In an industry wide announcement, WWA has again demonstrated its leadership commitment by introducing a new business model called Shopper Centric Retailing^SM. Moving well beyond the aging textbook definition of category management, Shopper Centric Retailing^SM builds on the favorable aspects of category management, removes its limitations and better positions the retailer to align with consumer wants and needs. It emphasizes the shopping experience, aligns strategies and tactics across the store, encourages innovation and differentiation and renews focus on being good merchants.Shopper Centric RetailngSM will necessitate varying degrees of change in retailer organizational structures and business processes as well as how suppliers align with their retail partners.

Implementation is expected to be an evolutionary process that may take some time to institutionalize as a way of conducting business.WWA Chairman & CEO Win Weber is credited with introducing retailer/supplier partnering in the U.S., Latin America, Australia and Asia. He has a worldwide reputation as an original architect of category management.