Rather than concede general merchandise sales to new and disruptive competition, brick-and-mortar retailers are seeking creative ways to maintain their share of this critical and high-margin category. This is one of the conclusions contained in the “General Merchandise Benchmarking Report,” an annual industry report recently released by the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) in partnership with A.T. Kearney. The […]
Category: Association News
The Key To Competing With Digital Retail Is Consumer Loyalty
The best way for food retailers to gain an advantage over digital retailers and other competitors is to have a large, loyal customer base. “To achieve this, it is critical for retailers to take a next-generation approach to customer loyalty and view it in 3D: loyalty as a strategy, loyalty as an outcome of daily […]
NGA Applauds Advancement Of The Farm Bill To Committee
The National Grocers Association (NGA), a national trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, is reacting positively to the House’s vote to move the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, to a conference committee. Lawmakers seek to reach on compromise on two different versions of the bill. In late June, the […]
Nature’s Path Leaves Organic Trade Association In Protest
Organic breakfast company Nature’s Path Foods today resigned from the Organic Trade Association (OTA) citing concern that the OTA is “shifting its commitment from supporting and representing the core principles of the organic food movement, to begin pushing a non-organic agenda which threatens the future of organic.” Nature’s Path says recent actions by the OTA […]
Produce Innovation Award Winners Recognized At United Fresh 2018
Seven Produce Innovation Award winners were recognized at United Fresh 2018 in Chicago in late June. This year’s honorees were selected by show attendees from a total of 36 contestants across seven categories: Best New Food Safety Solution; Best New Fruit Product; Best New Packaging; Best New Packing/Processing Equipment; Best New Vegetable Product; and two […]
Senate Passes Farm Bill, Omits House Bill’s SNAP Requirements
The Senate passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill on June 28 with a bipartisan vote of 86-11. The $867 billion bill does not include the controversial work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients that were included in the House version of the bill. It also restates a prohibition of interchange and […]
Retailers Say Customer Service Will Suffer Under California Privacy Law
The National Retail Federation is calling new state privacy legislation signed into law in California yesterday “deeply flawed” and said customer service could be severely hampered if the legislature fails to address retailers’ concerns before the measure takes effect in 2020. The law prohibits retailers from treating customers who opt out of data sharing any […]
Kroger’s New Payment Policy A Cause For Concern For Produce Industry
Kroger recently sent out a letter to produce shippers outlining its new 90-day standardized payment policy, which takes effect Aug. 1, 2018. According to a number of produce industry organizations, the new policy conflicts with protection rights under the PACA Trust, and agreeing to any extension beyond 30 days automatically forces produce suppliers to waive their PACA […]
