What Innovation Actually Looks Like

Kroger analyzes purchase behavior from 60 million households and launched over 900 new products last year — and still says natural and organic is one of its strongest-performing segments. Lowe’s Foods has built its entire identity around community, local sourcing, and test-and-learn partnerships that treat suppliers as collaborators, not vendors. Thrive Market tracks every zero-result search on its platform and turns those gaps into a direct buying brief — right now they’re actively looking for better-for-you indulgence, authentic ethnic food, clean-label kids snacks, and functional formats that their members are searching for and not finding. Three retailers, three completely different definitions of innovation—and one session that gives founders a framework for all of it.