The Yes on SB 270 Coalition celebrated the 22-15 victory in the California Senate late Friday night for SB 270, a landmark measure that will make California the first state to ban single-use plastic carryout bags if signed by the governor.

“This is a monumental night for California. With tonight’s vote, California is on the cusp of making history,” said Ronald Fong, President and CEO, California Grocers Association. “SB 270 will foster innovation, create homegrown jobs, safeguard businesses and protect California’s natural resources. We are grateful to Sens. Padilla, de León and Lara for bravely standing up for California.”

SB 270 (Padilla, de León, Lara) has been supported by dozens of groups representing a spectrum of sectors, including environment, organized labor, business organizations, grocers, retailers, poverty rights organizations, Latino leaders, waste management firms, local governments and others.

“We are thankful that our elected leaders saw through the tactics employed by out-of-state plastic companies seeking to block this measure, and stood up to special interests who do not have Californians’ best interest in mind. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs this bill into law, as we hope he will, we are confident we will see a seismic shift in consumer habits and a whole new crop of innovators and home-grown job creators in our state,” Fong said.

More than 100 cities and counties in California, including our largest metropolitan areas, have enacted bans on single-use carryout plastic bags. SB 270 will bring uniformity to California, while further reducing the use of plastic bags that litter streets, clog waterways, endanger animals and natural resources and cost taxpayers.

SB 270 ensures that those on food assistance programs are not subject to the 10-cent charge and that monies generated from the 10-cent charge stay local to be used for cost recovery and consumer education on reusable bag use.

The Yes on SB 270 Coalition hailed the California Assembly’s historic approval of Senate Bill 270, moving California one step closer to a landmark law banning single-use plastic carryout bags statewide.

SB 270 (Padilla, de Leon, Lara) is supported by dozens of groups representing a spectrum of sectors, including environment, organized labor, business organizations, grocers, retailers, poverty rights organizations, Latino leaders, waste management firms, local governments and others.

“Today California is one step closer to making history by becoming the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic carryout bags statewide. If this bill become law, California will continue its storied legacy as a global leader in bold, game-changing policies to help create a better planet for future generations,” said Ronald Fong, President and CEO, California Grocers Association.

More than 100 cities and counties in California, including our largest metropolitan areas, have deliberated, studied, scrutinized, and, ultimately approved bans on single-use carryout plastic bags.

Thousands of other jurisdictions worldwide have done the same. SB 270 will bring uniformity to California, while further reducing the use of plastic bags that litter streets, clog waterways, endanger animals and natural resources and cost taxpayers.

“Nearly one-third of Californians already live in communities that have banned these bags. It is time for our state to step up and usher in a new era of reusable bags as the norm rather than the exception.,” said Marce Gutiérrez and Héctor Huezo, co-chairs of the Latino Coalition for a California Bag Ban. “SB 270 will foster innovation, create homegrown jobs, safeguard businesses and protect California’s treasured natural resources. We are grateful to Sens. Padilla, de Leon and Lara for listening to the concerns of Californians and for bravely standing up for economic justice and environmental common sense.”

Said Mark Murray, Executive Director, Californians Against Waste “SB 270 is a tried-and-true policy which brings a broad base of support. By eliminating single-use plastic carryout grocery bags, consumer behavior shifts as shoppers make a habit of using reusable bags.”

Should consumers forget their reusable bags or need an extra bag at checkout, recycled paper bags are available for a 10-cent charge. Amendments to SB 270 ensure that those on food assistance programs are not subject to the 10-cent charge and to ensure that monies generated from the 10-cent charge stay local to be used for cost recovery and consumer education on reusable bag use.

2015 We Card Materials Available for Order Starting September 1 at WeCard.org

September is We Card Awareness Month across the country, and the California Grocers Association encourages all California retailers to continue in their efforts to successfully identify and prevent age-restricted product sales to minors.

