Category: Guest Contributors

Becoming a member of the National Grocers Association makes you a part of a community based on relationships. NGA is a collaborative network built on trust, with each member helping to make each other, and the collective, stronger as one. The association helps to amplify the story of independent operators and their vendor partners throughout […]

The fresh perimeter is the epicenter of growth and excitement in the grocery store. For most supermarkets, it’s the front door of the shopping experience – it’s where retailers make their first impression, offering a feast for the senses, from fruits and vegetables to bakery and deli to meat and seafood. And it accounts for […]

Are independent grocers really independent? Let’s take a look at NGA’s own definition. Independent community grocers are … Entrepreneurs? Check Passionately committed to their customers, their associates and the markets they serve? Check Differentiate in the marketplace based on the needs of the local community, while showing a strong commitment to civic life and providing […]

An association is only as strong as its members. That’s why NGA is blessed to have members who are so generous with their time and effort that they put toward advocating for our industry in the halls of government. There is strength in numbers, and even with as many as we have, there’s always room […]

Have you ever considered how pest movement can impact food safety? We live in a world of movement, and food and food products are no exception, traveling along channels of production, processing, packaging and distribution. Food and ingredients can move thousands of miles from their source until they find their way onto store shelves. Keeping […]

The future of the independent grocery industry largely depends upon having talented leadership that can steer it through changing times and dynamic market conditions. Part of cultivating that leadership is encouraging today’s students to become tomorrow’s leaders by demonstrating the opportunities and benefits of working in a business that uplifts communities and feeds the nation. […]

The deadline for USDA’s “Strengthening Organic Enforcement” (SOE) final rule is barely a month away. More robust recordkeeping, audits and traceability of organic certifications will be required of more businesses throughout the food supply. The National Grocers Association, as part of its traceability partnership with ReposiTrak, hosted a recent webinar that explained what the rule […]