by Greg Ferrara / President and CEO, National Grocers Association The ethos of the independent grocer includes a commitment to the community. In the grocery business, that often means helping families that are faced with food insecurity. One of the cornerstones of this mission is the public-private partnership of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for which retailers play […]
Category: Guest Contributors
Emerging Technology Doesn’t Have To Be Threat To Independent Grocers
by John Ross / President and CEO of IGA In my line of work, I see great customer service almost daily. I will be visiting an IGA owner or an unaffiliated independent grocer, and they seem to know the names of every shopper we pass in the aisles. It’s a warm and personal experience where the […]
Slight Chance For Normal Spring Made Better By Independent Grocers
by Greg Ferrara / president, National Grocers Association A lot of folks were dealt a double whammy this winter – bone-chilling cold plus pandemic-driven restrictions on gatherings and dining out. Perhaps more so than ever before, Americans are ready for some relief and are patiently (or impatiently) waiting for the sun to come out, temperatures […]
Go Online, Improve Shopping Experience And Modernize Media
by John Ross / President and CEO of IGA It was a long time coming, but somewhere around 2018, the lines crossed – Americans started getting more of their meals from restaurants, takeout and delivery than from meals they prepared themselves at home. And it looked like, based on a 10-year trend, that grocery retailers would […]
Policy Outlook Offers Opportunities, Challenges For Food Supply Chain
by Lowell Randel / SVP, Government and Legal Affairs, Global Cold Chain Alliance Early in his term, President Joe Biden has taken a series of executive actions and issued policy proposals, several of which will impact the food supply chain. As with any new administration, there have been both opportunities and challenges. It is no surprise that […]
Industry Vet Sorensen Writing Next Chapter Of Her Career
by Cindy Sorensen / The Grocery Group Ever since I entered the industry in 1983, I’ve always enjoyed reading grocery trade magazines. At the start of my career, I was a sales representative for Nestlé. Every three to four weeks, I visited 65 independent grocery stores in western Wisconsin and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Reading […]
Sorensen: Channel Competition Driving Growth of Wholesale Services
by Cindy Sorensen / founder, The Grocery Group Many of you can only imagine how much change occurs over the course of nearly 40 years in any given field. In 1983, I started my career in the grocery industry as a sales representative for Nestlé Foods. I was responsible for selling a portfolio of Nestlé products in […]
Will Growth Of E-Commerce Change In-Store Experience?
by Cindy Sorensen / founder, The Grocery Group Unless you were living under a rock in 2020, it was impossible to go an entire day without seeing an article or newsclip about the role of e-commerce in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and shoppers’ reluctance to fulfill their grocery needs through a brick-and-mortar […]
