2018 NGA Financial Symposium Workshop Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Independents face so many conflicting choices about employee health benefits. It’s crucial to control escalating benefits expense, but if you reduce benefits or cut hours, you risk losing workers, customers […]
Category: Guest Contributors
Meet Gen Z: Technology Is Convenient, Comforting
by Claire Lentsch/ a contributor to The Shelby Report Editor’s note: Shelby Midwest Editor Terrie Ellerbee met Claire Lentsch at the Supervalu National Expo in 2017. Here, Lentsch shares her perspective as a member of Generation Z (born since the mid-1990s) and a consumer. Technology creates convenience. By introducing technology into the food industry, food becomes […]
Guest Column: An Easier Way To Tackle Power Outages
by John Lerch/ director of sales, Axiom Energy No matter how reliable and resilient our electrical grid is, the power will go out from time to time. While immediately our minds are brought to the severe outages caused by natural disasters, even outages lasting a few hours long can result in significant losses for some […]
Top Six Trends For Independent Grocers In 2018
by Adam Abbene/ Sales Manager, BRdata Software Solutions In today’s hyper-competitive grocery market, independent grocers need to utilize every tool and technology available to optimize every aspect of their operation. In the months ahead, that means independent grocers will rely more than ever on cloud-based systems to enhance and complement their capabilities in customer service, inventory […]
2018 Will See High Meat Consumption, But The American Diet Is Shifting
by Rich Waite/ Associate, World Resources Institute While 2017 was a banner year for plant-based eating—with plant-based burgers and other alternative proteins coming to market—2018 began with headlines proclaiming a new year filled with meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture sparked these stories by predicting that Americans will eat a record amount of beef, pork and poultry this year. The meaty headlines—complete with pictures […]
The Right Coin Management Strategy For Grocers: Turn Hidden Costs Into Profits
by Jim Weaks/ VP, Cummins Allison The grocery industry is constantly changing. Grocers must adapt to changes in consumer behaviors and expectations, online competitors luring away once-loyal shoppers and economic uncertainty that threatens already razor-thin margins. With that in mind, the pressure is on to control costs and find new ways of increasing profitability. Fortunately, […]
HR & Benefits News: Current Employee Handbook: A Must for Grocers
Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Myth: Independent grocers really don’t need employee handbooks…no one reads them anyway. Reality: An employee handbook can help protect grocers who face lawsuits or discrimination charges if it’s up-to-date and well-written. Grocers of all sizes need […]
Will Someone Win The Price Vs. Service Battle, Or Is There Room For Both?
by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report For years, the successful retail business model featured a strong commitment to customer service. Customer service does cover a broad area but was often listed in surveys as the primary reason a customer chose a store. It was not uncommon for employees […]
