Jeff Baskin joins convenience, grocery advisory firm NexChapter

Jeff Baskin, former chief revenue officer with Upshop and Flybuy by Radius Networks, has joined NexChapter, a strategic growth advisory firm for the convenience and grocery channels.

Baskin (pictured below) will work with retailers and technology providers to enhance omnichannel experiences and maximize returns on technology investments, the Des Moines, Iowa-based company said. He has more than 25 years of experience in retail technology, having driven partnerships with retailers like Kroger, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee and Circle K, NexChapter said. Flybuy by Radius Networks is an omnichannel location platform, and Upshop delivers grocery store operations by connecting fresh, center, e-commerce and direct store delivery department operations.  

“Omnichannel is no longer just a strategy—it's a consumer expectation,” Baskin, who is joining as a partner at NexChapter, said. “Retailers who embrace it see their omnichannel shoppers spend two to four times more than in-store-only customers. This makes investments in technologies like e-commerce, order management, fulfillment and inventory management critical to long-term growth. I’m excited to bring my experience to NexChapter and help retailers navigate this digital transformation.”

Art Sebastian, formerly vice president of omnichannel marketing with Casey’s General Stores, launched NexChapter in February. Sebastian also serves as chairman of the advisory board for the C-StoreTec platform, an initiative by CSP to build community and drive innovation and leadership within the convenience-store technology segment.

“Jeff’s track record in building innovative, high-impact omnichannel programs is well-known across the industry,” Sebastian said. “His deep understanding of both the retailer and technology landscapes is a valuable asset, and we are thrilled to have him on board to further our mission of driving growth and solving complex challenges for our clients.”

NexChapter has made several hires lately, including bringing on Casey’s former head of digital Mike Templeton as vice president of digital strategy.

NexChapter’s leadership team is leveraging a diverse set of backgrounds to help solve retailers’ problems, Baskin told CSP Daily News. While some retailers may look and feel the same, they all have different cultures, budgets, information technology (IT) resources and more, he said.

“And so you really have to approach each retailer, and their roadmap, and whatever issues they may have through a different lens,” Baskin said. “So between the group of people that have been assembled at NexChapter, that’s what we bring to the table is we've most likely seen or done just about everything there is in retail.”

Years ago, Baskin said he would have said the convenience and grocery channels were using completely different technology tools. Now, however, lines between those two channels, as well as restaurants, are blurring as they all compete for the same business.

“Whoever can build the best customer experience, and also have quality products, those are the folks that are going to win,” he said. “I feel like there’s a race for that right now, especially with the pressures that Walmart is putting on these retailers.”

This story was originally featured on CSP Daily News, a sister publication of Supermarket News.