California Grocers Association President and CEO Ron Fong was today appointed to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Community Vaccine Advisory Committee which is tasked with providing input into the distribution and allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity to have a seat at the table as the vaccine begins being distributed throughout California,” Fong said. “It’s critical the State prioritize frontline grocery workers to receive the vaccine, after healthcare workers. We also want to help coordinate the safe vaccine distribution from grocery store pharmacies to our communities and employees. As a vital component of every community, local grocery pharmacies provide a convenient, safe location to distribute the vaccine.”

The Community Vaccine Advisory Committee, under the direction of Dr. Erica Pan, Acting State Public Health Officer, will build on the work of the Scientific Safety Review Work Group and the Drafting Guidelines Work Group. The Committee will provide input and feedback for the ongoing planning and engagement efforts to ensure equitable vaccine distribution and allocation. In the beginning, vaccine supplies will be limited and will be distributed to those at highest risk.

“While the COVID-19 vaccine is new, we are not starting our planning process from scratch. This is an area of expertise we have strong partnerships in, building on lessons learned from previous vaccination campaigns, including H1N1 and seasonal flu,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom when announcing the committee last month. “We’ve been planning and thinking about this for months, and we are being guided by some of the world’s best experts in this field.”

Today’s announcement was Fong’s second appointment to a statewide pandemic-related committee. Earlier this year, Fong was invited to participate on Gov. Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery.

The Gelson’s executive will direct the Board’s strategy across numerous industry initiatives into 2021.

SACRAMENTO, CA (Dec. 4, 2020) – Hee-Sook Nelson, Vice President, Team Development & Public Affairs, for Gelson’s Markets, was elected the 2020-2021 California Grocers Association Chair of the Board of Directors at the Association’s virtual Annual Meeting on Dec. 4, 2020.

As Chair, Nelson will lead the Board’s strategy regarding CGA’s numerous legislative, educational, communications and industry-related programs. The Association is comprised of more than 300 retail companies operating more than 6,000 stores in California and Nevada. The chair serves for one year. She succeeds Phil Miller, C&S Wholesale Grocers.

“We are excited to have Hee-Sook serve as chair in the coming year,” said CGA President & CEO Ron Fong. “She has a keen understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing our industry, particularly as we all work to the navigate the ongoing global pandemic.”

Nelson is the first Asian American woman to serve as CGA Board Chair, and the second woman to serve in this role in the last three years.

In addition to Nelson, the following individuals were elected to the 2020-2021 CGA Board of Directors Executive Committee: First Vice Chair, Renee Amen, Super A Foods; Second Vice Chair, Dennis Darling, Foods Etc.; Treasurer, Lynn Melillo, Bristol Farms; Secretary, Hal Levitt, The Save Mart Companies; and Immediate Past Chair, Phil Miller, C&S Wholesale Grocers.

Directors elected to their first full three-year term include: Kylie Bishop LaBrie, The Hershey Company; Lori Brown, Post Consumer Brands; Elaina Budge, Costco Wholesale; Mary Kasper, 99 Cents Only Stores; Tyler Kidd, Mar-Val Food Stores; Kelli McGannon, Ralphs Grocery Company; David Moore, E. & J. Gallo; Ken Mueller, Raley’s; Josh Southerland, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling; Diane Snyder, Whole Foods Market.

Directors elected to their second three-year term include: Jake Fermanian, Super King Markets; David Higginbotham, Stater Bros. Markets; John Mastropaolo, Chobani; Lee Smith, Smart & Final Stores; Rick Stewart, Susanville Supermarket IGA; Karl Wissmann, C&K Market.

Chair appointments to the Executive Committee include; Denny Belcastro, Kimberly-Clark Corp.; Steve Dietz, United Natural Foods, Inc.; and Michel LeClerc, North State Grocery Company. Former CGA Chair Kendra Doyel, Ralphs Grocery Company, was elected an honorary board member.

In Case You Missed It

Last week, upon release of the Regional Stay at Home Order, Governor Newsom’s staff shared that the grocery industry was not included in the new 20% occupancy limit placed on “retail.”

Within 48 hours, the Governor’s office changed course and informed the Association of its intention to move grocery to a 20% occupancy cap, along with all other non-essential retail.

The Association aggressively pursued a reversal and investigated every means available to pressure the Governor. Late Sunday evening, Newsom’s staff shared that grocery store occupancy will be restricted to 35% under the Regional Stay at Home Order.

The LA Times reports:

On Sunday, hours before a new health order went into effect across much of California, officials issued an addendum allowing grocery stores to operate at 35% capacity — down from 50% capacity, which has been in effect statewide since the beginning of the pandemic, but up from 20% in the latest state-ordered restrictions. The state’s order had required both essential stores, such as grocers, and nonessential retail, such as shopping malls, to limit capacity to 20% if they were in an area considered a coronavirus danger zone. But the California Grocers Assn. lobbied against such a drastic reduction.

State officials worked over the weekend with the California Grocers Assn. to bring clarity to the latest order, said Dave Heylen, a spokesman for the industry group.

Ron Fong, president and CEO of the association, argued that grocery stores needed to be distinguished from other types of retail, noting that under the original order all stores were lumped together.

Contrary to other retailers, such as clothing stores, “we are providing critical infrastructure, providing safe food to our customers,” Fong said Monday morning.

A member of Newsom’s task force on business and jobs recovery, created in the spring during the earliest surge of the pandemic, Fong said the governor agreed that grocery stores needed to be carved out in the new rules. 

Customers should not have trouble accessing their local grocery stores under the modified cap, Fong said. 

“There will not be crowding,” he said. “We will not have long lines out the door, which was what our concern was going to be at 20%.”

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new plan to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines through partnerships with both chain and independent grocery stores across the country. Several California grocery companies are part of this effort.

The vaccines will require no out-of-pocket costs, according to HHS Secretary Alex Azar, and pharmacists, pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians will be able to provide vaccinations to customers. Providing the vaccine options at grocery stores will remove barriers to customers improving community health throughout California.

“We are leveraging the existing private sector infrastructure to get safe and effective vaccines supported by Operation Warp Speed into communities and into arms as quickly as possible with no out-of-pocket costs. The vast majority of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and our new agreement with pharmacy partners across America is a critical step toward making sure all Americans have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they are available.”

By partnering with HHS, the grocery industry in California continues to expand its role on the frontlines, serving Californians during the pandemic and other natural disasters. 

“Throughout the pandemic, grocery stores have done the essential work required to sustain communities with safe access to nourishing food,” said California Grocers Association CEO and President Ron Fong. “This partnership is an extension of the grocery community’s commitment to our customers and all Californians.”

As part of the agreement, Californians will be able to access vaccines at Albertsons, Safeway and Vons Pharmacies; Costco; Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Pharmacies; Ralphs; and Save Mart Pharmacies.

Currently, there are no COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorized or approved by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the CDC.  However, this pharmacy partnership is being established in anticipation that one or more COVID-19 vaccines will be authorized or approved and recommended for use in the United States before the end of 2020.

California’s grocery community asks consumers to plan ahead for their holiday grocery shopping

The holidays might look different this year, but there’s still turkey to carve and your loved ones’ favorite sides to share. 

November and December are traditionally the two busiest months for the grocery industry. To help keep shoppers and essential workers safe and healthy during this holiday season, California’s grocery community asks consumers to plan ahead, wear a mask and maintain social distancing when visiting their favorite neighborhood store.

“The industry has been preparing for an uptick in demand and in store visits,” said CGA CEO and President Ron Fong. “These preparations include streamlined arrangements that make it easier to pick up your turkey or pre-cooked sides.”

To alleviate shopper congestion during in the build-up to Thanksgiving, many grocery stores have expanded e-commerce partnerships and access, hired additional staff members, added cooler and freezer capacity, set up Thanksgiving meal and turkey pick-up stations, and expanded private-label offerings. 

Across the state counties remain in various stages of reopening where grocery stores are required to maintain occupancy rates below 100 percent. For example, counties in the red and purple tiers must keep their stores at 50 percent of in-store capacity.

“We want to encourage Californians to shop early, so that we can avoid over-crowding stores in the run-up to the holidays,” Fong continued.

By preparing well in advance and avoiding last-minute trips to the grocery store, we can minimize lines to enter stores and keep our fellow shoppers and essential worker safe. 

Here are CGA’s 10 Holiday Safe Shopping Tips

1. Plan your holiday meals at least two weeks in advance. Buy non-perishable items ahead of time. Utilize designated turkey pick-up stations, if available.
2. Consider online options such as delivery or curbside pick-up for ordering your turkey or pre-prepared Thanksgiving side dishes.
3. Bake in extra time for your visit during the holiday season. Grocery stores will be enforcing state COVID-19 mandates that limit store occupancy.
4. Avoid visiting a store during week of Thanksgiving if possible.
5. Always wear a mask when inside the grocery store as is mandated in California.
6. Keep a distance of two shopping carts between you and your fellow shoppers and grocery store employees. Do not crowd the checkstand.
7. Consider shopping during off-peak hours to avoid store crowding. Do not bring extra people to the store if at all possible.
8. Treat essential grocery employees with kindness. Be patient as they go about their work including additional cleaning protocols and offer a hearty “thank you” when you can.
9. Inspect items with your eyes instead of your hands to limit unnecessary handling of store products.
10. Buy only what you need for your holiday meals. There is enough for all.

Learn more about how your neighborhood grocer serves your community

In addition to the tragic loss of life from COVID-19, the novel coronavirus has devastated the economy and disrupted our education system. School closures challenge lunch programs that serve vulnerable students while unemployment causes households to struggle to provide for loved ones.

As a result of the pandemic and its secondary effects, Feeding America estimates 1 in 6 Americans could face hunger.

California’s grocery community is committed to providing relief for the food insecure. During the pandemic the grocery industry has donated tens of millions of dollars in gift cards, meals, and fresh food to local food banks across California.

Here are a few examples of happening in your community and programs you can support:

• Albertsons launches Nourishing Neighbors campaign to build on nearly $100 million raised for hunger relief in 2020 alone 
• Ralphs donates 13 million meals in Central and Southern California
• Save Mart gives more than 7.2 million pounds of fresh food to food banks in 2019
• Raley’s Food for Families program delivers $4.2 million to 12 food bank partners in 2019

These efforts are just a fraction of the work grocers do to support the communities they serve across the state. Visit your local grocer or follow them on social media to learn more.

Prepare for Possible Rotating Outages

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, today and extending through Wednesday, August 19. The Flex Alerts are in effect from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

A persistent, record-breaking heatwave in California and the western states is causing a strain on supplies. Consumers should be prepared for likely rolling outages during the late afternoons and early evenings through Wednesday. There is not a sufficient amount of energy to meet the high amounts of demand during the heatwave.

Rotating outages caught more than 270,000 Californians off guard over the weekend, with some areas losing electricity for up to an hour.

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has a suggested energy management plan on its FlexAlert website. Additional information can be found here.

Flex Alerts

A Flex Alert is issued by the ISO when the electricity grid is under stress because of generation or transmission outages, or from persistent hot temperatures.

Consumers should voluntarily conserve electricity to help avoid more serious steps to protect the power grid, including local rotating outages.

Click here to learn more about Flex Alerts and Stage Electrical Emergencies.

It was a unique year for the Association’s annual lobby day as we moved the day’s event from the Capitol to Zoom. Sad to say, there was no ice cream social this year.

The day started with a morning informational session, designed to help attendees familiarize themselves with CGA’s priority issues. In the afternoon three tracks were created for member meetings with legislators.

There is a certain easiness that results from being at home rather than an official setting, and there were many productive conversations with elected officials — many of whom were also conducting their business from their home offices, bedrooms, or backyards.

The Association owes a debt of gratitude to all of our sponsors and attendees, who made the day possible. Both the timing and quality of this year’s meetings ensures the grocery industry will be top-of-mind for legislators in the final weeks of the legislative year.