented duties required to take the wraps off our 18th annual Category Captains awards competition (beginning on page 35) — presided over by Editor-in-Chief Jim Dudlicek, Contributing Editor Jenny McTaggart and Managing Editor Bridget Goldschmidt, and brought to life by unfaltering Art Director Bill Antkowiak and Production Manager Courtney Warnimont — less than two weeks remained at press time until our 8th annual Top Women in Grocery event in Chicago, which will offer a robust afternoon of learning and networking before the premier evening gala.
The turbulent tempo of the past few weeks also included a collection of exceptional internal and external goings-on, foremost to which was our Retailer of the Year event celebrating Ahold USA and its retail divisions at Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Mass.; a highly enlightening roundtable during the Produce Marketing Association’s glorious Fresh Summit in Anaheim, Calif.; interactive digital webcasts; and representation at the Network of Executive Women Summit in Atlanta. We’ll share full coverage of the aforementioned events in our upcoming December 2014 and January 2015 issues, so stay tuned.
In the interim, fall’s frenetic pace has rekindled the abiding admiration I have for the goodness abounding across the food industry, paramount to which is the pivotal role your companies and people play in feeding families and enriching lives on a daily basis. With this the case, it’s an opportune time to let you, our valued readers know, how deeply grateful we are for your support in helping to make Progressive Grocer the most reliable, comprehensive news source in the industry.
Whether you count on us for the day’s top headlines, or to learn something new about up-to-the minute consumer and industry trends and research, or to simply to keep tabs on your competitors from afar, your loyalty to our monthly print edition, your faithful visits to our website, and your interest and participation in our events and award programs provide us with ample inspiration to do our best to deliver high-quality content, first-rate research and reporting, and unsurpassed face-to-face experiences.
In continually striving to meet your expectations, I welcome your suggestions and feedback regarding our online and print coverage. What do you like, and what don’t you like? What types of stories would you like to see more of? I’d love to hear from you. On that note, I’d also like to convey my wholehearted appreciation for what I consider to be among the most significant contributions made by the allied supermarket industry on a daily basis, including:
- ➤ Putting food on our tables
- ➤ Providing hundreds of thousands of Americans with diverse and enriching careers
- ➤ Generous support of local communities through meaningful charitable outreach
- ➤ Setting the bar ever higher in the areas of service, sustainability and shopper engagement
- ➤ Increasingly impressive settings for shopping, dining, gathering and learning
As an industry as a whole, we are clearly blessed and have much to be grateful for. But let’s never lose sight of the fact that it’s not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, that is the truest measure of our thanks.