In this episode of The Natural List, host Adrienne Smith interviews Pat Sheridan, CEO and president of the Independent Natural Retailers Association (INFRA). Our episode begins with Pat sharing his experience as a first-time judge at the NEXTY Awards, highlighting the collaborative and insightful discussions among industry experts evaluating innovative natural products, and continues into updates and news that will help members of the organization thrive.

What is INFRA? The newly B-Corp certified Independent Natural Retailers Association is a purchasing cooperative of independent organic and natural food and wellness retailers serving hundreds of communities across the U.S., the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Providing peer support, operational excellence and offering purchasing power to its members, which now includes 390 members and 650 storefronts, the organization collectively generates $3.3 billion in sales. INFRA's exclusive brand, The Good Collective, was newly launched to strengthen member stores and includes several product lines supported by new consumer marketing initiatives intended to drive awareness and support for member stores.

Pat provides an update on INFRA's strategic focus on leveraging data to empower its members and creating business intelligence dashboards, enabling independent retailers to access insights typically available only to larger chains. These tools aim to help members optimize inventory, identify top-selling products and improve profitability. He also reflects on the resilience of independent natural retailers, noting that Infra stores have consistently outperformed the broader natural channel for 36 consecutive months. Looking ahead, he envisions continued growth and innovation for INFRA, emphasizing the importance of supporting independent retailers as the heart of the natural products industry. Listen now!

Thank you to our sponsors Daabon, A Greener World, Advantage Solutions, Lakanto and FrieslandCampina Ingredients.

In this episode:

1. 0:00 - Thank you to our sponsors!
2. 0:14 – Welcome to our guest, Pat Sheridan, CEO and president of INFRA
3. 0:44 – Thank you to our sponsor, FrieslandCampina Ingredients.
4. 1:07 – Thank you to our sponsor, A Greener World.
5. 1:43 – Pat discusses his experience being a first time NEXTY Award judge.
6. 4:02 – Pat’s favorite categories surprised him with flavor evolution and taste.
7. 5:49 – INFRA’s journey to B-Corp certification
8. 6:41 – INFRA’s growth and support network
9. 7:52 – INFRA recently launched its own brand, The Good Collective, aimed at supporting INFRA stores.
10. 8:51 – 2026 goals include consumer marketing for The Good Collective brand to drive consumers to INFRA stores.
11. 9:25 – What kind of support do member stores get from INFRA?
12. 10:27 – Thank you to our sponsor, Lakanto.
13. 11:10 – Thank you to our sponsor, Advantage Solutions.
14. 11:59 – Pat’s experience in data is informing INFRA’s new business intelligence dashboards, which are designed to serve member stores with insights and suggestions to increase profits.
15. 14:18 – Where is INFRA heading in the next five years?
16. 16:15 – INFRA stores have outperformed natural channel stores every four months over the last 36 months.
17. 16:59 – Give Pat’s band a listen! The Mediocritones.
18. 17:17 – Thank you to our sponsor, Daabon.