>Hi Mike,
>
>Thanks for the information. The "retro technologies" comment makes me feel like I'm not so far behind with my skills! It just seems looking into the mobile app area might be a way to catch up and maybe get a little ahead of the curve.
>
>As for your experience here in Grand Rapids, that's almost spooky! I knew you meant Ramblewood immediately just by your description. It's also spooky you worked on a project at Meijer. I have been involved with the grocery industry for about 30 years and served on the board and committees of the Grocery Manufacturers' Representatives of Grand Rapids (say that 5 times fast, lol) for nearly as many years. As a result, I have an ongoing project with a major national manufacturer to simplify their promotions reporting to MEIJER. Ongoing because they revise their requirements fairly regularly. Small world, eh? Although, sooner or later, Meijer seems to touch us all in one way or another, as I'm sure they've crept into your backyard in recent years.
>
>Thanks again,
>Martha

It is a small world. My first 10 years professionally were in the grocery industry. I hired on with the leading inventory control software provider for retailers and wholesalers and spent my twenties seeing the country and some of the world on their dime. (Correction: on the clients' and prospects' dimes <g>). After leaving that company I went to work at Kraft right after the merger with GF and Oscar, heading up a small team whose responsibilities included trade deal promotions. Small world indeed.

The team I was part of at Meijer was given a "special" DC 85 office in the middle of the warehouse. I am not exaggerating. Forklifts rumbled by all day long, making the floor vibrate. Frequent announcements came over the warehouse loudspeaker. "Bob Shadowens, 5 9. Bob Shadowens, 5 9." There was a bathroom out on the floor -- outhouse, more like -- where you could read comments like "Only 17 days until bow season" while you did your business. At the end of one long day I left work at around 9 with a terrific coworker named Robin who was the guts of the team. "Run me over, knock me out," she said to a passing forklift driver, mostly in jest.

To be honest I have not been in a Meijers store in a long time. Nothing against them, and in fact I consider them to be visionaries in this country. Their stores just haven't tended to be where I have lived. They were doing the grocery - general merchandise superstore thing years before Wal-Mart. "Honey, can you pick up some milk, bread, and a refrigerator on your way home?" ;-)

Good luck with your mobile app.