The NGA Foundation is recruiting independent grocers to serve on two task forces targeting the industry’s most stubborn operational blind spots: independent grocery workforce development and succession planning.
The nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association is shifting from broad advocacy to hands-on, operator-driven problem-solving. And the problems it is targeting are not marginal; they are existential.
Why the Timing Matters for Independent Grocery
Independent grocers now represent nearly 39% of the total U.S. food retail market, up from 33% in 2021, a market share gain that reflects real competitive momentum. But that growth means little if operators cannot staff their stores or pass them on to the next generation.
Those two vulnerabilities are exactly what the NGA Foundation’s new strategic plan is designed to address. The plan is guided by a vision to serve as a trusted catalyst for a thriving independent grocery industry. It was shaped by input from NGA President and CEO Greg Ferrara, the NGA Board of Directors, the Foundation Board of Regents, and independent grocers across the country,
The Workforce Problem No Budget Can Solve Alone
Independent grocers have long competed for labor against national chains with deeper pockets and more formalized training infrastructure. The gap is structural, not seasonal.
The frontline worker training task force will identify approaches to strengthen employee development, retention, and advancement. The Foundation is not looking for theorists. It is seeking operators who have built effective training programs and those who have navigated, or are currently navigating, an ownership transition.
That peer-to-peer model is the right instinct. A training framework built by people who have actually held a store together during a turnover crisis will carry more credibility and utility than one drafted in Washington.
NGA Foundation Vice President Chelsea Matzen framed the goal plainly: “There is so much wisdom in the grocery industry. We are looking for the retailers who have lived this and found their solutions, or are currently looking for solutions.”
Related Article: Independent Grocers Drive $557.5B Yearly
Succession: The Conversation That Decides a Store’s Future
Succession planning may be the harder sell. Many independent operators spend decades building a business and very little time documenting what happens to it when they step away. A gap that can ultimately determine whether a store remains independent, is sold to a chain, or closes.
Matzen put it directly: “Succession is the conversation nobody wants to start, and it is the one that decides whether an independent store is still independent in ten years. We want grocers to have a framework in hand, so they are not building one from scratch, alone and at a hard, urgent moment.”
The independent grocery sector’s market share gains are not self-sustaining if ownership transitions continue to funnel stores into regional chain acquisitions or outright closures.
Four Pillars, Two Immediate Priorities
The full strategic plan organizes around four commitments: cultivating talent, operational excellence, preserving independence, and amplifying impact. The operational excellence pillar includes expert guidance through the Grocer Solutions Center on federal food access programs, including SNAP Online and GusNIP, and support for America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative.
But the two task forces launching now represent the Foundation’s most direct bid to engage operators. Each task force will include approximately 10 to 15 members and meet virtually over the next six months.
How to Get Involved
Independent grocers interested in serving on either task force can contact Matzen directly at cmatzen@nationalgrocers.org. The deadline to express interest is September 18.
The Foundation is specifically seeking operators with lived experience. People who have trained a team that stayed, or who have sat down to plan what happens when they retire. That criterion matters. The value of these task forces depends entirely on who is in the room.