NGA Foundation Announces Topic for Student Case Study Competition

December 3, 2024

Colorado retailer to be focus of ESG solution proposals

Washington, D.C. - The NGA Foundation, the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association, is pleased to announce the topic for the 2025 Student Case Study Competition, sponsored by UNFI.

The 2025 Student Case Study topic will be "A Path to Sustainable Success." Student teams will develop action plans for how the participating retailer, Colorado-based Clark's Market, can minimize its environmental footprint and make the business case for sustainability.

The 2025 case study competition will be held during The NGA Show, Feb. 23-25, at Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.

"Clark's Market is honored to be the focus of this year's student competition," said Tom Clark, the retailer's president and CEO. "We look forward to learning the creative ways that students will demonstrate the operational impacts of sustainability and how initial investment costs will balance out in the long term."

An independent grocery retailer with 11 storefronts across Colorado, Utah and Arizona, Clark's Market prides itself on providing fresh, quality products to its customers and supporting the community.

Hosted annually by the NGA Foundation, the Student Case Study Competition brings college students from across the country to the NGA Show where they present solutions to an issue currently impacting the independent grocery industry. The program allows students to interact with an independent grocer and ground their education with real-life experience. Participants move through three rounds of judging from food industry professionals, and the winners and their schools receive a cash prize.

This year, students will consider questions such as the most important factors when starting a food waste minimization effort and the metrics to measure success; how to optimize product assortment, placement and signage to educate customers on sustainable choices; and what relevant partnerships can be formed across the grocery industry and supply chain to realize sustainability goals.

UNFI returns this year as title sponsor of the student competition. "UNFI is proud to continue its support for this program, which is important to attracting talent and further developing leadership in our industry," said Matt Echols, UNFI chief corporate affairs officer and NGA board member.

The competition strives to further the professional development of collegiate students pursuing degrees in food and retail programs and provides student teams with the opportunity to creatively address a real-world issue currently impacting the industry. Each year, an independent retailer is selected as the subject of the competition, providing a budget and relevant details to aid in students' presentation. Previous retailers have included Niemann Foods, Dierbergs, Woodman's Food Markets, Karns Quality Foods and Buehler's Fresh Foods.

More information can be found here.