Tennessee Grocers and Conveniece Store Association

What Tennessee Grocers and Conveniece Store Association does

The Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association (TGCSA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1978 and headquartered at 414 Union Street, Suite 1900, Nashville, Tennessee. It is the only business association representing all segments of Tennessee's food market — retail grocery stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers — collectively an industry that accounts for more than 200,000 Tennessee jobs. TGCSA's core function is advocacy before the Tennessee General Assembly, governor's office, and regulatory agencies on issues including SNAP/WIC compliance, payment-card processing, and food-industry policy, complemented by educational webinars, publications (The Volunteer Market, Annual Directory), and recognition programs (RoySoy Retailer/Supplier of the Year awards).

The association generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring membership dues from retailers and suppliers across the food industry value chain; event sponsorships and registrations tied to its annual Convention & Expo, Golf Classics (East/Middle/West Tennessee), Breaking Clays, Days on the Hill, and TopGolf events; and Legacy Partnership annual packages ($1,000 Top Shelf Society individual PAC, $5,000 Center Store Society company-supported PAC, plus multi-year Legacy Partner sponsorship bundles granting exhibit booths, premier logo placement, newsletter features, website links, banner ads, and event sponsorships). Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, with member engagement reinforced through the affiliated Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation (TGEF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has awarded more than $4.2 million in college scholarships to associates and families of TGCSA member companies since inception. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and is governed by a board drawn from member companies, including Chairman Judson Naifeh (Naifeh's Food Stores) and President & CEO Rob Ikard.

Name

Tennessee Grocers and Conveniece Store Association

Legal name

Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association

Website

https://tngrocer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association is a non-profit trade association, founded 1978 and headquartered in Nashville, that provides legislative advocacy, member services, and industry events for Tennessee's grocery and convenience store industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Association membership fees from retail grocery stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers in Tennessee's food industry.
2. Event Sponsorships and Registrations: Revenue from Convention & Expo, Golf Classics, Breaking Clays, Days on the Hill, and TopGolf events including sponsorships and participant registration fees.
3. Legacy Partnerships: One-time payment packages offering exclusive benefits including exhibit booths, logo placement, newsletter features, website links, banner ads, and event sponsorships for the full year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TGCSA is a Tennessee statewide nonprofit trade association that provides legislative and regulatory advocacy, member networking events, industry publications, compliance resources (SNAP and WIC), a Political Action Committee, scholarships through the Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation, and recognition awards for grocery, convenience store, wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, and supplier member companies. Founded in 1978, TGCSA acts as the unified voice of Tennessee's food industry before state government and regulators.

