Path to Purchase keynote to explore customer experience

Embracing data and technology is important in today’s digital world, but what remains most important in marketing is delivering a personal experience and a touch of humanity. Acting Walgreens chief marketing officer Alyssa Raine will discuss striking the right balance in customer experience during her opening keynote speech at the 2019 Path to Purchase Expo (P2PX).

Hosted by the Path to Purchase Institute, a sister organization of Convenience Store News Canada, this year’s Path to Purchase Expo will be held this Tuesday and Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. P2PX is the world’s largest gathering of brand manufacturers, retailers, agency professionals and solution providers for marketing to shoppers.

“Data and technology are the enablers and help amplify everything we do, but it’s still in service of meeting consumers’ basic human wants and needs,” says Raine. “At the end of the day, it’s about people — their stories, their experiences and their lives. We hope to have the privilege of being a part of their lives, to enrich their lives through good health and happiness.”

Raine will share how Walgreens is keeping its customers front and centre as the retailer continues to innovate. Specifically, she will speak about:

• Walgreens’ vision for the future as a one-stop shop for health, wellbeing and beauty needs;


• How the company is leveraging today’s digital tools to better meet the needs of consumers;


• How the company is building loyalty through personalized experiences; and


• The power, timeliness and timelessness of a story.

During her career, Raine has led marketing at a variety of organizations, from startups to 100-year-old brands, and discovered a passion for unlocking business growth through delighting consumers and making a meaningful impact in their lives. She assumed the role of acting chief marketing officer and divisional vice-president, brand marketing, at Walgreens in May.

She says forums such as P2PX provide a rich opportunity to come together as a community of practitioners to learn, connect and share. “I’m excited to share with this group what we’ve learned at Walgreens — across our more than 9,000 stores — and to hear from others on similar journeys,” she said.

The lineup for the 28th annual Path to Purchase Expo currently boasts more than 100 speakers on five stages and 75-plus solution providers on an all-inclusive show floor. This year, all events are taking place within a uniquely collaborative environment that brings all of the education, exhibits, meals and snack breaks into one “campus.” For more information and to register, visit path2purchaseexpo.com.

The Path to Purchase Institute is a global member community serving the needs of brand manufacturers, retailers, agencies and the entire ecosystem of solution providers along the path to purchase. The Institute exists to engage and inform its members and the industry at large about best practices and a deeper understanding of marketing efforts along the path to purchase.

Both the Path to Purchase Institute and Convenience Store News Canada are properties of EnsembleIQ, a premier business intelligence resource that believes in solving big problems and inspiring bold ideas.