How the Food Industry Prepares to Keep Shelves Stocked

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

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Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

We continue to experience a convergence of challenges in this country – the COVID-19 pandemic; a historic hurricane and fire season; economic distress; and heightened political and social expression – all of which are influencing changes in the way the public eats and shops.

<p>By Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, FMI</p> <div class="mg-image--circular" style="float: right; margin: 10px;"><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/istock-1214733898.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=272ce365_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="shoppers with masks" title="shoppers with masks" /></div> <p>We continue to experience a convergence of challenges in this country – the COVID-19 pandemic; a historic hurricane and fire season; economic distress; and heightened political and social expression – all of which are influencing changes in the way the public eats and shops.</p> <p>At the height of the pandemic, Americans were stocking up without abatement. What we witnessed in U.S. grocery stores was not a result of insufficient food supply – it was due to demand. Today, based on the public statements across the food marketplace, grocers and their suppliers are sending a clear and empathetic message to their customers that they are on the shoppers’ side, and a few weeks ago, we witnessed announcements signaling a move from “just in time” to “just in case” inventory to mitigate the out-of-stock situations we witnessed earlier this year.</p> <h5>Changing Shopper Behavior</h5> <p>According to our nineth wave of the <a href="http://www.fmi.org/grocerytrends"><em>U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends COVID-19 Tracker</em></a>, even as concerns about shortages have declined somewhat since July (down five percentage points), far fewer shoppers are reporting as many out-of-stocks in October (17%) compared to the early weeks of the national crisis (46%). And now, a confluence of situations is challenging the way retailers have planned for their shoppers’ buying behaviors for food holidays and social gatherings this fall and winter. Again, the food supply chain will force more companies to re-evaluate and reconsider what the right balance of inventory will mean for the near-term and the future. New patterns of shopping behavior continue to challenge businesses to revise their inventory strategies.</p> <h5>Trading Partner Coordination</h5> <p>Since early summer, FMI has hosted several virtual meetings and through these events facilitated important trading partner discussions. More than, 1,200 virtual business meetings between manufacturers and retailers have taken place to discuss short-term needs and capabilities. Thanks to these discussions, some manufacturers are adding new supply chain lines, and both retailers and suppliers are adding holding space to support a “just in case” strategy. The need for more regular touchpoints has become so apparent that <a href="https://www.fmi.org/newsroom/news-archive/view/2020/09/21/fmi-announces-2021-2022-business-planning-event-portfolio">our 2021 event calendar has shifted</a> to support trading partner meetings every six months.</p> <h5>Meeting Demand for Online</h5> <p>Certainly, we can’t discount that online grocery shopping is at its highest levels since before the pandemic. Food retailers have been makings efforts to improve the online grocery shopping experience with micro-fulfillment centers and better aligning with third parties who support fulfillment, delivery, and curbside pickup activities. Shoppers tell us they are seeing a difference with overall satisfaction with online grocery shopping up from an average rating of 7 to 8 on a 10-point scale. Fewer people also report having any issues with online shopping in October than they did in July (85% vs. 79%).</p> <p>FMI has also been working with USDA to expedite the online pilot programs for SNAP, which remains an important step to ensure that we leave no customer unserved at this critical time. FMI developed a <a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/food-assistance-programs/feeding-assistance-toolkit">feeding assistance toolkit</a> to help members educate their first-time SNAP customers. </p> <p>No one wants to relive March and April, especially during the holiday season. The food industry remains nimble, diligent and innovative to support shoppers during the days ahead. </p>

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Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.