The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is one of the busiest times for grocers. The late fall and winter holidays bring a rush of shoppers eager to please family and friends at their seasonal gatherings. The traditional hectic holiday pace would be a whirlwind for grocers without the added pressures of inflation and supply […]
Category: Guest Contributors
Posted inThe Kroger Co., Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Association News, Guest Contributors, National, Whole Foods
When The Big Get Bigger: Reflecting On Albertsons-Kroger Merger
The biggest recent news in our industry was the announcement that Albertsons and Kroger plan to merge. This isn’t the first time that bigger players have decided to combine forces with an aim to create leverage and scale. Those terms are code for anticipated better pricing from suppliers, reducing costs in infrastructure, converting to common […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Association News, National
Store Visits Help Federal Lawmakers Understand Grocers’ Needs
By the time most of you read this, the midterm elections will be over, most (if not all) races will be determined and the balance of power in Congress may be shifting. Regardless of the midterm results and how the partisan winds shift, those in the U.S. House and Senate need to be aware of […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Tactics For Finding, Hiring Post-Pandemic Labor Force
I hear it all the time, “Eventually people have to come back to work, right?” Everywhere I go in the U.S. and other countries – as I talk to retailers, manufacturers, service providers and wholesalers – managers are wondering when workers will actually start working. During the pandemic, millions of workers worldwide lost their jobs or […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Communities Need Grocers – And We Sure Do Need Them
As NGA’s president and CEO, I’ve had the opportunity to travel the country to visit our members, tour their stores and learn firsthand about the challenges the grocers face in serving their communities. NGA makes a point of saying it’s an association of independent community grocers. We talk quite a lot about the independent part […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Independents Are Increasingly Resilient, Creative And Nimble
The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most challenging business environments that independent community grocers have had to face – and it’s not over yet. The sudden shift in retail spending behavior during the second quarter of 2020 drove record supermarket sales. Grocers moved mountains to keep shelves stocked while contending with operational challenges, […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Floods Swallow Isom IGA In Kentucky
From IGA News The morning of July 28 hit different from other Thursdays for Isom IGA Owner and 2007 IGA International Retailer of the Year Gwen Christon. After a 12-hour deluge in eastern Kentucky brought 7-10 inches of rain overnight and raised the North Fork Kentucky River about 11 feet above flood stage – an […]
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 […]