The National Rural Grocery Summit Planning Committee is seeking presentation proposals for the National Rural Grocery Summit on June 24-25, 2024 in Montgomery, Ala. The summit, held every two years, is billed as "the premier networking and resource-sharing venue for independent grocers and rural food access stakeholders." Past presenters have included grocers, … [Read more...]
Rural Grocery Summit coming to Alabama in June
Next year's National Rural Grocery Summit is set for June 24-25 in Montgomery, Alabama, organizers recently announced. Co-hosted by the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University and the Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University, the event will provide "networking and resource-sharing opportunities for independent grocers and rural food access stakeholders," … [Read more...]
Webinar to tackle grocery succession planning
When a rural grocery store owner is ready to move on from the business, finding the right person to take over can often be a challenge. This puts grocery stores, which are often anchor businesses in rural communities, at risk of closing. The Rural Grocery Initiative out of Kansas State Research and Extension is hosting a webinar to discuss this common problem and provide … [Read more...]
New approaches to the rural grocery store
In rural communities around the country, independent grocery stores are at risk. Retiring grocery store owners are struggling to find buyers, while low prices at big box convenience stores add increased pressure to already slim profit margins. In rural Kansas alone, 105 grocery stores shuttered from 2008-18. More than half of those communities are still waiting for a store … [Read more...]
Episode 37: Rural Grocery Initiative
In 2006, Kansas State held listening sessions across the state aimed at identifying challenges facing rural communities. During these sessions, the need to support rural grocery stores rose to the top. Supporting rural grocery stores is important because they: Provide jobs and contribute to the local tax base.Act as community hubs for residents to gather and … [Read more...]