# The Modern Grocer — Vincent Finazzo, Riverwards

S3 E12 · Apr 22, 2026 · 32 min

How assortment gets built out of cookbooks, and why most brands lose their edge after acquisition.

### Show notes

A neighborhood grocery store where 70% of customers live within half a mile—and come back multiple times a week.

Inside Riverwards Produce, Vince Finazzo explains how he decides what earns shelf space—and what doesn’t. From building assortment out of cookbooks to working with local suppliers, this is a different model for how retail actually works.

We also get into how products move from Instagram into the store, why most brands lose their edge after acquisition, and what happens when companies like Unilever or Campbell’s scale them.

#### Chapters

[0:07 Discovery Commerce Loop (Instagram → Store)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=7s)  
[1:57 Meet Vincent Finazzo (Riverwards Produce)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=117s)  
[2:50 Redefining Convenience: Small Format, Full Shop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=170s)  
[7:55 How He Builds the Shelf (Cookbooks → Assortment)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=475s)  
[9:27 Whole Animal Sourcing & Local Supply Chains](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=567s)  
[14:19 When Brands Lose Shelf Space (Poppi, Siete, Acquisitions)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=859s)  
[15:15 What He Saw at Expo West (What’s Actually Trending)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=915s)  
[22:07 Why the Store Looks Like This (Aesthetics, Social, Erewhon)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=1327s)  
[25:49 Why He Doesn’t Use DoorDash (Margins & Control)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=1549s)  
[27:22 The Dream Store (Butcher, Cheese, and What’s Missing Today)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Own8MrFb4&t=1642s)

#### Links from the episode

[Chicken & Creamy Orzo by Jesse Jenkins ↗](https://kitchenstudio.substack.com/p/chicken-and-creamy-orzo)