Mar 2, 2021
By Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs How does an omnichannel ecosystem benefit the independent retailer? What should independents be considering when building out their ecommerce solution? How can you ensure a seamless customer experience across your digital offering? To answer these and other questions about the robust ecommerce opportunities in grocery,…
Read more
Mar 1, 2021
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs Last summer, I advised retailers not to underestimate the demand for online grocery shopping. Looks like that’s turning out to be good advice. The numbers are in for January and data indicates that consumers are continuing to embrace e-commerce. In all likelihood, they’ll continue to use…
Read more
Feb 25, 2021
By Jim Dudlicek, Director, Communications and External Affairs The pandemic of the past year brought on many complications to doing business, both operational and financial, making the 2021 tax season appear more daunting. In a recent webinar hosted by NGA, Robert Graybill, president and CEO of FMS Solutions, shed light on some of the newer…
Read more
Feb 16, 2021
By Pat Jones, Project Assistant Focused Community Strategies (FCS ) has been a fixture in underserved Atlanta communities for 20 years, dedicated to community revitalization with the goal of bringing neighborhoods back to health. According to its website, “FCS invests deeply in one under-resourced Atlanta neighborhood at a time, building upon the neighborhood’s strengths to…
Read more
Feb 12, 2021
By Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs The first 100 days of a new administration are crucial for the president to set his legislative priorities for Congress and define the next four years. NGA’s Government Relations team recently hosted a webinar to preview President Biden’s agenda and the issues and policies the…
Read more
Feb 2, 2021
In the grocery industry, every penny counts. A single line entry can represent several charges that may or may not be accurate or applicable to your stores. This simple truth can cost your operation thousands of dollars. A simple utility bill audit provides a guaranteed, no-risk solution to lower your business’ operating expenses and increase…
Read more
Jan 29, 2021
By Robert Yeakel, Director of Government Relations It has been barely a week since President Biden was inaugurated, and yet both the new administration and a Democratic-controlled Congress are anxious to get moving on legislative priorities to address COVID-19 and its economic fallout. The president and Democratic lawmakers have released their agenda for a new phase of…
Read more
Jan 25, 2021
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications and External Affairs Consumers have come to expect customization and personalization in their retail experience – products, deals and offers tailored just for them as a way to secure their loyalty to your banner. For many independent community grocers, the technology to make this happen seems out of reach.…
Read more
Jan 22, 2021
By Molly Pfaffenroth, NGA Senior Director of Government Relations 2021 presents a new Congress, a new administration and a new opportunity for NGA to ensure the priorities of the independent supermarket industry are heard by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into…
Read more
Jan 19, 2021
By Eric Payne, NGA Manager of Communications Winners Will be Honored During the 2021 NGA Show at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada With 2020 behind us, it’s time to start looking forward to what’s coming up this year, as NGA has several events scheduled for independents both in person and virtually. 2020 showed the…
Read more
Jan 15, 2021
By Robert Yeakel, Director of Government Relations As Washington D.C. prepares for the inauguration next week, the incoming Biden administration is hoping to hit the ground running and usher through a quick response to the COVID-19 economic and public health crisis that has gripped the country for most of 2020. It is not the first time that an incoming president…
Read more
Jan 14, 2021
By Tom Jackson, Tom Jackson Resources, Speaker/Facilitator/Coach 2020 is a year that no one planed for. The ink was barely dry on annual goals and objectives when many organizations were impacted and upended by COVID-19. While 2020 was anything but normal much uncertainty in 2021 remains. Conducting performance and development reviews in a normal year…
Read more
Jan 12, 2021
By Pat Jones, Project Assistant In the world of nutrition incentives, the most essential piece for success is a good grantee-retailer relationship. Since starting this project, the NGAF Technical Assistance Center team has found there are generally five areas in which the stars must align in order for a partnership to be forged between a…
Read more
Jan 11, 2021
By Terence Huie, NGA Manager of Grassroots and PAC Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have been declared the winners over their incumbent Republican opponents in Georgia’s two Senate races. These victories will give Democrats their first Senate majority since 2015 and trifecta control of Congress and the White House. Democrats will have the barest…
Read more
Dec 30, 2020
By Ted Mason & Jimmy Wright, NGAF TA Center As buying agents for the grocery shoppers they serve, grocers never lose track of their obligation to provide shoppers with the products they want and need. Just as home gardeners know fruits and vegetables grown in their backyard are the freshest one can get, grocers also…
Read more
Dec 30, 2020
By Jim Dudlicek, Director of Communications and External Affairs As the pandemic drags on into 2021, we look for all the good news we can. And reports of a COVID vaccine being available, delivered and administered is certainly great news. Meanwhile, as the vaccine is gradually rolled out across the globe, life goes on, and…
Read more
Dec 16, 2020
By Terence Huie, NGA Manager of Grassroots and PAC Congressional negotiators continue to work towards a deal on both a COVID-19 relief deal and a 2021 omnibus funding measure. Last Friday, Congress and President Trump agreed to a one-week stopgap funding measure – giving Congress until December 18 to agree to a full omnibus funding…
Read more
Dec 14, 2020
By Eric Payne, NGA Manager of Communications During the COVID-19 pandemic, independent grocers are heroically serving their communities on the frontlines, dealing with unprecedented demand while working in a new, socially distanced, environment. Local, family-owned, independent grocers have always been known for their generosity, whether it’s through food drives, round up at the register campaigns,…
Read more
Dec 10, 2020
BY Jim Dudlicek, Director of Communications and External Affairs Cleaning represents a significant portion of the cost and time associated with running a grocery store, and now the pandemic has presented additional hurdles for grocers to contend with. One of those hurdles is customers being more concerned than ever about the safety, cleanliness and hygiene…
Read more
Dec 9, 2020
By Maggie White, Director of the NGA Foundation Unconscious bias can impact everything from hiring and promotions, to who receives special assignments, employee evaluations, customer service and sales practices. That was the focus of “Leading Consciously,” a seminar hosted Dec. 3 by the NGA Foundation, in partnership with the Washington Food Industry Association. The session…
Read more
