🗞️ NGA Statement on USDA Proposed Rule Requiring Chip-Enabled SNAP EBT Cards “Too many families learn their benefits were stolen at the checkout, when trying to buy food for their families, after multinational criminal organizations skimmed their EBT cards,” said Stephanie Johnson, senior vice president and head of government affairs at NGA. “States that adopted SNAP EBT chip cards have seen a significant drop in skimming fraud, and we appreciate USDA and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud for moving every state toward that standard.” nationalgrocers.org/news/nga…

"This spring, La Tiara, a beloved taco shell brand that Kansas City families have bought for generations, is reopening a Gladstone, Missouri, plant and creating more than 100 jobs. Good news, and then the terms: The products would be sold “exclusively at Walmart.” A grocer a few blocks from that plant, who sold La Tiara for decades, can’t buy a single case at any price. One local independent grocer even resorted to buying the product off his competitor’s shelves just to stock it in his own store. In effect, he had to become his competitor’s customer just to serve his own."

Here are some key takeaways from this important piece: "I learned the grocery business the way most grocers do: by working in one. My family ran neighborhood supermarkets in New Orleans for generations, and I learned early that a central point of a grocer’s job is to say yes... Independent grocers all over the country are having to say no more often now, and not because anything is scarce. They are saying it because somebody else has already claimed the product."

📰NGA Pushes Back on Surveillance Pricing Narrative, Urges FTC to Protect Grocery Savings In comments submitted to the FTC on its Proposed Enforcement Policy Statement Regarding Personalized Pricing, NGA emphasized that independent grocers do not use shoppers’ personal data to determine how much they are willing to pay and then charge them more. In a grocery store, the price is posted on the shelf. nationalgrocers.org/news/nga…

📰NGA issues a statement last week in response to the FTC's settlement of the Southern Glazer case: This settlement is an important demonstration of why enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act matters for small and independent businesses. The principles at the heart of this case extend well beyond a single industry. Independent grocers continue to face significant disparities in the prices and terms available to them compared with the nation’s largest retailers..." Read the full statement 👇 nationalgrocers.org/news/nga…

🗞️NGA Applauds Senate Passage of Common Cents Act The legislation, sponsored by @SenLummis and @gillibrandny establishes a national framework for allowing businesses to continue serving customers efficiently and fairly as pennies fall out of circulation. “Independent grocers process millions of transactions every day, and the disappearance of the penny created a very practical problem at the checkout counter,” said Stephanie Johnson, NGA senior vice president and head of government affairs. Read our press release 👇 nationalgrocers.org/news/nga…

NGA President & CEO Greg Ferrara spoke with @FoxBusiness about the importance of independent #grocers being able to compete on a level playing field. Here are some key takeaways from this important interview: ✔️ If we don't have free markets, we don't have open markets. ✔️ Independent grocers often struggle to obtain the same products, promotions, and purchasing terms available to the largest national retailers in the country - this hurts customers who want these products but are unable to buy them. ✔️ Independent grocers are not seeking favoritism - just a level playing field and a chance to compete. This benefits not just independent grocers but the communities they serve. foxbusiness.com/retail/natio…

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for your leadership in fighting swipe fees! Now Congress should act by passing the Credit Card Competition Act, restoring competition to the payments system, and helping reduce costs for independent grocers. youtube.com/watch?v=jRWVEAPa… @MerchantsPymnts

🎓@theshelbyreport: NGA Foundation Awards 2026 Scholarships To 21 Students The NGA Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2026 scholarship program, awarding financial assistance to 21 students planning careers in the grocery industry. “Scholarships are one of the most meaningful ways the NGA Foundation can invest in the next generation of independent grocery leaders,” said Chelsea Matzen, VP of the NGA Foundation. theshelbyreport.com/2026/09/…

NGA Supports House Passage of Common Cents Act, Urges Swift Action in the Senate NGA today applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the bipartisan Common Cents Act, legislation that provides retailers with clear legal authority and protections to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel after the end of penny production in 2025. The legislation, championed by @RepLisaMcClain and @RepRobertGarcia, establishes a national framework for allowing businesses to continue serving customers efficiently and fairly as pennies fall out of circulation. nationalgrocers.org/news/nat…

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, honor the courage and sacrifice of first responders, and stand with all those whose lives were forever changed by that day. We will #NeverForget.

Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for calling attention to the need for swipe fee reform! Now Congress should act by passing the Credit Card Competition Act, restoring competition to the payments system, and helping reduce costs for Main Street businesses and consumers. NGA applauds @RogerMarshallMD for his continued support of independent grocers in Kansas and across the country—and for his leadership in advocating for the Credit Card Competition Act to bring greater competition and fairness to the payments system.

Great to hear @realDonaldTrump call for swipe fee reform! It’s time for Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act, bring real competition to the payments system, and help lower the rising costs facing Main Street businesses and consumers.