NexChapter

Less than four weeks out, and the countdown to Chicago is on! 🚀 NexChapter teamed up with @Informa Connect to shape this year's program around the technology conversations happening with retailers every day: 🤖 AI 💳 Loyalty 📊 Customer data 🏪 The connected store 💰 Turning technology investment into real business impact Retail leaders from bp, Circle K, RaceTrac, Sheetz, Parker's Kitchen, Kwik Trip, Weigel's, Royal Farms and more are joining the conversation, with plenty of time built in to connect with the peers doing the work. 📅 October 26-28 📍 The Westin Lombard, Chicago, IL If technology is on your 2027 agenda, this is the room to be in. Come find Art, Mike, Matt, MVG and Darrin in Chicago! 👋 Register now 👉 https://lnkd.in/gfa3Yy92 #CStoreTEC #ConvenienceRetail #RetailTech

The word is run clubs, electrolyte pickle shots, coffee on NexChapter, and epic pics are in! The NexChapter Sunrise Run Club drew its biggest turnout yet on Day 2 of Groceryshop, and the crew is lacing up again in Las Vegas. Stay healthy, energized, and connected with NexChapter by kicking off 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗔𝗖𝗦 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 with a morning run through the heart of Las Vegas, all while networking with leaders across the industry. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 below, and don't miss the special bonus at the finish line! 📅 Wednesday, October 7 at 7 AM 📍 North fountain at The Venetian main entrance 🏃 The 3-mile route is paced for everyone 𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 🥒 Refuel with pickle shots and snacks from SuckerPunch Pickles ☕ Grab a coffee on NexChapter with Art S. Matt Van Gilder Mike Templeton 📲🏪Matt R. and Jeanie Hornung 📸 Get in on the epic group photo with new friends 𝗥𝗦𝗩𝗣 👇 https://luma.com/mb7nlqun #NACSShow #SRC #Convenience #RetailCommunity

NexChapter continues to spend this year breaking down the rapid evolution of AI in retail: what it can do for your business, where to start, and what to avoid, all grounded in NexChapter's own AI framework. Next week, Darrin Samaha, NexChapter's VP of Marketing, heads to Miami for Treasure AI's Agentic World, where AI and marketing leaders get hands-on with what autonomous agents can do for commerce right now. 📅 October 5-7, 2026 📍 JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa, Miami, FL The lineup is worth the trip: 1️⃣ Kazuki 💎 Ohta, Treasure AI CEO and Co-Founder, on where the agentic experience platform goes next 2️⃣ Rafa F., Chief Product and Growth Officer, on launching new ideas in minutes with AI 3️⃣ Daymond John on why speed will separate the brands that win the next decade Nestlé, Sony, Suntory, and Thomson Reuters will share real results, and the agenda also includes a Cuban-themed dinner with live entertainment and a sunrise run with Rafa. There’s still time to register 👇, and you can find Darrin between sessions or at Tuesday's dinner and swap notes on what's working in AI. #AgenticCommerce #RetailAI #AgenticWorld

NexChapter went all in at Groceryshop this week! One insight from the stage really stood out: by total volume and visitors, your online store is the biggest store in your fleet. This reframe came from a packed Groceryshop session moderated by NexChapter's Matt Van Gilder on how retailers are adapting their ways of working to keep pace with the omnichannel consumer, with panelists Andrew Krysiak of Good Food Holdings, Heather Lynn Feather of Giant Eagle, and Chad Petersen of Lowes Foods. 🎤 💡 Legacy organizations were not designed for a channel that touches nearly every function, and three takeaways stood out: 1️⃣ 𝗔 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 of the online store as the biggest store in the fleet builds support across, up, and down the organization. 2️⃣ Building 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 that cross legacy departments is key to keeping omnichannel execution agile and consistent. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗞𝗣𝗜𝘀, reported to everyone on a steady cadence, rally teams around growth. 🥂 NexChapter also opened the week early on Monday evening with NexROUND!, hosted by industry icon Jeanie Hornung, who joined NexChapter this month as Vice President of Industry Relationships. Presented in partnership with Molocoo and Supermarket News, this was NexChapter's third annual kick-off event delivered in style. 🏃 The Sunrise Run Club keeps growing. 🌅 Groceryshop Day 2 brought its 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁, with Sarah Nesheim and Crafted joining NexChapter for a few early miles on the strip. 👋 The week also brought a welcome to Ryan Colling, NexChapter's new Retail Media Manager. Ryan brings more than a decade across retail, data, insights, and client growth strategy from Experian and NielsenIQ as the retail media practice continues to expand. 🚀 Groceryshop is in the books, and the NexChapter team is running straight into what's next. See everyone at FMI- The Food Industry Association Midwinter, but first, catch the team at these stops 👇

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 t𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻!    We are excited to announce Ryan Colling has joined NexChapter as Retail Media Manager.    Ryan brings more than a decade of experience across retail, data, insights, and client growth, including roles at Experian and NielsenIQ.    At NexChapter, Ryan will work directly with clients to maximize the value of their retail media businesses, supporting commercialization, sales enablement, brand and agency engagement, and go-to-market execution.    Retail media is one of the fastest-moving plays in the industry right now, and Ryan is exactly the kind of firepower our clients need to cash in on it. Welcome to the team, Ryan!    #WelcomeToTheTeam #RetailMedia #RetailInnovation #TeamGrowth 

