• “We’ve replaced the merchants with the bean counters. We need the merchants back.”
• “I think what’s happened is a lot of today’s supermarkets focus too much on Wall Street.”

• “The really good marketers are the ones who can take advantage of trends…It’s like surfing – the best waves are the ones you go out and meet to get the full ride. But most of us only get the last little part before it gets to shore and we miss it.”
• “I don’t think anybody – Faith Popcorn, a futurist or a trend-spotter -has a better look at the world then you or I.”

“Maybe I can’t afford to make a trip to Europe right now, but I can certainly afford to indulge myself a bit.”

• “Go to the local churches and sue the resources of the city to have them identify people who would be ideal to train for a career in the industry.”
• “These churches all have parish bulletins. Not only is that a cost-effective way to advertise, but it is a good way to recruit employees. As a retailer, if you can address unemployment, make a connection and build a relationship with these groups, you will have a good chance at success. If you invest in people, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to recruit them…But if your idea of recruiting is to put an ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer classifieds, its going to be catch-as-catch-can.”

• “People think brands are products; they’re not… They’re perceptions in people’s minds. People only buy good feelings and solutions to problems. And it’s the same thing with financial planners. Clients want to feel that they’re taken care of and that their family and heirs are taken care of.”
• “You win the marketing war by serving the client better than anyone else, and in so doing, avoiding the face-to-face confrontation with heavily resourced giants.”

• “This period is more turbulent than others, but this industry has always been confronting changes… The key question is, how do you respond? You can’t change the wind, but we can adjust our sails. The sad part about it is that if we had a modern-day Rip Van Winkle, the world very differently to him, but if he goes into a grocery store, that hasn’t changed. And I don’t think that’s good. We’re not as focused on needed changes. The emphasis is on the back door and wall Street, when we should focus on the front door and Main Street.”
• “If you think about it, talent and leadership are the only things to differentiate a company. Some companies recognize that need to make an investment.”

“People want to go to a place where they feel appreciated… No one should out-service you. No one should out-community you. No one should out-fresh you.”

• “These people have taken what you started and taken it to the next level…But this is your claim to fame, you need to keep pushing the envelope and go further to leverage fun and excitement in your category.”
• “You have to think about what you can do in the candy aisles to make bells and whistles go off.”
• “Chocolate companies should participate in something like that (Special holiday meal plans) on the dessert end.”

“Candy has always been at the forefront of creating fun and excitement for kids… Now the standard is being raised.”

• “People say ‘Its not my good old Genuardi’s’…and if the customer says it’s changed, it’s changed.”
• “Noah built the ark before it started raining, and right now it’s drizzling on Genuardi’s. We’ll see if they can build the ark before it starts raining.”