ECRS is celebrating the success of its annual conference, the Ignite Retail Success Conference, held July 14-16, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where over 300 independent retailers, 53 ECRS staff, and 20+ industry partners gathered to explore the future of retail technology, connect with peers, and experience the power of the CATAPULT® community. This year’s event was packed with immersive learning, inspiring keynotes, and hands-on product exploration.
Sunday Ignite Kickoff and Continuing Business Legacies
Ignite 2025 launched with a vibrant Sunday Kickoff event, welcoming attendees with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a first look at the Product Lab. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as retailers mingled, shared stories, and previewed ECRS’ latest innovations. This early networking opportunity set the tone for a week of collaboration, innovation, and discovery.
For the independent retailers who have been carrying on their business’s legacy for more than two generations, ECRS President Caroline Catoe led an insightful round table discussion where challenges and ideas were discussed as a group, providing them with a dedicated space to find ways to continue supporting each other and their local communities for years to come.
Day 1: Igniting Brilliance in Retail
The conference officially opened with the highly anticipated keynote titled “Igniting Brilliance in Retail: A Collaborative Vision for the Future”, led by ECRS Founder & CEO Pete Catoe. Joined by his team of product experts and special guests, Pete emphasized the importance of community-driven innovation and shared how the CATAPULT ecosystem is evolving to meet the dynamic needs of modern retail.
Attendees learned about ECRS’ commitment to adaptability and progress, with a focus on how collaboration fuels product development. Following the keynote, participants headed to the Product Lab to experience ECRS’ newest product concepts firsthand, providing critical feedback to product experts for further refinement and development.
Later that evening, the CATAPULT Connect Event brought attendees together for a unique, facilitated networking experience. Through guided discussion and shared reflections, participants explored questions like “What has been your biggest challenge in the last 12 months?” and “What has ignited new success or innovation in your business?”. The session sparked meaningful conversations, laughter, and new connections—ensuring everyone walked away with fresh ideas and at least five new friends.
To conclude the first day, everyone gathered for food, beverages, candid conversations, and live demos in the Product Lab during the Welcome Reception where innovation, inspiration, and collaboration gained momentum to carry energy through the rest of the conference.
Day 2: Guest Keynote with Shaun Peet, Award Ceremony, and Conference Party
Pit Crew Coach & Chief Kindness Officer of NASCAR, Shaun Peet, brought high-octane inspiration to the stage, sharing lessons from NASCAR’s elite pit crews. His message centered on intentional leadership, abundance, and unlocking human brilliance—principles that resonate across industries. Shaun’s keynote encouraged retailers to build cohesive, high-performing teams with the precision and unity of a championship pit crew. Ideas were sparked, and discussions continued throughout the conference, offering actionable steps and inspiration for attendees to take back to their business.
Award Ceremony
The annual Ignite Award Ceremony took place mid-day, honoring outstanding achievements within the CATAPULT Community. The ceremony recognized independent retailers who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and leadership in the past year. It was a moment to celebrate the impact of CATAPULT-powered businesses and the individuals driving retail and innovation forward.
ECRS was honored to award and celebrate the following retailers of the CATAPULT Community:
- Ignite Award: McCaffrey’s Food Markets
- True North Leader Award: Eataly
- Lighthouse Award: Marczyk Fine Foods and Marc’s
- Golden Ambassador Award: Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace
- CATAPULT Community Champion Award: Curby’s Express Market, Eastside Food Co-op, and B-Alive
- Lifelong Learner Award: Karns Quality Foods and Ashland Food Co-op
- One of Us Award: Diana Martino-Cardona & Chris Epp – Leevers Locavore, Mississippi Market Co-op, and Caraluzzi’s Markets
Conference Party at WhirlyBall Twin Cities
Ignite attendees came together for an evening of celebration at WhirlyBall Twin Cities, sponsored by FMS & Flashfood. Attendees enjoyed interactive games, entertainment, and camaraderie in a relaxed setting. The party was a joyful reminder of the strong relationships and shared success that define our community.
Day 3: Innovation in Action with Store Tours
A new experience was brought to the Ignite Retail Success Conference this year, where attendees explored three standout retailers that showcased how technology is transforming operations and customer experiences. Store tour hosts included a co-op with one store location, a specialty grocery chain with 28 stores, and a conventional regional chain with 107 stores. Each offered valuable insights into how they are curating the best shopper experience possible that aligns with their mission, values, and needs of their communities.
Valuable Sessions That Empowered Retailers
Throughout the week, Ignite 2025 offered a robust lineup of 13 workshops and 23 breakout sessions designed to equip retailers with actionable insights and practical tools. These sessions were tailored to meet attendees wherever they were in their CATAPULT journey—whether just getting started or looking to optimize advanced features.
These sessions weren’t just informative—they were transformative. Attendees left with new skills, fresh ideas, and a deeper understanding of how to leverage CATAPULT to streamline operations and elevate the shopper experience.
Hands-On Learning in The Product Lab
Throughout the week, the Ignite Product Lab remained a central hub for hands-on learning, featuring:
- CATAPULT Cognition® – ECRS’ cloud-based business intelligence and data warehouse tool
- Cognition Artemis™ – powered by ECRS’ Cognition for AI personalization online and in-store
- AutoScale® Max – ECRS’ unified deli scale solution
- AutoScale Hand Wrap Station – ECRS’ integrated food wrapping station
- Accelerated Checkout – ECRS’ smartphone-based consumer checkout
- CATAPULT WebCart™ – ECRS’ native e-commerce platform
- Connect+Save™ – ECRS’ solution for customer onboarding and automating digital coupons and AI-personalized offers
- CATAPULT Loyalty Suite™ – ECRS’ native loyalty solutions for automated marketing campaigns, loyalty points programs, subscription management, and more
- BOB – Bottom of the Basket Detection™ – ECRS’ loss prevention powered by machine learning and vision technology
- ECRS QuickCheck™ – ECRS’ self-checkout
- VisionMatch™ – ECRS’ produce recognition powered by machine learning and vision technology
Several sponsors showcased their support of the retailer community as well in the Product Lab, providing even more value to conference attendees.
Ignite 2025 proved once again that when retailers, innovators, and leaders come together, brilliance ignites. From powerful keynotes to hands-on tech exploration, the event showcased ECRS’ continual dedication to shaping the future of retail—together.
