By RF Buche, president and CEO of GF Buche Co. I’ve spent my entire life in grocery stores. I am a fourth–generation grocer and president and CEO of GF Buche Co., a family business that has operated in rural and tribal communities for 120 years. Some of our customers are the poorest people in the U.S. and […]
Tag: guest column
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: ‘The 5 Rules’ For Winning The Holidays
For all of us that are grocery retailers, November and December aren’t just regular months. They’re the two biggest sales months of the year – not by a little, by a lot. And it can be overwhelming for our teams and customers. Remember one of my top leadership lessons for success: We take care of […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: Disruptive Kindness
It’s been an interesting journey since publishing my book on “The 5 Rules” in January of 2024 and speaking and coaching on these rules across many organizations since then. There has been one question that comes up on many occasions that I’d like to expand on for this month’s leadership teaching. But first, just as […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Guest Contributors, National, News
What Does Future Of Independent Grocery Hold?
Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series of articles intended to provide a view of the path to a brighter future for independent grocery as a whole and for independent grocers individually. As president of the Business Service Resource Group, I’ve spent over three decades working directly with family-owned businesses in the […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: If You’re Going To Be A Bear, Be A Grizzly
“If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.” This saying is one of my earliest learnings on how to be successful. It was during my early years at United Supermarkets of Oklahoma, where I spent the first 27 years of my career. I went from being a produce manager to assistant manager and […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
New Spending Bill And SNAP: Sifting Through The Ugly, Bad and Good
The Trump administration recently passed the spending bill. Some of the bill is new; some keeps in place existing programs. And where politicians exist, they do tricks and misinformation. Sometimes what they say is going to happen and what a bill actually does are two different things. Let’s take a deep look at the Supplemental […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Grocery Store Equipment, Guest Contributors, National, News
For Grocers, Refrigeration Management Is Often-Overlooked Lever For Profitability
by Jonathan Tan, co-founder of the Ratio Institute In 1916, Clarence Saunders opened the first self-service grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1930, the modern supermarket arrived in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York, in the form of King Kullen. These innovations birthed the need for the fourth utility in food retail – modern […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: Learning To Lead Like A National Park Guide
We recently went on a graduation celebration trip with our oldest grandson, Dax Graham Black, to Mesa Verde National Park. We had two different guides take us through a couple of the main attractions there – the Cliff House and the Balcony House. I had this thought as they inspired and educated us on how […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: Please, Please Don’t Ignore Me
Below are two monumental pieces of information for those of us in the grocery business to consider in 2025 and beyond: In 2023, the grocery store industry in the United States spent $2.04 billion on advertising, up from $1.94 million a year earlier. That represents an annual increase of about 5 percent. Grocery shopping in […]
Posted inSustainability News, Guest Contributors, Hidden Profit, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Reduce Turnover By Engaging Employees; Cut Costs With Better Resource Management
As shoppers, we know the feeling of a positive shopping experience when helped by an engaged associate. According to Gallup (2023), companies with highly engaged employees provide an enhanced customer experience, increased customer retention, improved shopper satisfaction, stronger word-of-mouth and reduced churn, resulting in 23 percent higher profits. Conversely, disengaged associates cost employers $8.8 trillion […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, News, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: Grateful To Mom For Strong Work Ethic
In the days of old when most children worked alongside their parents, taking care of the house or farm chores or in other businesses, there were multiple moments in every single day that a good work ethic was learned, taught and lived. I would guess that anyone over age 50 could tell story after story […]
Posted inGuest Contributors, Leadership, National, The Grocer's Playbook
Leadership: Be A River – Not A Reservoir
Out-of-date leadership is associated with authority, decision-making and control. However, the most effective and true leaders understand that their role is not to accumulate power for themselves but to channel it outward by empowering, inspiring and serving others. This principle is best captured in the metaphor, be a river – not a reservoir. A river […]
Posted inDairy News, Beverage News, Grocery News, National, Organic Natural, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Specialty, Suppliers
Plant-Based Dairy: Fad Or Trend?
by Cindy Sorensen, Founder and CEO/The Grocery Group When almond-based “milk” beverages entered the market a few years ago, they took market share away from soy-based beverages. The market then saw an influx of new beverage introductions made with a wide variety of nuts and plants, all hoping to have the same success enjoyed by […]
Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, Northeast
N.J. Food Council President Reviews 2018 At Outset Of 2019
Linda Doherty, president of the New Jersey Food Council, looked at what happened in the past year in preparation for this new year. Not much in Trenton surprises me, but occasionally the unexpected arises that has an impact on our membership. Case in point were two significant issues we faced heading into the year. When […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Equipment & Technology, Guest Contributors, Industry News, National, Store News
Cash Is Here To Stay—How To Deal With Rising Handling Costs
by David Johnson/Director of Business Development, G4S Retail Solutions Retail and finance experts are fond of proclaiming that cash usage in retail and restaurants is “dying” or even “dead,” and many point to the growth of credit and debit cards, the emergence of mobile payments and an increase in conversations around restaurants, grocers and other […]
Posted inBakery News, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, National, Specialty, Suppliers
Chatard: Take Advantage Of Trends Without Changing Your Product
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Laure Chatard, director of sales and marketing-North America at Donsuemor, an Alameda, California-based bakery that makes madeleines and other French-inspired desserts like french almond cakes, biscotti and, the latest, sablés. In this industry, every new year brings new flavors and trends. I can only imagine what’s to come, […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Midwest, Shelby Content
Meet Gen Z: Technology Is Convenient, Comforting
by Claire Lentsch/ a contributor to The Shelby Report Editor’s note: Shelby Midwest Editor Terrie Ellerbee met Claire Lentsch at the Supervalu National Expo in 2017. Here, Lentsch shares her perspective as a member of Generation Z (born since the mid-1990s) and a consumer. Technology creates convenience. By introducing technology into the food industry, food becomes […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Dairy News, Deli News, Equipment & Technology, Frozen Food, Grocery News, Grocery Store Equipment, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, National, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content
Guest Column: An Easier Way To Tackle Power Outages
by John Lerch/ director of sales, Axiom Energy No matter how reliable and resilient our electrical grid is, the power will go out from time to time. While immediately our minds are brought to the severe outages caused by natural disasters, even outages lasting a few hours long can result in significant losses for some […]
Posted inShelby Content, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, International Foods, Specialty, West
Multicultural Marketplace Column: Challenging Times Call For Bold Action
by Terry Soto/strategy consultant and author of “Marketing to Hispanics: A Strategic Approach to Assessing and Planning Your Initiative” When thinking about the topic for this article, I couldn’t help thinking about what is most salient in the Hispanic community right now. I would have to say without a doubt that it’s the current negative […]