After two delays, Obama-era rules requiring chain restaurants and grocery stores to post the calorie counts of prepared foods on menus and menu boards went into effect on May 7. The rules, part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, apply to chains with at least 20 stores. They’re intended to help consumers make healthier choices […]
Category: Association News
TGCSA Celebrates Sunday Sales Victory Ahead Of June Convention
In April, the Tennessee General Assembly passed, and Gov. Bill Haslam signed, legislation that will allow retail food stores to sell wine on Sundays. The new law, which was sponsored by Sen. Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro) and Rep. Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga), paves the way for Sunday wine sales in grocery stores beginning in January 2019. When […]
Lloyd Offers Grocers A Roadmap To Remain Relevant
by Lorrie Griffith/editor-in-chief Educator Harold Lloyd presented a Super Breakfast Session at the NGA Show in Las Vegas in February. The agreed-upon title of his presentation was “How to Coexist with the Hard Discounter,” but Lloyd gave an alternative title, too: “How to Remain Relevant.” “It’s something we all face,” said Lloyd, who is reminded […]
Larkin: Setting The Record Straight On SNAP
by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report In April, NGA—alongside the Food Marketing Institute (FMI)—welcomed supermarket retailers, wholesalers and food industry state association executives from across the nation to Washington, D.C., for the annual “Day in Washington” supermarket industry fly-in. The timing of the fly-in could not have been more […]
Former Law Enforcement Officer Honored As CGA Legislator Of The Year
Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) was awarded the California Grocers Association (CGA) 2018 Legislator of the Year Award during CGA’s annual Grocers Day at the Capitol event on early this month. Cooper was honored for “being an exemplary public servant and a friend of the grocery industry in California,” said CGA First Vice Chair Kendra […]
GMA To Honor Mondelēz, Kroger Vets With Hall Of Achievement Awards
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has named the recipients of this year’s Hall of Achievement Awards: Irene Rosenfeld and Fred Morganthall. Rosenfeld is the retired chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International Inc., and Morganthall served as EVP of Kroger and president of Harris Teeter. The Hall of Achievement Award, GMA’s highest honor, recognizes the “service […]
NACS: C-Store Sales Up For 15th Straight Year In 2017
U.S. convenience stores experienced a 15th straight year of in-store sales and a fourth straight year of $10 billion-plus in pretax profits, according to newly released State of the Industry data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). U.S. convenience stores sales overall surged 9.3 percent to $601.1 billion in 2017, led by a 14.9 percent increase […]
Fastest Growing Craft Breweries Of 2017
The Brewers Association (BA), a nonprofit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers, has released its inaugural list of the 50 fastest-growing small and independent craft brewing companies of 2017. Median growth from 2016 to 2017 for these breweries was 216 percent; the median size of breweries on the list went from 284 barrels in 2016 to 963 barrels […]
Arizona Food Marketing Alliance Hosts Annual Golf Classic At We-Ko-Pa
The Arizona Food Marketing Alliance (AFMA) hosted its annual AFMA Golf Classic at the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in the East Valley on March 22. The popular event continues to attract golfers, who include AFMA’s retail partners and their premier vendors, says AFMA. With 8 sampling holes on the courses, vendors were able to connect with […]
Meet The 2018 FMI Store Manager Awards Finalists
by Elizabeth Mackin/ assistant, education, Food Marketing Institute Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” When the road ahead is unpaved, we look to those who can help guide the way. As the grocery industry continues to navigate a digital transformation, store managers will be crucial in translating the digital world […]
Potatoes USA To Kick Off Athletic Performance Campaign This Summer
Potatoes USA debuted a new consumer marketing campaign at its annual meeting in Denver. The “What Are You Eating?” campaign is designed to encourage athletes to use potatoes as fuel for athletic performance. It also is intended to re-frame potato nutrition messaging, from providing reasons why it is okay to eat potatoes to providing the reasons why consumers should eat them […]
NGA Honors Rep. McMorris Rodgers With Spirit Of America Award
The National Grocers Association (NGA) and the Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) this week presented the NGA Spirit of America Award to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) in recognition of her efforts to “preserve and foster the principles of free enterprise and advance pro-growth policies that supports the independent supermarket industry.” Jan Gee, president and […]
SCFRC Luncheon Panelists Prepare For The Future Of Frozen Foods
Earlier this year, the Southern California Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Council hosted a kick-off luncheon in Commerce, California, featuring an industry panel discussion on how to increase frozen and refrigerated food sales in 2018. Panelists included Jim Amen with Super A, Margie Bravo with Nestle USA, Rich Gillmore with Gelson’s, Chris Linskey with Super King, Mike […]
Viva Fresh Expo Welcomes Texas A&M Students For Third Year
This year’s Viva Fresh Produce Expo again will feature the Aggies for Fresh Reception after two successful years of offering students the opportunity to connect one-on-one with attendees, with many of those students securing positions within the industry as a result. Aggies for Fresh is a campaign created to recruit students from Texas A&M University to the fresh produce industry. This year’s nine Aggies for Fresh scholarship […]
Small And Independent Brewers See Sustained Growth In 2017
The Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers, has released 2017 data on U.S. craft brewing growth, and the news is good. With more than 6,300 breweries operating during the year, small and independent craft brewers represent 12.7 percent market share by volume of the overall beer industry. In 2017, craft brewers produced […]
National Milk Producers Federation Lauds Spending Bill For Dairy Pride Act Language
The congressional spending bill signed by the President on March 23 directs the FDA to take action against imitation dairy foods, “representing a victory for farmers and consumers alike,” said the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) in a response to the bill. The omnibus spending bill to fund the government for the remainder of Fiscal […]
NACS, RTO Take ‘Be Our Guest’ Customer Service Training Online
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and Ready Training Online (RTO) have released a training module called “Be Our Guest,” that previously was only available in DVD format. “We’ve made it easy for convenience retailers to gain new skills and learn best practices, right from the computer right from the computer in a store […]
Industry Reacts To Bipartisan Policy Center Report On SNAP
In 2017, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) launched a 13-member task force to explore strategies for promoting healthy nutrition through public programs and policies related to food and health. The task force focused on what it says are opportunities to strengthen and improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to more […]
Alcohol Sales & Distribution Laws Among PFMA Legislative Priorities
Alcohol wholesale and retail sales reform remains a top legislative priority this year for the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA). “PFMA made great progress on long-standing issues in 2017, and we will work with our members in 2018 to get our priority legislation passed into law,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO. PFMA plans to continue […]
Independent Grocers Urge Congress To Oppose ‘Harvest Box’ Proposal
The National Grocers Association (NGA) sent a letter on behalf of the independent supermarket industry to Capitol Hill on Friday, March 2, urging opposition to the White House’s harvest box proposal, which would drastically change the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by replacing about 40 percent of SNAP benefits with a government run food delivery […]
