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 […]
Category: Guest Contributors
Posted inGuest Contributors, Home Page Slider, National
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 […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, COVID News, Home Page Slider, National
What Did Agriculture Learn In 2020? That It Shouldn’t Delay Planning
by Cindy Sorensen / The Grocery Group There is no doubt the coronavirus is the top story of the year. There is not an industry or country that hasn’t been impacted by it. Much has been written about the excess of food that was created when an entire distribution channel was shut down as a result of […]
Posted inSupply Chain News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, National
Column: GCCA Offers Overview Of Global Cold Storage Capacity Report
by Matt Ott, president and CEO, Global Cold Chain Alliance As much of the world continues to shelter in place, essential workers at every link of the global cold supply chain are working tirelessly to get food to our dinner tables. From product storage and packaging to seamless cold chain transit, from shipping to reliable point-of-sale […]
Posted inPackaging News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, Midwest, Shelby Originals
Sorensen: Take A Look At Closed Loop Recycling For Produce Packing And Shipping
by Cindy Sorensen/founder, The Grocery Group Consumers have a plethora of choices in the grocery store today. Manufacturers have responded to consumer research to ideate and develop products that will meet changing consumer tastes, trends and demands. Retailers, too, had to change their merchandising, assortment and pricing strategies to meet the demands of shoppers. The power […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Home Page Slider, National
HR & Benefits: Essential Grocery Store Workers Feeling Mental Health Toll Of Pandemic
by Chris Cooley / co-founder, MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors Grocery stores have seen unusual demands and challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. Their employees are considered essential and have worked hard during this time restocking shelves, putting in additional hours and dealing with consumers so they can have the items they need to survive. In […]
Posted inInternational Foods, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, National, Shelby Originals
Soto: U.S. Hispanics Consider Internet Essential During Pandemic
by Terry Soto / CEO of About Marketing Solutions Inc. A recent Pew Center survey published in April 2020 finds that Hispanics are 28 percent more likely to say the internet has been essential during the pandemic (65 percent Hispanics vs. 50 percent White-Non-Hispanic). This is great news for retailers because as shoppers work to […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Home Page Slider, National
HR & Benefits: Robust Training For Supervisors Crucial To Success
by Chris Cooley / co-founder, MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors Employee and compliance issues are common for grocers, therefore reducing risk and avoiding problems are major priorities. One way an employer can reduce liability risks is to ensure supervisors and workers have the knowledge and tools necessary to comply with all applicable employment-related laws. This […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National
HR & Benefits: What Does Working After COVID-19 Sheltering Look Like?
HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. There was no way to predict the change in the workplace landscape that would take place mid-March of 2020. As a grocer, you not only feel financial threat and health fears but also all kinds of new learning, remote and […]
Posted inHealth & Wellness, COVID News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, Midwest, Nonfood Items, Online Grocery Technology
Apply AI To Maximize Profitability Through Workforce Optimization
by Jason Harper/guest columnist, CEO and founder, RXA How much did you spend on labor last month? Last week? Today? What do you do when you are spending too much on labor? Overstaffing contributes to millions of dollars in bottom line losses for stores each year. On the other hand, what about when you don’t […]
Posted inHealth & Wellness, COVID News, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, Marketing News, National
Guest Columnist: After Covid-19, Grocery Future Should Be Pretty Bright
by Aleya Jennings Gatesman It is obvious that the Covid-19 pandemic is changing everything in the world right now. While an infinite number of questions remain about what to expect in our new normal, it may be my upbeat nature but I’m especially curious to explore some of the positives that may emerge from our current […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Guest Contributors, Health & Wellness, Home Page Slider, Marketing News, National, Shelby Signature Content
Plant-Based Meats Aren’t As Shiny As They Seem
by Danette Amstein, principal, Midan Marketing Not a day goes by that I don’t find the words “plant-based” or “meat alternatives” popping up on my social channels or news feeds. And really, it isn’t surprising. In fact, we measured conversation around plant-based alternatives from 2018-2020 and we’ve seen a 40 percent increase in the last […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, C-Store News, Corporate Store News, COVID News, Home Page Slider, Independent Store News, National, Nonfood Items
HR & Benefits News: Coronavirus, Other Airborne Illnesses May Affect Grocers
HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. With the spread of the infamous Coronavirus, grocers should be on their HR toes in order to navigate how to handle the Coronavirus as well as other illness in the workplace. The news of the Coronavirus has […]
Posted inInternational Foods, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, Marketing News, National, Nonfood Items
Soto: Segmenting Multicultural Markets Not As Challenging As You Think
by Terry Soto/multicultural marketing expert I’m often asked how retailers can avoid stereotyping or generalizing when attempting to attract sales from multicultural shoppers given how diverse even one nationality, dialect or cultural background can be. It starts with some common sense. Say you want to attract sales among Hispanic shoppers. The first step should always […]
Posted inShelby Originals, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, Merchandising News, Shelby Signature Content, Snacks Brands, Suppliers, West, Women In The News
People To Watch: Tiffany Crandell, Mars Wrigley Territory Sales Manager
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group have partnered on this series entitled People to Watch to focus on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this installment, The Grocery Group Founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews Tiffany Crandell, territory sales manager, Mars Wrigley Confectionery. Tell me a little bit about you […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Home Page Slider, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content
Sorensen: Independent Retailers Are Fast, Focused and Flexible
by Cindy Sorensen/founder and CEO, The Grocery Group I loved the early days of my grocery industry career. I had the responsibility for selling the full portfolio of Nestle Foods’ products to 65 independent grocery stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and western Wisconsin market. These retailers taught me so much about the business. Thankfully, I […]
Posted inWest, Guest Contributors
Column: The Republican Party’s California Decline Explained
Much has been made about the Republican Party’s continued decline in California. The party has suffered loss after loss at every state level over the course of the decade. Their competitive situation does not appear to be improving in the short term, as they are super-superminorities in both legislative houses and possess a congressional delegation […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Bakery News, Corporate Store News, Deli News, Food Service News, Home Page Slider, Northeast, Perishables
People To Watch: John Fraro, Big Y’s Deli, Bakery, Foodservice Director
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group have introduced a new series entitled People to Watch that focuses on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this installment, The Grocery Group founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews John Fraro, director of deli, bakery and foodservice for Big Y Foods, which is based in […]
Posted inNonfood Items, Guest Contributors, Health & Wellness, Home Page Slider, National
Non-Food For Thought: Supermarket ‘Selfcare’ Solutions
by Naomi Sleeper VP of Continuous Improvement and Strategic Initiatives, Imperial Distributors It is that time of year when we replace our holiday indulgences with better-for-you practices. Gyms are packed more than usual, and nutrition becomes a priority (according to Google Trends, the search term “nutrition” has peaked every January over the past five years). […]
Posted inDairy News, Guest Contributors, Midwest, Packaging News, Perishables
The Year In Review: Innovation In Thought Was Lacking In Dairy Industry
by Cindy Sorensen/founder and CEO, The Grocery Group Each year as I prepare to write my dairy industry “year in review” column, I reflect on the newsworthy events that occurred in the industry in the previous 12 months. This reflection often includes a look back on the following: new product introductions; ingredient, product and package […]