Waukesha, Wisconsin — January 17, 2024 — HRG’s Dave Wendland, vice president, strategic relations, will be moderating the education breakout session, “Bringing Nonfood Destinations to Life,” Saturday, January 20, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET at the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) Midwinter Conference. The session will focus on how strategically positioning nonfood categories can add items to shoppers’ baskets and bolster loyalty. Panelists Joe Toscano, vice president, trade and industry development, Nestle Purina 
PetCare Company; Bill Wolfenden, vice president food and alternate channels, Haleon; and Jill Blanchard, president, Advantage Solutions; will share insights about assortment planning, merchandising tactics, omnichannel trends, and digital marketing, and provide creative ideas to engage customers.
Wendland stated, “I’m excited to bring these three industry powerhouses together to explore ways to spotlight nonfoods within the grocery channel. There are unrealized opportunities for grocers to expand sales to current customers and solidify loyalty by focusing on categories such as pet food and digestive health. When shoppers realize these items are competitively priced and recognize how convenient it is to pick them up as part of their regular weekly trip, they’ll wonder why they haven’t been purchasing them at the grocery store all along.”
