Last updated on June 13th, 2024
by John McCurry / contributing writer
Overall, grocers in Louisiana and Mississippi have handled the coronavirus pandemic well. That’s the assessment of Manard Lagasse, president and CEO of Baton Rouge-based Associated Grocers.
Associated Grocers provides resources and support for more than 200 independent grocers in those states and Texas.
“Obviously, there have been some issues as far as supplies are concerned, but overall they have done well,” Lagasse said. “There was a huge surge in the middle of March, and they handled it well. The supply chain hasn’t been great at times, but it’s held up well.”
The coronavirus pandemic hit Louisiana early and hard, but things have settled down. Mississippi so far has not felt as much of an impact, according to Lagasse.
He noted that one of the remarkable changes over the past few months has been the surge in online ordering of groceries. He believes that will continue because more people are using it and liking it.
“For grocers, just like you see in so many industries, e-commerce is really picking up,” he said.
Lagasse predicts the remainder of 2020 will be strong for the region’s grocers.
“From a grocery store perspective, we will continue to see growth,” Lagasse said. “I am optimistic. I believe there is a good future ahead for the independent grocer. The retailers did a very good job for the past few months. It was good to see that.”
