The independent grocery industry converged on Las Vegas at the end of February for The NGA Show 2023, and Auto-Star was there to connect with our valued industry partners and customers. The show gave thousands of grocers the opportunity to stay up to date on the latest grocery trends, as well as the political and…
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Before 2020, most consumers considered grocery shopping an in-person activity. The COVID-19 pandemic forced shoppers online to get the foods and essential products they needed. However, e-commerce, supported by online grocery technology, continued when brick-and-mortar stores and supermarkets reopened. Statista reports that this trend continues, noting 30% of younger shoppers are willing to shop for…
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Finding the Best Point of Sale System for Grocery Stores When It’s Time to Upgrade People will always need to buy groceries, even in more challenging economic times. In 2021, the US grocery market reached $758.5 billion, and the industry has more than doubled in size since 1992. US grocery stores average 29-30 million shoppers…
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Grocers and supermarkets carry staples that customers are always looking for. But how do you stand out among local competitors? This advantage can be achieved by providing trending products before your competitors do. Whether you are seeking seasonal updates or just trying to target early adopters among millennials and Gen Z shoppers, knowing where…
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If you’ve found yourself thinking about your supermarket POS system a lot lately, that might not be such a good sign. As a grocer, you have a lot on your plate, whether you’re worrying about late deliveries or if the latest batch of salmon will meet the “sell by” date. So if your grocery…
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How Refreshing and Revitalizing is Creating The Best Grocery Loyalty Programs Yet The pandemic has created unprecedented changes across all industries, from disrupting supply chains and pushing customers to online platforms to forcing store closures. However, even though things have changed, customers still demand top-of-the-line experiences from their favorite natural health stores and grocers. In…
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2020 rattled the grocery market. With a worldwide pandemic changing how consumers lead their daily lives, many grocers have been asking what’s next. Everything about the consumer experience has changed in the last several months, from how consumers expect one-on-one interactions to go to how they shop for their essentials. We’ve taken a comprehensive look…
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Shopping online has become a popular and convenient option among consumers, with 30.2% of computer and electronics retail sales and 27.4% of apparel sales taking place online. Now, consumers are even going online for their groceries. The industry has seen a steady rise in the adoption of online grocery shopping for years; however, the pandemic has accelerated this trend.…
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Note: The following was written before the recent COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing efforts became the current challenge that they are. Now more than ever, we are proud to highlight the essential independent grocers that help to keep us all fed and healthy while putting themselves at risk. We also thank those IT professionals, our…
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Are you still accepting WIC checks? Are you using a stand-beside WIC terminal in your store? Independent grocers have known for almost 10 years of the federal mandate that all states must implement electronic benefit transfer (EBT) for WIC program benefits by October 1st, 2020, and many states are scrambling to make that deadline. In…
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