Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more

Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more

We will keep retailers up to date on everything going on in the grocery world. Expect to hear from category experts, about marketing trends, as well as discussion of new trends. Grocer Pod is presented by Associated Wholesale Grocers.

Tracks

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more State of the Meat Category in 2026

AWG Vice President of Meat and Seafood Heather DeLuca joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod. The two discuss how AWG member retailers can take advantage of meat's current popularity. 

5/13/26 • 16:11

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Topco's Not For Resale Programs

Sean Kosednar is joined by Topco Associates LLC Senior Program Manager Jeff Vetstein and Senior Category Director, Indirect Spend Program Adam Binder at the 2026 Innovation Showcase. The three discuss various Not For Resale programs TopCo offers to AWG member retailers. 

4/22/26 • 09:25

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Save Time and Money with Electronic Shelf Labels from Retail Data Systems

Jason Skolak, General Manager for Retail Data Systems, sits down with Sean Kosednar at the 2026 Innovation Showcase. The two discuss the benefits of electronic shelf labels. Jason also shares how AWG member retailers can save 10% on the cost of installing electronic shelf labels. 

4/15/26 • 10:31

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more AWG's Partnership with Breez AI

In the first installment of episodes recorded at Innovation Showcase 2026, AWG SVP of Sales & Support James Neumann, AWG Advertising Manager Logan Bayless, and Breez AI Founder & CEO Tal Zlotnitsky sit down with Sean Kosednar to discuss the partnership between AWG and Breez AI. The four also talked about AWG launching SmartMeals™, Breez AI's new AI-powered meal planning tool, to AWG members.

4/8/26 • 27:22

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Live From the Spring 2026 HGS Show

Sean Kosednar was on the floor at the HGS Show talking with a variety of AWG teammates about show deals, trends, AWG Brands, Retail Marketing Network, the Hispanic category, and much more. 

2/18/26 • 17:31

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Celebrate Store Brands Month with AWG Brands

January is Store Brands Month. To kick things off Sean Kosednar is joined by Cara Finger, AWG Brands Marketing Manager. The two talk about what AWG Brands is doing to celebrate.

1/8/26 • 04:48

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more AWG Brands Recipe Program

AWG Brands' Marketing Success Kits include monthly recipes. Senior Marketing Specialist Rachel Frierdich is back on Grocer Pod to talk all about these recipes with host Sean Kosednar.

12/17/25 • 05:25

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Reduce Shrink and Increase Gross Margin with Scan-it® Mobile

Larry Miller, Founder and CEO of Smart Retail Solutions joins Grocer Pod again this week. This time Larry and Sean discuss a new product called Scan-it® Mobile. Scan It is a cloud-based Whole-Store Ordering, Inventory Management, Shrink Loss Tracking, and Receiving System. If you are interested in learning more, contact Larry Miller today.

12/10/25 • 12:20

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Boost Your Store's Food Service Game with Insights from AWG and FMI

AWG Executive Director, Deli, Bakery, & Food Service Michael Pursell and FMI Senior Manager, Industry Relations Andrew Brown join Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. The three discuss how AWG member retailers can either add food service to their stores or enhance their current food service offerings. To read the white papers mentioned in today's episode, click HERE for Framework for Retail Foodservice Success 2025 and HERE for The Power of Foodservice at Retail 2025.

11/20/25 • 29:28

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Feed a Family of 12 for Less Than $35 this Thanksgiving with AWG Brands

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and customers are looking for ways to save on their Thanksgiving spread. AWG Vice President, AWG Brands Emily Detwiler joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to talk about all the Thanksgiving products offered by AWG Brands.

11/10/25 • 08:13

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Sail the Mediterranean on the 2026 AWG Member Trip

Since 2010, AWG has participated in 13 trips with Cruise Holidays. The 14th trip will take AWG members to Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Mark Comfort, co-owner of Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, Comfort Tours and Travel, joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to talk about all the details about the 2026 AWG Member Trip. 

10/29/25 • 16:16

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Get Ready for the Holiday Season with New AWG Brands Items

 Q4 2025 is fast approaching. That means AWG Brands Product Manager Tyler Olinger joined Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to discuss the success of some previously launched items and introduce the additions to the AWG Brands lineup. Click here to learn more about the the new items being launched.

10/8/25 • 11:48

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Empower Your Team with AWG University—Training That Drives Results

 In this episode of Grocer Pod, Ana Velazquez—Vice President at the Retail Learning Institute and IGA Coca-Cola Institute—returns to share how AWG University can help retailers cut costs and boost performance through effective staff training. Ana and host Sean Kosednar dive into the wide range of learning resources available, from onboarding to advanced retail strategies. If you're ready to elevate your team's skills and efficiency, reach out to Ana to get started with AWG University.

9/17/25 • 28:13

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Navigating New SNAP Benefit Waivers

Recent changes allow states to apply for SNAP waivers modifying, state-by-state, what products will be SNAP eligible. AWG Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Stephanie Becker is in the studio breaking down what this mean for AWG member retailers. Get the latest update of SNAP waivers for you state HERE.

