IT Retail Leading the Way with Nutrition Incentives Capabilities

At IT Retail, we’ve already solved the challenge of how nutrition incentives POS transactions are processed so you can focus on implementing a valuable program for your SNAP shoppers.

Want to increase your product sales, retain more customers and achieve greater engagement with your store community? Our IT Retail POS team is ready to help provide you the opportunity to achieve these profitable goals via nutrition incentive programs.

Read more below about these exciting new incentive programs and how your IT Retail POS team and the National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center (NGAF TA Center) can help you be first in line to start your nutrition incentive program. 

What are nutrition incentives?

Nutrition incentives allow food retailers to provide extra food dollars to help low-income shoppers buy more fruits and vegetables. Retailers are reimbursed for the value of discounts and free products distributed via the programs. 

There are two primary nutrition incentive programs being conducted by retailers across the country.  

• SNAP fresh produce incentives provide benefits to SNAP customers when they purchase produce – benefits that can be used to purchase more produce.
• Produce prescriptions are issued by healthcare providers to low-income patients whose health conditions could be improved by eating more fruits and vegetables. Produce prescriptions are redeemed for eligible foods at participating food retailers.

Nutrition incentive programs are not available to all retailers. However, retailers who are “incentive ready” may be better positioned to implement a program when available in their area. 

What is GusNIP and how does the funding work?

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Grant Program (GusNIP) is a $250M, 5-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Each year, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) issues a solicitation inviting interested nonprofit entities and state/local government agencies to submit proposals to administer nutrition incentive programs with grocers. Grocers are not eligible to apply for GusNIP funding and must partner with organizations that have received GusNIP grant funding. 

For SNAP fresh produce incentive programs, there is a required match where for every $1 provided by GusNIP, the grant applicant must provide an additional $1. Generally, retailers are not required to provide direct or match funding for programs. There is no federal match requirement for producing prescription programs.

How IT Retail conducts SNAP fresh produce Nutrition incentive transactions

Across the country, incentive transactions are conducted via POS printed coupons, store loyalty cards, immediate discounts, or special program cards. IT Retail offers the capability to conduct incentive transactions via an “instant” discount during a transaction along with the option of issuing a register printed coupon redeemable during a future transaction. Both incentive methods are triggered when a SNAP EBT customer has purchased qualifying products and then swipes their EBT card. Regardless of which transaction method you and your grant partner select to use, both transaction methods are automatic and do not require cashier decision-making or intervention.  If you are contacted about establishing an incentive program, be sure to contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss our system capabilities with you and your grant partner. 

Want to learn more about nutrition incentives?

The NGAF Technical Assistance Center (NGAF TA Center) serves as the grocer resource for nutrition incentives because they address the challenges grocers face in establishing nutrition incentive programs and there are no fees for assistance with nutrition incentive implementations as their services are funded by GusNIP.  

What services does the NGAF TA Center offer?

The TA Center offers nutrition incentive education and support for technology providers, wholesalers, stores, and grant organizations. They answer retailer questions, assist in program planning and help identify solutions at the POS level to run nutrition incentive programs.  Additionally, they help stores identify grantees for incentive partnerships.   

Come say hi, our booth is 319 also ask us what new at our booth! Our system is designed to be used by grocery stores, and our team is always there to help you. See how well your store could be functioning with our POS system by signing up for a free demo.