FMI - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released as anticipated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) just before the end of 2020. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue emphasized that, “good food leads to good health” during the announcement on December 29th, noting that the guidelines will serve to, “help all Americans lead healthier lives.”

As this calendar year ends, so does the FMI membership cycle. Active members in all FMI membership categories are asked to renew their affiliation with a fresh start on January 1st. But before we allow this year to pass, it’s important for us to recognize the new members welcomed to the FMI family in 2020.

This year my traditional revisiting of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol resulted in an even more poignant experience given the COVID-19 context. I discovered some surprising parallels and lessons learned from this classic tale that surfaced by reading it through a COVID-19 colored lens.

I found it refreshing to read David Orgel’s recent article How to Be Ready for Anything in 2021 in Drug Store News. It isn’t so much a piece about predictions and resolutions for a new year. It’s more of a preparedness “how-to” for retailers as they emerge from a pandemic into an era that is likely to be a bit erratic and filled with more changes and likely some surprises.

Grocery stores are offering a holistic experience for shoppers—almost a community center approach—by delivering the full spectrum of services from food and supplies to prescriptions from the pharmacist, tips from the registered dietitian, and meal inspiration from the culinary team.