Years ago, Robert Schuller stood in front of a room full of Iowa corn farmers who had just lived through their worst crop in memory. He wasn’t there to talk about weather patterns or commodity prices. He was there because those farmers needed something to hold onto, and he knew it. In his big voice, […]
Category: Guest Contributors
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Crossroads: Capital Investment – Building A Stronger Future
Technology combined with process will help improve vertical expertise for independent grocers.
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Grocers Take Note: Gen X Is Emerging Loyalty Risk Hiding In Plain Sight
A new study from The Feedback Group finds Gen X shoppers have the lowest grocery loyalty scores, signaling a hidden retention risk for retailers.
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Leadership: A Call For Civility In Business And Life
Columnist Steve Black explores the keys that are critical to building stronger workplace cultures and improving communication.
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Hidden Profit: 30 Seconds To Find Gold Hiding In Motor Room, Back Of Store
On average, grocers spend more than $10,000 annually to repair leaks and charge replacement refrigerant within their systems.
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Crossroads: Is An ESOP The Right Choice?
Shelby columnist Carey Berger explains how an ESOP can support business succession, employee ownership and long-term growth.
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Hidden Profit: The Revenue Stream Hiding In Your Trash
Because grocery stores generate FFPs as a byproduct of their operations, it effectively becomes a revenue source.
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Leadership: 3 Words More Important Than ‘I Love You’ …
The core leadership lesson here is that three simple words – “I appreciate you” – are more powerful and transformative than “I love you” when it comes to building trust, safety and performance in relationships and teams. In a 2026 grocery world shaped by tight margins, omnichannel shopping, AI tools and value‑seeking customers, making “I […]
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Crossroads: Capital Investment – Building A Stronger Future
by Darryl Miller Founder | AislePoint Consulting Independent grocery retailers are operating in one of the most competitive environments in the history of food retail. Customers today have more choices, while retailers face increasing pressure from inflation, labor shortages, rising operating expenses, aging infrastructure and changing consumer expectations. In this environment, one reality has become […]
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Note From Ownership: Can The Declaration’s Principles Continue To Stand?
Does the Declaration of Independence still guide our country? That seems a very fitting question for us to think about as we get ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of this document that formed the foundation of this nation we love. That question has been on my mind after reading an article […]
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Rules That Built The Grocery Industry – And Still Run It – 250 Years Later
As we celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary on the Fourth of July this year, I wanted to tie in 250 years of grocery retail and the lessons of “The 5 Rules” through the lens of one of my favorite shows – “Food That Built America” on the History Channel. Having sold groceries for more than 50 […]
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Hidden Profits: Benchmarking Meat Cases Reveals Opportunities For Grocery Retailers
Benchmarking shows meat cases with doors can reduce energy use, shrink and labor costs while improving margins and creating significant profit opportunities.
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Crossroads: Future Of Independent Grocery – Growing Next Generation Of Owners
I recently had the privilege of speaking at the IGA Coca-Cola Institute in Atlanta. In the room were some of the brightest young leaders in independent grocery – selected by their organizations because of their talent, commitment and potential. Representing stores and communities from around the world, they and those like them are the future […]
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Hidden Profit: The Power Of Knowing Your Store
My colleague Peter Cooke and I are approaching a combined 40 years of helping food retailers improve their operations and, ultimately, their profit. For many of these years, this was represented by best sustainable practices or a similar vernacular. Regardless of the outside wrapper, we helped real retailers – real people – identify and capture […]
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Column: Great Execution Starts With Simple Teaching
Leadership is often described in big words such as vision, strategy, culture, influence, transformation. While those words matter, the best leaders have a way of bringing leadership back down to earth. They make it plain, practical and repeatable. That is why the story of a lunch conversation I had with Peyton Manning is so powerful. […]
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Crossroads: Beyond The Store – Financial Balance In Independent Grocery
By Grant Fossum, AIF, RFC | ProWealth Financial Independent grocers understand diversification better than those in most other industries. Inside the store, balance is built into daily operations – meat and produce drive traffic, center store drives volume, service departments drive margin and the front end shapes the customer experience. Outside the store, that […]
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Leadership: Be The Leader People Want To Work For
People do not follow titles for long. They follow credibility. They follow consistency. They follow leaders whose behavior makes trust possible. In an age when culture is tested daily, the enduring leadership principle is surprisingly simple: do your job, live your values, and give people something worth following. There is a leadership lesson that never […]
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Crossroads: Beyond Value – Factors Impacting Decision To Sell
Life is complicated. Every decision creates a ripple effect, and no meaningful decision is ever driven by a single factor. Few choices carry more weight for a business owner than the decision to buy or sell. The decision to purchase often is made at a relatively young age, at a stage when there’s not much […]
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NGA Foundation ELDP – Leadership For A Changing Grocery Industry
From shifting consumer expectations and rapid technological advancement to supply chain complexity and workforce transformation, the grocery industry is evolving faster than ever. Today’s leaders in the independent sector must be equipped with new skills to guide their organizations through change. Developing strong leaders is no longer optional – it’s essential to success. That’s why […]
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Leadership Lessons For Grocery Industry From Lou Holtz
Leadership wisdom often comes from unexpected places. One of the most respected leadership voices in American sports is the late Lou Holtz, who we lost in March. The legendary college football coach was known for turning struggling programs into championship teams. While his career unfolded on football fields rather than grocery aisles, the leadership lessons […]