Sierra Brewer: Traditional Grocery Has a Shelf Life
05/18/25 • 26 min
Sierra Brewer stands at the exciting intersection of tradition and innovation in grocery. As a Cornell University student preparing to become the first US category manager for The Modern Milkman, she brings fresh perspectives on how sustainability and convenience can reshape grocery retail.
What makes this episode particularly compelling is Sierra's bold prediction that the grocery industry is approaching a critical inflection point—"a bubble about to pop." She identifies four major forces driving this change: economic pressures forcing price sensitivity, expansion of hard discounters, acceleration of digital shopping options, and shifting consumer preferences toward sustainability and transparency.
Sierra also addresses the significant gender disparity in grocery leadership. Despite women comprising two-thirds of the grocery workforce, only 10% of newly appointed retail CEOs last year were women. Her experiences with female mentors like Stacey Tovar at Whole Foods and Jennifer Boone at Albertsons highlight the importance of seeing women succeed in leadership positions.
Her enthusiasm for bringing young talent into grocery is matched by her conviction that independents can thrive by emphasizing local connections, sustainability, and personalized shopping experiences that mass retailers cannot replicate.
Ready to hear how the next generation views the future of grocery? Sierra's insights will challenge your assumptions and inspire new thinking about where our industry is headed.
#FreshProduceAssociation
#GlobalProduceAndFloralShow
#Suppliers
#Vendors
#WGASyncUp
Did you love the show - Text and tell us why.
National Grocers Association Foundation
Welcome to "Grocery From Her Seat," the WGA podcast offering a unique perspective on the independent
Sign up for women leadership opportunities in the independent grocery industry
Join WGAJoin NGAAttend this year's NGA showF: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGrocersAssn
L: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-grocers-association/
Host: Kristin Popp
Producer: Rachael Melot
Sierra Brewer stands at the exciting intersection of tradition and innovation in grocery. As a Cornell University student preparing to become the first US category manager for The Modern Milkman, she brings fresh perspectives on how sustainability and convenience can reshape grocery retail.
What makes this episode particularly compelling is Sierra's bold prediction that the grocery industry is approaching a critical inflection point—"a bubble about to pop." She identifies four major forces driving this change: economic pressures forcing price sensitivity, expansion of hard discounters, acceleration of digital shopping options, and shifting consumer preferences toward sustainability and transparency.
Sierra also addresses the significant gender disparity in grocery leadership. Despite women comprising two-thirds of the grocery workforce, only 10% of newly appointed retail CEOs last year were women. Her experiences with female mentors like Stacey Tovar at Whole Foods and Jennifer Boone at Albertsons highlight the importance of seeing women succeed in leadership positions.
Her enthusiasm for bringing young talent into grocery is matched by her conviction that independents can thrive by emphasizing local connections, sustainability, and personalized shopping experiences that mass retailers cannot replicate.
Ready to hear how the next generation views the future of grocery? Sierra's insights will challenge your assumptions and inspire new thinking about where our industry is headed.
#FreshProduceAssociation
#GlobalProduceAndFloralShow
#Suppliers
#Vendors
#WGASyncUp
Did you love the show - Text and tell us why.
National Grocers Association Foundation
Welcome to "Grocery From Her Seat," the WGA podcast offering a unique perspective on the independent
Sign up for women leadership opportunities in the independent grocery industry
Join WGAJoin NGAAttend this year's NGA showF: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGrocersAssn
L: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-grocers-association/
Host: Kristin Popp
Producer: Rachael Melot
Previous Episode
Anne Feder: Setting Boundaries Personally and Professionally
Anne Feder, Senior Vice President of Client Growth and Product with eGrocery, shares her journey from psychology grad to grocery tech leader and how she balances career ambitions with motherhood of three children.
• Managing client services from implementation to day-to-day operations for eGrocery's white-label SaaS platform
• Starting in mortgage banking during a recession before moving through automotive, pharmaceutical, CPG and eventually grocery tech
• Taking a three-year career break to be a stay-at-home mom before gradually returning to the workforce
• Finding passion in grocery during the pandemic by seeing how e-commerce technology helped essential workers serve communities safely
• Setting firm boundaries and asking for help to balance professional responsibilities with family priorities
• Addressing women's leadership challenges including data bias and the tendency to over-internalize negative feedback
• Emphasizing the importance of representation through organizations like Women Grocers of America
• Advocating for e-commerce as essential for independent grocers: "It's like putting on your tennis shoes to play basketball"
• Seeing opportunity for independent grocers to reclaim market share through community connection and technological innovation
If you find value in our podcast, be sure to subscribe to never miss an episode and leave a review on your favorite listening platform to help others discover Grocery from Her Seat.
#boundaries #successwithoutapology #womengrocers #leadership
Did you love the show - Text and tell us why.
National Grocers Association Foundation
Welcome to "Grocery From Her Seat," the WGA podcast offering a unique perspective on the independent
Sign up for women leadership opportunities in the independent grocery industry
Join WGAJoin NGAAttend this year's NGA showF: https://www.facebook.com/NationalGrocersAssn
L: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-grocers-association/
Host: Kristin Popp
Producer: Rachael Melot
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