Shifting Retail Environments

From warehouse to checkout, PHA’s distributor, grocery, convenience store, and vending partners are improving the supply chain so that better-for-you foods and beverages are available wherever people are.

Our convenience store partners have more than 2,500 locations across 39 states, and 75% of those locations are in food-scarce neighborhoods. These stores are not only increasing the accessibility of healthy convenience store snacks and other better-for-you items, they are also actively promoting their consumption through marketing, strategic placement throughout the store, and pricing that is competitive with less healthy alternatives.

NACS, the association representing the convenience store industry, has been a valued partner since 2017. At the 2019 PHA Summit, NACS was honored as the Partner of the Year, an award given to the partner that goes beyond the strategies outlined in its official commitment. NACS has proactively communicated to convenience store retailers the business case for offering healthier options at their stores. With more than 154,000 convenience stores across the nation, NACS gives the industry greater access, information, and resources to ensure that convenience stores across the nation are fully stocked with healthier options.

PHA has also partnered with NAMA, the member association representing the $25 billion US convenience service industry, to substantially increase the percentage of better-for-you vending offerings in the nation’s vending machines to 33% in order to promote eating healthier from vending machines. The commitment, implemented over the next three years, represents a nearly 40% increase over current levels of ‘better-for-you’ offerings — those that meet at least two recognized public health standards.

In 2020, PHA announced another groundbreaking partnership, this time with Ahold Delhaize USA, the parent company of leading East Coast omnichannel grocery brands Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Ahold Delhaize USA committed to increasing healthier food sales and publicly disclosing the percentage of food sales from healthier options in its stores.

Consumers demand healthier choices. By working with all levels of the food retail industry, PHA helps meet this growing demand where consumers are.