Washington Food Industry Association

04/14/2026

As a vendor, if you have been considering participating in our annual Connect: Vendor-2-Retailer Event, now is the time to lock in your spot.

With 80+ retailer companies attending (many bringing multiple buyers) and an expected 100+ total attendees, this event is designed to help you make meaningful, one-on-one connections in a highly efficient format. Watch this video and see why this event is one you do not want to miss. https://youtube.com/shorts/a04vEmN15y4?feature=share

To register, visit our Events page on our website.

WFIA Connect Event: The Vendor Experience

03/17/2026

WFIA worked closely with legislators this session on the passage of HB 2334, which provides guidance and guardrails for brick and mortar retailers to round up or down to the nearest nickel on cash transactions. This bill is a much-needed fix for retailers in managing the U.S. Mint's recent cessation of the penny. Throughout the past several months, retailers across Washington have experienced challenges acquiring pennies from their banks and keeping pennies circulating in registers.

In an article about the bill in today's Seattle Times, WFIA president and CEO Tammie Hetrick was quoted: “We needed this legislation to support and protect our members as pennies are removed from circulation and we update our (point-of-sale) systems."

WFIA believes HB 2334 will provide clarity and confidence for both retailers and customers regarding rounding on cash transactions. Noncash transactions, such as credit-card and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) payments, will be unaffected.

Read more from Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton in the The Seattle Times at https://tinyurl.com/HB2334pennies.

As the U.S. says goodbye to pennies, Washington lawmakers have reached a solution for how local businesses should handle cents in cash transactions.

03/12/2026

Washington’s independent grocers and convenience stores play an essential role in combating food insecurity. This session, we were proud to support House Bill 2294, which prohibits negative use restrictions that would prevent property from being used for a grocery store or pharmacy. Special thanks to Rep. Darya Farivar for her leadership on this issue and for including independent grocers and convenience stores as a part of the solution. Watch the bill signing here:

Gov. Bob Ferguson holds a bill-signing ceremony at the state Capitol. The Governor took action on the following legislation: HB's 2554, 1604, 2088, 2107,

02/25/2026

Washington’s Lead in Cookware Act took effect Jan. 1 of this year to ensure the products used in both private residences and commercial kitchens are safe.

This new law will have broad unintended consequences across the cookware and kitchen appliance market, creating significant challenges for families and businesses throughout the state who depend on access to safe, affordable products. It also established a content standard without providing adequate resources for the Department of Ecology to identify, test and enforce the new law to root out unsafe products.

That is why a broad coalition of consumers, manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and, yes, grocery and convenience stores are pressing for Senate Bill 5975. Additional tweaks are necessary to implement the new law, giving state agencies the enforcement tools needed to keep dangerous products off the market.

WFIA has been a vocal advocate for SB 5975 this session. The bill passed out of the Senate on Feb. 17 by a vote of 42-7 and is currently under consideration in the House.

Read our joint column with Alesha Shemwell/ Washington Retail Association in the Washington State Standard:

COMMENTARY | Washington state lawmakers have a chance this session to improve on a new law that will help keep unsafe cookware and other kitchen products out of our homes and commercial kitchens.

02/10/2026

WFIA and Northwest Grocery Retail Association have a message for Olympia: stop piling on new costs. Thanks to Charlie Harger and Seattle's Morning News/KIRO 97.3 for spotlighting all these new costs and how they impact your grocery bills. "We keep saying we care about affordability. Olympia is full of speeches about helping working people. But if you make it more expensive to operate a grocery store, groceries get more expensive."

The Northwest Grocery Retail Association says the legislature is considering a whole stack of bills that would increase the cost of operating grocery stores in Washington.

01/28/2026

We’re hosting the WFIA Annual Golf Tournament on June 11, 2026 at Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville, WA, and we’d love to have you join us on the course and as a sponsor!

It’s a fun, high-energy day of golf, contests, networking, and good vibes. Think great brand exposure, face time with a fantastic crowd, and plenty of smiles on the fairway.

To register and for sponsorship opportunities, click this link https://www.wafood.org/wfia-annual-golf-tournament . We have new games and contests this year that you will not want to miss.

If you have any questions, email Connie Carlson at [email protected].

Don’t forget, our Connect: Vendor-2-Retail Event https://www.wafood.org/2026-connect-vendor-2-retailer is the day before and we are hosting our first HR/Labor Law & Workers’ Comp Update Workshop https://www.wafood.org/retro .

01/17/2026

📅 Save the Date!
WFIA is excited to announce Connect: Vendor-2-Retailer 2026, taking place June 10 at Tulalip Resort & Casino.

This one-day expo connects food industry vendors directly with retail buyers from across Washington State for meaningful, face-to-face conversations.

We’re now offering early access to sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, giving companies the chance to secure placement before general promotion begins.
🔗 Learn more & preview opportunities: https://birdease.com/WFIA

More details coming soon—we look forward to another impactful Connect event in 2026.

01/13/2026

As the 2026 Legislature gets underway, the topic of affordability is about to take center stage – and rightly so. Washington has the fourth highest grocery costs in the country and ranks second in the country for fuel costs. These two factors are not a coincidence! Higher fuel costs add to the cost of our food and groceries.

Then, last session, the governor and some lawmakers added more taxes and costs to the wholesalers who provide food and other groceries to your neighborhood grocery store. Unlike the large grocery stores who own their own distribution systems, a neighborhood grocery store MUST use a wholesaler to obtain the food it sells.

It’s time to stop the sneaky taxes on food!

We agree with the Seattle Times’ editorial: “Soaring housing, energy and food prices are eating through the budgets of state residents and small business owners.”

Enough is enough!

One year after raising $12 billion in new taxes, lawmakers must not repeat the same costly mistakes that led them to this moment.

12/31/2025

As 2025 comes to an end, we want to thank you for all the support you have shown WFIA this last year. We are so grateful to all of you. We are looking forward to all the changes and challenges that 2026 is bringing. From the whole team at WFIA, we hope you all have a wonderful and safe New Year!

12/23/2025

From all of us at WFIA, may you have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

12/19/2025

Washington retailers, wholesalers and distributors impacted by the state’s new tax impacting ni****ne products are scrambling to comply with a Jan. 1, 2026 reporting deadline.

This fall, Washington’s Department of Revenue (DOR) shared that retailers, wholesalers and distributors will need to determine and report the value of their existing inventory of any products containing ni****ne, which were not previously taxed as to***co products. That inventory must be completed by Jan. 1, 2026 — meaning any work must be done at the height of the retail season.

WFIA has expressed concern with the timeline of the tax, given end-of-year and holiday ordering, but the law requires that floor stock must occur simultaneously with the law’s effective date of Jan. 1.

WFIA member stores, particularly independent grocers and convenience stores, operate with limited staff who are already working at capacity during the busy holiday season.

This unwelcome holiday surprise creates more worries for businesses struggling to adjust to a constantly changing tax and regulatory environment.