NCGA Unveils New Name, New Brand - National Co+op Grocers

National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) announces its new brand identity and name, National Co op Grocers (NCG). The changes better represent the organization’s role as a business services cooperative owned by more than 140 retail food co-ops working together to grow the cooperative economy and serve more people in more communities across the United States. Since 1999, NCG has been working on behalf of its member and associate food co-ops to strengthen purchasing power, optimize operational and marketing resources and ultimately offer more value to food co-op owners and shoppers. As the natural foods industry continues to evolve and grow, NCG recognizes that it must do the same. "NCG is not a typical trade association, which often focuses on public relations, marketing and networking services for their membership," says Robynn Shrader, CEO. "Although we do provide these services to our co-ops, we also negotiate purchasing contracts, execute national promotional strategies and offer a wide range of development services through our subsidiary Development Cooperative (NCG DC). Our role is really more that of a virtual grocery chain." "Whether advocating for food policies in Washington, D.C. or helping the banking community understand the cooperative business model, identifying as National Co op Grocers helps us better reflect our relationship to our co-ops and our shared purpose," continues Shrader. "Although the name, look and feel is new, our commitment to being a dynamic and transparent organization with clear and meaningful ways for our co-ops to participate remains the same."