Monitoring the latest supermarkets news and trends helps wholesalers who supply to these grocery retailers and customers who deal with them day to day. As a wholesaler, you'll want to know which companies the key players identify as partners or competitors. You'll also need to learn the corporate culture at these supermarkets so you can know how to deal with them.

News agencies have found that American business owners and consumers enjoy reading about their local grocers. That is one reason why there is no shortage of news stories about supermarkets. Whether your intention is to track a grocer's profits over time or to identify sales leads at a local market, consider the following sources as you learn more about supermarkets in the United States:

1. Research online journal articles reporting the latest market news about grocery stores in the United States.

2. Find out what newspapers and online news agencies are saying about trends among supermarkets.

3. Access the websites of major supermarkets in the United States to read their own press releases.

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Find market information on supermarkets in leading market research journals

You may want to do research that compares supermarkets in the United States with those in other countries. Or you may want to know which companies are funding supermarkets, how leading grocers are monitoring consumer demand and how they are re-writing their business plans.

I recommend: Emerald is a major source of market research on many industries. Search its database for in-depth analyses of supermarkets in particular. Find research on American supermarkets among the thousands of accessible market reports available on Highbeam.

Read anecdotal stories about grocery shopping at the websites of online news agencies

Newspapers and online news agencies are excellent sources for information about supermarkets, particularly those in close proximity. People love to read about food and stories about supermarkets attract almost as much notice as to recipes.

I recommend: By accessing the B Net Business Network's website, you'll learn how supermarkets respond to product recalls or consumer issues in the news. For leisurely reading about "supermarket culture," check out the anecdotal stories frequently published by Voice of America.

Access the websites of your favorite grocery retailer to learn about upcoming events

You may want to find out how the supermarket you do business with is trying to enhance customers' grocery shopping experience by offering new products and expanding their services.

I recommend: Shop Rite, Whole Food Markets and Waldbaum's are leading supermarket chains in the United States. Each maintains a website that allows you access to timely press releases reporting on each supermarket's current business activities and the business challenges each face.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The 'press room' pages on supermarkets' websites often contain information and leads on potential business opportunities.

Grocery retailers offer a diverse selection of foods compared to whole foods suppliers and cost less to stock your restaurant. Grocers not only keep up with the supply and demand of what we need to sustain us, they provide jobs that stimulate economic growth. A thriving economy means more patrons have the necessary funds to frequent your restaurant.

When it comes to supermarket information, be informed on which is the best choice for stocking your restaurant. A few of the important aspects are supermarket locations that are convenient to your location and a list of supermarkets so you can do a comparison on cost and availability of necessary items. Utilizing all of the knowledge, you can find on grocery retailers keep you up to date on supermarkets that will be the best supplier for your needs. Keep in mind a few helpful tips:

1. Find information on a specific grocery retailer and compare pricing with other grocery stores.

2. Get the best product for the lowest price when grocery shopping on a budget.

3. Gather a list of supermarkets to evaluate information to make a decisive final choice as your restaurant food supplier.

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Narrow down information on a specific number grocery stores

Use detailed data as a factor for deciding on a final choice between grocery retailers to supply food and products for your restaurant. Whichever grocery retailer you ultimately choose, they must have their own unique outlook on sales, quality control and services for restaurants.

I recommend: IGA has an extensive list of unique items. Find out about the brand, marketing events and more on their site. Kroger offers information about their retail grocers and offers corporate news.

Find the supermarket with the lowest price on name brand products

You can still find low prices and quality products in the same place when doing your search for information on supermarkets. Some of the larger, well-known stores offer discount prices and name brand products.

I recommend: Walmart is a nationally known company with the latest items, trends and products at low prices. Publix is a company with a diverse selection of products at affordable prices. View their featured products section for interesting ideas that you can use in your restaurant.

Generate a list of the supermarkets that specialize in providing food for restaurants

A list is an important piece of information when deciding on which grocery store to choose. Lists can help you keep up with which grocers you have inquired about and what they are like as a company. Stay organized and spend your time making a decision for your restaurant food supplier and locations.

I recommend: Supermarket Page has an extensive list of supermarkets in every state. The link takes you directly to the supermarket's website. Manta allows you enter a city and state to find supermarkets listed and its profile.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Find out about delivery and bulk orders when gathering information about supermarkets that can supply the restaurant.

