Small-town grocery stores are the heart of rural communities, yet many struggle with competition from larger chain stores, a shrinking customer base, and changing customer demands for fresh produce and greater variety. The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) support rural grocery stores affected by these issues through a number of resources and projects throughout Minnesota.
Resources and strategies for rural grocery stores
Join us for Shelf Life, a monthly webinar series addressing critical issues and opportunities facing Minnesota’s rural grocers. Each session will include guest speakers and time for questions and networking. Rural grocer owners, managers and staff are encouraged to attend to connect with University resources, expertise and each other.
Sessions will be held on the first Wednesday of the month over Zoom from 3 to 4 p.m., starting Wednesday, April 2, 2025, through October 1, 2025.
You'll receive a confirmation email once you register for the series and a reminder email with a link to the webinar the day before the event. To join click on "Launch from my browser" in the "Join the webinar" window.
You are welcome to attend any of the webinars in the series. You only need to register once for access to them all. The series will be recorded and available for later viewing.
Previous Webinars
Webinar recording
Financial management is key in today's competitive retail environment. Learn how to read your own numbers to make key management decisions for a more profitable operation with Extension Educator Ryan Pesch.
Additional resources
Upcoming webinars
Webinar series
Webinar series
Host and partners
This webinar is facilitated by Zachary Paige, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership food systems program coordinator and Manna Food Cooperative Detroit Lakes board chair
The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP), with support from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, provides technical assistance to rural grocery stores in Greater Minnesota through the Good Food Access Program (GFAP).