FMI - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

The chances are really good that the shopping responsibility for these backyard grill-fests didn’t fall squarely with just one person, but were a cooperative effort among the household’s multiple shoppers. According to FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report, 85 percent of all adults in the U.S. report that they have at least half the household responsibility for grocery shopping. Last year we identified that the “primary shopper paradigm” where one person –usually Mom – handled all the food selecting, planning, cooking, and shopping –was giving way to a new “shared shopper paradigm,” in which households delegate or collaborate on food shopping.

Again this September, retailers and suppliers are coming together with the FMI Foundation to celebrate National Family Meals Month™ (NFMM). What is National Family Meals Month? This industry-wide movement raises awareness of the benefits of frequent family meals and supports families to share one more meal at home each week. Over 60 retailers and 30 suppliers participated last year, and the excitement is growing for 2016! To help you prepare for this September, the FMI Foundation has created new National Family Meals Month toolkits for both retailers and suppliers.

The distance from the U.S. Capitol to the White House is approximately 1.5 miles, a mere thirty minute stroll across relatively flat terrain. However, the journey for a GMO labeling bill, escorted through both ends of the Capitol, then down Pennsylvania Avenue and delivered to the inbox on the desk in the Oval Office has been a much more circuitous and challenging trip – one filled with many ups and downs, some drama, several detours, and more than a few fretful delays. Without the determined efforts of thousands of people, that journey, so important to our shoppers and to our industry, would not have occurred.

The legislative achievements last week on GMO have been a win for the value chain in giving food makers and sellers the option to disclose information in a flexible manner, so it was disconcerting that the debate on GMO included accusations that the food industry was failing to communicate. Conversely, FMI and its coalition partners advocated for a federal system that would offer consistent information to consumers however they wanted to consume it.

Last week, Cynthia Brazzel, director of member relations and advocacy for the western region at FMI, was in Clearlake California and visited with FMI board member Dennis Darling at his store Foods Etc. IGA One unique feature of this store is the colorful artwork showcasing the local area around Clearlake.