If you've decided that your career is going to be managing one of the many supermarkets in the United States, then you'll need to prepare yourself for supermarkets management education and training. Whether you're going to manage a small "mom and pop" grocery store or one of the large grocery retailers, you'll advance in this field with the right educational background and training programs.

While a formal degree is not always a prerequisite, those with a bachelor's or master's degree in management or business administration may find it's easier to get into a manager's position. Attending a technical school or even starting off in a part-time position and working up to management is an option. Consider the following information on supermarkets education and training:

1. Obtain a degree or certificate in food management, marketing or supermarkets management from a technical school.
2. Pursue a degree in business administration to help start you off in a career in supermarkets management.
3. Apply to as many grocery stores as possible and advance to management by getting into the store's management program.
   

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Look to technical schools for a degree in supermarkets management

Perhaps the best way to get into supermarkets management is to study directly in that field, like food management or food marketing. Degrees or certificates in these areas from technical schools will provide the educational background essential to starting and succeeding in the supermarkets management field.

I recommend: The IGA Coca-Cola Institute provides a combined classroom and Web-based supermarkets management program for its students. The Upper Bucks County Technical School has a Food Service Management course of study that would prove beneficial to those pursuing a career in supermarkets management.

Earn a formal degree to jumpstart your career in supermarkets management

If you'd rather pursue a formal degree from an accredited college or university before getting into supermarkets management, then it would be best to do so in business administration. Businesses hiring for management positions, which would include a list of supermarkets, will likely consider candidates with at least a bachelor's in business administration over applicants with no such educational background.

I recommend: The Kenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a bachelor's of science degree in business administration, which includes curriculum in management communications and operations management. Get a certificate in food industry management from Portland State University after enrolling in and completing a major in their School of Business Administration.

Get training from the bottom up at any grocery store or supermarket

Often, positions in management can be gained by simply working your way up the ladder. You can start by bagging or collecting grocery shopping carts, show initiative and gain acceptance into the store's management program. Most grocers offer management training programs for interested and qualified personnel.

I recommend: ShopRite runs a Leaders-in-Training Program that develops promising employees for future management positions in the supermarkets chain. Food Lion conducts a comprehensive 15-month training program designed to produce leaders in supermarkets management.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Gain valuable education and training in management by working for other retailers if you cannot start in supermarkets.

If you are a supermarket owner or are looking to open a supermarket, one of your goals should be to make things as easy as possible for the consumer. Consumers don't like to spend countless hours searching for items or waiting in line to check out. If you are unfamiliar with supermarkets or are just looking to brush up on terms that can help your store's performance or just help you keep your customers happy, here are a few key terms that can get you rolling.

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Shelf space

In supermarkets, shelf space is a coveted thing. Shelf space is the amount of room on the shelf that is given to a particular item or item category.

I recommend: At Oligopoly Watch, you can read an article on shelf space and the comparison of it to television commercial ad time.

Self checkout

Self checkout stations in supermarkets are another option to a cashier staffed checkout station. Self checkout stations allow the customer to scan and purchase their items without assistance from a supermarket employee.

I recommend: There is a technical definition of self checkout at PC Magazine.

Generic brand

Almost all supermarkets have generic brands. What that means is that the products are packaged in boxes or bags that are void of advertising or names. This type of product is also referred to as 'no-name brand.'

I recommend: You can find an alternate definition for generic brand at BusinessDictionary.com.

Scratch bakery

If a supermarket has a scratch bakery, that means that the particular supermarket has a bakery on the premises that prepares items such as birthday cakes, pies, donuts, and rolls from scratch.

I recommend: For an alternate definition of scratch bakery, visit Glencoe.

USDA grade

All of the meat and poultry in a supermarket has a USDA grade stamped on it. What that means is that the meat or poultry has met certain standards in order to be eligible to be sold.

I recommend: At the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, you can learn about the different grades assigned to meat and poultry.

UPC bar code

Each product sold in a supermarket has a UPC bar code, or universal product code, on its packaging. The UPC code is used to not only keep track of inventory, but also is what the cashier scans at the checkout to bring up the price.

I recommend: For an detailed description of UPC bar codes, visit HowStuffWorks. You can learn how they work, what they mean and other interesting facts.