Get Your Fix: The Evolving Role of the Facilities Manager in the Grocery Store Industry

 

In this second installment of a 3-part conversation on the pandemic’s effect on the grocery store industry, Arin Alexander, VP of Client Relations, Vixxo, and Michael Sutherland, VP of Solutions Architecture, Vixxo, focused on the evolution and changing role of the grocery store facilities manager.

Alexander said the facility manager’s role at a store was always that partner in crime, the go-to person to fix something broken. But now, with the onset of the pandemic, that facilities role is so much more. “Now that partner in crime is helping me do so many more things. From cleaning my store to making sure the parking lot is extra safe, walking in, and to the back and the restrooms,” Alexander said. “I can tell you; facilities have been a heightened focus in the grocery organizations more than ever because of the value they provide to stores.”

“Historically, the store personnel were in charge of the customer experience,” Sutherland said. “They were focused on making sure the shopper had a good experience and facilities was responsible for the equipment and the building.” But that role is changing. “I have seen across multiple grocers now; facilities departments are also responsible for customer experience.” A clean store, which was always a function of facilities, now has a different connotation on the customer experience resulting from the pandemic.

Be sure to subscribe to Get Your Fix for the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Facilities Management Industry.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Food & Beverage Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Class 8 trucks
Driving the Future at ACT Expo: Windrose Showcases Its Purpose-Built Electric Class 8 Trucks
July 1, 2025

At the ACT Expo, Hammer Down host Mike Bush dives deeper into the future of freight with a hands-on look at Windrose Technology’s electric Class 8 trucks. Joined by Joseph Jaramillo, Driver Supervisor at Talon Logistics, Mike takes a test drive to experience the smooth ride, dual digital displays, and unique features—like advanced regen modes and a…

Read More
ball valve
Zero-Friction Flow: Trillium Launches the Red Point® Non-Contact Rising Stem Ball Valve to Cut Downtime, Boost Safety, and Perform in Demanding Applications
June 30, 2025

Join host Michelle Dawn Mooney for this special episode of FlowCast by Trillium Flow Technologies, as she sits down with Fred Jansen, General Manager of Trillium’s Netherlands facility, and Pepijn Esman, Engineering Manager for Red Point, to unveil the non-contact Rising Stem Ball Valve (RSBV)—a breakthrough engineered for extreme-service applications across oil &…

Read More
student success
The AI-Powered Edge in Education: How LearningClues Is Enabling Student Success with Co-founder and CEO Dr. Perry Samson
June 30, 2025

As AI continues to reshape education, institutions face a growing challenge in ensuring students succeed without compromising engagement or integrity. Today’s college students are often juggling jobs, family, and coursework, leading to limited study time and increased dropout risk. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 40% of full-time undergraduates and 74% of…

Read More
AI Strategist
Why Enterprises Need an AI Strategist and Why It Should Be a Marketer
June 30, 2025

In this episode of The Marketing AI SparkCast, Aby Varma, founder of Spark Novus, a leading consultancy that partners with marketing leaders to adopt and scale AI responsibly and strategically, talks with Nicola Smith, Senior AI Programs Advisor at Southwest Airlines. They explore how enterprises can move beyond tool experimentation to embed AI into…

Read More