What Progressive Grocer does

Progressive Grocer is a 100+ year old B2B trade media brand serving the North American grocery retail industry, founded in 1922 and currently owned by EnsembleIQ. Its core product is the Progressive Grocer publication, distributed across print magazine, progressivegrocer.com, a free daily email newsletter, two podcasts (Progressive Grocer Today and Top Women in Grocery), webinars, and a digital archive. The business monetizes through six primary revenue streams: digital advertising, print magazine advertising, sponsored newsletters (eblasts), event sponsorships and exhibits, custom research and sponsored reports, and content/creative services. Proprietary research assets include the annual PG 100 ranking of North America's top food and consumables retailers (a category benchmark) and the 93rd Annual Report of the Grocery Industry.

The product surface extends into a substantial live events franchise: Grocery Impact (a multi-day conference with the TWIG Gala, GenNext Awards, and Impact Awards), GroceryTech Conference, Outstanding Independents, and Editors' Picks (a 22-year-old CPG product innovation awards program). The audience is segmented horizontally across grocery retailers (chain supermarkets, independents, supercenters), CPG manufacturers, wholesalers/distributors, and solution providers/technology companies. Sales-led go-to-market targets CPG brands, food retailers, and tech solution providers for advertising, sponsorships, and custom research, with named enterprise advertisers including Coca-Cola, Hershey, Unilever, Campbell's, Purina, AWS, Oracle, DoorDash, and Instacart, and retailers like Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and Albertsons. Distribution covers direct enterprise sales, an owned digital storefront, podcast platforms globally, and physical live events. The brand is operated as a wholly-owned unit of EnsembleIQ, a diversified B2B media conglomerate, alongside the sub-brand The Gourmet Retailer.

Name

Progressive Grocer

Legal name

EnsembleIQ

Website

https://progressivegrocer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Progressive Grocer is a 100+ year B2B trade media brand serving the North American grocery retail industry, operating an integrated content, events, research, and awards portfolio as a unit of EnsembleIQ.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media and Business Intelligence

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF)

Keywords

• Trade publication media
• Grocery industry news
• B2B advertising platforms
• Industry research reports
• Trade events and awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: Display advertising, newsletter advertising, and direct eblast channels targeting grocery industry professionals
2. Print Advertising: Magazine advertising in the #1 grocery industry publication since 1922, with vendor content integrated alongside editorial
3. Newsletter Subscriptions: Free daily newsletter delivering grocery retail news and trends to subscriber inboxes
4. Event Sponsorships & Exhibits: Grocery Impact, GroceryTech, TWIG Awards, GenNext Awards, Outstanding Independents, and Impact Awards events generate sponsorship revenue
5. Custom Research & Reports: Custom market research, sponsored reports, and branded content including Annual Report, Consumer Expenditures Study, and Tech Trends reports
6. Content & Creative Services: Content creation services pairing internal teams with subject matter experts for whitepapers, case studies, webinars, and infographics

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Progressive Grocer is a B2B trade media brand that publishes authoritative news, research, and analysis on the North American grocery retail industry through a print magazine, the progressivegrocer.com website, daily newsletters, podcasts, and signature reports such as the PG 100 Annual Ranking and the 93rd Annual Report. It complements editorial coverage with live industry events (Grocery Impact, GroceryTech, TWIG Gala, GenNext Awards) and awards programs (Editors' Picks, TWIG, Impact Awards, Outstanding Independents), monetizing its audience of grocery executives and CPG decision-makers through advertising, sponsorships, custom research, and content services.

