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%.”

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 and ham to carve and your loved ones’ favorite sides to share. 

December is traditionally one of the 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.

To alleviate shopper congestion during the holidays, many grocery stores have expanded e-commerce partnerships and access, hired additional staff members, added cooler and freezer capacity, and expanded private-label offerings. 

“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.
2. Consider online options such as delivery or curbside pick-up.
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 Christmas 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.

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.

Industry urges Californians to adopt masks in public

As the state continues to take action to prevent the spread of COVID-19, California’s grocery community has partnered with Gov. Gavin Newsom to ask shoppers to wear masks in stores.

Through the Governor’s “Wear a Mask” campaign, grocery stores are prominently displaying in-store creative reinforcing ways for customers to shop safe. For more information, or to join this partnership, contact Nate Rose.

(In-store signage as seen in a 99 Ranch Market)

Announce Statewide Safety Standards in Collaboration with Governor Newsom and Labor

SACRAMENTO –The California Grocers Association (CGA), in collaboration with Governor Newsom and labor leaders, today announced statewide safety standards that will help ensure consistent practices in all essential retail stores, including grocery, to enhance protection for employees and shoppers and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some of the standards were formalized through an Executive Order issued today by Governor Newsom.

Ron Fong, President and CEO of the California Grocers Association released the following statement:

“The top priority of every grocery store is the health and safety of their employees and shoppers which has taken on increased importance during this public health crisis. We welcome the opportunity to partner with labor to ensure consistent standards to protect employees and shoppers and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Ever since this public health crisis emerged more than a month ago, grocery stores throughout the state have undertaken new and evolving safety steps with the specific objective of protecting their employees and shoppers and preventing the spread of the COVID-19. Some of these changes are visible such as plexiglass shields, one-way aisles, disinfecting carts, social distancing tape, and masks. Others are less visible to the consumer such as increased cleanings, more frequent employee handwashing, and more.

“Today’s announcement expands on safety efforts already underway and provides added comfort to valued grocery store employees and customers that a consistent set of best practices is being followed by all essential retailers regardless of size and location. It also provides greater clarity to store owners in what has been a rapidly evolving flow of information from local, state and federal officials.

“The Governor’s executive order will ensure paid sick leave for all employees of essential retail companies with more than 500 employees who test positive of COVID-19.

“The hardworking men and women at grocery stores throughout the state have already been dedicated to keeping stores clean and re-stocking shelves as rapidly as possible so consumers can purchase food and essential needs.

“Finally, please remember when you do shop that we are making progress getting our supply chains back to normal after weeks of over-buying. Some products will take longer to consistently see on store shelves, but every effort is being made to return the shopping experience to as close to normal during these times.”

Consumers can help out by continuing to “Buy Smart. Don’t Overfill Your Cart.” There is #Enough4All (https://enoughforallca.com).”

Foundation launches new website

The California Grocers Association Educational Foundation, which works to support academic attainment and career advancement across the grocery industry, launched a refreshed website earlier this June.

After a complete overhaul of its website, CGAEF.org features an improved navigation and user experience, as well as, new tools to help better serve California’s grocery community. On the redesigned website, industry employees will find a central hub for growing their careers or obtaining academic aid for their family members.

Website visitors can also access news about events, scholarship and tuition reimbursement specifics and workplace harassment training tools.

Explore the Foundation’s fresh new website below.