By LINDA DOHERTY (NJ Food Council) in NJ Spotlight
More regulation would hurt an industry that played a key role in helping everyone weather the pandemic
When New Jersey’s grocery shoppers enter their local food store or supermarket, they expect to walk aisles filled with fresh food and fully stocked shelves. This is what consumers take for granted as “normal.”
But for the retailers who make sure consumers have the products they need, things are anything but normal. There remain supply-chain issues across many sectors of the consumer economy, as well as an ongoing struggle to find workers who are up for the demands of the 24-hour operation to feed New Jersey.
The supermarket industry — like other essential businesses — has stood on the front lines in the days, weeks and months of this lingering pandemic to ensure the stores remained open. We were there at all hours, and even joined in the effort of delivering COVID-19 vaccines as part of the massive rollout earlier this year.
As the global supply chain remains tight, profit margins are thinner than ever because of inflation. The cost of food last month increased 6.2%, compared to October 2020 — the greatest single-year jump that most people can remember. Meat, fish, eggs, bread and cheese — the staples of the typical kitchen — are facing some of the highest spikes. Grocers try to absorb costs and insulate consumers from price shocks, but there is only so much that can be done when costs increase so quickly and dramatically.
The situation can be overwhelming for the food industry, yet your local market remains open, serving the masses, as a proud essential service. Now is the time that New Jersey’s food retail industry could use help from our policymakers, as we share with them our pressing challenges.
The biggest issue facing food retailers is a significant worker shortage. Supermarkets offer good-paying, stable positions, often with some of the best companies to work for in the country. Retailers have raised wages, offered bonuses and even provided perks like tuition assistance, but positions remained unfilled. Shelves cannot be stocked and stores cannot remain open without dedicated workers. And with the growth in demand for online grocery shopping and delivery, there is an even greater need for employees to fulfill these orders.
Pending bills would add to costs
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