2024 Grocery Industry Icons & Innovators

Jason Melone is the Head of Applied Marketing Analytics at Wawa. Boasting an impressive tenure exceeding 15 years in the Retail/QSR industry, Mr. Melone's expertise is pivotal in harnessing cutting-edge data analytics to refine Wawa's strategic pricing and promotional offerings. Wawa, renowned for its extensive network of over 1,000 quick-service and convenience stores along the East Coast, benefits from his leadership in this domain. Jason Melone has embarked on an ambitious, multi-year journey to spearhead a business transformation tailored to the unique demands of the Retail-QSR sector, with the aim of modernizing Wawa's marketing strategies. His comprehensive approach encompasses a suite of enterprise-wide initiatives, including Pricing & Promotions Optimization, Vendor Negotiations, Costing Analytics, and Assortment Optimization. 

Under Jason's strategic direction, these programs have not only enhanced Wawa's marketing acumen but have also fostered a culture of continuous improvement with a strong data centric identity. These data intensive programs have established strategic visibility across Wawa's entire value chain and have been instrumental in pinpointing critical areas for enhancement across the enterprise. Using cutting edge Data & Analytics capabilities and an enhanced enterprise-wide data platform, this holistic view enables the identification of optimization opportunities, driving efficiency and growth. 

Jason's efforts have resulted in a robust framework that supports informed decision-making and promotes a competitive edge for Wawa in the dynamic retail landscape. His leadership in leveraging insights from Data & Analytics products has been a key factor in Wawa's ability to adapt to fluctuating macro-economic forces, and dynamically changing consumer behavior, ensuring the brand remains at the forefront of the industry.