by Paulo Goelzer For over three decades, I have lived and breathed the dynamic world of grocery retail – an industry where leadership is forged not in corner offices, but in backrooms, front ends and produce aisles. In those 30 years, I have had the opportunity to work with store management that navigated chaos on […]
Category: Guest Contributors
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
Honoring Uncle’s Legacy Of Leadership, Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude, reflection and intentional recognition of the people who have shaped our lives. As families gather around tables filled with food and laughter, we pause to remember not just for what – but whom – we are thankful. This year, my heart turns to one man whose life embodies leadership, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Guest Contributors, National, News
There IS A Future For Independent Grocery
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series of articles intended to provide a view of the path to a brighter future for independent grocery as a whole and to independent grocers. Independent grocery is not in decline – it is in transition. The future will not belong solely to the largest players […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Guest Contributors, Midwest, News
Hungry Families Shouldn’t Be A Political Bargaining Chip
By RF Buche, president and CEO of GF Buche Co. I’ve spent my entire life in grocery stores. I am a fourth–generation grocer and president and CEO of GF Buche Co., a family business that has operated in rural and tribal communities for 120 years. Some of our customers are the poorest people in the U.S. and […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Association News, National, News
Women Grocers Of America Symposium Energizes, Inspires In Atlanta
The Women Grocers of America Symposium has always been a highlight of our industry’s (and my personal) calendar, but this year’s gathering carried a special energy. Over the course of two days at the Atlanta headquarters of the Coca-Cola Co., a premier sponsor of WGA, it became clear that the independent grocery industry is not […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Guest Contributors, National, News
Building To Last – Timeline For Long-Term Succession In Grocery
Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part series of articles intended to provide a view of the path to a brighter future for independent grocery as a whole and for independent grocers. In the first part of this series, we discussed the future of our industry. Now, we dive into the tactical […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
Leadership: ‘The 5 Rules’ For Winning The Holidays
For all of us that are grocery retailers, November and December aren’t just regular months. They’re the two biggest sales months of the year – not by a little, by a lot. And it can be overwhelming for our teams and customers. Remember one of my top leadership lessons for success: We take care of […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Guest Contributors, IGA, National, News
Column: Why Are There So Many Food Deserts In America?
By Ashley Page, VP of marketing and public affairs for the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) Most Americans, and certainly those of us in the grocery business, have grown used to seeing a bounty of food in our local grocery store. Rows of vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables, fresh meat and dairy and a huge variety […]