Shopper Marketing - May 2017 - 2
Design of the Times ChiCago - The Path to Purchase Institute is accepting entries into its 2017 Design of the Times competition through June 2 (with an extended deadline of June 9). The contest, which features various new categories this year, will culminate with an awards reception and ceremony on Sept. 27, 2017, in Rosemont, Illinois, during the Path to Purchase Expo. Shopper Marketing and three of its EnsembleIQ sister publicatons are supporting partners. Among the awards will be the Convenience Store News CStore Activation of the Year; the Progressive Grocer Supermarket/ Grocery Activation of the Year; and the Consumer Goods Technology Digital Activation of the Year. For more information and to SM enter, visit DOT-awards.com. CGT: Amazon Debate Amazon.com created turmoil in the consumer packaged goods industry in late March when news broke that the e-commerce giant plans to encourage leading manufacturers to sell their products directly to consumers. The news came via Bloomberg, which obtained a copy of an invitation that Amazon sent to leading packaged goods manufacturers to discuss the idea at a May summit in Seattle. According to Bloomberg, the invitation stated, "Times are changing ... Amazon strongly believes that supply chains designed to serve the direct-to-consumer business have the power to bring improved customer experiences and global efficiency. To achieve this requires a major shift in thinking." As the world's largest online retailer, such a "major shift in thinking" would theoretically benefit Amazon far more than its primary brick-and-mortar competitors. CGT will examine "The DTC Dilemma" through a cover story in its May issue. - Peter Breen, editor-in-chief, Consumer Goods Technology Ahold Delh Appeal to By Samantha Nelson New York - As the U.S. retail m tinues to rapidly change, succes must be able to understand an shoppers on an individual level, a Amy Hahn, Ahold USA senior vic "Those customers that we want t changing and our world is chan