The National Grocers Association honored the winners of its annual Creative Choice Awards at The NGA Show on Feb. 1 in Las Vegas, recognizing outstanding marketing and merchandising programs from independent grocery retailers across the country. Houchens Food Group received two national awards this year. The Bowling Green, Kentucky-based, 100-percent employee-owned company received the Unilever […]
Category: Independent Store News
Posted inAssociation News, Finance News, Independent Store News, National, News
NGA Honors Hugo’s Magnuson Nelson With Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award
The National Grocers Association named Kristi Magnuson Nelson, president of Grand Forks, North Dakota-based Hugo’s Family Marketplace, as the 2026 recipient of the Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. One of the most prestigious honors in the independent grocery industry, the award honors the legacy of Zaucha, NGA’s first president and CEO, whose career was […]
Expert Article
Real-Time Insight For Real Results: Giving Independent Grocers Control Over The Decisions That Drive Profit
Independent grocers operate in one of the most demanding areas of retail. Margins are tight, labor is unpredictable and vendor costs can change without warning. Yet many store leaders still rely on month-end reports or spreadsheets that arrive long after the moment to adjust has passed. That delay makes it harder to lead with confidence. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Executive News, Festival Foods, Midwest, News
Festival Foods’ Munns Retiring, Whitney Promoted To Chief Merchant
Festival Foods shared two personnel moves Jan. 30, including the upcoming retirement of Randy Munns, EVP and COO, and the promotion of Adam Whitney to chief merchant. Munns will retire Feb. 13 after a 40-year career in the grocery industry, including 35 years with the Wisconsin-based chain. Munns joined Festival in 1991 as a third-shift […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, National, News
IGA Debuts Community Development Program To Address Food Desert Crisis
The Independent Grocers Alliance has launched IGA Community Development, a new initiative designed to expand access to fresh, affordable food in underserved urban and rural communities across the U.S. The new area of focus for IGA involves matching funding from communities, nonprofits and other developmental entities with independent retailers. This allows those retailers to open […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Finance News, News, Retailer of the Year, Vallarta Supermarkets, West
SoCal-Based Vallarta Supermarkets Charts Path Of Growth, Change
In 1985, the Gonzalez family opened a small market in Van Nuys, California, called Carnicería Vallarta. The family focused on selling traditional cuts of meats popular in their native Mexico. They worked hard to build a name for themselves by offering high-quality authentic products, providing a high level of customer service and treating employees as […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast, Produce News, Tops Friendly Markets
Tops Markets Launches 2026 Produce Winter Olympic Games
Tops Markets has launched its 2026 Produce Winter Olympic Games, a four-week, company-wide competition Feb. 1-28 that challenges store teams to showcase produce displays, innovative merchandising and strong sales performance. Throughout the competition, stores participate in weekly themed events designed to highlight freshness, presentation and promotional creativity within the produce department. Teams compete for thousands […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Publix Super Markets, Southeast
Publix Reaches Milestone In Florida Everglades Projects
Publix recently completed two wetland restoration projects in the Florida Everglades, restoring more than 1,300 acres and an estimated 173 million gallons of water annually to the region. In 2021, the Lakeland, Fla.-based company committed $2 million to the National Audubon Society and the National Park Foundation to support restoration efforts at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary […]