An Exclusive Forward Forecast for Food Industry Leaders

June 27, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
GRAMMY Museum @ LA LIVE

Grocers and their shoppers are intrinsically linked, making it absolutely essential for food industry business leaders to understand the economic position of today’s customers and its role in their choices and behaviors. From supply chain headwinds to the key drivers of inflation, it is imperative for grocers to have the tools to anticipate the realities of current economic conditions which impact consumers, the access and affordability of capital, and influence labor and wage dynamics.

The California Grocers Association presents to you the first-ever Food Industry Economic Forecast 2023 on June 27 at the iconic Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. During our program we’ll explore where the economy is headed and what you need to know to be prepared. We invite you to join food industry colleagues for an insightful afternoon educational program, led by keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Thornberg, followed by a presentation by John S. Phillips that will examine current supply chain constraints and discuss how industry leaders can leverage trends and technologies to adapt to new, elevated employee and customer expectations. Our event will conclude with a hosted networking reception with senior grocery leaders registered to attend.

The cost to attend the event is $125, and registration includes the educational seminar and hosted reception. CGA and The Illuminators members save $30 when using the code FELLOWSHIP. Thank you to The Illuminators for your support in promoting this new event for the food industry.

Dr. Christopher Thornberg
Founder, Beacon Economics

An expert in economic and revenue forecasting, regional economics, economic policy, and labor and real estate markets, Dr. Christopher Thornberg has consulted for private industry, cities, counties, and public agencies. He became nationally known for forecasting the subprime mortgage market crash that began in 2007 and was one of the few economists on record to predict the global economic recession that followed. Dr. Thornberg holds a Ph.D in Business Economics from The Anderson School at UCLA, and a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

John S. Phillips
SVP, Customer Supply Chain and Go-to-Market, PepsiCo

Phillips has been with PepsiCo for over 35 years and has worked in a number of different sales and field operations roles since joining the company as a route salesperson with Frito-Lay. In his current role, Phillips is responsible for working with PepsiCo’s largest customers on supply chain and collaboration initiatives to drive both effectiveness and efficiency across the shared supply chain. He also leads PepsiCo’s Go-To-Market COE focused on global process and technology tools to optimize go-to-market systems. 

Sponsorship Available

Be in the room with California’s top grocery leaders in attendance. Sponsorship opportunities for the Food Industry Economic Forecast and networking reception are available. Contact Beth Wright to learn more.

This event is sponsored by:

2023 Store Leader Training Seminars

CGA is ecstatic to build upon the store leader seminar program we began in 2019. This summer, CGA is offering two affordable and approachable development opportunities to grow your team. During our one-day regional seminars, store-level supervisors will enhance their management skills to further develop their grocery careers. Store directors, assistant directors, and department managers are encouraged to attend. 

Our trainings offer a blend of inspiring keynote presentations and hands-on, retail-specific, trainings that will provide the inspiration, practical tips and relevant examples to develop your leadership acumen and techniques to succeed with today’s employees.  

To ensure your region is covered, we are hosting one session in Southern California on July 25, and one in Northern California on July 27. To learn more and register click the link below. 

This April, grocers join CGA in Sacramento to lend us their voices for one of the most important industry advocacy days of the year, Grocers Day at the Capitol.

Our morning began with heavy-hitting speakers from the Capitol community. Chair of the Moderate Democratic Caucus Asm. Blanca Rubio spoke with us about upcoming priorities for the business-friendly caucus. Topping the caucus’ current priority list is a plan to strengthen its scale and presence at the Capitol by recruiting new members for the 2024 election season, Asm. Rubio shared.

Capitol Correspondent for KCRA 3 and President of the Capitol Correspondent Association Ashley Zavala, who has received praise for her forthright and thorough reporting of elected officials, sat down with us to discuss the media’s role in maintaining checks and balances with lawmakers. Ashley shared her insights on the ways grocers can work with the media strategically to tell our industry’s story and hold the legislature accountable.

The bread and butter of CGA’s advocacy day is our afternoon meetings with lawmakers. During these meetings, grocers shared their firsthand experiences operating stores in California and discussed the real-life impacts of proposed legislation. This year, our focus spanned from amending harmful retail theft legislation, to opposing store closure and worker retention bills that would create barriers for grocers of all sizes hoping to expand in California.

On behalf of the Association, we would like to thank all of the grocers and food industry leaders who spent the day advocating with us for California’s grocery community. We would also like to thank our sponsors for contributing to the success of our event.

Check out photos from the event below.

Register for the 2023 Hall of Achievement Dinner

The CGA Educational Foundation will induct Mimi Song, Superior Grocers, and Bob Garibaldi, United Natural Foods, Inc., into the Hall of Achievement at this year’s awards gala. We’re thrilled to recognize the career achievements and industry contributions of these dedicated grocery executives. 

With more than 40 years of experience in the supermarket industry, Mimi has dedicated her career to making Superior Grocers a recognizable leader and innovator in the Southern California marketplace.  A longtime proponent of education, Mimi established the Superior Foundation which has raised more than $3 million over 20 years to support local schools, youth organizations, and non-profits to benefit children and their families 

Bob has devoted more than 30 years of service to the industry. Before the organization merged with CGA in 2014, Bob was a board member for the California Independent Grocers Association (CIGA). A graduate of UCLA, Bob continued his own educational journey in 2004 through the USC Marshall School of Business Food Industry Executive program. 

Join us on April 27, 2023 in Anaheim to celebrate alongside friends and colleagues all while raising funds for the College Scholarship and Tuition Reimbursement programs to support our industry’s next generation. 

Hall of Achievement Registration

Grocers Deliver Truckloads of Food to Community In-Need

California grocers sprung into action in response to a severe weather emergency in the mountain community of San Bernardino this March. When a series of snowy winter storms shut down mountain roads leaving communities stranded and food banks with depleted supply, grocers swiftly answered the call for replenishment and delivered truckloads of water, food, and essentials to impacted residents. 

Governor Newsom and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services commended the essential work of Albertsons, Stater Bros. Markets, and Superior Grocers for their life-saving emergency response.

Gather With the Grocery Industry in Palm Springs

The anticipation starts now. CGA’s Strategic Conference is returning to Palm Springs September 24–26, 2023.

The Strategic Conference is a nexus for California’s grocery community, linking retailers and suppliers during private in-person meetings and intimate networking events. Attracting upwards of 800 grocery executives annually, our Strategic Conference is the place to build real connections with California’s grocery decision-makers, and have fun while doing it.

To compliment productive in-person meetings, our educational sessions feature cutting edge speakers and doers from the broader business community to offer a fresh look at the big picture of business.

Level Up With a Sponsorship

Maximize your experience at the Strategic Conference with a sponsorship to reach key grocery executives in attendance. Our team will work with you to tailor a sponsorship that meets your needs and budget. View the sponsorship prospectus for more information or contact Bailey Dayen.

At CGA’s annual Grocers Day at the Capitol event our industry has the opportunity to build a policy environment that will benefit our industry and customers. Together, industry representatives will educate state legislators about the grocery industry’s most pressing issues during face-to-face meetings. We need your voice at the Capitol on April 12.

Grocers will gather in the morning to hear legislative and regulatory leaders talk about the big-picture policy debates shaping the state. Then, after a legislative overview with CGA’s government relations team and Louie Brown from Kahn, Soares & Conway, LLP, attendees will have a full schedule of in-person meetings with legislators in the afternoon. Our day of advocacy will conclude with the evening President’s Reception from 5 – 7 p.m.

Register Today

Don’t miss the most important advocacy day of the year for California grocers. Click here to register for Grocers Day at the Capitol.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. To view opportunities and register as a sponsor, fill out and submit this form to Beth Wright.

Team CGA had the pleasure of spending the day with Board Chair Dennis Darling in his hometown to visit his family business, Foods Etc. On a sunny February morning, Dennis greeted us at the Foods Etc. office in Clearlake. It wasn’t long before we were joined by Dennis’ wife and co-owner of Foods Etc., Ruth Darling, and Andrew Pierson, the Darling’s son-in-law who will take over the family business along with their daughter, Kori, when the pair retires next year. 

From there, Dennis, Ruth, and Andrew took us on a tour of their immaculate store, introduced us to their longtime employees, and told us about the many ways Foods Etc. supports the local community. During our visit, we also learned about the strong relationship Foods Etc. has formed with local elected officials. It quickly became clear that the Darlings are known for going above and beyond for the community of Clearlake. Whether it be emergency response, sponsoring local sports team, donating holiday turkeys, or running holiday charity drives, the Darlings and their store are certainly a pillar of the community.

California Grocers Association President and CEO Ron Fong was named one of the 10 best CEOs of 2022 by C Level Focus. The following feature article was published in the January 2023 issue of C Level Focus.

Maintain Open Lines of Communication

The California Grocers Association has been active since 1896, representing grocery retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers. “It’s a challenging and ever-changing industry that requires a constant refresh of how we represent the state’s grocery community, and also the reinvention of the Association from time to time,” says Ronald Fong, CEO of CGA. Every year we seem to tackle a different issue— whether that’s COVID, inflation, or recycling—because the food system is so complicated and multi-faceted.

