Driven by strong retail investments, North Florida’s grocery market is experiencing considerable change. In a reflection of the region’s robust economy and appeal to business, areas such as Jacksonville and the state capital of Tallahassee in the Panhandle are outperforming many parts of the country. A cost of living just below the national average and […]
Category: Bonus Content
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, West
Collaboration With Residents Results In New Store For Remote Kotzebue, AK
In November, the Alaska Commercial Co. (AC) unveiled a new 26,000-square-foot grocery and general merchandise store in Kotzebue, Alaska, which lies about 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the northwestern corner of the state. The store plays a vital role in providing essential food and supplies to the residents of the town and […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, News, West
Grocers Bracing For Impact Of Largest Tax Hike In WA’s History
Washington is considered one of the most expensive states in the nation when it comes to the cost of gas, housing and healthcare. It has the fourth highest average grocery prices in the country, and 55 percent of residents face food insecurity. And officials from the Washington Food Industry Association note that grocers and consumers […]
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 […]
Posted inMarket Profile, News, Southeast
North Florida Grocers Facing ‘Persistent’ Challenges With Labor, Inflation, ORC
The Shelby Report of the Southeast recently visited with Lorena Holley, VP and general counsel for the Florida Retail Federation, to glean some insights on the state of the grocery industry in northern Florida. How robust is the supermarket industry in North Florida? The grocery marketplace in North Florida is diverse, vibrant and buoyant. […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Feature, Harris Teeter, News, Southeast
Harris Teeter Reopens Hurricane-Damaged Store In Hendersonville, NC
In what wasn’t merely another retail remodel, the Harris Teeter store at 636 Spartanburg Highway in Hendersonville, North Carolina, officially reopened June 10 following an eight-month closure due to damage from Hurricane Helene. For the grocer’s team and the community, the occasion marked a far more profound milestone. In late September, Helene made landfall in […]