Retail Operations

The Control Grocery Shoppers Want

During oppressively hot and humid summer afternoons, my family likes to indulge in movie trilogies. We recently revisited the classic Lord of the Rings for the umpteenth time. The obsession of the gold ring in the series always gets to me—how can it ...

Supply Chain Pressures to Persist in 2022

Building long-term capacity and resilience in the food industry supply chain is an imperative issue for retailers and suppliers alike. Collaboration and communication are key to determining root causes, addressing current roadblocks, and building ...

Lessons Learned from Trailblazing Grocery Consumer Affairs Professionals

Often, you must look back in order to move forward. I recently had the opportunity to reflect on FMI’s consumer affairs accomplishments over the past several decades with a group of trailblazing grocery consumer affairs professionals that met in ...

Photo Friday: Consumer Affairs Reunion

More than 20 food retail consumer affairs professionals recently met in Washington, D.C. to share insights from their storied careers. Six of these professionals were recipients of the Esther Peterson Award for customer service and in 2021, FMI ...

Spotlight: Grocery Stores Provide Access to Disease Management and Treatment

Retail registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) meet with both customers and employees to shop the aisles, both in the store and virtually online to provide nutrition education and practical tips while also providing Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) ...

Necessity, the Mother of Invention

Our U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends series explores the food shoppers’ journey and offers insights into the hybrid shopper landscape we’re currently experiencing. As we get to know this new consumer, it is clear they have an appetite for technology that ...

Weathering Industry Challenges and Trends at the 2022 FMI Energy & Store Development Conference.

After a two-year hiatus, FMI is welcoming attendees in-person for the Energy & Store Development Conference September 19-21, 2022, in Orlando, FL. The food retail industry has shifted drastically, with changing consumer trends and habits driving ...

Calling FMI Members: Engage in Discussions on Hunger, Nutrition and Health

Over 50 years ago, the first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health was held with the goal to “put an end to hunger in America for all time.” The report included over 1,800 recommendations to influence nutrition policy over the next ...

Increasing Family Meal Consumption to Boost Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and therefore the perfect time to announce FMI’s Family Meals Movement new partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization ...

Grocery Shoppers Continue to Adapt and Evolve in a Challenging Landscape

The food retail industry continues to battle an obstacle course of issues, including the pandemic/endemic; supply chain challenges; inflation; domestic tragedies; and the ramifications of a war in Ukraine. With all this turmoil, it is comforting to ...

How are Increased Prices Changing Consumer Behavior?

At our weekly staff meeting, one of my colleagues lamented that she went grocery shopping over the weekend and spent more than she usually does despite buying less food. She is not alone. In the first quarter of this year, shoppers cut back on the ...

Breaking Down Active Assailant Incident Response

Another tragic shooting has befallen our industry in recent days and left us both heart-broken and in search of answers to that perennial question – what motivates this violent behavior? As we ponder the state of a society in which such acts occur, ...

A Toast to Our Store Managers

We all need a little ray of sunshine these days, especially those who have been on the frontlines these many months keeping grocery stores open, encouraging employees and supporting local communities through ups and downs. FMI’s Store Manager Awards ...

What Does It Mean to Eat More “Plant-Based” Foods and Beverages?

The connection between eating more plants and better health is undeniable. But what exactly does it mean to eat more “plant-based?...

Key Factors Influencing U.S. Grocery Shoppers

Consumers have witnessed a barrage of breaking news headlines over the last two years. Between a pandemic and resulting supply chain issues, and now increased inflation, there are weighty concerns on the minds of shoppers. However, Americans tell us ...