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After decades in and around the food business, Phil Miller has come to one indisputable conclusion – the customer experience is much more important than having the most unique products at the best price. “In the past, retailers and wholesalers could steer people towards items they wanted them to purchase,” said Miller, Vice President of Sales, Western Region for C&S Wholesale Grocers and incoming Chair of the CGA Board of Directors.
“With technology where it is, new emerging markets for home delivery and easy access to products from all over the world, the industry has to be more creative and diverse in its product offerings and change them more frequently to stay ahead of the consumer demand curve,” Miller said. “To me, that’s the biggest dynamic impacting the business.”
Miller, who grew up around the business, has had a bird’s eye view of the changes the industry has gone through. His maternal grandfather was a butcher by trade who managed an independent grocery store in Pine Bluff, Ark. His paternal grandfather was a farmer who owned and operated a local market store on his property in Cotton Plant, Ark., a small rural town about halfway between Memphis, Tenn., and Little Rock, Ark. However, Miller’s journey didn’t start in the food industry. His father was a physician and partner in the state’s first integrated medical practice, and his mother was an educator and passionate pioneer in community service for decades in the central Arkansas community. “My family placed a high priority on education and encouraged me to gain exposure in a variety of areas but to ultimately follow my passion, dedication and God-given talents of working with people, stating, no matter what you decide to do, be the best at whatever it is,” he said. Continued on page 42 ▶
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