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 […]
Category: News
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 […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Natural Grocers, News, Southwest
Natural Grocers To Celebrate Store Remodel In Centennial, CO
Natural Grocers will hold a remodel celebration Sept. 12 for its store at 6774 S University Blvd. in Centennial, Colorado. The upgrades to the Cherry Knolls store, which opened in 2010, will offer customers a brighter, more open atmosphere and a contemporary layout for a faster checkout experience. The location has been upgraded using sustainable […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast
Market 32/Price Chopper Raises $57K For Muscular Dystrophy Association
Market 32 and Price Chopper’s recent in-store round-up campaign raised $47,313 in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The total, which included an additional $10,000 from the grocer, was revealed during a check presentation at the Market 32 in Slingerlands, New York. Through the campaign, which ran from July 1-31, customers could round up […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, H-E-B, News, Southwest
H-E-B Names 10 Finalists In Annual Quest For Texas Best Competition
H-E-B has named the 10 finalists in its 12th annual Quest for Texas Best competition, a search for the best products made in-state. The small businesses will compete for a share of $100,000 in cash prizes and the chance to have their products featured on H-E-B shelves across the state. Over the past few months, […]