Product overview

TGCSA is a business trade association (not a software technology company) offering membership-based services including advocacy before Tennessee legislators and regulators, educational programs through webinars and the Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation, networking events (Convention & Expo, Days on the Hill, Golf Classics), publications (The Volunteer Market magazine, Annual Directory), and member resources (WIC Grocer Toolkit, SNAP Resources, DCAP Claims Assistance). The association also operates the TGCSA PAC Society for political engagement and offers Legacy Partners sponsorship opportunities. These products collectively serve to promote and support the growth and success of Tennessee's food industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TGCSA Membership Core association membership giving Tennessee grocery retailers, convenience store operators, wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers access to legislative advocacy, regulatory representation, networking events, publications, and compliance resources.
• Convention & Expo Annual flagship event of TGCSA bringing together industry leaders across Tennessee to advocate for the food industry and connect with retailers and suppliers.
• Days on the Hill Legislative advocacy event where TGCSA members convene in Nashville to meet with Tennessee General Assembly lawmakers to advance the food industry's policy agenda.
• Golf Classics Networking golf tournaments held across East, Middle, and West Tennessee for grocery industry executives, supporting the Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation.
• Webinars Educational webinars for TGCSA members covering legislative updates, safety training (e.g., active shooter protocols), and industry topics such as SNAP waiver compliance and specialty crop procurement.
• The Volunteer Market Official TGCSA publication featuring relevant editorial and resources for grocery and convenience store professionals.
• TGCSA Annual Directory Comprehensive consolidated directory and resource guide for the Tennessee grocery and convenience store industry, replacing earlier annual directory and magazine offerings.
• TGCSA PAC Society TGCSA Political Action Committee with the Founding Members Initiative and tiered Society levels (Top Shelf Society at $1,000 and Center Store Society at $5,000) for member political engagement and recognition at the annual Convention & Expo.
• Legacy Partners Annual Legacy Partnership sponsorship package granting year-round TGCSA benefits including exhibit booth at the Convention & Expo, premier logo placement, featured newsletter spot, full-page program listing, website link, banner ad, and sponsorship at all TGCSA events.
• WIC Grocer Toolkit WIC compliance resource co-developed with the Tennessee Justice Center to improve WIC shopping experience in Tennessee stores through staff education, WICShopper app promotion, and product labeling improvements.
• SNAP Resources Resources supporting SNAP-authorized vendors with Tennessee SNAP waiver implementation, including USDA guidance documents, ingredient data provider contacts, and retailer compliance information tied to the July 31, 2026 effective date.
• DCAP Claims Assistance Member benefit delivered through partnership with DCAP Claims, giving TGCSA members the opportunity to claim shares from the $5.54 billion Visa/Mastercard payment card settlement for merchants who accepted cards between 2004 and 2019.
• Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation (TGEF) Scholarships Higher education scholarships administered through the affiliated 501(c)(3) Tennessee Grocers Education Foundation for associates and the children and spouses of associates of TGCSA member companies; more than $4.2 million awarded since inception.
• Retailer & Supplier of the Year Awards (RoySoy) Annual RoySoy recognition program awarding Retailer of the Year and Supplier of the Year for outstanding contributions to the grocery and convenience store industry, including store operations, community service, and leadership.

Quantifiable outcome

• TGEF has awarded more than $4.2 million in scholarships for college
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tennessee Justice Center (TJC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing the WIC Grocer Toolkit to improve WIC shopping experience and maximize benefit spending in Tennessee stores. Joint initiative with TGCSA leadership.
• DCAP ClaimsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerClaims administration partner helping TGCSA members participate in the $5.54 billion Visa/Mastercard payment card settlement for merchants who accepted cards between 2004-2019.
• Houchens Insurance GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLoss Control & Safety Consultant Joseph McCarty provides active shooter safety training and protocols for TGCSA members through webinar presentations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FMI – The Food Industry Association: National trade association serving the food retail industry with advocacy, education, and research. FMI provides national-level policy resources that TGCSA members leverage at the state level, making it a broader-incumbent counterpart.
• National Grocers Association (NGA): National trade association representing the independent grocery industry. TGCSA complements NGA's national advocacy with Tennessee-specific representation, and they share overlapping member bases among regional grocers.
• NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores): National trade association serving the convenience store industry. TGCSA's convenience store segment overlaps with NACS's national advocacy, research, and member services, though TGCSA bundles grocery and convenience.

Regional players

• North Carolina Retail Merchants Association: Trade association serving North Carolina retailers including grocery and convenience operators. Comparable to TGCSA in providing legislative advocacy, networking, and member resources at the state level.
• Mississippi Retail Merchants Association: State retail trade association serving Mississippi retailers. Comparable to TGCSA in mission and member services, though with a broader retail scope beyond just grocery and convenience.
• Kentucky Grocers Association: Kentucky-based trade association serving grocery and convenience store operators. Comparable to TGCSA in providing legislative advocacy, member services, and industry events.
• South Carolina Retail Association: State retail trade association serving South Carolina retailers. Comparable to TGCSA in advocacy and member services, though broader in retail scope beyond grocery.
• Georgia Food Industry Association: State-level trade association representing Georgia's grocery and food industry with advocacy, education, and networking services. Directly comparable to TGCSA in mission, structure, and member services, but operating in a different state.
• Alabama Grocers Association: State trade association representing Alabama's grocery industry. Comparable to TGCSA in delivering advocacy, networking, and member services to a Southern grocery market.
• Virginia Food Industry Association: Virginia-based trade association representing food retailers and suppliers. Similar model to TGCSA with state-level advocacy, education, and member events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tgcsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Grocers and Conveniece Store Association