Recently, the Food Industry Association’s (FMI) asset protection community took over St. Louis for the 2025 Asset Protection and Grocery Resilience Conference. Here, more than 175 asset protection leaders and crisis management experts from across the grocery industry gathered for three days of education, information sharing, and networking in the shadow of the iconic Gateway Arch.
In the world of retail, resilience has always been a critical concept. Serving in an industry defined by the vibrant needs of an ever-evolving society, the ability to bounce back with flexibility and strength in the face of whatever challenges we encounter marks the vitality of the operation today and the future of the business moving forward. In the grocery industry, resiliency is absolutely essential. With a primary mission to nourish the hundreds of millions of individuals across the nation, the need to adapt and recover regardless of the trials we face is unrivaled—a profound responsibility in the most difficult of times.
“FMI’s Asset Protection Grocery Resilience Conference is the premier event for food industry asset protection professionals,” reveals Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations at FMI. “In addition to our timely and thoughtful educational content, we facilitate business-to-business meetings to deliver value to both service providers and retailers. We recognize that asset protection professionals’ roles continue to grow and evolve, making it even more critical to delve deeply into the issues that matter and offer robust opportunities to explore new technologies, services, and partnerships. This event is also about community—a home for food industry professionals to share best practices and real life stories, and grow together.”
The Presentations
Conferences like this are well known for exceptional presentations and expert speakers that educate the audience on relevant and timely topics, and this event had plenty of both. The focus was on subjects that are highly relevant—and provide actionable takeaways that attendees can bring back to their companies. Here are some of the highlights:
- What it takes to protect executive and employee assets in today’s volatile environment.
- Strategies for fortifying cyber security and safety measures when implementing advanced protective protocols, identifying potential risks, and enhancing operational resilience.
- Emerging risks and insights into the future of asset protection, including the importance of technology and data-driven strategies for safeguarding assets.
- The benefits of self-checkouts are accompanied by an equal set of challenges; exploring the good, bad, and the ugly of SCOs.
- How AI-powered solutions are reshaping shrink mitigation, operational workflows, and enriched customer interactions across grocery, mass retail, convenience, and quick-service restaurant (QSR) environments.
- Ways to shift from stern, inflexible enforcement options to compassionate deterrence; how and why to train employees to treat homeless people with respect and empathy; and how to leverage mental health or other local non-law enforcement resources.
- How retailers can leverage community partnerships and strategic collaboration to address disruptive challenges in their environments.
- Building a resilient asset protection framework that adapts to changing market conditions while enhancing operational efficiency and security.
- How to align asset protection initiatives with broader business objectives and leverage industry trends to gain executive buy-in.
2025 AP Consumer Perspectives Report
During the conference, FMI revealed the results of the Asset Protection in Food Retail: Consumer Perspectives 2025 report. This state of the industry report on asset protection explores the industry’s perspectives and benchmarks in this quickly changing sector of food retail. Below are some of the insights from the industry survey:
- Shoppers Are Aware and Alert: Most grocery shoppers (78%) say they are more aware of their environment due to acts of violence spotlighted in the news or elsewhere.
- Security Perspectives Alter Behaviors: In the past year, one-in-five shoppers have made changes in their grocery shopping habits because of security measures. The most common change has been to shop more online.
- Store Safety Efforts Are Appreciated: The vast majority of grocery shoppers say their primary grocery store provides a safe place to shop and they appreciate measures enacted to keep shoppers safe.
- Security Measures Enhance Shopping: Shoppers who notice security measures, such as cameras and entrance/exit gates, typically say this has positive impacts on their shopping experiences. The great majority of shoppers say that security guards in stores make them feel safe and secure.
- Shoppers Understand Self-Checkout Theft Risks: Self-checkout represents the biggest shrink concern in food retail, according to FMI’s research. A majority of shoppers say they believe that self-checkout allows some customers to avoid paying for items.
- Mixed Views About Deterrence: Retailers are making use of technology, people, and physical deterrents to battle shoplifting. Many shoppers are aware of retail security measures, and some say they result in negative impacts on their in-store experiences. This is particularly true of locked display cases or shelves.
- Shoppers Believe Theft May Impact Prices: Shoppers express varied views on whether theft at grocery stores impacts grocery prices. More than one-third say it does, and almost a quarter say it does not.
- Customers Relay Expectations: Most shoppers want their primary grocery store to use the most updated techniques and technologies to reduce theft and keep shoppers safe.
FMI Rising Star and Legends Awards
Every year FMI recognizes today’s asset protection legends along with tomorrow’s stars, highlighting some of the best and brightest from across the asset protection community.
Parker Griebel (center) with Festival Foods was FMI’s 2025 recipient of the AP Rising Star Award, which honors asset protection professionals who shine at business acumen, professional growth, or enhancing business profits. “This recognition means so much—not because of what I’ve done, but because of the incredible people I’ve learned from and worked alongside at Festival Foods,” he says. “I’m thankful for the leaders who’ve guided me, the associates who inspire me, and the team I support every day. I’m proud to be part of this industry, and an organization like FMI that believes so strongly in lifting up the next generation of leaders.” Great job, Parker!
Scott Ziter (center), vice president of risk management at Northeast Shared Services, was FMI’s 2025 recipient of the AP Legend Award, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to and years of dedicated service in the AP community, and mentorship. “We are part of a unique community within the retail industry where the word “competitor” usually does not exist,” says Ziter. “Asset protection professionals and solution providers work together to develop solutions that will help reduce the risks that impact the retail industry.” Well done, Scott!
Congratulations to the entire team at FMI for hosting an extremely valuable and productive conference. Attendees were excited by the new information they took with them, as well as the prospects for another successful event in 2026!