There’s one inalienable fact about Whole Foods Market: regardless of market fluctuations, its stores represent the gateway to the cutting edge for a large cohort of important consumers and tastemakers, making the chain a vital intake valve for entrepreneurial beverage brands.
Cross that fact with an ongoing reset of the company’s category management and purchasing guidelines and it’s apparent that this is an essential moment in which aspiring beverage companies should have the opportunity to hear from the company itself in order to properly calibrate their retailing strategies.
That’s why BevNET is welcoming Matt Jimenez, the Senior Category Leader for Whole Foods Market’s global grocery team, to speak during the summer BevNET Live event in New York on June 13 and 14. Jimenez, who leads the retailer’s beverage and dairy selection process, is uniquely positioned to address the changes in the company’s buying processes and how entrepreneurs can win access to and thrive within this key account.
Jimenez has 12 years of leadership experience with Whole Foods Market and has worked with both Hain Celestial and ProBar — a set of experience that informs his thoughts on beverage selections and the overall nature of successful entrepreneurial food and beverage brands. His advice on the ways that beverage companies can work with and grow at Whole Foods Market and think about ways to incorporate the outlet into an overall plan for scale and success will help both new and established beverage companies alike. His talk at BevNET Live will be a can’t-miss part of the program.
BevNET Live Summer 2017 takes place on June 13 and 14 at the Metropolitan West in Manhattan. The event is a twice-a-year conference that connects beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors to foster innovation, creativity and cooperation to accelerate advancement of the beverage industry.
Register for BevNET Live Summer 2017
About Matt Jimenez
Matt Jimenez is a Senior Category Leader for Whole Foods Market’s global grocery team and is based at the company’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. In his combined 12 years with the company, he’s held senior leadership positions in category management and retail merchandising on both the national and regional scale. Matt has also held leadership positions in product development, trade management and team building for both small and large portfolio brands. In his current role, Matt leads Whole Foods Market’s dairy and beverage businesses and supports the purchasing evolution for the non-perishables product teams. He’s passionate about discovering and preparing brands for market, and in his spare time donates his industry expertise to advising emerging food companies. During his tenure at Whole Foods Market, Matt has launched a multitude of exclusive product lines within center store. In addition to product development, he has also worked with industry leaders to define standards for domestic fair trade ingredients, compostable packaging initiatives, sustainable palm oil sourcing and grass fed dairy inputs. As a 2016 Global Support All Star award recipient from Whole Foods Market, Matt was recognized as being a foundational leader for the company.
About BevNET Live
BevNET Live Summer 2017 will return to the Metropolitan West in New York, N.Y. on June 13 and 14.
BevNET Live is a two-day forum for beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors to gather and exchange ideas through interactive panels, lectures, and networking.
Attendees are able to access the expertise of investment professionals on ways to attract funding, successful brand owners about their inspiring stories, retail and distribution gatekeepers on growth strategies and industry advisors on sales, marketing, and branding challenges. BevNET Live offers extensive and in-depth programming and networking with other attendees and the BevNET.com community, which has spent more than a decade dedicating itself to careful reporting on the fast-moving beverage industry. More than just a conference, BevNET LIVE includes exclusive offerings including the BevNET Live Expo, the New Beverage Showdown, a Sampling Bar option for all attendees, a Beverage School for new entrepreneurs, and more.