About Us
History
For 30+ years, Winston Weber & Associates (WWA) has been at the forefront of Category Management supporting retailers and suppliers across the globe.
These partnerships led to major changes in both food/drug/mass retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers.
Recently, WWA has led the evolution from Category Management to Shopper Centric Retailing!
As many are aware, Win Weber was the creator of Category Management, which is used by almost all retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. Win brought Category Management to HEB Grocery in San Antonio, Texas in 1990.
Category Management is now used by most of the Fortune 500!
In early 2023,Win decided it’s time to retire and “passed the torch” to his team to carry on the vision and mission of his company.
Win has assigned all the assets and intellectual property of WWA to a new entity called “Customer Centric Consortium LLC.”
The Customer Centric Consortium LLC was formed and led by experienced consultants (Bernie Anderson and Victor Alessandro) who have worked with Winston Weber & Associates for many years and have been an integral part of WWA’s Category Management consulting practice and in the development of Shopper Centric Retailing.
Our Approach
Welcome to Customer Centric Consortium, the primary management consulting firm dedicated to empowering retailers and suppliers to achieve their full potential.
With a deep understanding of the retail industry and a commitment to delivering exceptional results, we are here to guide our clients towards sustainable growth, operational excellence, and competitive advantage.
Our team of experienced consultants bring a wealth of expertise from both the retail industry and the field of management consulting.
We have worked with retailers and suppliers of all sizes, from local boutiques to multinational chains, and across a wide range of sectors, with a strong focus on grocery and pharmacy.
This diverse experience allows us to offer tailored solutions that address the distinctive needs and goals of each client.
What makes us unique is our holistic approach to retail management consulting. We believe that success in the retail industry goes beyond individual components such as merchandising, marketing, or supply chain management.
It requires a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between these elements, as well as the ability to identify untapped opportunities and anticipate emerging trends, and end-of-life SKUs.
We work closely with our clients to analyze their entire value chain, from Procurement to their Customer Shopping Experiences, and develop integrated strategies that drive growth and enhance profitability.
Our Services
Our services encompass a wide range of areas critical to retail success, including:
Strategy Development
We assist retailers in defining their strategic direction, identifying new growth opportunities, and optimizing their business models to stay ahead in the evolving market.
Operational Excellence
Customer Experience
We help streamline operations, improve supply chain efficiency, and enhance productivity to reduce operating and inventory costs, and maximize operational effectiveness. An area we focus on is the communication process with the stores to ensure a clear understanding of expectations and issues
We work with retailers to understand their customers’ needs and expectations, design exceptional shopping experiences both in-store / online and implement customer-centric strategies to drive loyalty and increase sales and margin dollars.
Digital Transformation
We assist retailers in defining their strategic direction, identifying new growth opportunities, and optimizing their business models to stay ahead in the evolving market.
Performance Optimization
We conduct in-depth performance assessments, develop key performance indicators (KPIs), and provide actionable insights and strategies to optimize performance across all aspects of your retail business. We will document and help you understand the capabilities of your team, the issues they face and the obstacles they work through every day.
At CCC, we are committed to building long-term partnerships with our clients. We believe in fostering a collaborative environment where we work “hand-in-hand” with our clients to achieve your goals.
Our consultants bring deep industry knowledge, analytical rigor, and a passion for innovation to every engagement, ensuring that our clients receive the highest level of service and support.
If you are seeking a trusted partner to navigate the complexities of the retail industry and unlock your full potential, look no further than the Customer Centric Consortium.
Contact us today, and let’s embark on a transformative journey towards your retail success together.
Our Team
All CCC consultants have at least 25 years of experience in retail, category management and supplier relations
Victor Alessandro
Victor is a visionary leader and a driving force behind the success of the Customer Centric Consortium. With an exceptional track record of strategic leadership and a deep understanding of the retail industry and category management, Victor has worked with clients on five continents in over a dozen countries and helped them reach new heights.
He brings a wealth of experience to this role, having spent 35 years with retailers or related industries. This extensive knowledge of the sector, combined with a forward-thinking mindset, enables him to identify emerging trends and capitalize on market opportunities. He is known for his strategic acumen, sharp business acuity, and ability to devise transformative strategies that drive sustainable growth and profitability.
When HEB Grocery implemented Category Management, Victor was one of the first category managers selected. He performed at a high level which led to promotions to Director of Category Management and then to Vice-President of Category Management. After HEB, Victor became the Senior Vice-President/Chief Category Management Officer of A&P (The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company), which was the 10th largest supermarket chain in the USA at that time. He has completed executive training at The Harvard Business School and Babson College and is a member of MENSA.
Win Weber
Win Weber is recognized worldwide as the original architect of Category Management, which started at HEB Grocery in 1990. He clearly understood the 30+ year old Category Management model better than anyone. The firm he created, Winston Weber & Associates, is known as the consulting firm that delivered the desired results and was well known for leading-edge thinking, practical implementations and the ability to adapt to different cultures.
“I am delighted the Customer Centric Consortium (CCC), led by Bernie and Victor, will continue the tradition of excellence of Winston Weber & Associates. They are clearly experts in Category Management and will continue building the vision of Shopper Centric Retailing which has evolved from the foundation we created in Category Management.”