Retail Operations

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 ...

A Walk Through the Supermarket: Store Operations on Fresh Foods

I’m new to FMI and learning a lot about the ins and outs of the food industry. In preparation for our Store Operations Series: Fresh Focal Point, I took a virtual walk through the supermarkets with FMI’s in-house expert, Rick Stein, vice president ...

Driving Value by Framing the Grocery Store as a Destination for Health and Well-being

When food and nutrition programs are delivered by credible experts in the grocery store (in-person or online), the idea of framing the grocery store as a community destination for health and well-being comes to life. At FMI’s Midwinter Executive ...

How Does FMI Know the Current State of the Food Industry?

The answer is from YOU. We know because the industry tells us each year when we ask, as we have been doing every year for more than 70 years. The first ever The Food Retailing Industry Speaks (Speaks) report appeared in 1949. Seventy-three years ...

Six Degrees of Separation No More

After two full years of being separated and unable to participate in-person at events, it was a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) to attend the Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Innovation Showcase in Overland Park, KS, March 21-23. ...

Resilience in Troubled Times

About 100 Western Michigan University (WMU) junior and senior food marketing students together with their faculty celebrated a successful 56th Food Marketing Conference in Grand Rapids, MI this past week. The annual event brought together around 700 ...

2022 Midwinter Executive Conference by the Numbers

The 2022 Midwinter Executive Conference starts next week in Orlando, FL and top industry executives will gather in-person for the first time in over two years. Discussions among trading partners and education opportunities are designed to help a ...

Eyeing Greater Urgency on Key Issues

As we near what we hope is the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, FMI and Oliver Wyman have reconvened and published Volume 7 of our annual journal to provide a future-focused roadmap for the food industry that harnesses the wisdom and insights learned ...

Talk, Exchange, Pitch: FMItech at Midwinter

FMItech at Midwinter promotes conversations, explorations and private exchanges to enhance your technology strategy. We bring together FMI Midwinter attendees focused on technology, ecommerce and automation strategies to create actionable next steps....

Supermarket RDN Spotlight: Elizabeth Hall – Navigating Nutrition in the Aisles and Beyond

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day, also known as “RDN Day” is celebrated annually during National Nutrition Month® on the second Wednesday in March. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy) established this occasion to increase ...

Interview with Chieh Huang of Boxed: Part II, Supply Chain and Technology

FMI Midwinter Executive Conference Chairman and Co-Founder and CEO of Boxed.com, Chieh Huang, has a storied career starting his wholesale technology platform after a successful background in both law and tech. Before he takes the stage at our ...