Retail Operations

How GM Drives Store Profitability

If a rising tide lifts all boats, then general merchandise (GM) is a wave that’s helping retailers stay afloat and on course with bigger baskets and rings. According to Mark Deuschle, president of Denver-based GM manufacturer and distributor Navajo, ...

Your Customers Are In It For E.V.E.R.

It’s my belief that members join and retain their membership in FMI for four powerful reasons, or put a bit differently, members are in it for E.V.E....

What You Need to Know about Modern Organized Retail Theft

Years ago, the industry also had a very different strategy for stopping someone attempting to take something from the store without purchasing it. At that time, we called it shoplifting, five-finger discount, or in the most severe sense, robbery or ...

When Work Feels Like Play

We are in the countdown to the FMI Foundation’s key fundraiser Stir It Up!, taking place Sunday evening, January 22, the last night of the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference. This event is fundamentally a cooking competition within the food industry,...

How GM, Household and HBC are Crucial to Total Store Collaboration in Inflationary Times

A successful total store experience for the consumer requires total store collaboration between the food retailer and its trading partners. That is especially important in today’s operating environment—when record-high inflation is the latest ...

Winter Weather Outlook for the Food Industry

The weather—we all talk about it, watch it intensely and constantly wondering what the weather will be. In a business sense, knowing possible long-term weather trends and potential conditions can help the food industry prepare for supply chain ...

3 Easy Ways to Jumpstart Your Plans for Supermarket Employee Day 2.22.23

There are more than 40,000 stores that sell food and grocery items in the U.S. alone. Millions of supermarket employees come to work daily to keep shelves stocked and to provide communities with essential services that help them survive and ...

Does That Empty Shelf Mean There’s a Product Shortage?

SKU rationalization is a process by which food retailers and manufacturers manage their inventories to be able to offer their customers the most in-demand products or create shelf space for new and innovative ...

The Value of an Ongoing Relationship

After nearly 30 years as a membership professional in the association world, I’m still surprised that others I encounter do not realize the difference between a subscriber and a member. Many of us are subscribers to services like streaming ...

Amazingly Resilient, Deeply Caring: A Leadership Perspective from Anthony Hucker, Southeastern Grocers

FMI Midwinter Executive Conference Chair, Anthony Hucker, president and chief executive officer, Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), reflects on his own experiences and the ways he upholds his commitment to putting people first in this turbulent ...

Thanksgiving, the Consummate Family Meal and Beyond

Thanksgiving is the consummate family meal. It bears all the nutritional, emotional, mental, and social merits that are accrued when we gather at table sharing a common need of physiological substance, and surprisingly discover that our minds and ...

2022: Give Thanks for Grocery Workers. 2023: Provide Recognition.

More than most years, in 2022 food retailers realized the value and importance of a strong workforce. From frontline associates to cake decorators, grocers have been making recruitment and retention of talent a top priority throughout this ...

How Corporate “Show and Tell” is Helping Food Retailers Thrive

Since kindergarten we’ve all learned the value of sharing with others. It’s reassuring and even heart-warming to hear and gain an understanding of what others have experienced in their lives. In business, it is a way to foresee issues ahead, ...

Illustrating the Evolving Grocery Experience

We used to debate whether our industry was going through an evolution or a revolution. Depending on your viewpoint regarding the pace of change and the catalysts for it, there has been one constant: Our industry continues to invest heavily in ...

Submit a Nomination for 2023's Store Manager Awards!

Store managers are key to our communities. They wear a lot of hats. In addition to ensuring grocery stores run smoothly, building strong teams of associates and working to keep shelves stocked, they also serve as information experts and team ...