Walmart, Amazon and Costco weren’t officially on the agenda at the National Grocers Association's convention this year, but that didn’t stop America’s largest retailers from playing a starring role at the annual gathering of the nation’s independent food retailers.

During panel discussions and keynote remarks at The NGA Show, which wrapped up Tuesday at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, speakers were optimistic but pragmatic about the outlook for smaller grocers. They declared that independents remain vital to shoppers while also nodding to the powerful pressure the industry faces from mass retailers, discounters, specialty chains and other rivals.

Speaking on the Main Stage, Wakefern Food Corp. President Mike Stigers told attendees that they shouldn’t shy away from artificial intelligence, describing it as a way for independents to free up time to do what they do best: build personal relationships with shoppers. He reminded them that the tech sector — an area where Amazon alone plans to invest $200 billion just this year — doesn’t belong only to major corporations. 

“This isn’t something that the big guys have that we don’t. This is something we all have,” Stigers said.

Amy McClellan, chief commercial officer of SpartanNash, also advised smaller retailers to engage with technology, noting at a session that their employees and customers are already doing so.

“As you’re thinking about technology and the evolution of how shoppers interact with technology, don’t make [the] mistake of saying, ‘Not my shopper, never in my community,’” McClellan said.

Here’s a roundup of Grocery Dive’s coverage of this year’s NGA Show.