In the 2008 election year, the buzzword is "change." That single word has created a groundswell that is sure to redefine our nation's path. In the world of supermarketing, change is a constant that defines how we survive and prosper. Just as the sad and happy theatre masks represent the struggle between comedy and drama, so do the masks worn by retailers, manufacturers, and consumers represent how change is both a threat and a promise. The reasons are many: changing consumer tastes, changing needs and lifestyles, changing formats, changing eating behaviors, changing competition, and changing merchandising concepts.

Join Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru, as he explores global supermarketing initiatives that reveal the strategies behind the tactics that are driving growth and creating new opportunities and shopping experiences. He'll use best-in-class examples and the results from an IDDBA/Supermarket Guru Consumer Panel Survey that will identify the upcoming trends.

From big to small and small to big, product and store format innovations are changing the retailing landscape forever. From ethnic to local to fresh concepts, these new forms of "category busters" are changing the face of retailing forever. You only need to look at the explosion in new store formats to understand that accelerating change is the new driver at retail and speed is the name of the game.