What's in Store Podcast

Each month, IDDBA's Global Marketing Director / Vice President Whitney Atkins and Vice President Education Heather Prach bring you an inside look into the world of dairy, deli, bakery and beyond! If you want to know what's in store for the future of our industry, you'll want to listen to the What's in Store Podcast!

#37 (S4E11) Cheese: From Treasure Hunt to Category Growth with Brian Freeman 11/04/2025

#37 (S4E11) Cheese: From Treasure Hunt to Category Growth with Brian Freeman Cheese: From Treasure Hunt to Category Growth with Brian Freeman (Specialty Cheese Category Business Manager, Tops Markets) For November, Heather Prach, VP of Education and Industry Relations at IDDBA, speaks with Brian Freeman, Specialty Cheese Category Business Manager at Tops Markets, in a free-rolling but practical conversation that moves from social-media spikes and global flavor discovery to the merchandising habits and programs that turn a cheese case into a true destination. Brian shares how his category at Tops has outpaced national growth by pairing innovation and authenticity with close collaboration across makers, brokers, and buyers—grounded in travel, plant visits, and shows like IDDBA. He explains why a great cheese set should feel like a “treasure hunt,” how simple, shopper-friendly charcuterie signage and real sampling still drive results, and how to ride TikTok-fueled surges without losing focus. Along the way, he digs into building eye-opening cheese “flights” plus answers a rapid-fire round of questions from Heather that reveals his go-to picks. Looking ahead, Brian discusses where global flavors are heading, how to design programs that deliver wins for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers, and practical steps teams can take this month—refreshing displays with peaks and valleys, clarifying signs, and putting product in shoppers’ hands. We think you’ll come away with actionable ways to energize your cheese category, engage teams on the floor, and build a destination set that keeps customers coming back. Want to be a guest on the podcast or learn more about IDDBA? Reach out to us at [education@iddba.org](mailto:education@iddba.org). To learn more about IDDBA and becoming a member, head here: [https://www.iddba.org/membership/join-iddba/membership](https://www.iddba.org/membership/join-iddba/membership) #Cheese #SpecialtyCheese #Charcuterie #Merchandising #Sampling #ShopperMarketing #RetailTrends #Dairy #Deli #Grocery #Supermarket #FoodService #FreshFoods #Leadership #Innovation #Trends2025 #FoodRetail #Convenience #CStore /episode/index/show/0d2c0aa2-7166-430a-af32-f3e6bacd8138/id/38913900

#36 (S4 E11) The Executive Aisle: Leading Change and Shopping Happy with Jody Barrick 10/07/2025

#35 (S4E10) From Myths to Mindset: Gary Wills on Modern Food Safety Culture 09/02/2025

#35 (S4E10) From Myths to Mindset: Gary Wills on Modern Food Safety Culture From Myths to Mindset: Gary Wills on Modern Food Safety Culture (Global Director, Consumer, Retail & Food (Americas), BSI) For September, Heather Prach, VP of Education and Industry Relations at IDDBA, speaks with Gary Wills, Global Director for Consumer, Retail & Food for the Americas at BSI, in a practical conversation that moves from myth‑busting to the habits and systems that keep food safe across manufacturing, retail, and foodservice. Gary debunks a few myths, clarifies why food poisoning isn’t “just a stomach bug,” and lays out how proactive sanitation programs, environmental monitoring, supplier vetting, and traceability work together at scale. He explains how labeling mistakes and allergens often drive recalls, how social media accelerates consumer alerts, and how standards and annual third‑party audits have raised the bar across the industry. Looking ahead, he discusses the role of culture, free guidance available through BSI’s publicly available specifications, where AI can support predictive risk focus, and why genome testing is becoming increasingly important in traceability; plus practical steps teams can take this month to make food safety an everyday habit. We think you’ll come away with actionable ways to engage your teams and strengthen food safety culture, along with insights you can share during National Food Safety Education Month and beyond. Want to be a guest on the podcast or learn more about IDDBA? Reach out to us at . For a taste of IDDBA's Food Safety resources, head to our Safe Food Matters page: Here is a link to the brochure from BSI that Gary mentioned: To learn more about IDDBA and becoming a member, head here: #foodsafety #fosteringfoodsafety #SafeFoodMatters #NFSEM #FoodSafetyCulture #Recalls #Allergens #Sanitation #EnvironmentalMonitoring #Traceability #GFSI #BSI #FoodSafetyMonth #Dairy #Deli #Bakery #Grocery #Supermarket #FoodService #RetailTrends #FreshFoods #Leadership #Innovation #Trends2025 #FoodRetail #Convenience #CStore /episode/index/show/0d2c0aa2-7166-430a-af32-f3e6bacd8138/id/38062240

#34 (S4E9) Bakery is Civilization: Donald DeMont on the Big Picture of (Gluten-Free) Bakery 08/05/2025

#33 (S4E8) The Executive Aisle - Cutting through the Noise - David Melnick on Marketing with Clarity 07/01/2025

#32 (S4E7) Live from #IDDBA2025 in New Orleans! 06/03/2025

#31 (S4E6) Countdown to #IDDBA2025 in New Orleans with Heather Prach 05/06/2025

#30 (S4E5) The Executive Aisle: What's Rising - Carmela Serebryany on the Future of Bakery 04/01/2025

#30 (S4E5) The Executive Aisle: What's Rising - Carmela Serebryany on the Future of Bakery Whitney Atkins, VP of Marketing and Membership introduces a new regular feature of the What’s in Store Podcast: The Executive Aisle, a quarterly series where IDDBA President and CEO David Haaf discusses the industry with another knowledgeable leader. In this episode, he welcomes Upper Crust President and IDDBA Board Chair Carmela Serebryany for a thoughtful and timely look at the forces shaping bakery manufacturing today, from real-world innovation to evolving consumer preferences and operational realities. Carmela opens with a powerful story of personal and professional transformation, from immigration to law to ultimately leading one of North America’s most influential frozen bakery companies. They then dive into key trends, with Carmela identifying several areas of growth: the return of fresh in-store baking, the rise of global flavor mashups, and the shift toward more functional and health-conscious offerings, all driven by consumer demand and fueled by social media. The conversation also explores how companies like Upper Crust are managing challenges like labor shortages and rising costs by investing in technology and automation. Carmela emphasizes the importance of freezer-to-oven solutions that reduce in-store complexity while maintaining product quality. David and Carmela also touch on sustainability, digital traceability, and what it takes to scale innovation efficiently while still responding to changing consumer expectations. From tariffs and supply chain disruption to TikTok-driven cravings and protein-rich croissants, this episode paints a nuanced picture of a bakery sector in the middle of rapid evolution. Whether you’re on the retail side, in manufacturing, or part of the broader foodservice ecosystem, you’ll walk away with practical insights—and a clearer view of what’s rising in bakery. Want to be a guest on the podcast or learn more about IDDBA? Reach out to us at podcast. To learn more about IDDBA and becoming a member, head here: We're excited to see you at #IDDBA2025 in New Orleans, June 1-3. You can register for this amazing event here: Check out all of our upcoming webinars here: /episode/index/show/0d2c0aa2-7166-430a-af32-f3e6bacd8138/id/35955030