News Briefs

The New York Association of Grocery Stores (NYAGS), a coalition representing New York City's grocery landscape, opposes mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's proposal to open government-owned and operated grocery stores across the city. According to the organization, this initiative threatens the livelihoods of mom-and-pop grocery stores and jeopardizes the food distribution network that New Yorkers rely upon daily.

"The proposal to establish government-run grocery stores undermines the very fabric of our community's food access," said David Schwartz, Esq., director of NYAGS. "New York City's grocery stores have long operated on razor-thin margins, contending with some of the highest operational costs in the country, including exorbitant taxes, rent, and congestion pricing. Despite these challenges, local grocers have consistently risen to the occasion, keeping their doors open during crises like COVID-19 to ensure New Yorkers never went without food."

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NYAGS believes that government intervention in the grocery sector could lead to inefficiencies and disruptions in food supply, as it points out that government entities often lack the expertise and agility to manage retail operations effectively. 

"The unique challenges of running grocery stores in New York City require experienced hands and local knowledge, which our member stores provide," Schwartz added. 

NYAGS is calling on city leaders to recognize and support the role of local grocers. Rather than undermining these establishments, NYAGS urges policymakers to work collaboratively with the private sector to address the systemic issues facing the grocery industry, paving the way for a sustainable and thriving retail environment.

NYAGS is a coalition of local New York City grocers, convenience stores and bodegas dedicated to preserving and promoting the interests of small grocery businesses. Through advocacy and unity, NYAGS seeks to protect the livelihoods of its members and ensure the continued availability of diverse and accessible food options throughout New York City.

Identiv, Inc., a global leader in RFID- and BLE-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, and IFCO, a leading provider of reusable packaging solutions for grocery products, announce a strategic partnership to enhance traceability, efficiency and sustainability across the fresh grocery supply chain. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and launch a BLE-enabled smart label that will enable real-time monitoring of IFCO's global pool of reusable packaging containers (RPCs).

IFCO has over 400 million units of reusable packaging containers in circulation globally that facilitate the sustainable transportation of fresh produce. Through this strategic collaboration, advanced BLE smart labels will be integrated into IFCO's existing RPC network. This initiative aims to provide real-time traceability and temperature monitoring for IFCO and its customers transporting fresh food perishables worldwide, ultimately enhancing supply chain visibility, enabling efficiencies and reducing food waste.

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Dr. Sebastian Grams, chief digital officer of IFCO, commented, "We are pleased to partner with Identiv on this pioneering BLE-enabled packaging solution, which will provide unprecedented visibility into our supply chain. These smart labels will be instrumental for optimizing the logistics of our RPC pool, further enhancing our SmartCycle and allowing retailers and growers to improve their supply chains, reducing food waste and ensuring the highest quality of fresh food for consumers worldwide."

IFCO plans to begin pilot testing its combined solution in 2025, with full-scale deployment anticipated in 2026. 

Congress has introduced the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that aims to increase domestic seafood production in the United States, which currently imports most of its seafood.

Sponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS), this bill supports the responsible research of open ocean aquaculture in the United States while prioritizing strong environmental standards and community resilience. 

As seafood demand grows domestically, exploring sustainable seafood production through open ocean aquaculture holds the potential to reduce reliance on imports, bolster U.S. food security, and lower carbon emissions associated with international seafood transport — while creating jobs and economic opportunities in coastal communities. 

MARA Act includes key provisions, such as establishing a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Aquaculture Assessment Program to advance commercial-scale demonstration projects, evaluate environmental impacts, and develop best practices. It commissions studies to assess the environmental, regulatory, and social viability of open ocean aquaculture while incorporating lessons from U.S. and international experiences. 

In a continued push to reduce single-use bag waste, the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag — an industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy — has launched the largest retail campaign of its kind in California, inviting customers to “Break Up With Single-Use Bags.” Supporting the initiative are Target, CVS Health and The Kroger Co., through its local banners Ralphs and Food 4 Less.

Now rolling out in nearly 1,000 stores across Southern California, the campaign significantly expands the Consortium’s reach and marks a milestone for bag reduction and reuse, engaging and inviting more than 10 million customers to reduce single-use bag waste and build a more circular future for their communities and the retail industry.

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The campaign launches at a pivotal time, as major retailers recognize the need to support customer behavior change to meet waste reduction goals. California was the selected market for the campaign in anticipation of a significant policy shift: Beginning in January 2026, the state will ban all single-use and thicker plastic bags, offering paper as the only single-use bag option. This transition presents a key opportunity for impact, based on evidence that well-designed policies, paired with effective consumer engagement, can drive meaningful reductions in single-use bag waste.

The Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag is a multi-year industry collaboration across retail sectors that identifies, tests and implements viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag. The Consortium’s Beyond the Bag Initiative drives forward a circular future for retail by reducing single-use bag waste through education, incentives, nudges and policy. Target, CVS Health and Kroger are Strategic Leads of the Consortium, with Dollar Tree, Meijer and Walmart as Supporting Partners. 

SPAR Group, a provider of retail and brand services, is relocating its corporate headquarters from Auburn Hills, Mich., to Charlotte, N.C. (pictured). According to the company, the move places it in one of the country’s fastest-growing cities, offering a booming tech sector, a business-friendly environment, access to suitable talent, and an international airport. 

“Relocating our headquarters to Charlotte opens up new opportunities for SPAR and the business,” noted SPAR President and CEO Mike Matacunas. “This location is central to our clients and major retailers in the southeast, such as Walmart, Home Depot, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Lowe’s, Kroger and many more, while also providing us access to amazing talent and resources.”

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Added Matacunas: “Our new headquarters is located at 110 East Boulevard, Charlotte, N.C., in the heart of the South End of the city, providing access for our associates to a vibrant and fast-paced area. We look forward to bringing our clients, business partners and prospects to spend time with us innovating and driving retail and brand performance.”

The move will occur in October 2025 as the company transitions out of its current location.

SPAR provides a broad range of services to retailers, manufacturers and distributors. With more than 50 years of experience, merchandising across the United States and Canada, an average of 30,000-plus store visits a week, and long-term relationships with top manufacturers and retail businesses, the company provides specialized capabilities across North America. 

The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published the "Roadmap to Produce Safety" report based on months of stakeholder dialogues to explore new strategies for produce safety and the development of a collaborative entity to drive progress. The foundation convened a wide range of stakeholders from agricultural communities, industry, academia, consumer groups and government to develop a shared understanding of the challenges and a vision for better protecting public health.

“FMI appreciates FDA’s continued commitment to improving produce safety as well as the agency’s ongoing efforts to engage with stakeholders,” said Hilary Thesmar, PhD, FMI – The Food Industry Association’s chief science officer and SVP, food and product safety programs. “FMI and our members deeply value collaboration, actively supporting and engaging with a wide range of produce safety stakeholders through participation in the Fresh Produce Coalition. We look forward to our continued work with FDA, state regulatory partners and the broader produce industry to ensure consumers have access to safe, affordable and abundant produce.”

[RELATED: National Grocers Association Wraps Up Fresh Summit 2025]

“While we stand ready to partner with our colleagues in industry and the FDA,” said Max Teplitski, PhD, chief science officer at International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). “We also continue to advocate for the need to focus on risk-based and risk-appropriate approaches to food safety, investment into the development of detection tools and protocols that are robust and reproducible, using meaningful datasets to drive action plans, and for adequate allocation of federal and state resources to ensure the success of this collaboration.”