Blogs

Mariposa Market: Improving Food Access & Affordability with INFRA Everyday

By Madeleine Ware posted 12 days ago
For 45 years, Mariposa Market has been a staple in Mendocino County, CA for healthy, fresh and natural foods. What started as a family-owned fruit and vegetable stand in the late 70s has expanded into a 1,000 sq ft store, always improving and growing to meet the needs of their community. Mariposa Market became an INFRA Member in 2024 and has already seen impressive results through INFRA’s purchasing programs, especially INFRA Everyday. Since enrolling, they’ve experienced a 67% year-over-year sales increase, compared to the INFRA membership average of 24% over the same period. Hear from Ian Bowers, IT Manager at Mariposa Market, about what has made the ...

INFRA's Top 6 Natural Food Trends for 2026

By Madeleine Ware posted 10-29-2025
Independent natural food retailers have always been at the forefront of the natural product trends. Their agility, resourcefulness, and strong commitment to stocking and supporting brands on the cutting edge of natural foods have made them incubators of innovation for decades. To mark 20 years of empowering independent retailers, and in partnership with leading retail data provider SPINS, the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA) is excited to share its perspective on the industry trends that will impact and influence independent natural food stores in 2026. From elevated global flavors to natural sweeteners, these trends are sure to reach ...

INFRA Launches The Good Collective: A Bold New Wellness Brand Empowering Independent Retailers

By Madeleine Ware posted 10-09-2025
Press Release – For Immediate Release INFRA Launches The Good Collective: A Bold New Wellness Brand Empowering Independent Retailers St. Paul, MN – October 9th, 2025 – The Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA) proudly announces the launch of The Good Collective™ , an exclusive wellness brand created by and for independent natural retailers. This new line embodies INFRA’s cooperative spirit and its commitment to bringing high-quality, values-driven products to communities across the country. The Good Collective debuts with a thoughtfully curated range of 27 products—including vitamins and supplements (11 SKUs), hair and body care ...

INFRA Achieves B Corp Certification, Strengthening Commitment to Purpose-Driven Growth

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-30-2025
September 30, 2025—INFRA, a nationwide purchasing cooperative of independent natural food retailers and a leader in the natural foods industry, announced today that it is now certified as a B Corporation by the non-profit B Lab. This certification marks a strong step forward in INFRA’s mission of strengthening its members through collaboration to forge a sustainable future, as it becomes part of a global community of companies that centers people and the planet in all business operations. Achieving B Corp Certification requires companies to meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. These principles ...

INFRA Celebrates 20 Years of Empowering Independent Natural Food Retailers

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-29-2025
September 30, 2025 —The Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA) proudly marks its 20th anniversary this year, celebrating two decades of strengthening and championing independent natural food retailers across the nation. Founded in 2005 by four visionary retailers—Earth Fare, New Frontiers, New Leaf Community Markets, and Jimbo’s…Naturally!—INFRA has grown from a small network of like-minded pioneers into a vibrant cooperative of more than 380 retailers and 630 storefronts nationwide, representing a collective $3.2 billion in sales. Over the past 20 years, INFRA has become a powerful voice and partner for independents, offering the purchasing ...

Fall 2025 Staff Celebrations & Anniversaries

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-24-2025
Work Anniversaries Mike Ohman, Member Business Advisor — 9th Anniversary Ruthanne Atkinson, Growth Operations Manager — 8th Anniversary Aprille Thurheimer, Supply Agreement Assortment Lead — 2nd Anniversary Hannah Rogal, People Operations Generalist — 3rd Anniversary Rachel Keeler, Promotions & Merchandising Advisory Specialist — 2nd Anniversary Rachel Comeaux, Business Programs Manager — 9th Anniversary Brittany Olson, Promotions & Marketing Designer — 2nd Anniversary Robin Davis, Category Manager — 3rd Anniversary Nick Auzenne, Director of Purchasing — 8th Anniversary Sheena Robe, Purchasing Programs Coordinator — 3rd Anniversary ...

