Will Work In Food

The headline on today’s Wall Street Journal (“Jobless Rate Tops 8%, Highest in 26 Years”) might apply less to the supermarket industry than to the rest of the working world, but food retailers have faced a certain amount of downsizing nevertheless. Underperforming stores are closing, capital projects have been scaled back or put on hold, and administrative staffers have been laid off.

Some of this disruption has been felt in the natural foods channel. For the average consumer, price has toppled health from the wellness hierarchy. While shoppers are still purchasing natural, organic and sustainable foods, they’re being much more selective and opting for the basics — produce, dairy and food that impacts their children. That means there’s less work for other companies who operate in the category.

We spotted this resume (of sorts) taped to the wall in various parts of the exhibition floor. It’s a pretty direct appeal, and while it might seem a tad desperate, it’s nonetheless creative. Hey, it caught our attention.

I also admire his sense of cost-effectiveness. For the price of a few sheets of paper, he got maximum exposure before the right people, and a huge number of them to boot.

My colleague David and I ran into an executive recruiter during the show, who was roaming the aisles doing his thing. While the industry might be down, there’s still enough opportunity to draw out the likes of him. Let’s hope he saw the resume.