In episode 422 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Alyssa Vescio, senior vice president of merchandising at Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods retailer, a subsidiary of Amazon.com. Vescio discusses her role at Whole Foods as well as what she enjoys most about the job (1:28), including how her team's work in merchandising is reflective of Whole Foods' core values (3:45). She shares what the grocer is doing to promote unique, ethical and sustainable supply chain and sourcing practices (6:50), as well as how customer feedback influences Whole Foods' merchandising strategy (9:15).

In addition, Vescio discusses how her merchandising team cultivates "taste of place" to tailor inventory to local markets (10:30), and how shifting consumer behaviors, impacted by inflation, have affected Whole Foods' merchandising strategy (11:25). She shares the positive impact of the Prime member program in Whole Foods stores (12:50), and how she, as a woman leader in the food and grocery sector, and Whole Foods both help to pave the way for future women leaders in retail (14:00).

As the senior vice president of merchandising at Whole Foods Market, Alyssa Vescio works every day to make Whole Foods Market the unique and special place it is today. In her current role, Vescio oversees grocery, wellness, beauty, local merchandising, merchandise presentation, and merchandise execution. Her team’s work in merchandising is the foundation of Whole Foods' core values, and she takes pride in ensuring every product on Whole Foods' shelves meets its industry-leading quality standards.