SJU Wins Case Study Competition at The 2016 NGA Show

Students from Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, won the National Grocers Association’s annual Student Case Competition, which took place at The 2016 NGA Show in Las Vegas, Feb. 28 – March 2.

This year’s Student Case Study Competition included 13 student teams from food retailing college and university programs from across the country who prepared for months to present at The NGA Show and vie for the top $4,000 team prize. The Case Study this year was to competitively and creatively help Davis Food & Drug ― an independent, four-chain grocery retailer based in Utah ― to differentiate itself from competitors through the introduction of online shopping. Specifically, Davis Food & Drug was interested in capturing a greater share of Millennial shoppers in its rural Vernal, Utah, location.

Students Nadia DeVries, Thomas Flynn, Joe Magazzu, Meghan McAlpin, Mia Tomkins and Sarah Trabattoni provided a competitive analysis of the grocery market in Davis Food & Drug’s area; a review of the consumer segmentation; a defined objective and strategies to obtain the objective; and financial analysis.

While several strategies were investigated, the team selected a click-and-collect eCommerce platform in part due to the ability to engage with Millennial shoppers as well as other demographic groups. The team recommended MyWebGrocer as a service provider because of its expertise in picking and ordering technology, service that includes a dedicated account manager, and additional online capabilities. The program included ways to attract Millennial shoppers, leverage Davis Food & Drug’s “hometown proud” heritage, preserve the retailer’s loyal shopper base while attracting new shoppers, and communication and integration strategies.