by Ronald K. Fong/president & CEO, California Grocers Association There is an expression—“get on the bus or get run over by the bus”—that rings true from time to time in politics. Every so often, when faced with huge policy shifts on the horizon, one is forced to make this very calculation. CGA did this a […]
Category: Guest Contributors
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HR & Benefits News: Top 2 HR Compliance Questions From Independent Grocers
HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Independent grocers are all too familiar with the challenges they face on a daily basis regarding the rapidly evolving supermarket industry, including competition from conventional grocery giants, changing technology, and managing cash flows amidst food deflation and increased labor […]
Posted inPackaging News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Industry News, Midwest, Produce News, Shelby Content
Bring The Farmers Market To Life In The Produce Department
by Claire Lentsch/a contributor to The Shelby Report Produce thrives when it is fresh, affordable, exciting and expresses vintage appeal. It is healthy, fast and filling, making it the ideal snack. Nobody has to question, “Is this good for me?” Consumers assume most items in the produce category will improve their health, and these natural […]
Posted inFood Service News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National, Shelby Content
Discover Gold In ‘Customer Zones’: A Proven Strategy To Increase Foodservice Sales
by Howland Blackiston/principal, King-Casey My July article in The Shelby Report pointed out that grocery stores and supermarkets could learn a lot from QSRs and fast-casual restaurant competitors as they entered the “brave, new world of branded, proprietary food offerings.” Specifically, they needed to (1) develop a menu strategy; (2) commit to continuous innovation; and […]
Posted inShelby Content, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National
HR & Benefits News: Workplace Bullying And The Potential Costs
HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Most of us experienced or witnessed bullying on the playground as kids, but many small and medium business owners are unaware of how prevalent bullying currently is in the workplace, and how corrosive it can be to the work […]
Posted inMarketing News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National, Produce News, Shelby Content
Karen Caplan: The New Holiday Table
by Karen Caplan/President and CEO, Frieda’s Specialty Produce If you’re a retailer, you’ve probably already set your ads for the upcoming holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And chances are you’ve chosen pretty much the same selection of produce items to feature as you did last year: orange sweet potatoes, green beans, Russet potatoes and cranberries. I’m […]
Posted inDairy News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Merchandising News, National, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content
Dairy And Produce: Grow Sales By Providing Solutions
by Cindy Sorensen/ Founder and CEO, The Grocery Group Today’s produce departments provide a great example of how grocers have reinvented departments within their stores to be relevant to consumers’ ever-growing and changing desires and demands. Several years ago, when local farmers markets began to pop up in library, shopping center and school parking lots around their […]
Posted inShelby Content, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National, The Independent Perspective
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 […]
Posted inDairy News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, International Foods, Marketing News, Merchandising News, National, Shelby Content
Sorensen: Connecting With Hispanic Shoppers
by Cindy Sorensen/Founder and CEO of The Grocery Group The Hispanic population represents the fastest-growing ethnic group in the U.S. In fact, by 2020, Hispanics will be the largest ethnic group. They currently represent 17 percent of the population and will grow to be 29 percent by 2050. This growth will occur in all regions […]
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Providing Timely Service Is Essential To Developing Customer Loyalty
by John Larson/senior partner at John Larson & Co. and co-author of Capturing Loyalty Last week, I went to my local Trader Joe’s and bought an inexpensive bottle of Chilean wine. When I went to pay for the wine, the register operator complemented me on my selection. “Several of my customers have purchased this wine […]
Posted inPackaging News, California Perspective, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Shelby Content, West
Prop. 65 Warning No Longer Needed For Coffee; Cereal Under Scrutiny
by Ron Fong/president and CEO, California Grocers Association In many respects, California is like an island unto itself when it comes to laws and regulations. For better or worse, our state is home to a number of laws and regulations that exist nowhere else in the nation. Among the most notorious and controversial of them […]
Posted inDairy News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National, Shelby Content
Milk’s Missed Opportunity
by Cindy Sorensen/founder and CEO, The Grocery Group With approximately 96 percent of all households purchasing milk, it holds an enviable spot in consumers’ shopping baskets and refrigerators. There is only one other category that can claim a higher household penetration, and that is toilet paper. But milk’s stronghold with consumers is fading. As competition […]
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HR & Benefits News: Key To Success—Hire & Keep The Best People
HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. It’s no secret, hiring and keeping workers has significant impact on independent grocers. Its impact is second only to “competition from other retailers” say independent grocers who participated in the 2018 Independent Grocers Financial Survey prepared by […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Equipment & Technology, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Shelby Content
The Top Four Reasons Self-Checkout Fails In Grocery
(And why line-free mobile checkout is the future) by Will Hogben/ CEO, FutureProof Retail The first iteration of what we now call “self-checkout” in the grocery industry was launched at the Food Marketing Institute’s annual convention in 1987. The “Automatic Checkout Machine” was unveiled by a Florida company called CheckRobot, and it was received well, […]
Posted inPackaging News, Beverage News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Sustainability News
Meet Gen Z: Plastic Water Bottles Bring Landfills To Mind
by Claire Lentsch/a contributor to The Shelby Report The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to landfills is plastic. Although plastic is not the only thing that forms mountains of waste, it is one of the more common things we face in our day-to-day lives. Ads promote the idea of “save the […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Amazon Fresh, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Marketing News, National, Shelby Content, Whole Foods
AI-Enabled Personalized Marketing Will Drive FMCG Forward
By Mike Bristol/VP Personalized Marketing, Symphony RetailAI Sometimes, the world seems to just turn too quickly; work projects kick into overdrive, kids’ schedules get too hectic, and even taking the time to pick out a somewhat healthy meal at the grocery store seems like a daunting task. As both consumers and busy, complex people, many […]
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HR & Benefits News: Feds Step Up I-9 Audits—Be Ready
Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. It’s The Law “All U.S. Employers must ensure proper completion of Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens.” –U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of […]
Posted inFood Service News, Grocery News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Shelby Content
What QSRs Can Teach Grocers
by Howland Blackiston/ principal, King-Casey As groceries and supermarkets step into the brave, new world of branded, proprietary food offerings, they quickly learn that they have a whole new set of competitors—specifically, QSRs and fast-casual restaurants. But that’s not all bad news. QSRs have served their market for 50-plus years, which means that grocers can shortcut […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, Whole Foods
With Retail Store Openings Down And Closings Up, Employees Appreciate Leadership
by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report There is so much happening in retail businesses, it’s no wonder employees are concerned about their future. Most distressing is a recent industry study by Jones Lang LaSalle showing new store openings down 28.8 percent in 2017. Most of us follow the […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Shelby Content, 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 […]