Year in Review

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Year in Review

RON FONG

PRESIDENT AND CEO CALIFORNIA GROCERS ASSOCIATION

Reflecting on what was, a very good year for the California Grocers Association and the industry it represents

This issue is all about looking forward. From food prices to a new board chair and what the most recent election means for the future of California politics, the end of the year marks a perfect time on the calendar to envision what’s to come.

Yet, it’s also a time for practicing gratitude and reflection. The California grocery industry has come out of the pandemic as strong as ever. I attribute this belief to the community—grocery retailers, suppliers, and wholesalers can accomplish much more together than apart. Yes, you are competitors with businesses to build, but when unified in pursuit of industry-wide improvement, everyone benefits. We like to say that the Association serves as the waypoint for the state’s grocery industry. Whether it’s the government relations program or events, the staff and I continue to feel the buy-in and support from the industry. Together, we’ve accomplished sell-out events and secured significant governmental wins for grocers. The appetite for the in-person CGA Strategic Conference continues to grow coming out of the virtual and hybrid COVID-driven models. In fact, sponsorship opportunities were sold out months in advance for 2022. Our grocery community also had a great time hitting the links and aiming for Topgolf targets. We even offered our first-ever Crisis Communications Seminar, which was free for members and a necessity for the challenging social environment facing grocery stores today. On the government relations front CGA has aggressively fought to improve conditions for grocers to do what they do best: nourish communities. The Association steered the industry out of the potential Prop 12 “Bacongate” via a legal victory and secured an opportunity to reform the Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) via the ballot box in 2024. After several years of tireless work to improve the state’s recycling program, CGA earned the most significant overhaul in decades when SB 54 was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. And let’s not discuss all the work that goes into mitigating the many well-intentioned, but ultimately misguided ordinances and bills that could make operating a grocery store in California a much trickier proposition. The message here is that we are stronger together. Every time you engage with CGA your business and the wider collective benefits, which in turn enhances the work the Association does on your behalf. It’s a flywheel effect that you can see manifested in CGA’s overall health after a year when the grocery community was eager to reconnect and build relationships with each other, its customers, and elected officials. Thank you for an outstanding 2022 and cheers to another great year for grocers to come. ■