The New Jersey Food Council is watching three proposed legislative changes. According to Linda Doherty, president and CEO, these include extended producer responsibility, liquor licensing reform and unemployment insurance. The EPR bill would require producers of packaging products sold in the state to implement stewardship plans. “Manufacturers are already working toward sustainable packaging and investing […]
Category: Association News
Posted inAssociation News, National
Consumer Brands Shares September Jobs Report
The jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Oct. 7 showed a much-needed increase in consumer packaged goods jobs for last month, as demand for industry products remains high. According to the Consumer Brands Association’s analysis of the September BLS data, 7,748 CPG jobs were added last month, a marked improvement from the […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
The Shopper’s Journey To Health And Wellness
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 […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, National
IFPA Focused On ‘Advocating And Guiding’ With Unified Voice
The International Fresh Produce Association was launched Jan. 1 to bring a unified voice to the global produce industry. “United Fresh and PMA came together,” said Cathy Burns, CEO of the IFPA. “We established a new brand, a new vision, which is to bring the global produce industry together to create a vibrant future for […]
Posted inAssociation News, Feature, National
Food Retailers Pursuing Strategic Differentiation Strategies
Despite a challenging year marked by a persisting pandemic, historic inflation, supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages, the food industry is making significant investments to meet shoppers’ evolving tastes. That’s the assessment of FMI – The Food Industry Association’s annual comprehensive research report, The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2022. The survey found that food retailers […]
Posted inC-Store News, Association News, National
NACS: Gas Prices Affect Consumer Driving Patterns
Nearly half of Americans say they are driving less than they did before the pandemic hit in early 2020, and they cite gas prices as the main reason why, according to a new national consumer survey released by the National Association of Convenience Stores. Three in five drivers say gas prices are the main reason […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Tactics For Finding, Hiring Post-Pandemic Labor Force
I hear it all the time, “Eventually people have to come back to work, right?” Everywhere I go in the U.S. and other countries – as I talk to retailers, manufacturers, service providers and wholesalers – managers are wondering when workers will actually start working. During the pandemic, millions of workers worldwide lost their jobs or […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
As Food Industry Invests In Private Brands, Key Strategies Emerge
FMI – The Food Industry Association has released its second installment of “2022 Power of Private Brands,” which surveys food retailers and manufacturers about their private brands growth strategies. Retailers report having strong goals over the next two years for their private brand portfolio, with a current average dollar share of 18.2 percent and a goal […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Releases Industry Commitments Regarding Food Insecurity
The National Grocers Association has released new industry commitments it has made in connection with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Heath to address food insecurity in the nation. Over the next two years, NGA will assist with improving access to grocery stores by working to increase the number of retailers authorized for […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Communities Need Grocers – And We Sure Do Need Them
As NGA’s president and CEO, I’ve had the opportunity to travel the country to visit our members, tour their stores and learn firsthand about the challenges the grocers face in serving their communities. NGA makes a point of saying it’s an association of independent community grocers. We talk quite a lot about the independent part […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Food Safety Time With The FDA
by Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs September is 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 […]
Posted inAssociation News, Midwest
MGA Presents Sen. Nelson With ‘Legislator Of The Year’ Award
The Minnesota Grocers Association has presented its 2022 MGA Legislator of the Year award to Sen. Carla Nelson. Each year, the association acknowledges a lawmaker who demonstrates outstanding commitment to the food industry of Minnesota. Nelson was recognized for her work in the last biennium as the chair of the Senate taxes committee. “Sen. Nelson […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Supports FTC Commissioner’s Call For Antitrust Enforcement
The National Grocers Association applauded remarks made by Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya during a speech in Minneapolis on Sept. 22, recommending that the agency resurrect the Robinson-Patman Act. The Robinson-Patman Act was passed in 1936 to protect small businesses from price discrimination in the marketplace. Despite the law’s intention, the FTC has not brought […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Foundation Announces 2022 Scholarship Recipients
The NGA Foundation, the nonprofit of the National Grocers Association, has announced the recipients of its 2022 scholarship program. This year, 18 students planning careers with independent grocers received scholarships, provided by the generosity of the foundation’s donors and affiliate groups. “We are proud to ensure that our industry’s future will be in good hands […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, National
FMI Endorses Legislation To Strengthen Credit Card Competition
FMI – The Food Industry Association applauded Reps. Peter Welch and Lance Gooden for introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, sponsored by Sens. Dick Durban and Roger Marshall earlier this year. This bill would require more than one network option on credit cards, giving merchants like food retailers […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Northeast
Outlook In Pennsylvania: Prices Up, Supply Steadying
While Pennsylvania retailers continue to face challenges such as inflation and labor issues, the overall economy in the state is seeing some improvements, according to Alex Baloga, president and CEO, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association. “There certainly are signs that are positive,” he said. “…Our overall tax receipts came in considerably higher this fiscal year than […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Announces 2023 Keynote Speaker For Convention
The National Grocers Association has announced that blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer will be the keynote speaker for the 2023 NGA Show to be held Feb. 26-28 at the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas. The opening session is sponsored by The Kraft Heinz Company, a supporter of NGA and the independent supermarket industry. Weihenmayer […]
Posted inAssociation News, Executive News, National
IRI, NPD Names Vangala As Chief Strategy Officer
IRI and The NPD Group have announced that Malli Vangala has joined the company as chief strategy officer. Vangala joins the company from Microsoft, where he led initiatives for the Microsoft 365 business, and succeeds Wei Lin Wong, who transitions to focus on his role as the president of retail. “We are very pleased to welcome […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Welcomes Agreement To Keep U.S. Rail Networks Open
FMI – The Food Industry Association and Leslie G. Sarasin, its president and CEO, issued the following statement on the negotiations between freight rail networks and rail worker unions to ensure U.S. railroads remain operational and able to deliver critical products. “FMI applauds the agreement reached early this morning between freight rail networks and their employees […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, National
Independent Grocers Urge Congress To Back Credit Card Reform
About 1,000 independent grocers joined in a letter urging Congress to support the Credit Card Reform Act of 2022, legislation that would inject much-needed competition into the market for credit card routing. The legislation is sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall and allows merchants to choose between two unaffiliated networks to process credit […]