Loop Neighborhood Markets CEO Outlines Areas of Focus
TUCSON, Ariz. — Headquartered in the Silicon Valley region of California, Loop Neighborhood Markets has the benefit of having a front-row seat to technology innovation and as chairman of the Conexxus board of directors, Varish Goyal, president and CEO of Loop and Vintners Distributors, is all-in on retail technology.
At Conexxus' 2024 conference, Goyal talked about the initiatives the retail operator tried but didn't work. Taking the stage at the 2025 Conexxus Annual Conference, he talked about what the chain is focused on today: meeting its shoppers' needs, improving operational efficiency and driving business growth.
Drilling down further, Goyal ticked off five areas targeted for improvement:
1. Shopper Loyalty & Retention
The Fremont, Calif.-based company wants to understand why shoppers come to its stores, why they go to its competitors and how Loop Neighborhood Markets can keep them coming back more frequently.
Currently, the retailer has 1 million activations in its loyalty program. Looking at basket size, the average transaction size among loyal shoppers is $11.03, while it is only $4.86 among nonloyal shoppers. The goal, according to Goyal, is to move that nonloyal shopper to a loyal shopper and increase their number of visits.
"We're focused on improving our local offer, and we are trying to get more personal in the way we communicate with our consumer," he said.
2. Inventory Management
At Loop, a challenge has been optimizing inventory levels to ensure availability without overstocking, minimizing waste. To that end, the retailer is focused on improving its existing inventory management and demand forecasting — what products are popular at different times and locations to prevent out-of-stocks and reduce excess inventory.
An important lesson Loop has learned: "Just because we have a product in inventory doesn't mean it is on the shelf," Goyal noted.
3. Operational Efficiencies
According to the chief executive, another challenge is streamlining operations to reduce costs and improve speed of service. In this space, Loop is exploring solutions such as automated systems for checkout, restocking and service requirements.
4. Customer Experience Enhancement
"At the end of the day, in retail, we all sell the same stuff. How do you differentiate? The customer experience," Goyal stated. Leaning into technology, the retailer is exploring in-store technology such as self-service kiosks and self-checkout, mobile payment options, and improving the physical layout of its stores.
5. Security Improvements & Shrink Reduction
According to Goyal, security really means the safety of the retailer's employees. Whether it's smart surveillance systems, anti-theft technologies or employee training programs, Loop wants to make sure it provides a safe working environment.
The 2025 Conexxus Annual Conference is taking place Jan. 26-30 at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson.
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