Pabst Brewing Co., North America’s largest privately held brewing company, has completed its sale to Blue Ribbon Intermediate Holdings. Blue Ribbon is a partnership between American beer entrepreneur Eugene Kashper and San Francisco-based TSG Consumer Partners, a leading investor in growth consumer brands. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “We are thrilled to complete […]
Author Archives: Kristen Cloud
Kristen was Editor at The Shelby Report.
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products
Extend Nutrition Rolls Out Sugar- And Gluten-Free Protein Bars
Extend Nutrition has released its new sugar-free and gluten-free protein bars that are clinically proven to help control blood sugar for six to nine hours, according to the St. Louis-based company. The new Cookies & Cream and Chocolate & Caramel bars currently are available at extendbar.com, with retail sales to begin later this year. The […]
Posted in, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, National, New Products, Perishables, Suppliers
Smithfield Farmland Launches Premium All-Natural Fresh Pork Line
Smithfield Farmland is introducing Prime, a premium all-natural fresh pork line that the Virginia-based company says raises the bar for fresh pork under both its Smithfield and Farmland brands. The primary goal of the Prime program is to offer retailers a top-of-the-line fresh pork product in the retail meat case that provides consumers with a […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Executive News, National
Aldi Promotes Jason Hart To CEO Of U.S. Operations
Aldi Inc. has promoted Aldi U.S. President Jason Hart to CEO of its U.S. operations, effective April 1, 2015. The company says the move supports its further expansion in both the U.S. and internationally. Hart will be supported by Chuck Youngstrom and David Behm, who will continue in their roles of co-presidents for Aldi U.S. […]
Posted in, Northeast, Suppliers
Goya Foods Donates 300K Pounds Of Food To Catholic Charities
Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S., has donated 300,000 pounds of food to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York’s Feeding Our Neighbors campaign to support a vast network of food pantries and emergency food programs throughout the archdiocese. This year, with the help of Goya, Feeding Our Neighbors extends […]
Posted in, Midwest, Store News
More Details Released On Hy-Vee’s Health Insurance Plan For Customers
Earlier this year, Hy-Vee along with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and UnityPoint Health jointly announced Blue Rewards, a unique new option in health insurance designed to reward customers for healthy behaviors. Now, the companies are sharing more about the plan and its rewards. Designed with the busy, health-conscious consumer in mind, Blue Rewards […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National, Online Grocery Technology
FMI Study Scans Perceptions Among Grocery App Users
A new study finds that the more active a shopper is with social media, the less likely it is that shopper will use a grocery retailer’s app in a store. The study, from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Saint Joseph’s University, also finds that shoppers with large grocery expenditures were most active in utilization […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Wonderfully Raw Rolls Out Dipperz
Wonderully Raw is introducing Dipperz as part of its 2015 product line. Dipperz are the first pre-dipped and ready-to-munch broccoli, cauliflower and carrot crunchies that pack a pound of pre-dipped veggies into 1.5-oz. packages, according to the California-based company. Dipperz are available in three flavors: Cheezy, Ranch and Lemongrass Chili. The product has 120 calories […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Ralphs Plans To Hire 1,200 New Employees Across Southern California
Ralphs, a division of The Kroger Co., is hiring to fill an estimated 1,200 permanent positions at its stores in Southern California. Ralphs currently employs more than 19,000 associates at its stores in the region. “Ralphs is committed to creating job opportunities for our current and future associates,” said Donna Giordano, president of Ralphs. “Working […]
Posted in, Grocery News, National, Suppliers
Gluten-Free Foods Surge 63 Percent In Last Two Years
These days it seems that grocery shelves are exploding with gluten-free choices, due in large part to greater awareness of a gluten-free diet as a result of increasing diagnoses of celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities as well as the diet’s perceived health benefits. It’s little surprise, then, that recent Mintel research finds the gluten-free food […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Instacart Partners With Fresh & Easy For Delivery In L.A., San Fran Bay Area
