By Eric Payne, NGA Manager of Communications
NGA Announces Virtual Executive Conference in September
Earlier this week, NGA announced it will host its annual leadership meeting virtually from 9/22-9/25. The decision was made in the interest of health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The new NGA Executive Conference will serve as NGA’s signature event going forward, designed for CEOs and their leadership teams.
The conference will provide attendees with big picture data, best practices, and actionable insights at the forefront of the supermarket industry.
Brookshire Grocery Company Donating $1.2 Million to Food Banks
The $1.2 Million donation provides 9.6 million meals for families in East Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. $200,000 of the total donated comes from a customer match program.
Brad Brookshire, Chairman and CEO of the Brookshire Grocery Company, had the following to say about the donation:
“Today, tomorrow and always, BGC is here for our customers to provide a safe shopping environment and to support our communities. As we have for the last 92 years, we will continue to serve our neighbors because we are stronger together. We care about our communities and are committed to doing what we can to lessen the impact of COVID-19 and slow the spread.”
Learn more from KALB here: https://bit.ly/2TQlEK2
Plant Based Food Sales Soared in March
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the retail analytics firm SPINS report retail sales of plant-based foods as of March 15 were up 90% from the same time period last year.
Tony Olson, owner and CEO of SPINS, had the following to say about the plant-based boom:
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a continued shift in consumer purchasing toward natural and organic products that enhance health and immunity. Our data shows the plant-based meat boom of last year continues and, as reports of animal-based meat shortages increase, we can expect plant-based meat to gain even more traction.”
Learn more from Supermarket News here: https://bit.ly/2XJnI7w
*NGA recently launched our Plant-Based Live.Balanced Retail Activation Kit to support our retail members looking to capitalize on new sales opportunities from the plant-based movement. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/2Ahb2wG
Big Y makes Second Round of Donations
Big Y World Class Market is providing an additional $125,000 to address food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be distributed to local food banks. Learn more from the Shelby Report here: https://bit.ly/2XclGhh
Jim Dudlicek Recaps Recent NGA Webinar
Earlier this week, NGA Director of Communications, Jim Dudlicek, authored a blog recapping a recent webinar hosted by NGA on the “new normal” for supermarkets post COVID-19.
Here are his key takeaways:
- Consumers won’t immediately revert to their old shopping habits
- Ecommerce is accelerating
- Income declines impact behavior
- Safety breeds loyalty
- Grocers must connect thorough experience
To read the entire blog, click here.
