EDITOR'S NOTE: How Can Retailers Win in 2025?
One of the most frequent questions I get from people all over the grocery industry is, “Gina, what are you hearing from retailers these days?”
After attending NRF’s Big Show, FMI’s Midwinter Executive Conference and The NGA Show in the first two months of the year, I have a detailed answer to that question: I am hearing a lot of anxiety and worry.
Anxiety over the consequences of tariffs, persistent inflation, climate change, security threats and avian flu-related egg shortages on customer loyalty and the bottom line.
Worry over still-rising incidences of theft, and expense pressures related to the costs of health and property insurance, construction, and energy – not to mention pricey investments in wages, assortment, supply chain and retail tech solutions.
But I am also hearing a lot of hope. Courage. Inspiration in the face of these challenges.
Speaking to The NGA Show audience of retailers in Las Vegas on Feb. 23, IGA CEO John Ross said: “Retailers are facing domestic and international challenges. Domestically, it’s increasing government legislation that seems designed to try to prevent them from doing well in business. Internationally, the incredible pressure coming on from global retailers. Challenges in the marketplace. Yesterday was not as difficult as today, and tomorrow looks like it might be worse. And in that environment, you might think, ‘How do we win?. …
“And the answer to that is what you all know and do every single day. We walk into our stores and take care of customers as if they are our family. And when we’re cutting meat or we’re baking fresh or we’re taking care of produce or buying from local farmers, all the things that we do and all the people that we say yes to that come and ask us for help in our communities. … Whether it’s inflation, whether it’s COVID, whether it’s tariffs, no matter what comes, the resiliency in this industry has probably positioned it to grow even faster over the next decade. What is it about it? It’s our ability to take care of our shoppers and our associates the way we take care of our own family.”
Ross is right on. I am seeing and hearing from retailers across the country a renewed focus on really taking care of employees, on supercharging the customer experience, on carrying the quality products that make shoppers loyal (see our 76th Annual Consumer Expenditures Report for the data on this trend) and on community service.
As long as grocers remember that customers and employees just want to feel taken care of, just want something to smile about, no amount of disruption can get in the way of their success.
