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The book · by Michael Penner

The Truth Behind Premium Grocery

Why a $20 smoothie is the least interesting thing about the most interesting stores in America.

The stores people line up for run on twelve connected systems, from the customer experience to the receiving dock. This book lays all twelve out, in the order you build them.

Coming early 2027 · Paperback and ebook

Early list members get the first chapter before launch and the launch-day notice. No spam.

Why this book

People aren't confused. They're telling you something.

Somewhere near you, people are lining up to pay $20 for a bottle of blue milk. Grocery became a chore. Scan it yourself, or hand it to an app. In the space that opened up, premium and experimental grocers are growing while conventional grocery flattens. People don't go there for food. They go to belong, and they buy food while they're there.

I wrote this book about how that works. The psychology of a daily necessity turned into an identity purchase. Why the best stores never sit still. The people on the floor who make it feel like a place.

And the part nobody films. The receiving dock, the counts, the discipline that decides whether a beautiful store is still open in month fourteen.

Inside the book

The 12 connected systems

From customer experience to daily operations. Miss one and a beautiful store closes anyway.

  1. 1. The concept and the customer
  2. 2. The third-place function
  3. 3. Brand
  4. 4. The space
  5. 5. Assortment and curation
  6. 6. The bar and the kitchen
  7. 7. People
  8. 8. Controls
  9. 9. Pricing and margin
  10. 10. Digital and fulfillment
  11. 11. The innovation cadence
  12. 12. Scale readiness

Who it's for

Written for the people who build, back and supply these stores

  • Operators and founders

    You are building or running the store. This is the order to install things in, and what breaks if you skip one.

  • Developers and landlords

    You want the tenant that fills the center on a Tuesday. This is how to tell which concepts will still be open in year three.

  • Brands and CPG

    These shelves set the price and the story for everyone else. This is how they choose what goes on them.

  • Investors

    The store looks great on a visit. This is what to ask about receiving, counts and labor before you write the check.

  • Anyone who wants people to come back

    Because they want to, not because they have to. Restaurants, shops, hotels, clinics, software. The systems carry over.

About the author

Michael Penner

I've spent 30 years in operations. Nineteen of them at Costco. Then Director of Retail Technology at Fairway Market, head of operations at a venture-backed grocery e-commerce company, and owner of a restaurant in Southampton, New York.

As COO, we built a premium grocer in New York from the ground up. Today I run Exklusive Consulting, which installs operations, and Exklusive Solutions, which builds the software that keeps them running.

More about my work

Get the first chapter before launch

Coming early 2027 · Paperback and ebook

Join the early list

Questions

FAQ

When is it out?
Early 2027. The exact date depends on printing. Join the early list and you'll get the date first.
Which formats?
Paperback and ebook.
Is it only for grocery?
No. Grocery is the hardest test: perishable product, thin margins, a daily habit. The twelve systems apply to any store or hospitality business.
Can I get bulk copies for my team or an event?
Yes. Get in touch and tell me how many and when.