Former NGA Head Joins Alert Innovation Retail Advisory Council

Peter Larkin joins other thought leaders to provide guidance to tech company

4/1/2021

Peter Larkin

Alert Innovation Inc., creator of the fully automated Novastore supermarket concept and maker of the Alphabot automated e-commerce fulfillment system has formed the Alert Innovation Retail Advisory Council (RAC), of which Peter Larkin, former president and CEO of the National Grocers Association, is a founding member.

Besides Larkin, the RAC consists of the following executives and academics with deep expertise in the fields of retailing, consumer products and technology:

Peter Fader: Professor of Marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Chris Haimbach: U.S. Head of Sales, Commercial Strategy and Operations, Consumer Health Care, Bayer
Ann Raider: Executive Global Retail, IRI, and Consultant, Ann Raider Consulting

“I am delighted our leadership team is working with such a great group of industry thought leaders,” noted John Lert, founder and CEO of Billerica, Massachusetts-based Alert Innovation. “They will contribute to more rapid improvements of our Alphabot retail e-commerce order automation platform.”

Meeting four times annually, aside from additional interactions with the Alert leadership team between sessions, the RAC will leverage the experience, skills and networks of its members to improve performance of the Alphabot system for retailers, brands and shoppers. Each member will serve a one-year term, with the potential to be renamed to the council.

“Store automation is the critical and fast-growing retail technology area due to the acceleration of online shopping during the pandemic,” said Raider. “It is exciting to experience this trend first-hand and support Alert’s management team, as they are very innovative and new ground [is] so important in helping retailers deliver added value to their customers while improving their own operating performance.”

The NGA, now based in Washington, D.C., is the trade association representing the $131 billion independent supermarket industry. Larkin retired from the organization in December 2019.