Oct 5, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director of Communications Independent retailers are a key partner on the path to ending hunger and supporting heathy diets. Retailers are community economic hubs that support community revitalization and growth. Our members care deeply about their communities and as such have worked hard to increase access to healthy food options for…
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Oct 3, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs September was National Food Safety Education Month, and what better way to celebrate than with an FDA checkup. NGA hosted a recent webinar in which John Marcello, senior advisor in FDA’s Office of State Cooperative Programs (OSCP), offered a joint regulatory-industry perspective on retail modernization…
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Sep 27, 2022
Antitrust Enforcement and Credit Card Swipe Fees Discussed During Meetings From rising costs and continued supply chain disruptions to the anticompetitive tactics of power buyers, independent grocers are currently facing a variety of challenges that impact their day-to-day operations and how they serve their communities. With this in mind, NGA worked with Congressional offices and…
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Sep 23, 2022
By Pat Jones, Project Coordinator, and Ted Mason, Project Consultant One of the most valuable lessons the National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center (NGAF TA Center) team has learned since beginning our work in GusNIP nutrition incentives is the importance of conducting in-person visits to learn how projects function successfully in a variety of…
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Sep 22, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Consumers are increasingly concerned with being healthy, and at the grocery store, health and wellness means more than food and nutrition. Often built around an in-store pharmacy, health and wellness at the supermarket can include over-the-counter remedies, vitamins, nutritional supplements and other products designed to…
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Aug 24, 2022
By Dave Wendland, Vice President, Strategic Relations, Hamacher Resource Group What does wellness mean to you? I like this definition from the McKinley Health Center of the University of Illinois: “Wellness is a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential.” If we then consider the definition of self-care, according to…
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Aug 18, 2022
By Stephanie Johnson, NGA VP of Government Relations This summer was one of the busiest legislative sessions in Congress in recent memory. It culminated in major legislative achievements for the Biden Administration, a lifeline to the sinking popularity of his presidency and much needed momentum for Democrats up for re-election in November. Congress has introduced…
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Aug 10, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Who buys what, and why? The answer seems to constantly change, but the results of the International Food Information Council’s 2022 Food & Health Survey can help you find the sales strategy that’s right for your unique operation. NGA hosted a recent webinar that explored…
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Aug 9, 2022
By Megan Moyer Finding a niche in your community is a good way to build a competitive advantage. If you and your competitors carry many of the same brands and items, bringing in products that are unique to your store can be a strong differentiator. Start by reviewing your product assortment to see where there…
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Aug 8, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs While some companies offered flexible working arrangements before the pandemic, many were forced into a remote workforce almost overnight. While managing remote employees may be intimidating at first, many retailers and wholesalers are now reaping the benefits of workplace flexibility, including greater employee satisfaction, retention…
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Jul 19, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / Director, Communications and External Affairs First, the bad news: Inflation continues to, well … inflate. Overall inflation rose another percent from May to June, hitting 9.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking a new 40-year high. Worse, inflation for food eaten at home – grocery – climbed to 12.2%…
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Jul 18, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek / NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs It’s summer, the time when grocers’ fancies turn to … Christmas. Yes, it’s true that grocery retailers already need to start making holiday buying decisions when the last things most of their customers are thinking about are mistletoe and menorahs. Operators like KeHE, UNFI and…
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Jul 13, 2022
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Food allergens present a risk to more than 30 million people in the United States. Controlling food allergens in retail facilities and reducing the number of allergen-related recalls are a priority, but is the industry we doing enough? NGA hosted a recent webinar to explore the latest…
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Jul 6, 2022
NGA Members Hold Over 100 Meetings with Members of Congress; Advocate for Enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act to End Economic Discrimination NGA and its members have been engaged in a comprehensive campaign to end economic discrimination in the grocery industry over the last several years as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened conditions faced by America’s independent,…
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Jun 30, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs The recent tragedy at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., is a grim reminder that active shooters could appear anywhere, making it important for grocers to be aware of what they can do to minimize the impact of such attacks on associates and customers. NGA hosted…
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Jun 28, 2022
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Perception is important for any business, and if it’s inaccurate, it can damage a retailer’s relationship with those it serves. Today’s runaway inflation has folks scrambling to make ends meet, and many are looking for someone to blame – the government, the oil companies, any business seen…
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Jun 17, 2022
NGA’s 40th Anniversary Featured During Event as More than 2,700 Grocery Leaders Gathered For 40 years, The NGA Show has been the place where independents gather, bringing together retailers, wholesalers, food retail industry executives, food/CPG manufacturers, and service providers from across the United States. As NGA celebrates our 40th anniversary this year, the 2022 Show…
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Jun 16, 2022
By Jim Dudlicek NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Inflation isn’t really helping anybody, but there’s a little good news for grocers: Dining out tops the list of consumer cutbacks. Unfortunately for basket rings, non-essential food is second on the household hit list as folks try to offset the rising cost of things they need…
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Jun 13, 2022
Jim Dudlicek, NGA Director, Communications and External Affairs Grocery operators are starting to focus more deeply on the wellbeing of their teams and engage in conversations around employee mental health in our industry. The NGA Foundation hosted a recent webinar that explored how organizations approach their employees’ mental health to ensure their teams have the…
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Jun 13, 2022
By Pat Jones, NGA Foundation TA Center Project Coordinator The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) offers retailers a chance to provide extra food dollars to help low-income shoppers include more healthy fruits and vegetables in their diet. The National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center (NGAF TA Center) partnered with the Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University to host…
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