Most Likely to be Really, Really Busy: Scott Romano, Vice President and Forager, Sprouts
⏰ Most Likely to be Really, Really Busy: Scott Romano, Vice President and Forager, Sprouts
If there’s any retailer that’s trying to pick up the legacy of Whole Foods as a place to find the new and interesting on your everyday shopping trip, it’s Sprouts, where Scott Romano plays the critical role of global forager. The 30-year retail veteran has spent the past two years actively juicing the number of new brands that use Sprouts as a launching pad, but also trying to smooth their transition into the demanding account, one that’s largely serviced by broadliners like KeHE that are known to occasionally “lose” brands as they enter the system.
Working with intermediaries like the TIG Group and L.A. Libations, a steady flow of new brands are coming into the store – and some are even thriving. It’s Romano’s job to make sure they can survive the sometimes rough dive into their first sizable retail chain, and he and his team do it with a 60-to-90-day soft launch program that lets brands gather customer insights and sales data while figuring out what helps sell the brand to consumers. That soft launch gives brands a head start when they fully commit to launching in Sprouts – or any other national chain.