The countdown has officially begun for FMI’s Midwinter Executive Conference, and so it is time to catch up with Randy Edeker, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer for Hy-Vee, Inc. and the chairman of the FMI Foundation Board of Trustees to discuss the new Foundation fundraising event, Stir It Up!

The year of 2016 will be remembered for food safety regulations, resources and relationships. These three themes may appear rather divergent, but they served as the strands carefully woven into the life-line the FMI Center for Retail Food Safety and Defense extended to internal and external stakeholders this past year.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2016 was the year of the monkey. One could fairly say that there was a monkey on our stakeholders’ back this year, and its name was FSMA. Sorting through FDA’s Final Rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is a time consuming, often frustrating and frequently confusing task. To help SQFI stakeholders better understand the legal and regulatory complexities of FSMA, SQFI compiled a FSMA Resource page to assist our stakeholders as they worked toward compliance.

There is no denying the food retail industry continues to navigate an ever-changing marketplace. Shoppers are finding additional ways to be more efficient, find specialty products, and save money on everyday items. Tech-savvy shoppers are increasingly using digital tools for exploring, planning, creating and sharing food experiences. Food culture is changing as we know it. Consumers have to fill a broader set of household needs, and more than ever Americans are sharing responsibilities in the food shopping experience. Within this dynamic environment, here are three business questions retailers are asking in order to prepare for the evolving grocery landscape that will be addressed at the 2017 Midwinter Executive Conference.