Welcome Cocktail Reception

SUMMIT KICK-OFF AWARDS DINNER

At this evening�s kick-off dinner, RIS will present supermarket executives with technology leadership awards in the following categories:

• Shopper Experience
• Merchandise Excellence
• Workforce Optimization
• Business IT Collaboration
• Outstanding Achievement

Welcome Remarks

Opening Keynote

THE STATE OF THE GROCERY INDUSTRY

Speaker: Kevin Coupe - "Content Guy", Morning News Beat

In this morning�s keynote presentation Kevin Coupe � the �content guy� from Morning News Beat will provide a full update on the state of the grocery industry, including trends that are affecting the industry now and will shape it for years to come.

General Session #1

GROCERY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2006 RIS TECH STUDY

Moderator: Joe Skorupa - Group Editor-in-Chief, RIS News

DISCUSSION PARTICIPANTS: Lee Robertson - CIO, Andronico's Market;   Kevin Carleton - Director of Retail and HR Technology, Hannaford Bros.

Joe Skorupa, RIS group editor-in-chief hosts this discussion that will examine the findings of the 2006 RIS Retail Technology Study that RIS recently completed with Gartner. Joe and top supermarket executives will look at findings from the survey � commonly viewed as the premier benchmark research in the retail tech market � that specifically pertain to the supermarket industry.

GENERAL SESSION #2

PRIVATE LABEL IN THE MERCHANDISING MIX

Speaker: Steve Methvin - Director of Store Systems, BI-LO/Bruno's

Private label merchandise is one of the fastest growing trends in retailing with surprisingly deep penetration in some segments including grocery where the penetration may be as high as 30%. In Europe , at Aldi for instance, it's significantly higher � approaching 90%. Why is this? Private label is a great way to improve margins on the products sold. If you can replace a branded item with private label and keep consumers purchasing in the same way, profit margin can increase as much as 50%. In U.S. supermarkets, one in five products sold is private label, generating $50B in sales. In this session, we will hear from southeast supermarket c hain BI-LO / Bruno's on the success they have had with private label in the merchandising mix

GENERAL SESSION #3

MEASURING THE STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS OF I.T.

Speaker: Greg Buzek - President, IHL Consulting

This special session will explore precisely what technology hardware and software systems are typically being used in the supermarket arena, how these IT solutions stack up against technology commonly in place in other retail verticals, and most important, what the strategic implications are of these findings. Supermarkets are often cited as a retail vertical that is well behind others in terms of retail technology spending. If so, this presentation will explore in-depth the ramifications of keeping pace, much less setting the pace, with regard to retail technology, and also how leaders can and are forging ahead and enhancing business prospects in the process.

Topic Table Breakfast

• TT# 1 ADVANCED MARKETING
• TT# 2 RFID
• TT# 3 Transforming Legacy Systems
• TT# 4 Merchandise Optimization

Day 2 Keynote:

THE CHANGING PROMOTIONAL LANDSCAPE

Speaker: Rob Hand - CEO, Hand Promotion Management

Hand Promotion Management is the premier expert in trade channel promotion management. CEO Rob Hand is a 32-year veteran of the promotional allowance marketing industry authoring over 400 co-op and promotional allowance programs worldwide. In today's session he will share insights into the changing promotional landscape looking at the effectiveness of promotional vehicles for both the consumer goods and supermarket industries, as well as the increased scrutiny being applied to what consumer goods companies are doing in the area of trade promotion.  Summing up he will share insights into what these changes mean in terms of increased challenges and opportunities for supermarket retailers today.

GENERAL SESSION #4

SCALABLE GROWTH: OUTSOURCING VS. INFRASTRUCTURE

Speaker: Jon Payne - VP of IT, Wild Oats Markets

When examining corporate growth plans, Wild Oats Markets came to the determination that it was a grocer and not an IT company. That led to the decision to outsource IT �commodity� items thus allowing Wild Oats to focus on its expanding store count. In this session, VP of IT Jon Payne explains the thinking behind the move to IT outsourcing, as well as the potential pitfalls that must be avoided and the tangible benefits realized.

Closing Session

STRATEGIES TO DIFFERENTIATE AND SUCCEED

Host/Moderator: Andrew Gaffney - Group Publisher / IT, Edgell Communications

Speaker: Nathan Tabak - SVP/CIO, Wakefern Food Group; Sharon Borine, Sr. Director of IT Architecture, Nash Finch; Ken Gaston - VP of IT, Safeway, Inc.

What are the strategies that can lead to successful differentiation for supermarkets in a fast-changing competitive environment? In our closing session you will hear from supermarket executives who have found innovative ways to hold back and beat the competition by defining a niche, staying relevant to customers and finding new ways to think about their businesses to ensure growth heading forward.

2006 Supermarket Executive Summit Concludes