Fong’s mentorship has been both familial and professional. He attributes much of his career growth to his work at the California Credit Union League, where he learned under CEOs Dave Chatfield and John Annaloro. Since becoming CGA CEO, he has sought advice from and learned from respected individuals. He admires former CGA Board Chairs Kevin Konkel, Raley’s, Phil Miller, Coremark, Jonathan Mayes, Albertsons, and Hee-Sook Alden, Gelson’s, and he checks in with them often. He was influenced as a child by his grandfather, Dan Fong, who founded a small Northern California supermarket chain. His grandfather’s admiration for American politics and culture brought him to the United States. Even after his death 20 years ago, Fong has continued to practice the hardworking ethic he learned from his grandfather.

Alongside his duties as CGA’s chief executive, today, Fong serves on the California State University Foundation Board, which keeps him connected to his alma mater. He believes it’s important to explore new experiences and perspectives, and he appreciates that the board brings him exposure to issues he wouldn’t normally examine, such as student food insecurity. This has also allowed him to mentor young students and build relationships with the University of Southern California and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. As a function of these relationships, he and the CGA Board Chair visit students interested in the grocery business each year, which he finds fulfilling.

People think CEOs live a rich and famous lifestyle, but that’s not true, explains the CGA President and CEO. It’s about leadership and hard work, and that sometimes requires getting your hands dirty — literally. Representing a great industry is an honor, and Fong loves that grocers are the heart and soul of communities. Educating elected officials, who don’t always understand the industry or how hard it is to run a business in California, is the least fun part of the job.

Fong is still a traditionalist who believes in face-to-face interactions. He enjoys going into the office and talking with his team, instead of relying on email or texting. One-on-one sit-downs and monthly staff meetings are hugely important to maintaining the company culture and keeping communication flowing across the organization.

Fong advises seeking as much information from multiple sources as possible before making important decisions. He suggests leaders listen to both sides and decide on the merits and paradoxically, be swift.

The pandemic was a politically volatile time for the grocery industry. CGA and its members worked hard to keep stores open during the pandemic while keeping customers and employees safe. Fong believes leaders must be adept negotiators, part of which involves understanding what’s acceptable before entering negotiations. A little suffering on both sides often means a fair compromise has been made.

When offered feedback, the CGA President and CEO seeks precedent. He wants the facts and reads deeply — seeking information, ideas, and legal background. In Association administration, he believes it’s vital to listen to members and not have a prepared solution for board members. Realizing one’s favored solution may not be what people want requires humility, he adds. Board relations require a profound understanding of people. It is important to understand who influences whom and who can be relied on when the going gets tough.

Attracting new members is a constant endeavor for the organization. It has a strong base of traditional retail members, but it is always actively recruiting nontraditional members. The association’s membership is diverse and offers many perspectives. CGA has recently added technology start-ups and new grocery upstarts to its membership portfolio. “Find the decision-maker and figure out what will resonate with them,” suggests Fong. He and his team don’t take “no” for an answer and maintain the long view.

In the near future Fong would love to launch a statewide, multi-channel pro-grocery campaign outside of election years. He wants Californians and lawmakers to recognize how important the grocery industry is the grocery community feeds and develops communities. He also wants to continue making in-roads with technology companies and nontraditional grocery retailers as CGA must continually identify new players, he adds. Its strength is governmental advocacy due to the organization’s role representing the grocery industry’s legislative and political aims. Finally, in the next five years he intends to grow membership by also pursuing mergers with or acquisitions of related associations.

Independent Operators Explore Leadership and Community at Symposium 

For an opportunity to restore creative energy and build momentum for the year ahead, our independent grocery community joined us on Maui for the 2023 Independent Operators Symposium. This year, grocers zeroed in on burnout, leadership, and community for a renewed approach to business in 2023. Grocers returned from this year’s event refocused with a fresh perspective to bring home to their teams. 

In addition to networking, collaborating, and taking time to recharge, our independent operators participated in invigorating educational sessions led by Hamza Khan on “Beyond Burnout: Why Self-Care is Not the Only Solution in the Reimagined Workplace,” Heather R. Younger on “The Art of Caring Leadership,” and Mark Brand on “Building Better Communities” to get guests thinking outside the box about new ways to approach leadership and support their communities.

Thank you to our independent operators for kicking off the year with us at Symposium! Check out photos from the event below.