Nov 9, 2022
By NGA Government Relations Team If you woke up this morning shocked that a Republican red wave didn’t materialize, you are not alone. A bad night for Democrats seemed inevitable due to record inflation, a looming recession, a deeply unpopular President, strong polling for Republicans, and a historic record of midterm election defeats for the…
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Nov 2, 2022
By Chris Jones, SVP Government Relations and Counsel For independent grocers across the United States, it is vital to take notice of the options available through various grants and loans offered by all levels of government, non-profit foundations and universities. One such example are the investments being made through the USDA to facilitate in supporting…
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Oct 17, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs Caring for the family is an all-encompassing task, often extending to multiple generations in the ever-evolving American household. Consumers facing this responsibility look to their neighborhood grocer for guidance on meals, medicine and other life comforts. How can independent grocers better prepare themselves to…
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Oct 14, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs What can grocers expect to see in Washington and how will the election results affect how independents do business? In a recent webinar, Chris Jones, NGA senior vice president of government relations and counsel, and Executive Assistant Max Wengroff reviewed the primary season and explained…
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Oct 12, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Our hearts go out to everyone, from homeowners to business owners, who have sustained losses in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Work on recovery is under way, and there’s still much to do before everyone can be made whole again. As survivors count their blessings,…
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Oct 12, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Food safety and transparency are paramount in the grocery industry. To that end, Section 204 of the FDA’s Food Safety and Modernization Act, requiring retailers and wholesalers to comply with traceability procedures, will soon take effect. To raise awareness about FSMA 204, NGA hosted a…
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Oct 6, 2022
By Megan Moyer, Cooperate Marketing Manager at Hamacher Resource Group Being an owner-operator of an independent grocery store requires you wear several hats, including human resources, accounting, buying and merchandising. Managing or overseeing all of these things can leave you with little creativity left to problem solve or come up with new ideas to reinvigorate…
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Oct 5, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications Independent retailers are a key partner on the path to ending hunger and supporting heathy diets. Retailers are community economic hubs that support community revitalization and growth. Our members care deeply about their communities and as such have worked hard to increase access to healthy food options for…
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Oct 3, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs September was National Food Safety Education Month, and what better way to celebrate than with an FDA checkup. NGA hosted a recent webinar in which John Marcello, senior advisor in FDA’s Office of State Cooperative Programs (OSCP), offered a joint regulatory-industry perspective on retail modernization…
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Sep 27, 2022
Antitrust Enforcement and Credit Card Swipe Fees Discussed During Meetings From rising costs and continued supply chain disruptions to the anticompetitive tactics of power buyers, independent grocers are currently facing a variety of challenges that impact their day-to-day operations and how they serve their communities. With this in mind, NGA worked with Congressional offices and…
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Sep 23, 2022
By Pat Jones, Project Coordinator, and Ted Mason, Project Consultant One of the most valuable lessons the National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center (NGAF TA Center) team has learned since beginning our work in GusNIP nutrition incentives is the importance of conducting in-person visits to learn how projects function successfully in a variety of…
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Sep 22, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Consumers are increasingly concerned with being healthy, and at the grocery store, health and wellness means more than food and nutrition. Often built around an in-store pharmacy, health and wellness at the supermarket can include over-the-counter remedies, vitamins, nutritional supplements and other products designed to…
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Aug 24, 2022
By Dave Wendland, Vice President, Strategic Relations, Hamacher Resource Group What does wellness mean to you? I like this definition from the McKinley Health Center of the University of Illinois: “Wellness is a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential.” If we then consider the definition of self-care, according to…
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Aug 18, 2022
By Stephanie Johnson, NGA VP of Government Relations This summer was one of the busiest legislative sessions in Congress in recent memory. It culminated in major legislative achievements for the Biden Administration, a lifeline to the sinking popularity of his presidency and much needed momentum for Democrats up for re-election in November. Congress has introduced…
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Aug 10, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Who buys what, and why? The answer seems to constantly change, but the results of the International Food Information Council’s 2022 Food & Health Survey can help you find the sales strategy that’s right for your unique operation. NGA hosted a recent webinar that explored…
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Aug 9, 2022
By Megan Moyer Finding a niche in your community is a good way to build a competitive advantage. If you and your competitors carry many of the same brands and items, bringing in products that are unique to your store can be a strong differentiator. Start by reviewing your product assortment to see where there…
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Aug 8, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs While some companies offered flexible working arrangements before the pandemic, many were forced into a remote workforce almost overnight. While managing remote employees may be intimidating at first, many retailers and wholesalers are now reaping the benefits of workplace flexibility, including greater employee satisfaction, retention…
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Jul 19, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / Director, Communications and External Affairs First, the bad news: Inflation continues to, well … inflate. Overall inflation rose another percent from May to June, hitting 9.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking a new 40-year high. Worse, inflation for food eaten at home – grocery – climbed to 12.2%…
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Jul 18, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs It’s summer, the time when grocers’ fancies turn to … Christmas. Yes, it’s true that grocery retailers already need to start making holiday buying decisions when the last things most of their customers are thinking about are mistletoe and menorahs. Operators like KeHE, UNFI and…
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Jul 13, 2022
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Food allergens present a risk to more than 30 million people in the United States. Controlling food allergens in retail facilities and reducing the number of allergen-related recalls are a priority, but is the industry we doing enough? NGA hosted a recent webinar to explore the latest…
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