As part of its annual Great Pantry Makeover initiative, Food Lion Feeds – Food Lion’s hunger-relief platform – is remodeling and restocking 33 food pantries to better serve their communities. The effort is held every September in recognition of Hunger Action Month, a time when Food Lion Feeds strengthens its partnership with Feeding America to […]
Category: News
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, IGA, National, News
IGA, Flipp Offer Tech Solutions To Support Independent Grocers
The Independent Grocers Alliance is partnering with Flipp, a merchandising and media platform that powers the digital shopping experiences for more than 1,600 retailers and brands, to give IGA’s 7,500 global independent grocers a competitive edge in today’s evolving shopper landscape. “This partnership brings together two organizations deeply committed to supporting local communities and empowering […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Marketing News, Merchandising News, Midwest, News
AWG Brands Adds 36 New Private Label Products
AWG Brands, the private brands program of Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG), has introduced a lineup of new grocery items. The wave of products, developed to align with the latest consumer and category trends, is helping member retailers capture sales and gain a competitive edge. “The AWG Brands items that launched in July are strategically […]
Expert Article
If This Happened In Your Store Today, Could You Stop It?
Your store is busy. A cart loaded with merchandise rolls past checkout – calm, confident, no hesitation. Gone. What used to be rare is now disturbingly routine for many grocers. Pushout Theft on the Rise Pushout theft – when unpaid merchandise is wheeled straight out the front doors – is one of the fastest-growing loss […]
Expert Article
Coming Soon To A DC Near You: Fully Automated, AI Assisted Banana Ripening
When Thermal Tech pioneered the TarpLess ripening room system back in the mid 1990s, it changed the way bananas are handled at retail distribution centers (DC’s), allowing truckloads of palletized fruit to be uniformly ripened to a predictable color with precision control for the very first time. The resulting increase in ripening efficiency and […]
Expert Article
Labor Pressures Rising: How Independent Grocers Can Control Costs Without Cutting Corners
Labor has always been essential to operations and one of the biggest factors influencing the bottom line. However, in fiscal 2024, labor and benefits costs climbed to new highs, putting even more pressure on already thin margins. According to the 2025 Independent Grocers Financial Study by FMS and NGA, total expenses increased to 25.8 percent […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, News, West
Retail Trends Reshaping Produce Ahead Of IFPA Show
As the fresh produce industry prepares for the IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show Oct. 16-18 in Anaheim, California, evolving forces are shaping what success will look like for the store perimeter. In an environment defined by rapid change, inflationary pressures and increasingly discerning shoppers, suppliers and retailers alike are under pressure to pivot fast […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Midwest, News
ECRS Celebrates Innovation, Community At Ignite 2025
ECRS is celebrating the success of its annual Ignite Retail Success Conference, where more than 300 independent retailers, 53 ECRS staff and some 20 industry partners gathered to explore the future of retail technology, connect with peers and experience the CATAPULT community. This year’s event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was filled with immersive learning, keynotes and […]