by Megan Moyer Finding a niche in your community is a good way to build a competitive advantage. If you and your competitors carry many of the same brands and items, bringing in products that are unique to your store can be a strong differentiator. Start by reviewing your product assortment to see where there […]
Category: National
Posted inAssociation News, National, Nonfood Items
IHA To Host Three New Events At Education Summits
Two International Housewares Association educational summits, Chess: Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession and the International Business Council’s Global Forum, will be held in-person this fall along with a new event by the recently formed Housewares Credit Group. Under the banner “Housewares Homecoming,” the three events will take place together for the first time, uniting industry alumni, veterans […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
DoorDash, Grocery Outlet Partner For On-Demand Delivery
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. has entered into a partnership with DoorDash to offer on-demand grocery delivery from more than 398 locations including California, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. Customers can order groceries on-demand from local Grocery Outlet stores through the DoorDash marketplace app or website. “DoorDash is committed to providing customers with all the selection […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
IRI, NPD Complete Merger To Become Global Technology Provider
IRI and The NPD Group have completed their merger to create a global technology, analytics and data provider. The merger brings together colleagues across the globe to offer more than 7,000 clients a comprehensive view of consumer behavior, total retail purchasing and consumption trends across a range of industries. A unified name and brand for […]
Posted inProduce News, National
Calavo Growers Announces Jalisco Facility Open For Exports
Calavo Growers, a global avocado-industry provider of value-added fresh food, announced official certification and opening of its Jalisco packing facility for the American market. “Today, we are proud to announce that we have expanded our partnership with our Mexican growers from Michoacan to Jalisco,” said Dionisio Ortiz, VP Calavo de Mexico. “This will elevate our sourcing […]
Posted inProduce News, National
IFPA Recognizes Exhibit Marketing At The Foodservice Conference
The International Fresh Produce Association celebrated three standout winners at the Foodservice Conference Expo on July 29. “The finest produce marketing was on display at the IFPA Foodservice Conference last month,” said Joe Watson, IFPA VP of retail, foodservice and wholesale. “I continue to be impressed by the creativity and ingenuity that all our exhibitors demonstrate […]
Posted inBeverage News, National
Coca-Cola Donates Backpacks, Supplies To Students
Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services Company, a limited liability company owned by 70 independent Coca-Cola bottlers, recently concluded its annual Back-to-School Supply Drive. The CCBSS team donated essential supplies to students in the company’s primary cities of operation – Atlanta, Tampa and Tulsa. In a campaign that ran for two weeks, employees contributed essential items […]
Posted inPackaging News, Association News, National
NGA Names ReposiTrak As Traceability, Compliance Partner
NGA has entered into a multi-year agreement with ReposiTrak in preparation of The Food Safety Modernization Act that will impose additional technical, financial and operational burdens on food retailers when Section 204 of the law is published in November. Specifically, retailers, wholesalers and their trading partners will need to maintain records of every movement of several […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Independents’ Role In Net Effective Spending Power
Many years ago, I taught economics to middle school students. Imagine the look on their faces, learning that first day they had to sit through a course on taxes, interest rates and monetary policy. Lots of yawns and eye rolls. Rather than teaching out of a dry textbook, I used stunts and games to help […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
IRI Releases Inflation Insights On Consumer Shopping Behavior
IRI has released new insights about food inflation and its impact on consumer shopping behavior using point-of-sale data from July, including data covering all U.S. food channels. July’s data shows that prices of consumer goods remain elevated across categories. Prices for food at-home rose 1.2 percent from the end of June to the end of […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Consumer Brands Releases Statement On July Jobs Report
The jobs report released on Aug. 6 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics more than doubled economists’ expectations, but also showed the consumer packaged goods industry to be a complete outlier with minimal growth, adding to concern about the need for a robust workforce. According to the Consumer Brands Association’s analysis of the July BLS […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
U.S. Online Grocery Sales Climb To $7.8 Billion From Year Ago
U.S. online grocery sales for July jumped 17 percent year-over-year to $7.8 billion, driven by inflationary pressures and a strong demand for delivery and pickup services triggered by ongoing COVID-19 concerns, according to a Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey fielded July 29-30. During July, more than 68 million households went online to buy groceries, a 3 […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
5 Questions For Kristin Popp
by Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs The EVP of Janesville, Wisconsin-based Woodman’s Food Markets shares her thoughts on the current state of the industry and what the future holds for independent grocers. The pandemic, a widespread labor shortage, supply chain issues, high fuel prices and conflict in eastern Europe have created […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
Floods Swallow Isom IGA In Kentucky
From IGA News The morning of July 28 hit different from other Thursdays for Isom IGA Owner and 2007 IGA International Retailer of the Year Gwen Christon. After a 12-hour deluge in eastern Kentucky brought 7-10 inches of rain overnight and raised the North Fork Kentucky River about 11 feet above flood stage – an […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
NielsenIQ Combines With GfK For Data, Analytics Assets
NielsenIQ and GfK have agreed to combine the two companies, creating new capabilities in the consumer and retail measurement industry. Powered by cloud technology, the combination will bring together complementary data and analytics assets to provide a comprehensive view of shopper spending through a total store read, enabling clients to anticipate trends and react faster […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Taking A Look At Opportunities Ahead For Food At Retail Grocery
by Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO, FMI – The Food Industry Association Sharing a meal with loved ones is among our most physically and emotionally fulfilling daily rituals, perhaps more so in recent years given the upheaval to our routines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As FMI’s recently released U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2022 – […]
Posted inCenter Store, National
Carandini Launches Italian Cheese Dressing With Balsamic Vinegar
Carandini, a historic family based in Modena, Italy, has been producing hand-crafted balsamic vinegars using traditional family methods since 1641. U.S. consumers can purchase Carandini’s artisanal premium products – including the newest iteration of their Italian Cheese Dressing, available at Whole Foods and Fresh Market stores. The Italian Cheese Dressing with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena & […]
Posted inPackaging News, Beverage News, National
Dasani, Sprite Begin Transition To Sustainable Packaging
Two of The Coca-Cola Company’s largest brands are taking steps to support a circular economy for plastic packaging. Dasani is launching bottles made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic, excluding caps and labels, while Sprite is transitioning from green to clear plastic to increase its likelihood of being remade into new beverage bottles. A majority […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Releases Power Of Plant-Based Foods, Beverages Report
FMI – The Food Industry Association, has released the “Power of Plant-based Foods and Beverages” report which is the first comprehensive review of the broad plant-based topic, addressing naturally plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains and alternatives to traditional animal-derived items. FMI’s analysis found nearly half of shoppers put a lot […]
Posted inPackaging News, Fred Meyer, National
Giant Food Launches Loop Reusable Containers
Landover, Maryland-based Giant Food has partnered with Trenton, New Jersey-based Loop, a circular reuse platform, to bring its packaging solution to customers. Beginning this fall, customers in the DC-metro area will be able to purchase products in durable, reusable containers that can be found in Loop branded displays in participating stores. “Giant is committed to taking sustainable actions […]