Posted inFinance News, Grocery Research, National, News

Survey: ‘Reward Stacking’ Becomes Essential Tool As Inflation Squeezes Households

More than 165,000 U.S. consumers surveyed by KashKick show that “reward stacking” – using cashback and micro‑earning apps alongside grocery and gas purchases – has become a popular strategy for coping with persistent inflation. The data arrives as March recorded its largest monthly consumer price increase in four years. Cashback and rewards app usage now […]

Know Your Numbers: The Financial Habits Behind Independent Grocery’s Top Performers

Jon Cline knows the grocery business from the ground up. He started bagging groceries at Safeway in high school, managed a 7-Eleven while earning his accounting degree at the University of Oklahoma, and went on to build a career spanning some of the industry’s biggest names: Arthur Andersen, Scrivner, Fleming and Supervalu. At FMS Solutions, […]

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NGA Opposes OCC Rule Allowing Banks To Set Swipe Fees Via Third Parties

The National Grocers Association (NGA) has submitted comments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) opposing an interim final rule that would permit national banks to establish interchange (swipe) fees through third‑party arrangements rather than through bank‑to‑bank competition. The rule revises 12 C.F.R. § 7.4002 and relates to the Illinois Interchange Fee […]

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Crossroads: Beyond The Store – Financial Balance In Independent Grocery

By Grant Fossum, AIF, RFC | ProWealth Financial   Independent grocers understand diversification better than those in most other industries. Inside the store, balance is built into daily operations – meat and produce drive traffic, center store drives volume, service departments drive margin and the front end shapes the customer experience. Outside the store, that […]

Posted inFinance News, Corporate Store News, Featured News, News, Southwest, Walmart

Walmart U.S. 1Q Comps Up 4.1%, E-Comm 26%

Walmart characterized the first quarter of fiscal 2027 for its U.S. division as one of “strong sales, with broad-based share gains, reflecting accelerated customer transactions led by e-commerce growth.” Reporting results May 21 for the quarter ended April 30, Walmart said its U.S. comparable store sales increased by 4.1 percent, excluding fuel. U.S. net sales […]

Posted inFinance News, Grocery Research, National, News

Circana’s Purchase To Consumption Tool Highlights $100M Opportunity Gap

Circana has rolled out its Purchase to Consumption solution, a tool that links verified purchase behaviors from the company’s receipt panel with National Eating Trends (NET) consumption behaviors from the same consumers. The solution provides the consumer packaged goods industry with what Circana calls a “holistic” understanding of the food and beverage journey. It closes […]

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Food-At-Home Prices Jump 0.7% As Energy Costs Squeeze Supply Chain

Food-at-home prices rose 0.7 percent in April – the sharpest monthly increase so far this year – as energy market disruptions and ongoing supply chain pressures pushed grocery costs higher for American families and retailers alike. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported May 12 that the overall Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers […]

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NRF: Retail Sales Rose For Seventh Consecutive Month In April

Retail sales grew for the seventh straight month in April despite rising gas prices and persistent inflation, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released May 13 by the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, rose 0.34 percent month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis and 5.73 percent year […]