FMI Special Report

The entrepreneurial spirit of the food retail industry is embodied in the role of the store manager. Arguably, no other industry position is so in tune with the community, so motivated by the personality and determination of an individual or so resilient in the face of competition.

A friend observed recently that he feels like his 45 rpm life is being played on the 78 rpm setting. Now, I know that only those of you as old as I am will get his reference, but his observation put into words what many if not most of us feel.

For the past several years, FMI's research has identified a number of significant shifts in customer shopping habits that are challenging our longstanding industry vocabulary and forcing us to rethink the way we talk about traditional industry measurements.

The Trump administration is now past the "first 100 days" and looking to engage on longer-term issues. Congressional Republicans and the President have identified tax reform as one of their top priorities and are beginning to firm up plans for how to proceed.

As industry leaders, you face enormous challenges, and next to the financial burdens associated with running your businesses effectively and efficiently, you tell us that providing health care to your employees is paramount.

Each year, FMI's Government Relations department surveys its member companies to understand which policy issues are top of mind, legislative priorities, and how FMI can enhance our voice for food retail in Washington, D.C.

Viewed more simply, this proposal demonstrates the industry's redoubling of efforts to communicate as clearly as possible with its customers via date labels.

President-elect Trump has not previously held a government leadership position, so we have no experiential basis from which to forecast how he will govern.

Amazon's announcement of a new pilot program that offers customers a boundary-less experience for shopping and checkout is justly being positioned as a game-changer for the food retail industry and greater retail supply chain.

I've always posited that food should be more like fashion. Similar to the latest trends in lapels and color palettes, consumers' palates are attuned to what's hot in the food world.