Relationships ‘build bridge’ between history, future of retail industry

The relationships nurtured by the ROFDA membership “build a bridge between the history and the future of the retail industry,” according to Storewise CEO Chris Greco.

Founded in 2018, ROFDA associate member Storewise “exists to help independent grocers rise against competitors by creating software that automates manual tasks and reduces errors; protecting profits, guaranteed,” Greco said. He added that the Overland Park, Kansas-based company is honored to be a member of ROFDA.

Independent grocers partnering with Storewise “realize an increase in gross margin dollars, plus gains in time and reduction in labor that have wowed some of the most progressive and sophisticated grocers. More importantly, the Storewise platform can fund itself,” according to Greco.

“Beyond the software platform, we provide retailers with a seasoned blend of technologists, former grocery operators, CPG professionals and support specialists ready to work together and strengthen one of the most important businesses in the world.”

He said ROFDA membership is an important way to support the needs of independent retailers and gain insight into the issues to solve across retail and wholesale.

“ROFDA allows us to listen to the needs of the industry, ensuring current and future solutions are relevant and timely. Participating in RODFA allows us to show grocers what’s possible with our technology, while listening and learning from industry veterans.”

Talking about the benefits of being an associate member of ROFDA, Greco said the grocery industry is “steeped in historic knowledge and tradition.”

“There’s a lot that can only be learned from the men and women who’ve helped to establish modern grocery practices. At the same time, innovation and competition is taking place at an unprecedented pace, and we’re locked arm and arm with the independents to make them better. It’s Storewise’s No. 1 core value – Love the Independents.”

RODFA membership validates direction and creates valuable relationships.

“Share groups, particularly around technology, loss prevention and pricing strategy, all play to our strong suits and enable us to pair with retailers who themselves are exploring comprehensive and cost-effective technology solutions,” Greco said.

He noted that ROFDA members are engaged in the industry, not stagnant.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity for us to strengthen and evolve our platform based on the insights we gain through ROFDA members,” he said. “Partnering with business-minded people who demand thorough, well-thought-out decision making – those are ideal partnerships for us.”

At the spring ROFDA conference, a group of retailers were invited and discussed “what kept them up at night.” Greco said hearing from those retailers was “impactful.”

“We understand what keeps them up at night, and we’ve built elegantly simple solutions to solve those very problems. Getting information directly from grocers on the front lines of the industry lets us know we’re growing in the right direction. We’re meeting real needs, with real tools designed for busy people.”

By creating direct lines of communication through ROFDA, Greco said the Storewise team is able to “create simple, no-fuss solutions for otherwise costly and labor-intensive problems. It’s gratifying to see that kind of impact, particularly as it relates to price management and loss protection.”

He cited three recent examples. “With just a few clicks, a retailer stopped a twoyear internal theft ring. Another with operations across three states is generating a 12 times return and a 20-plus store retailer corrected $78,000 in errors for a single week.”