Melody Phan Rich, Walmart
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) and Candy & Snack TODAY magazine have revealed the recipients of the 2020 Confectionery Leadership Awards: Melody Phan Rich, senior buying manager – seasonal candy at Walmart Inc., and Michael Smull, senior buyer at retail discount chain Five Below. The awards are presented annually at the NCA State of the Industry Conference, set for March 1-3 in Boca Raton, Fla., to honor the confectionery industry’s best and most innovative confectionery retail and wholesale professionals.
“Turning an innovative new confectionery product into a consumer favorite would be impossible without the hard work and leadership of our dedicated retail partners,” noted John Downs, president and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based NCA. “The leadership that Melody and Michael have shown in the confectionery category should serve as an example to those looking to continuously impress their shoppers and build partnerships within the confectionery industry.”
In her six years of representing Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart in seasonal candy, Rich has demonstrated a talent for bringing together stakeholders to create seasonal candy moments. Her high level of engagement and appetite for new ideas make Walmart, No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States, a unique destination for each season.
“Any piece of candy you eat has some sort of emotion or memory tied to it that brings back those happy feelings,” said Rich. “Not many other categories out there have that happy connection.”