Jul 12, 2024
The FMS Compensation and Benefits Study, a comprehensive analysis tailored specifically for the independent grocery sector, offers an in-depth look into current compensation trends and benefits packages across the industry, providing crucial insights for grocery store owners and managers. FMS’ study examines wages—including hourly pay, salaries and bonuses where applicable—for 30 roles ranging from store…
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Jul 1, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Dairy is a destination for daily staples on most shopping trips. But, how are evolving demographics, changing nutritional requirements and the rise of alternative products influencing what winds up in consumers’ baskets? A recent webinar hosted by NGA explored consumption trends for dairy products as…
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Jun 27, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Grocery has one of the highest employee turnover rates of any U.S. industry. A recent study commissioned by the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council examined the lingering impact of the pandemic and other issues around hiring and retention. In a recent webinar hosted by the National…
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Jun 20, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Nutrition is a space that grocers can own, by knowing how to guide consumers toward food solutions for any health need. A recent webinar hosted by the National Grocers Association and the NGA Foundation explained what “food as medicine” means and explored what grocery retailers…
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Jun 6, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist The first quarter of 2024 marked a significant turning point for grocery sales, with the first year-over-year unit increase since the second quarter of 2021. The first quarter underscored a resilient grocery sector adapting to economic pressures and changing consumer habits, with deli-prepared foods emerging…
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Jun 5, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Operational shrink may amount to $210,000 per store per year. The good news is that more than 50% of that is controllable. In a recent webinar hosted by NGA, Nick Lenzi, SVP of marketing at Lipari Foods, shared 20 “nickels” – costs savings throughout a…
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Jun 4, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Things are heating up on Capitol Hill, as a divided Congress works toward a new Farm Bill and reshapes policy amid a hotly contested election year. Things were particularly hot – and sweaty – toward the end of May, when independent grocers converged on the…
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May 9, 2024
By Lorraine Dufour for The Farmers’ Truck As an independent grocer, your community ties extend far beyond the walls of your store. So why should your goods be confined to those walls? This is where a mobile market truck comes in. Increasing access to healthy food by bringing it directly to those who need it…
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Apr 30, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist The post-pandemic period is offering independent grocers challenges that operationally may pale in comparison to those of the COVID era but are adding pressure to the bottom line and the way supermarket operators are perceived by consumers. Inflation has driven up the cost of most…
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Apr 29, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Becoming a member of the National Grocers Association makes you a part of a community based on relationships. NGA is a collaborative network built on trust, with each member helping to make each other, and the collective, stronger as one. The association helps to amplify…
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Apr 24, 2024
By Julia Landcastle / NGA Coordinator, Political and Government Relations On April 9, 2024, the USDA released the final WIC food package for the first time in over a decade. Changes in the food package aim to provide participants with more choices and flexibility as they shop to meet their needs. Now, states will have…
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Apr 22, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist The fresh perimeter is responsible for most of the sales and growth in the grocery channel. But it’s not enough for independent grocers just to be fresh – you have to do fresh right and in a way that sets you apart from your national…
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Apr 11, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Are independent grocers really independent? Let’s take a look at NGA’s own definition. Independent community grocers are … Entrepreneurs? Check. Passionately committed to their customers, their associates and the markets they serve? Check. Differentiate in the marketplace based on the needs of the local community,…
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Mar 25, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Ensuring the safety of customers and associates is a primary concern for grocery retailers. From retail theft to active shooters, it’s essential that grocery operators have procedures in place for dealing with potentially harmful scenarios. NGA hosted a recent webinar to help grocers identify and…
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Feb 29, 2024
By Stephanie Johnson, NGA VP of Government Relations A February 29 commentary published by the American Enterprise Institute offers up a four-point argument claiming industry groups are making false claims about a congressionally proposed pilot program restricting items that can be purchased under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Author Angela Rachidi of the Center…
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Feb 26, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Have you ever considered how pest movement can impact food safety? We live in a world of movement, and food and food products are no exception, traveling along channels of production, processing, packaging and distribution. Food and ingredients can move thousands of miles from their…
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Feb 12, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Managing Editor and Content Strategist Consumers have more choices and information than ever before when it comes to making food purchase decisions that meet their needs and the needs of their families. The retailers who win with these shoppers deliver assortment and service that better meets their needs. Independent retailers…
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Jan 31, 2024
Kansas City barbecue or San Francisco sourdough? This year’s Super Bowl offers an opportunity to feature them both in your store – along with all the other game day favorites as your customers shop in preparation for enjoying the Chiefs-49ers matchup on Sunday, Feb. 11. Three in five consumers plan to watch Super Bowl LVIII,…
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Jan 18, 2024
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs With a labor-friendly National Labor Relations Board in 2024, now is the time for all grocers to stay up to speed on the changes in union rules and labor department regulations, and what they should be doing to train their managers and supervisors on the…
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