This year’s virtual event begins with ‘Changes in Retail’ which kicks off tomorrow, January 28 at 12pm Eastern / 9am Pacific.
The free virtual segment will commence with a fireside chat with moderator Danielle Masterson and Joshua Schall, principal of J. Schall Consulting. Schall will use his retail market prowess to break down the evolution of shopping, with a focus on how the pandemic accelerated e-commerce adoption and shifted consumer behavior.
Warp speed
Schall said he’s excited to share some of the insights he uncovered throughout 2020 that saw the sports and active nutrition landscape change even faster than its previous breakneck speed.
“The trailing twelve months within the sports and active nutrition industry have been extraordinarily wild. The “COVID-19 Effect” will no doubt have lasting impacts on every aspect of the sports and active nutrition industry for years to come. We've seen health and wellness hardships at the highest levels that I can remember in my lifetime. Additionally, we're facing economic hardships at the highest levels since the Great Depression. This is not a socioeconomic set-up that looks very appealing to most entrepreneurs. Despite that, the sports and active nutrition industry showed its resiliency, as finding optimal health continues to show it's not a temporary consumer interest, but a fundamental secular trend,” said Schall.
Adapting is the name of the game
Next on the agenda is Steve Hanson, founder and CEO of Nutrasocial, who will conduct a short presentation on the retail landscape from a business development, branding and marketing standpoint.
“I am excited to share stories about how companies are adapting and growing differently with the widespread changes being witnessed in the market,” said Hanson.
Hanson will share key trends driving the sports nutrition market along with recent examples of individuals and companies who are adapting in the current market environment with so many profound challenges.
Another focal point will be the concept of ‘thoughtful disruption.’ Hanson describes this as “Thinking about what you're doing and do it better or be willing to make changes for improvement or consider making new ones.”
Synergy
Schall and Hanson will join a panel discussion that also features Mike Archbold, CEO at the Council for Inclusive Capitalism and former CEO of GNC, and Marc Brush, principal in the consulting firm Bend LLC and former editor of Nutrition Business Journal.
“I provide counsel and market insights for a wide range of brands in nutrition, so not just sports. From startups to large CPG, from sports to immunity, from e-commerce to personalization, it's all on my client list,” explained Brush.
The experts will combine their market insight expertise and experience as a consumer to examine the shift to e-commerce.
“We've got packages showing up on our doorstep almost daily,” said Brush. “ It's a broad-based shift toward e-commerce to stay out of stores, and the pandemic has stretched on long enough to make these habitual. I expect we'll never go back to shopping as it was. If you know what you want, buy it online. If you want to browse and discover, go to a store.”
“Like many consumers, I have increased my share of spending online, primarily with mass-market retailers. In so doing I have learned that the arrival of packages at my doorstep actually creates a dopamine rush!” laughed Archbold.
Sure to be just as lively as insightful, this interactive event is a must-see for all industry professionals who want to know what is on trend and how to win in 2021.
Q&A
Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions to these prominent voices in the industry.
This event is the first of a four-part series, which will take place on a weekly or biweekly basis through February. Other events will examine Recovery, the Microbiome as well as Whitespaces in Sports Nutrition, including the female athlete and esports opportunities.
You can register for the FREE event here. Those who register will also be able to catch the webinar after the live event.
