instore - May 2016 - 12

news

would prohibit local governments from increasing their minimum
wage above Missouri's current minimum wage level, Shaul successfully navigated a tumultuous legislative session, which ultimately led
to an override of the governor's veto and the bill becoming law.

The National Grocers Association announced the introduction of an
education program this fall at Cornell University that will provide in-depth
training to develop a strategic business plan that addresses multifaceted
business issues faced by independent supermarket operators.
The Sustainable Business Growth Strategies program, sponsored by
Unilever, is designed to provide independent supermarket operators
with the necessary tools and resources to help executives guide their

"Success in a highly competitive
marketplace, such as the independent
supermarket industry, requires operators to have plans to quickly adapt
and evolve to shifting demands in the
marketplace.'
Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO of NGA

organizations through a rapidly changing grocery industry. Participants
will explore a vast range of issues, including consumer trends, identifying
areas of differentiation, chain management, and workforce diversity.
"Success in a highly competitive marketplace, such as the independent supermarket industry, requires operators to have plans to
quickly adapt and evolve to shifting demands in the marketplace. The
Sustainable Business Growth Strategies program aims to help independent supermarket executives who are already leading organizations to
further grow financial and sustainability success within their business," said Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO of NGA.
The inaugural meeting will take place September 11 - 15, 2016, at
Cornell University. This event is open to NGA retail and wholesale
members. For more information, visit www.nationalgrocers.org/
sustainable-growth.

Findings from a new large-scale study of more than 10,000 consumers
conducted by Market Force Information reveals that as more shoppers
12 * MAY 2016 * instore

are crunched for time, prepared foods continue to be a popular choice,
with two-thirds indicating they purchased some form of prepared food
from their grocer in the previous 30 days.
Forty-three percent did so once a month, 19 percent once a week, and
eight percent twice a week or more. Convenience was overwhelmingly
the most popular reason for purchasing prepared foods, but many also
turn to pre-made foods as an alternative to dining out or because of
the quality of food offered. The most common types of prepared meals
purchased were ready-to-eat main courses and ready-to-eat side dishes/
appetizers/desserts. Ready-to-cook main courses and ready-to-cook
side dishes/appetizers/desserts ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Shoppers are increasingly seeking local and organic foods while
grocery shopping. The study showed that 49 percent of consumers
prefer to purchase organic items when given a choice. Produce, meat
and dairy were the most frequently purchased organic products,
followed by packaged canned foods, packaged dry foods and frozen
foods. Less popular were organic baby products, paper products and
personal hygiene products. Purchases of organic options for all but two
categories increased one to three percentage points from 2015, indicating a growing importance of the availability of organic selections. A
majority (58 percent) of shoppers also indicated that locally sourced
meat, produce and dairy products are important.

The US Food and Drug Administration finalized a new food safety
rule under the landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
that will help to prevent food contamination during transportation.
The rule will require those involved in transporting human and
animal food by motor or rail vehicle to follow recognized best practices for sanitary transportation, such as properly refrigerating food,
adequately cleaning vehicles between loads and properly protecting
food during transportation.
The action is part of a larger effort to focus on prevention of food
safety problems throughout the food chain, and the rule implements
the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005 (SFTA) as well as the
requirement in section 111 of FSMA that instructed FDA to issue SFTA
regulations. The regulation will apply to food transported within
the United States by motor or rail vehicle, whether or not the food is
offered for or enters interstate commerce. Shippers, loaders, carriers
and receivers engaged in transportation operations of food imported
by motor or rail vehicle and consumed or distributed in the United
States are also subject to the final rule.
The rule was proposed in February 2014 and takes into consideration
more than 200 comments submitted by the transportation industry,
food industry, government regulatory partners, international trading
partners, consumer advocates, tribal organizations and others.

http://www.nationalgrocers.org/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - May 2016