FMI – The Food Industry Association has been recognized as a MyPlate National Strategic Partnership Champion, the highest recognition possible, for its efforts to make MyPlate a household name. As a MyPlate National Strategic Partner for more than 12 years, FMI collaborates with members across the food industry to raise awareness of MyPlate resources. The association […]
Category: National
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
2023 Online Grocery Sales Total $95.8 Billion
The U.S. online grocery market finished 2023 with $95.8 billion in total sales, down 1.2 percent compared to 2022, according to the annualized results from the monthly Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey. A decline in order frequency by online grocery shoppers was the primary factor driving the lower sales in 2023. The multi-year analysis […]
Posted inExecutive News, National
Flashfood President, COO Bertram Adds CEO Role
Flashfood has appointed President and Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Bertram as CEO, while founder Josh Domingues shifts into the executive chairman role. In addition, Chief Brand Officer Jordan Schenck takes on the new role of chief customer officer. Bertram joined Flashfood last year, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience in retail. Since his […]
Posted inPackaging News, National
Alliance For Sustainable Packaging For Foods Launches
A coalition of nonprofit industry and non-governmental organizations have formed the Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods (ASPF). The ASPF brings together a diverse group of global stakeholders to engage with regulators and governments around the world to encourage the adoption of a holistic and harmonized approach to food packaging regulation in order to achieve […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Midwinter Executive Conference ‘Premier Forum’ For Industry
FMI – The Food Industry Association will hold its Midwinter Executive Conference Jan. 18-21 at the JW Marriott Marco Island in Florida. Exclusive to FMI members, the conference allows attendees to come together to navigate ever-shifting currents and focus on the most critical issues affecting the industry. FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin talked with […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Foundation Announces Two New Scholarships for Grocery-Minded Collegians
The NGA Foundation has announced that Wooster, Ohio-based grocer Buehler’s Fresh Foods is sponsoring two new scholarships available to college students pursuing a career in the grocery industry, bringing to 22 the total number of scholastic awards offered by the foundation. The two new scholarships, each worth $1,000, are available to current full-time, part-time or […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, National
Survey: More Shoppers Turning To Self-Checkout
Self-checkout continues to gain traction in grocery, with 43 percent of consumers expressing a preference for it over traditional checkout, according to a recent report from NCR Voyix Corp. The company’s first Digital Commerce Index found that the preference gap is reflected in the projected growth of self-checkout installations. RBR Data Services’ Global EPOS and […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Antitrust, Swipe Fee Reform Top NGA 2024 Policy Agenda
The National Grocers Association (NGA) Government Relations Committee has finalized its 2024 policy agenda for independent community grocers, with antitrust reform and swipe fee changes leading the way. During a Jan. 11 meeting in Washington, D.C., the committee discussed a variety of topics important to the independent supermarket industry and fashioned a strategy to advocate […]
Posted inH-E-B, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, Independent Store News, National, Whole Foods
H-E-B Holds Top Spot In Dunnhumby’s Annual Grocery Rankings
H-E-B has been named the top U.S. Grocery Retailer in the seventh annual dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index (RPI), a nationwide study that examines the U.S. grocery market. H-E-B is the first grocery retailer to be recognized three times as No. 1 in the RPI ranking, surpassing Amazon and Trader Joe’s which have ranked as top grocer twice. […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
Upside Releases New Dashboard For Retailers
Washington D.C.-based Upside has introduced a new Upside Dashboard for retailers. Developed based on feedback from grocery, fuel and restaurant retailers, this product sets new standards for measurement and transparency from third-party platforms, providing retailers with greater access and detailed insights into top-to-bottom performance metrics. “Despite claims by many third-party platforms to drive incremental sales, they often […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
Instacart Provides Google Shopping Ads For CPG Partners
Google Shopping ads are now accessible to Instacart’s advertising partners, using the company’s retail media data. With this expansion, CPG partners on Instacart – such as Danone’s Oikos, Kraft Heinz brands: Kraft, Lunchables, Oscar Mayer and Philadelphia, as well as Publicis Media’s CPG clients – can activate Google Shopping ads, powered by Instacart’s first-party retail media data and closed-loop […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, National
Relationshop Merging Mercatus Technologies, Stor.ai
Relationshop, a Houston, Texas-based provider of digital engagement solutions for supermarkets and other retail chains, has finalized a merger between Mercatus Technologies and Stor.ai. The new company will be called Mercatus, in recognition of the equity the e-commerce brand has achieved in the grocery sector, and will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Relationshop. The […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
Instacart Introduces Ads On AI-Powered Caper Carts
Instacart is expanding its advertising solutions to Caper Carts, the company’s AI-powered smart carts. The new ads are launching soon at Good Food Holdings’ Bristol Farms stores in Southern California, with additional retail partners rolling out in the months ahead. Ads on Caper Carts will give customers more customized recommendations to help them discover brands […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Award-Winning Sportscaster Czarniak To Emcee NGA Best Bagger Championship
Award-winning sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak, known for her work covering the NFL, NASCAR and the Olympics, will emcee the National Grocers Association’s annual Best Bagger Championship, sponsored by PepsiCo, at the 2024 NGA Show on March 11, at the Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas. This is the 38th year that NGA will host the […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Guest Contributors, National
Post-Pandemic Holiday Presents Opportunity For Independent Grocers
Humans are social animals. As a species, we crave interaction with others. And the absence of connection is so emotionally crippling, we use solitary confinement as a severe criminal punishment. Children born in isolation fail to develop emotionally and physically and often are so scared they can never integrate into society as adults. And primates […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
RELEX Acquires Optimity For Unified Supply Chain Planning
RELEX Solutions has acquired Optimity, a supply chain planning and optimization provider. “Acquiring Optimity will seamlessly link downstream demand with upstream planning, so consumer goods companies can more accurately predict consumer demand, optimize production plans and schedules, adjust inventory levels and respond quickly to market changes or unexpected disruptions,” said Mikko Kärkkäinen, co-founder and group […]
Posted inExecutive News, Association News, National
NGA Shares Several Senior Staff Promotions
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has promoted three key senior staff executives: Jonathan Downey to COO and SVP; Christopher Jones to chief government relations officer and counsel and SVP; and Laura Strange to chief communications and engagement officer and SVP. “NGA is fortunate to have a strong and committed group of senior leaders who bring […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, National
From Advocacy To Education, IFPA Touts Impacts In 2023
Advancing the health of consumers, the produce and floral industries and the planet are at the heart of 10 key 2023 impacts from the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). “We do so much more together as an association than any individual or company can do on their own,” said IFPA CEO Cathy Burns. “Our members […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, National
By The Numbers, An Advocacy Review And Policy Outlook For Independent Grocers
With an election on the horizon in which the White House and control of Congress are on the line, 2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year. Pending legislation and regulatory changes in the coming year are sure to influence business operations, supply chain management and consumer expectations – and indeed, they’re influencing NGA’s […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Applauds Power-Buyer Scrutiny In New Merger Guidelines
The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice released their final version for new merger enforcement guidelines on Dec. 18. The final guidelines include substantial revisions to the existing standards, introducing new considerations for mergers that enhance buyer power. In a significant shift, the guidelines issued strongly consider how buyer power impacts competition amongst rival […]