Instacart, which delivers groceries from multiple local stores within an hour, will now deliver groceries from Fresh & Easy stores in the Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. This is the first time that Fresh & Easy has offered its customers delivery. Instacart customers will be able to choose from Fresh & Easy’s […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Midwest
Fresh Encounter Acquires Chief Super Market Chain
Fresh Encounter, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Defiance, Ohio-based Chief Super Market chain. The acquisition incorporates all Chief Super Market retail locations—Boots BBQ, Chief Kitchen and Chief Smokehouse—into the Fresh Encounter retail business. The combined companies will operate 36 stores in Ohio and Indiana and employ approximately […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Southeast, Store News
Some Tennessee Grocery Stores May Have To Wait An Extra Year To Sell Wine
Tennesseans overwhelmingly voted for wine in grocery stores during the election earlier this month, with a referendum passing in every single community that put it on the ballot. Under the law as it’s written now, wine cannot be sold in grocery stores until July 2016 but, for stores within 500 feet of an existing liquor […]
Posted in, Midwest, Perishables, Suppliers
Sushi Maker Opening New Manufacturing Facility In Chicago
Fuji Food Products, a fresh food manufacturing division of Meruelo Group and the largest provider and distributor of pre-packaged sushi in the U.S., is opening a new manufacturing facility in South Elgin, Illinois, near Chicago. Set to be fully operational in December, the 40,000-s.f. plant located on Schneider Drive will produce and specialize in fresh, […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, Southeast, Store News
Bi-Lo, Harveys And Winn-Dixie Stores Now Accepting Apple Pay
Bi-Lo Holdings, parent company of Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie, is now accepting Apple Pay at all of its stores across the Southeast. “Customers want a shopping experience that is convenient, easy and secure, which is why we’re so pleased to announce support for Apple Pay,” said Bert DuMars, VP of digital marketing at Bi-Lo Holdings. […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Northeast
Associated Food Stores Signs Supply Agreement With C&S
New York-based Associated Food Stores has signed an agreement for C&S Wholesale Grocers to be its primary supplier. C&S will provide warehouse, transportation and procurement services. Associated Food Stores licenses the names Associated, Compare, Met, Met Fresh and Metropolitan City Markets to more than 350 independently owned and operated supermarkets. “With the acquisition of the assets of […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Executive News, West
Raley’s Kevin Curry Named FIEP’s 2015 Food Industry Exec In Residence
The USC Marshall School of Business Food Industry Executive Program (FIEP) has named Kevin Curry, MBA ’92, the Food Industry Executive in Residence for 2015. Curry is SVP of sales, marketing, advertising and merchandising for Raley’s Supermarkets. Each year, the Food Industry Executive Program selects a Food Industry Executive in Residence. This person typically has […]
Posted in, National, Produce News
The Produce Mom Hosting #HealthyThanksgiving Twitter Party On Wednesday
Thanksgiving’s nearly here, and moms who are trying to offer up a “wow” factor along with their healthy Thanksgiving feasts may find it more of a challenge than a celebration. For fresh, family-friendly holiday meal ideas with pizzazz, The Produce Mom and her partners are hosting a #HealthyThanksgiving Twitter party at 9 p.m. (ET) Wednesday, […]
Posted in, C-Store News, Southwest
CST Brands-Nice N Easy Union Continues MacDougall Legacy
by Mike Berger/The Griffin Report From many leadership perspectives, the purchase of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes of New York by CST Brands of Texas is a good match. The union between the two companies will continue the wishes of the late Nice N Easy founder and icon John MacDougall. In early November, CST Brands […]
Posted in, National, Store News
FMI Board Calls On Congress To Act On Marketplace Fairness Legislation
Forty-six members of the Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) board of directors, representing the entire breadth of the food wholesale and retail industry, have called on the U.S. Congress to complete work on e-fairness legislation this year. The letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) says, “We urge […]