Grocers continually strive to prioritize customer satisfaction and operational efficiency while maintaining high food safety standards. To achieve this, grocers such as Jerry’s Foods, Knowlan’s Fresh Foods and Giant Eagle have renewed, upgraded and expanded their relationships with SmartSense to help amplify their commitment to ongoing food safety practices and quality assurance. “Our mission is […]
Category: National
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Urges CMS To Address Disparities With Healthy Benefit Cards
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), highlighting critical gaps in healthy benefit card access in the Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental benefits for the chronically ill (SSBCI) food program. In its comments, NGA underscores the exclusion of independent grocers from healthy benefit cards and calls […]
Posted inMarketing News, National
How To Turn Loyalty Members Into Super-Users
Sponsored content In Part I of the series, the data showed that there’s a mismatch between loyalty membership and loyalty behavior. Here in Part II, we take a closer look at those loyalty customers to explore what grocers can do to make super-users out of those infrequent loyalty members. For any given grocer, there are […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, IGA, National
IGA Brings Back Summer Grill Giveaway Sweepstakes
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has announced the return of the Celebrate Summer Grill Giveaway Sweepstakes. The Celebrate Summer Grill Giveaway will select three shoppers to win a dream grill of their choosing (valued at up to $1,000). Consumers can enter up to once a day at iga.com. Running through June 25, the giveaway is sponsored by The […]
Posted inEmerging Leaders, National
Shelby Awards Program Showcases Emerging Leaders
Shelby Publishing will be honoring the next generation of leaders in the food industry through its second-annual Emerging Leaders awards program. This includes retailers, wholesalers, distributors, suppliers/vendors and solutions providers. Nominations are closing soon. “Shelby’s continued focus on our industry’s emerging leaders is both essential and inspiring,” said Stephanie Reid, president and COO of Shelby […]
Posted inBeverage News, Association News, National
Bottled Water Outsells Carbonated Soft Drinks For Eighth Year In A Row
Bottled water has retained its title as America’s favorite packaged drink, outselling carbonated soft drinks (by volume) for the eighth year in a row, new data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) shows. Bottled water’s total volume sold in 2023 was 15.94 billion gallons, compared to carbonated soft drinks, which sold 11.84 billion gallons. Bottled […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Wraps Successful Fly-In For Fair Competition
The National Grocers Association (NGA) concluded its annual Fly-In for Fair Competition May 22 with attendees participating in 200 critical meetings with decision makers on Capitol Hill. “Over the last two days, independent grocers made their voices heard on Capitol Hill by advocating for antitrust enforcement, SNAP choice and credit card swipe fee reform, all […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, National
Independent Grocer Testifies On Protecting SNAP Choice
Michael Gay, owner and single-store operator of Food Fresh in rural Evans County, Georgia, testified before Congress May 22, warning that limiting SNAP choice would undermine the program’s effectiveness, create confusion for participants and impose a costly bureaucratic burden on small businesses nationwide. “Restricting eligible items to those approved by the USDA will quickly drive […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Urges Congress To Enact Credit Card Competition Act
FMI – The Food Industry Association is asking Congress to pass the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act. FMI’s Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher issued the following statement on the Credit Card Competition Act in response to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy’s hearing, titled “Protecting Consumers’ […]
Posted inMarketing News, National
Acosta Group Acquires CROSSMARK, Product Connections
Acosta Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CROSSMARK, including its headquarter sales agency and retail solutions businesses, and Product Connections, a marketing services business, from WIS International, which will retain its inventory verification services business. This transaction will accelerate Acosta Group’s ongoing transformation, enhancing the company’s role as a growth engine for brands across […]
Posted inMerchandising News, Home Page Latest News, Meijer, National, The Kroger Co.
Best In Class: Maximizing Memorial Day Sales
Memorial Day, a federal holiday honoring those who died while serving in the U.S. military, also marks the unofficial start of summer, synonymous with backyard barbecues, family gatherings and festive picnics. It’s also a prime opportunity for supermarkets to maximize Memorial Day sales by focusing on customer experience, value and community spirit. Firing Up Customer Engagement Interactive Grilling Demonstrations: Host in-store […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA’s Fly-In For Fair Competition Begins In Washington, D.C.
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has begun its annual Fly-In for Fair Competition in Washington, D.C. This event mobilizes independent grocers to engage with members of Congress, addressing critical issues such as antitrust reform and enforcement, SNAP Choice enhancements and the reform of credit card routing to reduce exorbitant swipe fees. “The Fly-In for Fair […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, National, Online Grocery Technology
eGrowcery, CresLane Partner To Launch E-Commerce Solutions
eGrowcery and CresLane Retail Solutions have begun a new partnership to equip supermarket retailers with shopper-centric e-commerce solutions that integrate with in-person sales channels. Today’s supermarket retailers are increasingly adopting an omnichannel approach to merge grocery e-commerce with physical store interactions, aiming to create comprehensive insights into consumer purchasing patterns. Modern point-of-sale systems facilitate a unified […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
New Ad Campaign Calls For Antitrust Enforcement
The Main Street Competition Coalition has launched an ad campaign calling on Washington to crack down on big businesses ignoring the nation’s antitrust laws and hurting small businesses and farmers. Digital video ads are appearing on Connected TV (CTV) platforms, audio ads will run on Spotify, and display ads have been placed on Politico and social media outlets. Here […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, National
IFPA’s Washington Conference Looks To Influence Public Policy
IFPA’s 2024 Washington Conference, taking place from June 10-12, is a unique opportunity in a pivotal election year. It brings together inspiring leaders and significant events designed to equip attendees with the tools and knowledge to influence the policies and perceptions of produce and floral on Capitol Hill. From keynote speakers to celebrations showcasing the […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, National
Oscar Mayer Introduces Stuffed Hot Dogs
Oscar Mayer has introduces its new Stuffed Dogs product line to grocery retailers nationwide. Featuring three flavors – Cheese, Jalapeño Cheddar and Chili Cheese – Oscar Mayer Stuffed Dogs take inspiration from popular restaurant offerings. “Our ambition is to spark smiles and be the indisputable leader in taste, which is why we reimagined the iconic […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Amazon Fresh, National, Whole Foods
Thrive Market Hires Lane As Chief Merchandising Officer
Thrive Market has named April Lane its chief merchandising officer, bringing decades of e-commerce experience to her role. As the chief merchandising officer, Lane will be responsible for the site’s merchandising, which spans food, home, health and beauty. She will also manage the Food Safety and Quality (FSQA) team, which oversees food quality, safety and regulatory […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
ROFDA Spring Conference Focus: Innovate, Educate, Motivate
ROFDA (Retailer Owned Food Distributors Associates) held its spring conference May 1-5 at the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells, California. The conference included educational sessions, business-to-business meetings and social and networking opportunities. “Unified by our commitment to the success of independent grocery retailers across the nation, our collective passion is our strength,” stated Mike Violette, […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National
Despite Financial Restraints, Treats Industry On Move
Consumers continue to seek novelty food items that provide “fun” and enjoyment, while remaining under financial pressures, according to Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics. Roerink provided Sweets & Snacks Expo attendees this week with an in-depth look at the overview of the confectionary landscape, based on information from NCA’s State of Treating annual study. […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National
‘Purpose-driven’ Mars Wrigley Touts Innovation, Choices
Mars Wrigley is “laser focused” on launching new innovations to provide customers with new experiences. That was the word from Mike Gilroy, the company’s VP of trade relations and sponsorship activation, who spoke with The Shelby Report during the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis, discussing innovation within the category and where the brand plans […]