May 21, 2021
By Molly Pfaffenroth, Senior Director of Government Relations, National Grocers Association The National Grocers Association (NGA) this week launched its new branding identity — complete with a fresh logo, messaging, color scheme and tag line — the first update since NGA’s founding in 1982. NGA represents independent community grocers in every congressional district across the…
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May 20, 2021
By Tim O’Connor, Project Consultant, NGAF TA Center Nutrition incentives: Have you seen them in your community? Have you heard about them? If you haven’t, you will. Nutrition incentives are here and are growing. They come with lots of names: GusNIP, SNAP incentives, produce prescription programs, fruit and vegetable programs, and Food-As-Medicine. They are sponsored…
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May 19, 2021
By Greg Ferrara, NGA President and CEO The National Grocers Association is the singular voice for the true entrepreneurs of the food industry –independent community grocers and wholesalers who model business leadership and a strong commitment to civic life while providing their neighbors quality goods and nourishing foods. As we look to the future, NGA aims to convey…
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May 17, 2021
By Maggie White, Director, NGA Foundation While the impact of the pandemic and other national events is surely being felt by people across the country, essential workers have been especially vulnerable to stress and mental strain over the last year. During the pandemic, grocery workers suddenly found themselves on the front lines, risking their health…
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May 17, 2021
By Dom Coleman, Senior Director, Strategy, T-Mobile No one knows better than you how grocery shopping changed over the last year. How long this change will last and how quickly things will revert, if ever, is anyone’s guess, and grocers need to be prepared to evolve to capture consumers in an increasingly competitive environment. Last…
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May 7, 2021
Background: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule to phase down the production and import of a refrigerant known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by 85 percent over a 16-year period. The proposed rule stems from legislation passed by a bipartisan majority on Capitol Hill and signed by former President Donald Trump last December.…
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May 5, 2021
By Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs One of the biggest retail stories to come out of the pandemic is the turbo boost in the growth and consumer acceptance of online grocery shopping. Within a matter of weeks, the quest for safety as the coronavirus ravaged the countryside drove shoppers to embrace…
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May 3, 2021
By Pat Jones-NGAF TA Center Project Assistant Daisy Pimentel, co-owner and operator of two Fine Fare Supermarkets in the South Bronx with her husband Frank, has made it a priority to be involved with community members as much as possible and provide much needed services and programs. So, when Daisy learned about nutrition incentives, she…
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Apr 29, 2021
By Robert Yeakel, NGA Director of Government Relations Last night, President Biden gave his first speech to a joint session of Congress. At almost the 100-day mark of his administration, Biden’s address highlighted not only the accomplishments of his first months in office, but also signaled the agenda that lay ahead. From getting Americans back to work to making sure…
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Apr 22, 2021
More than 230 supermarket retailers and wholesalers from 143 companies and food industry state association executives from across the nation connected virtually this week with Members of Congress during the annual “Day in Washington” supermarket industry fly-in. Members of the National Grocers Association (NGA) and the Food Industry Association (FMI) participated in more than 220 meetings with Members of Congress and legislative staff to advocate for…
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Apr 15, 2021
By Robert Yeakel, NGA Director of Government Relations Two weeks ago, President Biden unveiled the next step in his “Build Back Better” agenda by calling on Congress to pass an infrastructure package. The American Jobs Plan, as the White House has coined it, lays out more than $2 trillion in federal spending on infrastructure and other domestic investments. The administration sees this as a one-two punch to not…
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Apr 13, 2021
By Chelsea Matzen, Project Manager, NGA Foundation Small rural groceries and corner stores in cities may strike up very different mental images but they both face a similar problem: distribution. Tiny neighborhood stores often don’t have the economies of scale to efficiently work in a traditional manner with wholesalers. One solution that these small retailers are starting to pursue is cross-docking or…
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Apr 8, 2021
By Molly Pfaffenroth, NGA Senior Director of Government Relations Every five years, Congress has the opportunity to consider Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) legislation to improve child nutrition programs, including school meals and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The last time a CNR bill was signed into law was the…
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Apr 1, 2021
By Robert Yeakel, NGA Director of Government Relations It has been over a year since the coronavirus pandemic upended daily life and transformed how customers interact with retail. Almost overnight, businesses built out their e-commerce platforms to reach a customer base that – due to lockdowns or public health concerns, or both – could no longer shop in person. Even…
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Mar 31, 2021
Pat Jones-NGAF TA Center Project Assistant The NGAF TA Center participated in the second annual Nutrition Incentive Hub National Convening on March 10 and 11. The convening served as a chance for all current and past GusNIP and FINI grantees, their partners and other interested parties to learn and connect around the world of nutrition…
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Mar 31, 2021
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs Redefine “local” to expand your supply chain. Diversify your suppliers to find new sources of local products. Gain a competitive edge by having unique offerings and demonstrating your value to the community. These basic steps proved to be a winning recipe for California Polytechnic State University…
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Mar 29, 2021
By Eric Payne, NGA Manager of Communications March is Frozen Food Month, an annual recognition of reliable, convenient, and healthy frozen products available at independent grocery stores throughout the country. While frozen foods are now a staple in household freezers, this wasn’t always the case, with the process for effectively freezing food mastered only about 100 years ago. Consumers nowadays may take these convenient products…
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Mar 22, 2021
Jim Dudlicek, Director, Communications and External Affairs Even before COVID made good general health and resistance to illness more important, consumers have been paying more attention to the wellness benefits derived from the foods they eat. Few foods are as synonymous with health as fresh produce, making fruits and vegetables essential for good nutrition. To…
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Mar 15, 2021
By Molly Pfaffenroth, NGA Senior Director of Government Relations Independent community grocers are critical partners in the public-private partnership of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With grocers uniquely and best positioned to implement this program in their communities, many of which are rural and urban food desert areas, SNAP is one of the most efficient and effective federal programs in…
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Mar 2, 2021
By Harold Lloyd, Harold Lloyd Presents I am so proud our industry is finally getting the “essential” branding it deserves. I distinctly remember in my early 20s getting mocked for thinking I needed a graduate degree to work in a supermarket. Now, you are “superheroes,” right up there with other true professionals, first responders, doctors…
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