Two Decades of Growth: How INFRA Helped Shape the Natural Foods Industry

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-24-2025
Jim Olson, SPINS Senior Retail Insights Manager Two decades ago, a handful of pioneering natural food retailers combined their influence in service of a common goal; expanding healthy food access for all. A few years later, SPINS proudly partnered with INFRA in service of that same goal. Since then, the U.S. Natural Products industry has tripled in size, from $97B in 2004 to over $325B in 2024, and the natural food landscape has seen many trends and innovations push the industry forward. Most admirably, many of these same trends and innovations got their start within INFRA’s member-owned stores–stores consistently recognized as incubators and trusted partners ...

Imagining a Future for Independent Retailers

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-22-2025
Twenty-six years ago, a popular film starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks forewarned the end of independent retailers. Big-box chain stores dominated the cultural and economic landscape, and the story went that little ‘mom and pops’ founded by caring, passionate people, were on their way out. The founders of INFRA had a different idea. Inspired to imagine a successful future for independents, they banded together in 2005 to challenge the popular narrative, buck the trends, and remind the natural products industry that our stores are the beating heart and expanding lungs of our local communities. That audacity: to imagine a future against innumerable odds, is core ...

True Grace: Celebrating 20 Years of Partnership with INFRA

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-22-2025
This year marks a milestone for INFRA, 20 years of strengthening independent natural food retailers, and at True Grace, we’re honored to be the Premium Sponsor for this celebration. As a family-owned company with deep roots in the natural foods industry, we share INFRA’s mission and passion for supporting independents who bring health, integrity, and community to people across the country. Our connection to INFRA runs deeper than sponsorship. With over 70 years of combined leadership experience in the natural foods space, our founders and team know firsthand the challenges, and the unmatched rewards, of running an independent business. We believe ...

7 New Members Join INFRA

By Madeleine Ware posted 09-16-2025
Organic Roots, Temecula CA. Founded 1989. Organic Roots is a family-owned, all-natural market in Temecula, CA. Founded in 1989 by a mother and son duo, Organic Roots is proud to be a reliable source of organic, non-GMO, and local foods in the Temecula Valley. Social responsibility and community engagement are also at the heart of their business. Supporting local schools, promoting environmental groups, contributing to charities, and educating customers on the importance of organic foods is the foundation of their store. Find them online at organicroots.net , on Instagram at @organicrootsmarket , and on Facebook at @Organic Roots . Basic Foods, Beaumont ...

Food as Healing with Good Earth Natural Foods

By Ashley Steinke posted 08-08-2025
In this episode of Common Roots, we’re chatting with Mark Squire, Co - Owner of Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax, CA. Mark became enamored with the natural foods movement from an early age, and at age 16, he started working at Good Earth after moving to California with his brother . “ I moved from Connecticut to California in 1969 and when I walked into my first natural foods store in San Francisco I was floored. It was almost like a dream come true… Good Earth had just been formed by a group of hippies, and I immediately said to my brother, ‘this is what I want to do.’” Good Earth ...

Meet INFRA's 10 New Members

By Ashley Steinke posted 08-04-2025
Healthy Living, VT. Founded 1986. Healthy Living Market began in 1986 as Katy Lesser’s personal promise to feed her family real, clean food and has grown into one of the community’s most trusted destinations for thoughtfully sourced natural groceries. Now with locations in South Burlington, Williston, and Saratoga Springs, Healthy Living is dedicated to sourcing locally and upholding ingredient transparency to give the ir customers a shopping experience that they can trust . Find them online at healthylivingmarket.com , on Instagram @healthy.living.market , and on Facebook at @Healthy Living . ...

20 Years of Community at the 2025 INFRA Brix Awards

By Madeleine Ware posted 07-30-2025
St. Paul, MN – August 4, 2025 – The INFRA community came together at the INFRA Annual Conference to celebrate members, partners, and staff who have made a significant impact on our cooperative and the natural foods industry at the 2025 Brix Awards ceremony. From groundbreaking community engagement initiatives to visionary strides in sustainability stewardship, each recipient exemplifies the values at the heart of our mission: strengthening our members through collaboration to forge a sustainable future. At this year’s conference, we celebrated 20 years of empowering independent retailers to thrive. Special celebrations included the Building Blocks Award, ...

