“If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.” This saying is one of my earliest learnings on how to be successful. It was during my early years at United Supermarkets of Oklahoma, where I spent the first 27 years of my career. I went from being a produce manager to assistant manager and […]
Category: Guest Contributors
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
New Spending Bill And SNAP: Sifting Through The Ugly, Bad and Good
The Trump administration recently passed the spending bill. Some of the bill is new; some keeps in place existing programs. And where politicians exist, they do tricks and misinformation. Sometimes what they say is going to happen and what a bill actually does are two different things. Let’s take a deep look at the Supplemental […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Grocery Store Equipment, Guest Contributors, National, News
For Grocers, Refrigeration Management Is Often-Overlooked Lever For Profitability
by Jonathan Tan, co-founder of the Ratio Institute In 1916, Clarence Saunders opened the first self-service grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1930, the modern supermarket arrived in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York, in the form of King Kullen. These innovations birthed the need for the fourth utility in food retail – modern […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
Leadership: Learning To Lead Like A National Park Guide
We recently went on a graduation celebration trip with our oldest grandson, Dax Graham Black, to Mesa Verde National Park. We had two different guides take us through a couple of the main attractions there – the Cliff House and the Balcony House. I had this thought as they inspired and educated us on how […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National, News
SNAP Incentives, Fresh Innovation And The Role Of Independent Grocers
In June, the independent grocery industry came together in force for the 2025 NGA Fresh Summit in Milwaukee, where fresh food innovation met community commitment. From fresh-forward merchandising strategies to discussions about food safety, traceability and technology, the summit underscored what independent grocers already know – fresh food is not only a driver of growth […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
Leadership: Please, Please Don’t Ignore Me
Below are two monumental pieces of information for those of us in the grocery business to consider in 2025 and beyond: In 2023, the grocery store industry in the United States spent $2.04 billion on advertising, up from $1.94 million a year earlier. That represents an annual increase of about 5 percent. Grocery shopping in […]
Posted inSustainability News, Guest Contributors, National, News
Reduce Turnover By Engaging Employees; Cut Costs With Better Resource Management
As shoppers, we know the feeling of a positive shopping experience when helped by an engaged associate. According to Gallup (2023), companies with highly engaged employees provide an enhanced customer experience, increased customer retention, improved shopper satisfaction, stronger word-of-mouth and reduced churn, resulting in 23 percent higher profits. Conversely, disengaged associates cost employers $8.8 trillion […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National, News
Independent Grocers Make Their Voices Heard In Washington At NGA’s Fly-In
Every spring, the National Grocers Association’s Fly-In for Fair Competition reminds me of something simple yet powerful – when independent grocers come together and speak with one voice, we can move mountains. The 2025 Fly-In was no exception. More than 125 independent operators, wholesalers and state association partners from 38 states converged on Capitol Hill […]