The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association is launching Season 10 of Shelf Confidence, the association’s podcast focused on trends, innovation and issues shaping the food and beverage industry.
The new season premieres Thursday, July 30, with new episodes released Thursday mornings on PFMA’s social media channels, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the PFMA website and all major podcast platforms.
Season 10 brings together industry leaders, public officials and subject matter experts for conversations on human trafficking awareness, beverage trends, recycling, retail technology, reverse audits, loss prevention and the Pennsylvania Lottery.
“Shelf Confidence continues to give PFMA members and industry partners a direct look at the issues, ideas and innovations shaping food and beverage businesses across Pennsylvania,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of PFMA. “This season features a strong mix of practical business topics and important community issues, with guests who bring real insight to the challenges and opportunities facing our members.”
The Season 10 schedule includes:
July 30 – Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention. Guests include Philadelphia City Councilmember Nina Ahmad; Marisa Balanda, deputy policy director at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; and Laura Cyrus, senior director of industry training and outreach at TAT. The episode covers how transportation networks, major events, retailers and frontline employees can help recognize warning signs, report concerns and protect vulnerable people in Pennsylvania communities.
Aug. 6 – The Business of Beverages with Vintage Imports. Dan Johnson, WEP program development; Michael Hodges, grocery and chain retail; and Trevor Nare, trends and retail insights, of PFMA member Vintage Imports discuss Pennsylvania’s changing beverage market, covering wine, spirits, specialty beverages, grocery wine programs, wholesale and retail trends, RTDs, non-alcoholic options, THC, CBD and other emerging beverage categories.
Aug. 13 – Beyond the Blue Bin with Gateway Recycling. Doug Moderick, senior account executive at PFMA member Gateway Recycling, discusses commercial recycling, sustainability and ways food and beverage businesses can manage materials, exploring common recycling challenges and operational efficiency.
Aug. 20 – Retail Tech with Ravyx. Farrell McKenna, president of PFMA member Ravyx, discusses modernization for small and mid-sized food and beverage retailers, including POS systems, self-checkout, electronic shelf labels, robotics, data, implementation, staff buy-in and how operators can make technology decisions without losing sight of customer service.
Aug. 27 – Reverse Audits with KeyTax. Corey Deibler, president of PFMA member KeyTax, and Michael Schuenemann, VP of partnerships and business development at KeyTax, explain sales and use tax reverse audits, including how businesses can review past payments, identify possible overpayments and understand why sales and use tax can become complicated for Pennsylvania food and beverage operators.
Sept. 3 – Loss Prevention with Spotts Insurance. Angel Ross, commercial insurance advisor at PFMA member Spotts Insurance, discusses loss prevention through the lens of risk management, focusing on how farmers, distributors, retailers and restaurants can identify risks, strengthen procedures, train teams, improve documentation and use emerging technology.
Sept. 10 – Lotto with the Pennsylvania Lottery. Drew Svitko, executive director of the Pennsylvania Lottery, and Eric Grubbs, deputy executive director of sales and retail operations, return to discuss what’s new as the lottery approaches its 55th anniversary, covering Cash Pop, Millionaire for Life, the Retailer Incentive Program, changing player habits and how the lottery competes in a fast-moving retail and entertainment landscape.
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association has advocated for the food and beverage industry across the commonwealth since 1952. The association represents nearly 500 member companies from across the globe that operate thousands of retail food stores, production facilities and distribution centers and employ more than 350,000 Pennsylvanians.