There's still room at NexROUND!, and we'd love to see you there. The more the merrier! 🎉 This week, a familiar face joins the crew! Many of you already know Jeanie Hornung from her decade spent building industry relationships, communities, and partnerships across retail tech. Now she's NexChapter's VP of Industry Relationships, and she's co-hosting NexROUND! alongside Art S. and Matt Van Gilder, in partnership with Moloco and Supermarket News. Here's what's on deck for NexChapter at Groceryshop: 🥂 MONDAY, 9/21, 5:00 PM: NexROUND! kicks off at the Hazel Lounge, inside Mandalay Bay. 🏃♀️ WEDNESDAY, 9/23, 7:00 AM: Sunrise Run Club teams up with Shoptrotters by Crafted and Sarah Nesheim. Meet us by Starbucks. 🎤 WEDNESDAY, 9/23, 9:00 AM: Matt Van Gilder, VP Omnichannel, takes the Snackable Insights Stage for Achieving Omnichannel Success by Unifying the Retail Operations. Looking forward to a great week of Groceryshop, and don't forget to RSVP for NexROUND! 👇 #Groceryshop #GroceryRetail #NexROUND!

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 t𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲!    We are thrilled to announce Jeanie Hornung has joined NexChapter as Vice President of Industry Relationships.    Jeanie brings more than a decade of experience building industry relationships, communities, and commercial partnerships, most recently as Vice President of Retail Technology Partnerships at Informa Connect.    At NexChapter, Jeanie will strengthen connections across our growing ecosystem of retailers, QSR operators, CPGs, technology companies, and trade media, turning those relationships into greater value for clients and partners by connecting people, ideas, and opportunities across the industry.    Welcome to the team, Jeanie! We can't wait to see the doors you'll open for our clients and partners.    Jeanie’s headed to Groceryshop and will be co-hosting NexChapter's NexROUND! Welcome kickoff on Monday, September 21. RSVP in the comments 👇    #WelcomeToTheTeam #IndustryRelationships #RetailInnovation #Groceryshop

👥 A strong foodservice concept only pays off if the store team executes it well, shift after shift. That is where AI is quietly reshaping operational efficiencies and excellence with the industry’s strongest asset, it’s people. Start with labor. The work that makes a foodservice program run, the prep, the make times, the food safety and cleaning standards, happens before the rush arrives, not just during it. Most schedules are built around the sales curve. AI can build them around the production plan instead, so the team is ready for the lunch rush rather than racing to catch it. NexChapter Principal, Matthew Stephenson, MBA sees the manager's job changing because of it. As AI absorbs inventory, scheduling, and the technical work that has always defined the role, the job moves toward execution leadership. Good foodservice managers execute the production planner. Great ones adjust it for weather, local events, and the days that break the historical estimate. This is the store team advantage. Use AI to hand managers back their most valuable hours, the ones spent mentoring, coaching, and developing the people who run the shift. 💡 Execution follows leadership. AI is how the best operators buy their managers the time to actually lead. #FoodserviceStrategy #RetailOperations #ConvenienceRetail

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆: 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴. Earlier this week at QSR AI Connect, the operators-only workshop ahead of QSR Evolution, NexChapter Founder and CEO Art S. opened with a deceptively simple question: what does your business actually need? Operators split into working sessions and put NexChapter's AI framework up against their own priorities: the drive-thru, the kitchen, labor, the guest experience, and the calls that get made at HQ. They walked out with a plan, not a list of tools to go chase. AI isn't one team's project anymore. It reaches into nearly every part of the business. 🙌 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗢𝗡 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. #QSREvolution #RestaurantAI #QSR #Foodservice #RestaurantLeadership

That C-StoreTEC energy from last year? Still buzzing. 🚀 Huge thanks to our partners at Informa Connect and CSP Daily News 🤝 for building C-StoreTEC into the industry's must-attend stage, now in year 3. This agenda is stacked, with AI woven through nearly every session and a full day devoted to it. 🔥 📈 Art S. opens the show, unpacking the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 and setting the stage for where technology takes the industry next. 💳 bp's Alyssa Callahan breaks down how Earnify is rewriting loyalty. 🌍 Circle K's Chris Edwards brings a global view on what's working outside the U.S. 🛠️ Jodi L., Collin Taylor and Scott Smith (Sheetz, RaceTrac and Parker's Kitchen) join NexChapter's Mike Templeton to turn IT strategy into real execution. 🎯 Eagle Eye's Jeff Baskin tackles the next generation of loyalty. 🤖 Day 3 goes all in on AI: NexChapter's own Intersect AI framework anchors "𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲," then Royal Farms shares a real AI-to-impact story alongside NexChapter's Matt Van Gilder. 🌅🏃 Rise and run! Matt Van Gilder leads Tuesday's 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗻, the best way to kick off Day 2 with the room's energy already pumping. 💻 Matt R. takes the stage for "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲." 📊 Darrin Samaha helps turn the week's biggest ideas into next steps. Register now 👇 #CStoreTEC #ConvenienceRetail #RetailAI #RetailTech #RetailInnovation