9/10/25 • 09:02

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more AI for the Independent Grocer

On this week's episode, we share a Learning Lounge presentation from AWG Innovation Showcase 2025. BRdata President John Abbene presents the ways AWG members can harness the power of AI to help their business.  

8/27/25 • 21:17

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Let ShoptoCook Help With Your Digital Media

Digital media is crucial to AWG member retailers. Sean Kosednar sat down with ShoptoCook President and CEO John Thompson at the AWG Innovation Showcase in March. Thompson explained how AWG members can use digital media to not only get new customers but maintain their existing customers as well. 

8/20/25 • 17:45

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Boost Sales with AWG Brands' Ready-to-Use Marketing Success Kits

AWG Brands Senior Marketing Specialist Rachel Frierdich joins Sean Kosednar in the studio to spotlight the power of AWG Brands' Marketing Success Kits. Each month, the AWG Brands team curates a fully themed, plug-and-play marketing plan designed to help AWG member retailers drive sales of private brand products. These kits make it easy to showcase the value and benefits of AWG Brands to customers—saving time while delivering results.

8/6/25 • 07:15

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Reduce Shrink, Increase Basket Size with ProfitTrax

Sean Kosednar sat down with Founder and CEO of ProfitTrax Larry Miller at Innovation Showcase 2025 in March and learned all about how AWG members can harness the power of centralized data to improve their business.

7/30/25 • 13:09

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Don't Miss These New Item Launches From AWG Brands

On this week's episode of Grocer Pod, we're diving into another exciting quarterly product launch from AWG Brands. Every quarter, the team rolls out a fresh wave of new products—carefully designed to help AWG member retailers stay competitive, meet shifting shopper needs, and keep shelves stocked with high-quality, value-driven items. AWG Brands Product Manager Tyler Olinger is back in the studio with Sean Kosednar to discuss the success of new AWG Brands items and introduce the latest items launched in July.

7/23/25 • 09:29

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Outfit Your Employees and Your Stores with AWG Grocer's Kart

Big changes are coming to AWG Grocer's Kart. AWG intern Miller Brown joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod to talk about these exciting enhancements. Learn why Grocer's Kart is your one-stop shop for textiles and signage.

7/17/25 • 03:33

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Give Your Loyalty Program a Boost with GiveX

GiveX's loyalty program can help AWG member retailers retain customers, increase basket size, and, most importantly, drive extra trips. Sean Kosednar sat down with GiveX's VP of Community Rewards Andy Ruff at the Innovation Showcase to hear all about it. 

6/18/25 • 14:15

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Say "Hello" to AWG Brands' New Baby Line

Hello World by Best Choice is the new baby line from AWG Brands. Vice President of AWG Brands Emily Detwiler is in the studio with Sean Kosednar to discuss the new product line.

6/9/25 • 05:48

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Integrate Your Data with North Country Business Solutions

Sean Kosednar sat down with Matt Swanson from North Country Business Solutions at the AWG Innovation Showcase. The two talked about how North Country can help AWG members better integrate their data. 

6/2/25 • 07:46

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Empower Your Fresh Department with AI

This week Sean Kosednar is joined in the studio by Robert Austin and Jesse Himango from Empower Fresh. The three discuss how AWG member retailers can harness the power of AI in their fresh departments.

5/20/25 • 18:29

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Don't Miss These New Products from AWG Brands

On this week's Grocer Pod, AWG Brands Product Manager Tyler Olinger is in the studio with Sean Kosednar to discuss the new AWG Brands items launching in Q2.   

5/12/25 • 09:44

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more AWG Brands Unleashes a New Breed in Pet Care, Pure Wonder by Best Choice

Celebrate National Pet Month by learning about Pure Wonder by Best Choice. Vice President of AWG Brands Emily Detwiler joins Sean Kosednar in the studio on this week's Grocer Pod to talk all about the new pet focused brand.   

5/5/25 • 05:41

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more Create Digital Circulars with Ideal

This week we have Sean Kosednar's conversation with Ideal's Adam Zimmerman. The two sat down at Innovation Showcase to talk about the company's rebrand as well as how AWG member retailers can harness the power of digital circulars.   

4/28/25 • 12:09

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more ECRS—Not Only POS Technology, But Whole Store Solutions

Sean Kosednar talks with Caroline Catoe and Brittany Benton from ECRS during AWG Innovation Showcase 2025.   

4/21/25 • 11:58

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more How to Participate in Viral Food Trends in Your Store

AWG Marketing Services Specialist Maggie Wilson and Sean Kosednar discuss some of the latest food trends sweeping social media on this week's Grocer Pod. They also talk about ways you can take advantage of these trends in your store.

4/14/25 • 12:49

Show cover of Grocer Pod - Presented by AWG - Grocery, Marketing and more How to Increase the Potential Buyer Pool for Your Store

This week is the first installment of conversations recorded at AWG Innovation Showcase 2025. Carey Berger from Crossroads is back on Grocer Pod to lead things off. Sean Kosednar talks with him about what AWG member retailers can do to increase the pool of potential buyers when it comes time for them to sell their stores.

3/31/25 • 14:50