People tend to shop within three miles of their homes and in today’s fast-paced lifestyle, the supermarket remains one of the few places almost everyone visits regularly.  This means that shoppers will most likely cross paths with people they know at least once during their average of two grocery store stops per week.

I never win anything. So, I was thrilled when I won a free registration to attend Shoptalk through The News Funnel. 

At Phillips Edison we often talk about the three “P’s” which are the foundation of our business. They are: people, partners and properties. There’s a reason why “people” comes first in that list. Our associates are our greatest resource and our most valuable asset. We believe that we have the best, the brightest and the most engaged team in the industry.

During my 25+ years in the marketing industry I've seen firsthand how fast-paced the field is and how industry trends come and go with a blink of an eye. I've also had the pleasure of connecting with some of the brightest minds in the industry which has enabled me to sharpen my marketing skills. For this reason, I recommend to anyone working in the marketing side of commercial real estate to be constantly networking with a variety of industry professionals.

Here are some ways networking can be valuable in improving marketing strategies:

In a world where more people own a mobile device than a toothbrush, social media has fundamentally changed the way we live, work, shop and play. In fact, 1 out of every 6 minutes the average American spends online is on a social media site. We share information about companies, brands, products and services through rating systems and customer reviews, and many shoppers use social media as part of their pre-purchase research. Online peer reviews via social media are now almost as trusted as verbal recommendations.

As a learning organization, Phillips Edison values the education and development of team members at all levels of the company.  We dedicate significant resources to provide continuous professional growth opportunities, and leaders are held accountable for promoting a culture which encourages and supports associate growth.  As COO, my direct reports consist of senior level executives, and so I often focus my team’s development on leadership, decision making and communication skills. 

It was quite the year for the $600 billion grocery business in 2016, with new entrants to the brick and mortar space such as Amazon and the introduction of a variety of innovations around how grocers are meeting consumers’ increasing demand for convenience. 2017 promises not to slow down at all in terms of news. Here are three things I’ll be keeping an eye on in 2017.

More Prepared Food

Last week Phillips Edison & Company held its 2017 Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. A three-day, all-associate gathering, this event is designed to give our geographically diverse team an opportunity to reconnect. We spend time reviewing accomplishments from the previous year, discussing goals for the coming year and engaging in a variety of interactive team-building activities that solidify relationships, improve communication and enhance collaboration.

This week, the Phillips Edison team will meet in Nashville for our Annual Meeting. We hold this event each year in an effort to give the team an opportunity to come together and reconnect. All associates will spend three days reviewing the results and goals of the business and discussing a variety of topics vital to our continued success. One topic that we will highlight this week is the need for excellent decision making skills at all levels of the company.

Helping women achieve professional success and advance in their careers is an important initiative at PECO and something I believe is critical to our future. At Phillips Edison & Company (PECO), we support this idea through our PECO NOW (Networking Opportunity for Women) program, an associate-led initiative designed to recruit, retain and develop women in leadership positions.