The legal requirements of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations governing certain tobacco products, combined with state level restrictions and the rising focus on e-cigarettes, pushes responsible retailing of age-restricted products to a new level.

The national retailer violation rate with youth access to tobacco laws is 9.1 percent — significantly below the target percent rate. Even so, preventing age-restricted product sales to minors continues to be a top retail industry priority. Furthermore, California has a violation rate of 5.6 percent that is below the national average according to the FFY 2012 Synar Report issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“California retailers have always taken sales of age-restricted products very seriously,” says Ronald Fong, President and CEO of the CGA. “They continue to be leaders by embracing ongoing education and training that helps prepare frontline employees to comply with the law.”

“Trained retail employees are confident and prepared to identify and deny underage attempts to purchase tobacco, e-cigarettes or other age-restricted products. We Card Awareness Month helps reinforce retailers’ daily efforts and highlights the services and tools We Card avails to help them complete it,” said We Card president Doug Anderson.

FDA requirements of retailers demand the “carding” of every under 27-year old customer for cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, smokeless tobacco or roll-your-own tobacco. Additional products, such as cigars and e-cigarettes may be added to this requirement since FDA proposed adding them to the list of restricted products earlier this year. Since 2010 FDA has completed more than 320,000 retail compliance checks to see if retailers’ are asking for ID of customers under 27 years old and rejecting those underage purchase attempts.

California retailers have experienced over 8,000 checks since FDA starting doing compliance checks, and that number will only increase.

Furthermore, e-cigarettes are now considered age-restricted products in nearly 40 states – including California – so an increased focus on responsible retailing and knowing which products to “card” and deny sales to minors is particularly important for the retail industry.

To help retailers,We Card Awareness Month launches the availability of We Card’s 2015 materials including a range of new age-of-purchase calendars and tools. From Labor Day to New Year’s Eve, it is We Card’s busiest time of the year as retailers order the coming year’s Age-of-Purchase Calendar – a daily reminder age-calculation tool — and a slew of other point-of-sale tools and signage to equip their stores.

We Card also offers award-winning training courses offered online through We Card’s eLearning Center at www.wecard.org or through licensing to retailers and other organizations.

FDA has issued official guidance for Tobacco Retailer Training Programs and We Card’s eLearning training matches and exceeds this federal curriculum with retail-focused emphasis on customer service, role-playing and interactive gaming – earning the training an American Business Awards 2013 Bronze Stevie® Award as a Best Training Site.

“We Card Awareness Month is a good time for California retailers to evaluate their tools and training to make sure they have the very best systems in place to identify and reject underage sales,” says Fong.

About We Card: The We Card Program, Inc. is a national non-profit organization created 18 years ago to support retailers of tobacco and other age-restricted products. Individual retail establishments as well as large retail chains use We Card’s educational and training services to comply with federal and state laws while working to prevent underage tobacco and age-restricted product sales. National and state retail trade associations, government officials, community groups and others also support We Card’s ongoing efforts to educate and train retailers.

We Card’s Board of Directors represents all classes of trade from independent convenience stores, chains, grocers, and wholesalers. Combined, the board member national associations connect with 235,000 tobacco-selling outlets. Through We Card’s Advisory Board members, We Card reaches some 200,000 retail outlets through direct contact.

Senate Bill (SB) 270 authored by Senators Alex Padilla, Kevin de Leon and Ricardo Lara passed with resounding support out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The bill now heads to the Assembly floor for consideration.

More than 100 California jurisdictions already have adopted single-use plastic bag bans. From the Bay Area to Southern California, local governments have seen reduction in single use bags. In San Jose, the city’s bag ban has reduced single-use bag usage by 90 percent. In Los Angeles County the ordinance has resulted in stores continuing to maintain over a 90 percent reduction in single use bag usage compared to prior to adoption of the ordinance.

“The purpose of this bill always has been statewide consistency, something businesses want and consumers need—all the while cutting pollution and litter while supporting innovative, green jobs,” said California Grocers Association President and CEO Ron Fong.

