by Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs First, the bad news: Inflation continues to, well … inflate. Overall inflation rose another percent from May to June, hitting 9.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking a new 40-year high. Worse, inflation for food eaten at home – grocery – climbed […]
Category: Association News
Posted inAssociation News, Northeast
PFMA Awards $68K In Student Scholarships
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association has awarded its 2022 Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarships to 27 students. Recipients are chosen by a panel of judges who review each applicant’s academic record, school and community involvement, recommendations and a submitted essay. Individual scholarship amounts increased this year, awarding every student with a $2,500 scholarship for the […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Midwest
Opportunity Abounds In Iowa, Where Economy Is On Rise
Iowa is continuing to rebound from the 2020 pandemic, ranking No. 1 for opportunity and No. 12 overall in 2022 by The U.S. News and World Report, according to Michelle Hurd, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. During its March meeting, the Revenue Estimating Conference projected a 4.2 percent growth in Iowa for fiscal […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Southeast
Measure Aids Online Market Transparency In Louisiana
The Louisiana Retailers Association led an initiative this year to pass Act 316, legislation that will make it more difficult for thieves to sell stolen goods online. According to Jessica Elliott, executive director of the LRA, the measure will increase online marketplace transparency for consumers and ensure verification of high-volume online sellers. “Grocers have made significant […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Celebrates Winners Of 2022 Community Uplift Awards
FMI – The Food Industry Association has announced the recipients of the 2022 Community Uplift Awards. Out of 14 contest nominees, eight were selected as winners for their standout efforts in addressing food insecurity, neighborhood health needs and youth development. The 2022 winners are Giant Food, Stop & Shop, Hy-Vee Inc., The Giant Company, Schnucks Markets Inc. and Northgate Gonzalez […]
Posted inAssociation News, Midwest
Inflation, Labor, Supply Chain Posing Challenges In Indiana
The economy in Indiana is good and probably one of the best, at least in the Midwest, according to Joe Lackey, president of the Indiana Grocery & Convenience Store Association. “It’s better than almost anything when you go east,” he said. According to Lackey, one reason for that is that every taxpayer will be receiving […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
5 Questions For Rick Brindle
by Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Rick Brindle, the VP of industry development at Mondelez International, shares his thoughts on the current state of the industry and what the future holds for independent grocers … The pandemic, a widespread labor shortage, supply chain issues, high fuel prices and conflict in eastern […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Association News, National
Why Are Food Prices Still Rising? Look No Further Than Fertilizer
Fertilizer isn’t a glamorous topic. Far from it. But it’s a key player in the game of rising food costs. Plants need nitrogen, potassium and other nutrients to grow. Add more nutrients in the soil and plants grow bigger, vegetable and fruit yields skyrocket and, in turn, land becomes more productive and profitable. Reverse it […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Welcomes Additional FDA Flexibilities On Infant Formula
FMI has been committed to working with federal agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, throughout the infant formula shortage to identify challenges to and solutions for sourcing infant formula products at grocery stores. In light of FDA’s recent announcement to grant additional flexibilities for increasing the supply of infant formula in the U.S., Leslie G. Sarasin, […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI: Hybrid Grocery Shopping Is Transforming Food Retail
FMI, the Food Industry Association recently presented its “Navigating A Hybrid World” as part of its U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2022 series. The third edition of the series, the June 9 presentation focused on how retailers and consumers are adapting and utilizing both in-store and online shopping techniques in the post-pandemic market. “This year’s trends […]
Posted inAssociation News, Market Profile, Northeast
Massachusetts Association Juggling Various Legislative Issues
Chris Flynn, president of the Massachusetts Food Association, said officials are dealing with various legislative issues, including the expansion of a bottle law, treatment of animals and credit cards. Lawmakers in late 2021 approved a 2016 voter-approved law tweaked by lawmakers that requires larger enclosures for egg-laying chickens, according to the Gloucester Daily Times. The […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Analysis Reveals Complicated Outlook For U.S. Grocery Shoppers
FMI – The Food Industry Association has released its fourth installment of its U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2022, “Future Outlook,” which focuses on the ways various forces continue to shape how we eat, what we eat and how we obtain food. “Our relationship with food continues to be complicated due to a host of factors, […]
Posted inAssociation News, Northeast
NJFC Hosts Virtual Reception For 2022 Education Scholarship Winners
The New Jersey Food Council hosted a virtual reception and presentation June 16 to honor the 2022 scholarship recipients from the Educational Development Scholarship Foundation. “This was a special ceremony to award our students with scholarships that will help further their dreams, goals and career aspirations,” said Linda Doherty, NJFC president and CEO. “This virtual […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Applauds Senate Approval Of Bipartisan PBM Reform Legislation
FMI – The Food Industry Association welcomed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s passage of the bipartisan “Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2022.” The legislation addresses several anticompetitive practices used by many of the drug middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers while giving the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general greater enforcement authorities to prevent […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Normalizing The Mental Health Conversation
by Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Grocery operators are starting to focus more deeply on the well-being of their teams and engage in conversations around employee mental health in our industry. The NGA Foundation hosted a recent webinar that explored how organizations approach their employees’ mental health to ensure their teams […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
CBA Reports Steep Wholesale Prices Show Cost Pressures For CPG
The Consumer Brands Association warned that manufacturers continue to face steep production costs as the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers hover near historic levels. The May Producer Price Index showed a 10.8 percent year-over-year rise, still near record highs. On a monthly basis, PPI rose 0.8 percent. For food specifically, wholesale prices rose 12.6 percent, […]
Posted inAssociation News, Northeast
PFMA Board Chair Dell’Alba Receives Food Industry Trailblazer Award
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association presented its 2022 Food Industry Trailblazer award to Lisa Dell’Alba, president and CEO of Square One Markets Inc., June 15 during its annual conference dinner. The award recognizes a pioneer in food and beverage retail who is willing to take risks and innovate to stay ahead in the industry. “Lisa, […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Southeast
Independents In Sunshine State Not Immune To Workforce Issues
Florida’s economy continues to be “very robust” and the state legislature recently approved a budget of about $109 billion while “still banking an additional $11 billion in reserves,” said Lorena Holley, VP and general counsel with the Florida Retail Federation. “More specific to the food industry in Florida, our grocers have generally retained a good […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Independent Grocers Advocate During NGA’s ‘Fly-In For Fair’ Competition
The National Grocers Association concluded a successful Fly-In for Fair Competition on June 9. Focused on leveling the playing field in the grocery industry by calling for enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act, grocers engaged with Congressional offices about the importance of acting now to resolve dominant food retailers’ anti-competitive tactics. “America’s independent grocers played a […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Member Retailer Lauds SNAP’s ‘Shining Example’
Mike Beal, chief operating officer of Kansas City, Kansas-based Balls Food Stores, testified June 8 in support of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, on behalf of the National Grocers Association, the trade association representing the independent supermarket industry. Beal affirmed the importance of SNAP to the […]