National Grocers Association Wraps Up Fresh Summit 2025
The National Grocers Association (NGA), a national trade association representing the independent grocery sector, brought together attendees from across the United States in Milwaukee for the NGA Fresh Summit, which took place June 16-18. Over two days of insightful sessions, store tours and networking, indies discussed strategies to boost profitability in the produce, meat, dairy, deli, bakery and foodservice categories.
Among the session topics addressed on the first day of the summit were AI-driven retail, smarter assortments, workable sustainability strategies, practical shrink reduction tips, premium product promotion and expert marketing programs. The day ended with immersive local store tours at Sendik’s Food Market, Woodman’s Market and El Rey Family Market, followed by a networking event sponsored by Palermo’s Pizza.
[RELATED: NGA and FMS Solutions Partner on Summits]
“The NGA Fresh Summit was a dynamic showcase of how innovation, technology and community connection are transforming the fresh departments of independent grocers,” noted Jonathan Downey, COO and SVP of Washington, D.C.-based NGA. “From AI-driven insights to hands-on store tours, attendees walked away with actionable strategies to drive growth, reduce shrink and elevate the fresh experience for today’s evolving shopper."
Day two of the event focused on shopper experience, community engagement and the future of fresh services, with sessions on fresh trends in deli and bakery, service as a differentiator, government programs with retail impact, health-and-wellness strategies, and experiential retail.
NGA members comprise retail and wholesale grocers in every congressional district across the country, in addition to state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers.
