Certified Angus Beef recognized its retail, distributor and supply chain partners during the brand’s 2026 Annual Conference, held Sept. 9-11 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Florida, as the brand marked its 47th year.
The annual gathering brings together leaders from every part of the beef supply chain, with this year’s award recipients including family farmers and ranchers, processors, distributors, retailers and restaurateurs.
Schnuck Markets earned Retailer of the Year honors, while ShopRite was named Large Chain Marketer of the Year, a recognition that reflects a more than 30-year partnership between Wakefern Food Corp. and Certified Angus Beef. ShopRite also received the award in 2024.
Marketing and brand leadership awards
- Retailer of the Year: Schnuck Markets
- Independent Marketer of the Year: El Bodegon
- Marketer of the Year, Small Chain: Buehler’s Food Markets Inc.
- Marketer of the Year, Large Chain: ShopRite
- Value-Added Products Marketer of the Year: Market Basket
- Retail Rising Star: New York Butcher Shoppe
- Retail Rookie of the Year: Toro De Oro Market
- Specialty Store Marketer of the Year: The Meat Center
- Retail Distributor Marketer of the Year: Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc.
- Retail Distributor Rising Star: Quirch Foods Co.
- Retail Line Extension Marketer of the Year: MDI (Merchants Distributors Inc.) and Sosa Compare Foods
Retailer volume awards
- Top Retail Sales Volume Increase: Schnuck Markets
- Top Retail Average Volume Per Store (more than 10 stores): Market Basket
- Top Retail Average Volume Per Store (10 or fewer stores): El Rancho Market
- Top Sales Volume Single Store Retailer: DeKalb Farmers Market
Top volume rankings
Large chain: 1. Meijer Inc.; 2. Market Basket; 3. Giant Eagle Inc.; 4. ShopRite; 5. Schnuck Markets.
Small chain: 1. Foodland Super Markets Ltd.; 2. Pete’s Market; 3. Festival Foods; 4. Strack & Van Til; 5. Longo’s (Canada).
Distributor: 1. Bertolino Foods; 2. MDI; 3. Associated Food Stores.
Related: AWG Named Certified Angus Beef Distributor Marketer Of The Year