Product overview

Progressive Grocer is a B2B trade publication and media platform for the grocery retail industry, operating as a unified content and events business since 1922. The core offering is the Progressive Grocer publication (magazine and website) delivering industry news, research, and analysis. This is supported by the Progressive Grocer Today Podcast and Top Women in Grocery Podcast for multimedia content, a Daily Newsletter for timely updates, and an extensive Digital Archive of past content. The company also produces signature research reports including the PG 100 Annual Ranking and 93rd Annual Report. Live events including Grocery Impact (with TWIG Gala and GenNext Awards) and GroceryTech Conference serve as engagement platforms. Editors' Picks Awards recognizes CPG product innovation. The portfolio functions as an integrated media ecosystem serving grocery retail executives, suppliers, and solution providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Progressive Grocer Trade Publication Long-running B2B trade publication covering grocery retail industry news, research, retailer deep dives, technology trends, shopper behavior, and category analysis for food retail executives, CPG manufacturers, wholesalers, and solution providers.
• Print Magazine Industry-leading print magazine covering grocery retail trends, retailer profiles, and category analysis, published since 1922.
• Daily Newsletter Free daily email newsletter delivering grocery retail news, industry trends, and analysis to subscriber inboxes.
• Progressive Grocer Today Podcast Industry news podcast published every four weeks featuring conversations with grocery leaders on current events, trends, and business insights for food retail professionals.
• Top Women in Grocery Podcast Podcast highlighting female leadership and diversity initiatives in the grocery industry, featuring interviews with women executives and industry leaders.
• PG 100 Annual Ranking Annual definitive ranking of North America's top food and consumables retailers, serving as the authoritative industry benchmark for supermarket performance and competitive positioning.
• 93rd Annual Report of the Grocery Industry Annual comprehensive report on the state of the grocery industry covering market trends, retailer performance, retail landscape analysis, and strategic insights.
• Grocery Impact Conference Annual leadership conference bringing together grocery industry leaders for education, networking, and awards including the TWIG Gala and GenNext Awards.
• GroceryTech Conference Annual technology innovation conference for grocery executives featuring solution providers in software, hardware, and systems driving retail change.
• Top Women in Grocery Awards (TWIG) Annual leadership awards program recognizing female executives, rising stars, and store managers in the grocery industry, including the TWIG Gala Dinner.
• Editors' Picks Best New Products Awards Annual awards program since 2004 recognizing cutting-edge product innovation in CPG and food retail, highlighting functional, innovative, and on-trend products across categories such as snacks, beverages, frozen foods, and produce.
• Digital Archive Online repository of past magazine issues and editorial content in digital format for subscribers.
• Webinars Sponsored educational webinar series featuring industry experts on grocery topics including AI in grocery, retail media networks, supply chain innovation, and category trends.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ years of continuous industry leadership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Coca-Cola CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor CPG beverage company advertising client and industry partner featured in Progressive Grocer's marketing and content programs reaching grocery retail decision-makers
• HersheycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConfectionery CPG giant advertising client and content partner in Progressive Grocer's industry coverage and marketing programs
• DoorDashcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology and delivery platform advertising client leveraging Progressive Grocer's audience of grocery industry decision-makers
• Amazon Web ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCloud technology platform advertising client and technology partner for grocery industry digital transformation content
• Campbell'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor CPG food company advertising client and industry partner in Progressive Grocer's marketing ecosystem
• OraclecoreTechnology or IntegrationEnterprise technology company advertising client and technology partner for grocery retail digital solutions coverage
• UnilevercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal CPG conglomerate advertising client and partner in Progressive Grocer's industry content and marketing programs
• PurinacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPet care CPG company advertising client and industry partner featured in Progressive Grocer's coverage of grocery categories
• BicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConsumer goods company advertising client in Progressive Grocer's marketing partner ecosystem
• Advantage SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading solutions provider to consumer goods and retail companies sponsoring webinars and content partnerships with Progressive Grocer on retail technology topics including AI and shelf availability
• InstacartcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery technology and delivery platform co-presenting webinars on Annual Report findings and collaborating on industry research coverage
• AfreshcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAI-powered fresh food technology company co-presenting webinars on data-driven grocery operations and AI implementation ROI
• EnsembleIQcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company providing multi-industry marketing network allowing Progressive Grocer to leverage cross-industry insights and audiences for retail, technology, consumer goods, healthcare and hospitality professionals

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Grocery Dive: Industry Dive-owned digital-first B2B media brand covering grocery retail trends with newsletters, analysis, and sponsored content — competing for the same CPG advertiser share of voice as Progressive Grocer.
• The Shelby Report: Regional grocery trade publication serving supermarket operators across the Southeast and Midwest with news, rankings, and events — a direct niche competitor to Progressive Grocer in grocery trade journalism.
• Store Brands Magazine: Private-label and store-brand trade publication covering the same grocery retail and CPG advertising ecosystem, with comparable editorial coverage of retailer and CPG innovation.
• Supermarket News: Long-standing B2B trade publication covering the grocery retail industry, with comparable print, digital, newsletter, and event products targeting the same CPG advertiser and retail readership base as Progressive Grocer.
• Winsight Grocery Business: CGI/retail and foodservice trade media brand under Winsight that covers grocery retail with news, research, and events — directly overlapping Progressive Grocer's editorial, research, and conference offerings.

Emerging players

• Food Logistics: B2B trade media brand covering the food supply chain and grocery distribution; adjacent in audience and advertiser overlap to Progressive Grocer's wholesale and supply-chain coverage.

Others

• Food Industry Association (FMI): Industry trade association representing grocery retailers and wholesalers; runs The Food Industry Conference (FMI Midwinter) and produces member research that competes with PG's research and events business for grocery audience mindshare.
• Consumer Goods Technology (EnsembleIQ): Sister B2B publication under parent EnsembleIQ targeting CPG technology and innovation decision-makers — operates in the same parent network as Progressive Grocer with overlapping advertiser base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pgrocer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYgh6JPluY5J0b4SE8C3rwA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/progressivegrocer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/progressive-grocer
• Instagraminstagram.com/progressive_grocer
• TikToktiktok.com/@progressivegrocer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Progressive Grocer