KeHE Distributors & INFRA Announce a 10-Year Contract Extension

By Madeleine Ware posted 07-29-2025
Forging the Future: KeHE Distributors and INFRA Announce 10-Year Contract Renewal, Fueling Continued Growth and Innovation July 31, 2025 – KeHE Distributors ® , a distributor of fresh, natural & organic, and specialty products in North America, today announced a landmark 10-year contract extension as the primary distributor with Independent Natural Food Retailers Association ( INFRA ), a prominent retailer cooperative in the natural channel. This strategic agreement underscores the mutual success and growth experienced from the national partnership’s inception in 2019. Since joining forces, the collaboration between KeHE and INFRA has yielded exceptional ...

Longevity & Leadership with Cornucopia Natural Foods

By Ashley Steinke posted 07-14-2025
In this episode of Common Roots, we are chatting with Drew Alexander, Owner of Cornucopia Natural Foods in Sayville , NY. Drew began his journey at Cornucopia in 2006 as a dishwasher . Nearly 20 years later, he's now leading the store, shaping the employee experience, refining the product selection, and championing the values that drew him to the natural food s industry in the first place. Drew’s path at Cornucopia wasn’t linear; it was intentional. He says, “I came into that job wanting to do more. I wanted to improve my life and the way to do that was to work hard, be honest, and be kind to people” ...

INFRA’s 2025 Conference Survival Guide: What to Know Before You Go

By Bella Syslo posted 07-07-2025
The best 4 days of July are nearly upon us–the 2025 INFRA Annual Conference! This year, we’re giving you tips and tricks for getting the most out of your conference experience. From education sessions to the Tabletop Buying Show to after-hours events, this list is here to serve as your source of truth. Read on for your complete guide to this year’s conference! Stretch, Sip, and Settle In Conference days are a marathon, not a sprint, and starting your day off right is essential. Our days together will be jam-packed full of education sessions, networking opportunities, and fun. We suggest doing something each morning to prepare ...

INFRA Director of Member Programs Angela Bozo Wins Top Women in Grocery Award

By Madeleine Ware posted 06-30-2025
Contact Information: Meggie Smith INFRA, Director of Marketing & Communications msmith@infretailers.com 651-888-4731  Press Release - For Immediate Release St. Paul, Minnesota – July 1, 2025 – INFRA is honored to announce that Director of Member Prog rams Angela Bozo has been awarded Progressive Grocer’s 2025 Top Women in Grocery Award in the Rising Stars category. The Top Women in Grocery Award was developed two decades ago to shine a light on women’s significant contributions to the grocery industry, and Angela is truly emblematic of an innovative and ambitious woman driving success ...

INFRA Staff's Tabletop Buying Show Product Spotlights

By Bella Syslo posted 06-30-2025
As the 2025 INFRA Annual Conference nears, we’re excited to bring you products spotlights hand-picked by INFRA’s Category Managers and Purchasing Team! Each of these brands will be featured at the conference this July 21-24 in St. Paul, MN. From sauces to snacks to sweets, we’re looking forward to bringing 300+ brands to the show floor! Learn more and register for the conference here . "Rise & Puff tortillas are not only delicious, but so fun to see puff up when heated on a skillet! I love the homemade taste and texture of these tortillas, and I can't wait to try their quesadillas at the show." Available in ...

Second Generation Stewardship with Cambridge Naturals

By Madeleine Ware posted 06-09-2025
In this episode of Common Roots, we sit down with Emily Kanter, INFRA Board Member and Co-Owner of Cambridge Naturals in Cambridge, MA. As a second-generation owner of her family’s business, Emily’s journey towards business ownership has been shaped by years of personal and professional growth. Emily’s parents, Michael and Elizabeth Kanter, opened Cambridge Naturals in 1974, and Emily recalls that the business was a formative fixture of her childhood. “I worked in the business throughout high school into college,” she says, “It was really a big part of our family dynamic. We always used to joke that the business was the fourth child in the family and got all ...

Pioneering the Movement with New Frontiers

By Madeleine Ware posted 05-23-2025
In this episode of Common Roots, we’re talking with Jake Collier, Co-Founder of New Frontiers Natural Marketplace in Solvang, CA. As a founding INFRA Member and a longstanding fixture in the natural foods industry, New Frontiers has long advocated for local sourcing, strong ingredient standards, and healthy living. New Frontiers began in 1987, when Jake and a few of his friends purchased a couple of stores in the Salt Lake City area. After growing the business for a few decades, the owners ultimately sold their three locations to Whole Foods, finally settling into their one remaining location in Solvang, CA. “It’s been a roller coaster,” Jake says, “We ...