Live From the Spring 2026 HGS Show

Sean Kosednar was on the floor at the HGS Show talking with a variety of AWG teammates about show deals, trends, AWG Brands, Retail Marketing Network, the Hispanic category, and much more. 

January is Store Brands Month. To kick things off Sean Kosednar is joined by Cara Finger, AWG Brands Marketing Manager. The two talk about what AWG Brands is doing to celebrate.

AWG Brands' Marketing Success Kits include monthly recipes. Senior Marketing Specialist Rachel Frierdich is back on Grocer Pod to talk all about these recipes with host Sean Kosednar.

Larry Miller, Founder and CEO of Smart Retail Solutions joins Grocer Pod again this week. This time Larry and Sean discuss a new product called Scan-it® Mobile. Scan It is a cloud-based Whole-Store Ordering, Inventory Management, Shrink Loss Tracking, and Receiving System. If you are interested in learning more, contact Larry Miller today.

AWG Executive Director, Deli, Bakery, & Food Service Michael Pursell and FMI Senior Manager, Industry Relations Andrew Brown join Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod. The three discuss how AWG member retailers can either add food service to their stores or enhance their current food service offerings. To read the white papers mentioned in today's episode, click HERE for Framework for Retail Foodservice Success 2025 and HERE for The Power of Foodservice at Retail 2025.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and customers are looking for ways to save on their Thanksgiving spread. AWG Vice President, AWG Brands Emily Detwiler joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to talk about all the Thanksgiving products offered by AWG Brands.

Since 2010, AWG has participated in 13 trips with Cruise Holidays. The 14th trip will take AWG members to Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Mark Comfort, co-owner of Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, Comfort Tours and Travel, joins Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to talk about all the details about the 2026 AWG Member Trip. 

 Q4 2025 is fast approaching. That means AWG Brands Product Manager Tyler Olinger joined Sean Kosednar on this week's Grocer Pod to discuss the success of some previously launched items and introduce the additions to the AWG Brands lineup. Click here to learn more about the the new items being launched.

 In this episode of Grocer Pod, Ana Velazquez—Vice President at the Retail Learning Institute and IGA Coca-Cola Institute—returns to share how AWG University can help retailers cut costs and boost performance through effective staff training. Ana and host Sean Kosednar dive into the wide range of learning resources available, from onboarding to advanced retail strategies. If you're ready to elevate your team's skills and efficiency, reach out to Ana to get started with AWG University.

Recent changes allow states to apply for SNAP waivers modifying, state-by-state, what products will be SNAP eligible. AWG Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Stephanie Becker is in the studio breaking down what this mean for AWG member retailers. Get the latest update of SNAP waivers for you state HERE.