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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Dec 21, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Christmas is just a few days away and anyone who works in grocery has been crazy busy for weeks now. But with the big day bearing down, the folks at market tracker Numerator this week reminded us who’s buying what this holiday season. There’s good…
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Dec 18, 2023
By Max Wengroff / NGA Manager, Government Relations and Membership This has been a busy year for NGA’s Government Relations team in Washington. We faced a torrent of new regulations from the Biden administration and, despite Congressional chaos, we managed to put some points on the board. We have faced both success and headwinds on…
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Dec 4, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs NGA, FMI and other association partners have been working together as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues regulations to implement certain provisions of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. In October 2023, the EPA released the Phasedown of Hydrofluorocarbons: Restrictions on the Use…
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Nov 27, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Pending legislation and changes in public policy in the coming year are sure to influence business operations, supply chain management and consumer expectations. In an election year with the White House and control of Congress on the line, interesting times are on the way. In…
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Nov 22, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Trying to predict the future is fraught with peril. Trying to say with certainty what the grocery industry will look like years from now – with economic, technological, social and other factors all playing a role – is darn near impossible. To be sure, at…
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Nov 15, 2023
By Chelsea Matzen / Vice President, NGA Foundation Diversity and inclusion is one of the NGA Foundation’s five programmatic pillars and one that will be important to the long-term success of the independent grocery industry. For an industry that can boast its position at the heart of the community, its reflection of that community –…
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Nov 14, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs As a grocery retailer, are you using artificial intelligence? You probably are and may not realize it. AI is already a part of many of the functions of e-commerce as well as other tech functions that many grocers are using. But what’s the next…
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Oct 16, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs The fall and winter holidays offer independent grocers an opportunity to leverage the spirit of the season to generate excitement among consumers and the community in their unique and exclusive offerings, as well as drive sales. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa present opportunities for traditional…
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Oct 3, 2023
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs With year-over-year online channel sales up 17% and vastly outpacing in-store growth, understanding omnichannel shopper behavior is vital for retailers of all sizes. As independent grocers, how can you better understand today’s omni shoppers? In a recent webinar hosted by the National Grocers Association,…
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