FMI Observes Third-Annual Supermarket Employee Day Celebrating Grocery Champions

ARLINGTON, Va. – FMI – The Food Industry Association today observes the third-annual Supermarket Employee Day, aNational Day of Appreciation for our industry’s food retail employees, recognizing the essential role that grocery workers play at every level of the industry and across their communities.

Over the years, stores have held Supermarket Employee Day-themed special events; offered their employees special promotions or discounts; and expressed gratitude for their contributions to both stores and society – encouraging shoppers to do the same through in-store signage and amplification via social media posts. Many companies have gone the extra mile to encourage their governors to enact state proclamations to honor the day. 

FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin said, “Supermarket Employee Day is a nationwide opportunity to say thank you to grocery store workers for their important contributions in keeping our country fed, even during the most challenging of circumstances such as those presented by a global pandemic.” She continued, “And now as families across the country continue to grapple with inflation, grocers have increasingly prioritized serving, supporting, and strengthening ties with the communities in which they operate. In fact, 83% of grocers said that supporting their community was a key strategy in engaging shoppers and differentiating themselves.”

FMI designed a toolkit to support industry celebrations by gaining access to custom merchandise, social media graphics and other planning tools. The hashtags #SupermarketEmployeeDay and #SupermarketHeros will help curate some of the stories.

Supermarket Employee Day is one of many programs at FMI designed to recognize talent, achievement and industry initiatives that make a positive impact in neighborhoods. Two additional examples include the FMI Store Manager Awards and FMI Community Uplift Awards.