On Election Day, voters in Arizona, Colorado and Maine approved measures that will phase in a $12 minimum wage rate by 2020. In Washington State, where the current minimum wage is $9.47 an hour, voters approved increasing the hourly rate to $13.50 by 2020. Prior to the election, each of the four states already had a […]
Tag: legislation
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Northeast, Whole Foods
Amazon Considers Opening C-Stores And Drive-Thru Grocery Sites, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Amazon is exploring opening convenience stores and drive-thru grocery pickup sites. The Seattle-based company is looking at building small brick-and-mortar stores and curbside pickup locations for perishable items and grocery products… The New Jersey Legislature has passed a 23-cent gasoline tax hike, sending the measure to Gov. Chris Christie for […]
Posted in, Northeast
Oceana Poll Finds Majority Of Americans Support Seafood Traceability Requirements
Oceana recently released a poll revealing that 83 percent of Americans support new requirements focused on eliminating seafood fraud in the U.S. Key findings from the poll include: • Support for new seafood traceability requirements is consistent across demographic (gender, age, education and region) and political lines (Democrat-87 percent and Republican-81 percent). • Seventy-one percent […]
Posted in, Northeast
Union Square Hospitality Group Expands Paid Parental Leave, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… The Union Square Hospitality Group, a New York City 13-unit restaurant company headed by Danny Meyer, has a new paid parental policy. Starting in 2017, all full-time employees with more than one year of employment will be offered 100 percent of their base wages for the first week after their child […]
Posted in, Northeast
More Than 180 Merchant Groups Oppose Debit Reform Repeal, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… More than 180 merchant associations have sent a joint letter to Capitol Hill urging members of Congress to protect debit reform and to reject language in the Financial Choice Act seeking to repeal it. The letter highlights the benefits of debit reform, which the groups say injected competition into the […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Issues First Warning Letter To Retailers Of Regulated Tobacco Products
The FDA has taken action against 55 tobacco retailers by issuing the first warning letters for selling newly regulated tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, e-liquids and cigars, to minors. These actions come about a month after the FDA began enforcing new federal regulations making it illegal nationwide to sell e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah tobacco and other newly regulated […]
Posted in, Northeast
Teamsters And Beverage Group File Suit Against Philadelphia Soda Tax, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Teamsters Local 830 and the American Beverage Association jointly filed a suit against Philadelphia’s plan to implement a soda tax. The suit seeks to block the tax from going forward until a court can hear arguments about the proposed tax. At the June rally, the Teamsters were joined by members […]
Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Market Profile, Midwest, Shelby Signature Content
Wisconsin Lawmakers Will Again Take Up Minimum Markup Law
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest It is a fight that has gone on for two decades now, according to Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) President and CEO Brandon Scholz. The debate over whether to repeal the Unfair Sales Act is hotter in some years than others. This looks to be a hot one. Wisconsin’s Unfair Sales Act or […]
Posted in, Northeast
NACS: ‘No-Choice’ Act Draws Bipartisan Opposition
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) is not pleased with the House Financial Services Committee vote to report House Resolution 5983, the Financial Choice Act. Lyle Beckwith, NACS SVP of government relations, said, “NACS is deeply disappointed at the House Financial Services Committee’s vote to report the controversial and misnamed ‘Financial Choice Act’—which includes repeal […]
Posted in, Northeast
NACS Joins Others In Urging Congress To Protect Debit Card Reforms
A coalition of more than 400 large and small retailers, as well as the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and National Restaurant Association, have urged Congress to uphold debit card reforms. Debit swipe fee reform, also known as the Durbin Amendment, was signed into law in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Debit reform […]
Posted in, Home Page Latest News, National
iFoster Announces Employer Tax Bill For Foster Youth
iFoster, whose jobs program was created with help from the grocery industry, reports that House Resolution 5947, the “Improved Employment Outcomes For Foster Youth Act of 2016,” has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Jim McDermott (D-Washington), David Reichert (R-Washington), Danny Davis (D-Illinois), Tom Reed (R-New York) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas). […]
Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, National, Store News
Independent Grocers Rally To Protect Debit Card Swipe Fee Reform
More than 400 merchants from across the country sent a letter to members of Congress on Tuesday urging them to protect debit card swipe fee reform, also known as the Durbin Amendment, that was included in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. Nearly half of the signatories were independent grocers who […]
Posted in, Northeast
NJFC Supports Governor’s Veto Of 79 Percent Minimum Wage Increase
Linda Doherty, president of the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC), praised the decision of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to veto legislation that would dramatically increase the minimum wage in the state to $15 per hour. “We support the action by Gov. Christie in vetoing a 79 percent increase in the minimum wage that would […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Releases Guidances To Help Companies Prevent Foodborne Illness
The FDA has released several draft guidances that, when finalized, will help domestic and foreign food facilities meet the requirements of the preventive foodborne illness control rules that became final in September 2015. The rules require hazard prevention practices in human and animal food processing, packing and storage facilities. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) created […]
Posted in, Northeast
Pennsylvania Board Accepting Wine-Expanded Permits, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is accepting requests for various new licenses and permits authorized under a new law. Requests for wine-expanded permits, conversions of eating place licenses into restaurant licenses, casino liquor licenses and direct wine shipper licenses may now be submitted through PLCB+, a new online licensing […]
Posted in, Northeast
VRGA Advises Members On Impact Of New GMO Labeling Law
The Vermont Retail Grocers Association (VRGA) is advising its members and suppliers that they can continue to label products that contain GMOs. President Obama recently signed into law a new federal bill governing GMO disclosure on food products, which preempts Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law. Erin Sigrist, VP at the VRGA, said there are a number of […]
Posted in, Northeast
Bill Establishing National Standard For GMO Disclosure Signed Into Law
President Barack Obama has signed S. 764 into law, a bi-partisan, bi-cameral action that sets in place one national standard for GMO disclosure. According to industry food groups like the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the bill brings consistency, certainty and an end to restrictions on interstate commerce facing retailers, manufacturers and […]
Posted in, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, National, Suppliers
Bill Establishing National Standard For GMO Disclosure Signed Into Law
President Barack Obama has signed S. 764 into law, a bi-partisan, bi-cameral action that sets in place one national standard for GMO disclosure. According to industry food groups like the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the bill brings consistency, certainty and an end to restrictions on interstate commerce facing retailers, manufacturers and […]
Posted in, Food Service News, Northeast
BJ’s Wholesale Club To Partner with Dunkin’ Donuts, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… BJ’s Wholesale Club will be converting the food courts in select clubs into Dunkin’ Donuts shops or kiosks. The first club conversions will be in Northborough, Massachusetts. BJ’s newest club in Kearny, New Jersey, will open with a Dunkin’ Donuts shop later this summer. “Dunkin’ is an outstanding brand, which […]
Posted in, Industry News, Northeast, Online Grocery Technology
NACS, Retail Firms Urge Debit Reform Bill Retainment
In a letter to House Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) expressed grave concerns with proposed legislation to repeal debit swipe fee reform. Last month, Hensarling included a provision to repeal the Durbin Amendment in his discussion of the Financial Choice Act. […]