As SB 270 continues to gain momentum as the coalition of support continues to grow.

“We’ve never seen a coalition so united behind one common goal. From business groups and in-state manufacturers to organized labor, environmental groups and poverty rights activists, SB 270 truly reflects the diversity and forward thinking of California,” Fong said.

The vote followed a fresh wave of support for the bill by major newspapers across the state, including the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee and Fresno Bee.

Cynthia McCloud has joined the venerable Food Industry Management Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. A Marshall alumna, McCloud is the fifth director, and the first woman, to lead the program, now in its 56th year.

“We are delighted to welcome back one of our own to lead this elite program,” said USC Marshall School of Business Dean James G. Ellis. “Future students will benefit from her experience, leadership and vision.”

McCloud was a student in the Food Industry Management Program (FIM) in 1990 and then graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in business administration from USC Marshall in 1991. She later went on to earn an MBA in 1997 from the University of California, Irvine.

McCloud brings more than 35 years of both domestic and international experience in the consumer packaged goods and grocery retail industries, many at the senior executive level. McCloud specializes in building highly-effective collaborative teams, developing future leaders through self-reflection/motivation/education, and creating innovative solutions through technology. She also has deep experience in loyalty marketing and a personal passion for finding a cure for Cystic Fibrosis and working with others to promote healthier lifestyles.

Prior to joining USC, McCloud led the global sales and client teams in the U.S., Europe and Asia as the Executive Vice President of Business Development for Market Metrix, a leader in feedback solutions for the hospitality industry. In her 15 years with personalized digital media giant Catalina Marketing, McCloud held senior positions including Executive Vice President of Retail Sales and Marketing in the U.S. and Executive Vice President and Director, Europe. Prior to Catalina, McCloud held several positions over an 18-year period at Vons, a division of Safeway.

“I could not be more pleased to return to my alma mater in a position where I can directly help shape the next generation of food industry leaders,” McCloud said. “The industry is changing faster than ever, and I am passionate about building awareness in the food industry around proactive strategic solutions, innovative new technologies, and competing differently, and more aggressively for share of consumers who have many options for what they buy and where they shop.”

The resistance to shopping for groceries online is fading, so finds new research from Los Angeles-based Fusion Marketing, which tracked a 200 percent change in consumers’ willingness to try purchasing groceries online in the last year.

“We are witnessing consumer perception change from being reluctant to buy to testing the waters and making purchases,” explains Steven Muro, president and founder of Fusion Marketing, which works with fresh produce suppliers, associations and retailers to increase sales with customized, information-based, market-ready solutions. “Consumers typically aren’t spending a lot online overall. Our research conducted in 2013 and 2014 indicates that a larger percentage of consumers have made a produce purchase, but many spent under $25 per shopping occasion.”

As more consumers go beyond trial to making online purchases mainstream, the demand for increased speed, efficiency and simplicity will increase, according to Muro. Nevertheless, consumer behavior is changing and retailers should be prepared if they want to capture market share of the $9.5 billion grocery industry, which equates to more than $1 billion from fresh produce sales, he adds, citing Fusion Marketing research that finds consumers are moving beyond searching for information to actually making grocery and produce purchases.

Additionally, consumers are more open to receiving text messages and personalized ads from grocery retailers tailored to their shopping patterns. The latest findings bode well in light of comparing the same research conducted a year ago, when only 4 percent of consumers were purchasing groceries online and were not interested in receiving text messages from grocery stores regarding promotions or special pricing for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Consumers’ acceptance of online grocery shopping is shifting, so says Fusion’s recent research, which found in the last year that shoppers were concerned about the food quality and receiving refunds for damaged or spoiled products, especially fresh produce. Fusion Marketing’s latest research suggests that consumers’ concerns about freshness from online retailers are dissipating, due to their positive delivery experience along with the convenience and pricing of buying online.

Reprinted from Progressive Grocer (8/5/2014)