Arizona State University has been named the winner of the 2025 National Grocers Association (NGA) Student Case Study Competition winner.
Organized by the NGA Foundation, the competition is a key initiative to foster career growth and position grocery as a top career choice for ambitious college students.
The case study competition, which took place at the 2025 NGA Show in Las Vegas, involved nearly 80 students and faculty from 11 universities studying food industry disciplines such as food marketing, supply chain management and agricultural economics.
The competition challenged student teams to develop a sustainability strategy for Clark’s Market, an independent grocery retailer with 11 locations across the Rocky Mountain region. Participants developed solutions for reducing food waste and optimizing product merchandising to emphasize sustainable and eco-friendly choices. Key considerations included operational efficiencies, return on investment and strategic marketing initiatives to engage customers and employees.
“Congratulations to Arizona State University for their hard work, creativity and strategic thinking that truly set them apart in this year’s competition,” said Chelsea Matzen, VP, NGA Foundation. “We’re incredibly proud to support and recognize the next generation of industry leaders who are driving innovative solutions for sustainability in independent supermarkets across the country.”
NGA also congratulated Cornell University for earning second place for its innovative approach to sustainability.
This year’s competition was made possible with support from title sponsor UNFI and supporting sponsor Fairlife.
Information on the 2026 Student Case Study Competition will be available this fall.
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About NGA
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers.