Recent news and insights on women in leadership from convenience stores and beyond.
Ferrara and Fairness
Manufacturer Ferrara was recognized as a leading U.S. company for workplace fairness by Fair360, formerly DiversityInc, in July.
The candymaker's U.S. workforce is more racially diverse (65%) than the general population, which is driven by Black and Latinx representation in production facilities, according to the candy company's 2021 U.S. Workforce Diversity Top Line Report. Ferrara has committed to increasing corporate Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) representation from 28% to 35% by 2025, and in leadership from 19% to 30% by 2024.
Ferrara’s hiring process criteria includes ensuring that during recruitment, two of the chosen candidates are women and two are people of color. And it's more than just being presented to the hiring manager, said Jeanette Torres, senior manager of diversity, equity and inclusion at Ferrara. Individuals have to be qualified and get an interview with the hiring manager.
“We understand that unless we have 51% women or ethnically diverse candidates… it reduces the likelihood of them getting hired if we don't have a good percentage going in our favor,” she said.
The company is constantly training with initiatives that highlight DE&I fundamentals for its manufacturing facility staff and corporate staff.
Cracking the Glass Ceiling
The Economist's latest Glass-Ceiling Index shows the United States ranked No. 19 out of 29 of the richest countries in the world at the end of 2022. That's up one spot from a year earlier, but down one position from 2020.
The Economist’s glass-ceiling index measures the role and influence of women in the workforce across the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), a group of mostly rich countries. Four Nordic countries—Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway—top the index as the best places for working women, as they have since at least 2016. Japan and South Korea, where women must still choose between a family or a career, fill the bottom two places.
Click here to view the complete list.
Worth a Read
From Fortune: Women-led startups have more than doubled since COVID as women take their work-life balance into their own hands. Click here for more.
Consider the Consumer
The final moments leading to a completed checkout transaction can make a significant difference in the growth of the grocery shopper's basket. To capitalize on this opportunity, it is essential to take a closer look at the demographics and associated behaviors of shoppers, according to a report by VideoMining. By segmenting shopper demographics and behavioral trends, retailers can gain valuable insights to help design a front end strategy that will engage shoppers and drive increased impulse basket additions during the 11th hour of the in-store trip.
VideoMining's most recent Front End MegaStudy (analyzing behavioral data for 1.2 billion checkouts in 2022) shows that female shoppers are 41% more likely to become front-end buyers and have a 21% higher dollar ring for front end basket additions than male shoppers. More information is available by clicking here.
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