SEATTLE – April 26, 2022 – The grocery retail industry is facing a number of enormous challenges, including inflation, supply chain issues, labor shortages and competition from new market entrants. To provide retailers with specific insights and actions to win, grocery artificial intelligence leader Shelf Engine is launching a video podcast, Fresh Thinking.

Hosted by Kane McCord, Shelf Engine’s President and Chief Revenue Officer, the podcast features illuminating viewpoints from forward-thinking grocery leaders on how they’re addressing current industry challenges and implementing strategies to capture share in the marketplace. McCord brings insights from his two decades of retail leadership to host these conversations on topics including merchandising, sustainability, innovation, pricing and strategy. The result is relevant content for executives leading grocery retailers and those selling their products to retailers.

“Grocery retail is at a massive inflection point, and the stakes for getting it right have never been higher,” said McCord. “The time is right for Fresh Thinking as society needs grocers to deliver great products at affordable prices but also to manage a supply chain that will feed our families while preserving our planet. Shelf Engine is thrilled to be hosting these discussions to help grocery leaders do exactly that.” 

The first episode, featuring Mark Koppang, director of sustainability at Raley’s, explores the future of environmentalism in the grocery industry. Koppang heads Raley’s initiatives to make its 126 stores more sustainable through technology and community partnerships. He and McCord discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions for grocery retailers who want to profitably and positively impact the environment.

Fresh Thinking is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts as well as online at www.freshthinkingpodcast.com. The video version is available exclusively on the Fresh Thinking website. 

For more information on Fresh Thinking or to be notified of new episodes, go to www.freshthinkingpodcast.com. For more on Shelf Engine, visit https://www.shelfengine.com.

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About Fresh Thinking

Fresh Thinking is a video podcast exploring the latest innovations and trends influencing the future of the fresh food industry. Hosted by Shelf Engine’s Kane McCord, each episode features a pioneering grocery leader discussing the industry’s most pressing issues and opportunities. Join us where food retail innovation, technology, service, and sustainability collide and get consumable grocery insights you won’t find anywhere else. For more, visit www.freshthinkingpodcast.com. 

About Shelf Engine

Shelf Engine forecasts and orders highly perishable foods for grocers at scale. Using AI, Shelf Engine’s platform predicts consumer demand with high precision and automates ordering for every SKU, every day, in every store. Shelf Engine simplifies grocery operations by automating the purchase orders sent to suppliers and distributors, paying them directly for the products they deliver, and only charging retailers for what they sell. Shelf Engine’s performance-based model reduces labor requirements, eliminates inventory risk, and guarantees profit expansion from day one. Launched in 2016, Seattle-based Shelf Engine has more than 200 employees and manages orders for leading retailers at thousands of locations nationwide. For more information, visit shelfenginestg.wpengine.com.