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Larkin: Independent Grocers Are Vitally Important To Political Process

by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report The 2018 midterm elections are quickly approaching, as observed by all the political ads that currently pepper our airwaves, and much is on the line for both political parties. A look at historical data on congressional elections suggests that Democrats will have an […]

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Survey Shows Independent Grocers Feeling Optimistic About 2018

by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report With the explosion of new formats and competitors in the marketplace, alongside some continued food deflation, 2017 was a challenging year for independent supermarket operators. However, as the true entrepreneurs of the industry, independent grocers are responding in innovative ways to these challenges […]

Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Bonus Content, Grocery Industry, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National, The Independent Perspective

Larkin: Digging Into The Data Points On Digital

by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report The growth of e-commerce is high on the radar of independent supermarket operators, and it’s important for them to understand the current online shopping preferences of consumers. Findings from the third annual National Grocery Shoppers Survey outline these preferences and identify key moves […]

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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 […]

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Larkin: Five Priorities For Independent Grocers In The 2018 Farm Bill

by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report Congress has the chance to strengthen the food security safety net, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, for recipients and retailers in the 2018 Farm Bill. Every five years, Congress must pass a comprehensive omnibus bill that’s one of […]

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Larkin: 2017 Year In Review For Independent Grocers

by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report Last year was an exciting one for the supermarket industry, which is perhaps undergoing more rapid change than at any other time. As usual, though, independent grocers proved—once again—that they’re the best equipped to evolve with changing times and serve their communities. […]

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Rosie To Serve As First Online Grocery Shopping Platform For Independents To Accept EBT/SNAP Payments

by Lorrie Griffith/editor-in-chief Independent grocers that use e-commerce provider Rosie’s app soon will be able to allow their shoppers to shop online and pay for SNAP-eligible items at-store using their EBT benefits. Jon Ambrose, co-founder and COO of Rosie, told The Shelby Report at his company’s booth at the recent NGA Show that Rosie has […]

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Larkin Outlines Top 3 Hot Topics Among NGA Show Attendees

The Shelby Report’s Editor-in-Chief Lorrie Griffith sat down with National Grocers Association (NGA) President and CEO Peter Larkin at the NGA Show in Las Vegas in earlier this month, which turned out to be the show’s seventh consecutive year of record-breaking attendance—more than 3,400—including a record level of retailer and wholesaler participants. The Expo floor […]