Brothers James and Jerry Smith, owners and operators of Demo Deluxe/IMG, both recently passed away after battling cancer. A funeral service for the brothers was held Monday in Orange, Calif. James A. Smith died Nov. 21 and Jerry E. Smith died Dec. 6. Both were 66 years old. They were born two minutes apart on […]
Author Archives: Kristen Cloud
Kristen was Editor at The Shelby Report.
Posted in, New Products, Southeast
Swamp Seeds Now Sold In 5K-Plus Stores
The concept started on the back of Marshall Beall’s pickup truck, moved to Cathy Bryant’s kitchen sink and now can be found in more than 5,000 stores across Louisiana, Mississippi and parts of Texas. Swamp Seeds, a Cajun concoction of sunflower seeds roasted in crawfish boil is literally and figuratively one of the hottest products […]
Posted in, National
ROFDA Fall Conference Coverage: Campbell Talks Independents And Independence
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Independents and independence have more in common than simply their pronunciations. That was the message Jay Campbell, president and CEO of Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge, shared during ROFDA’s 2012 Fall Conference. “Even though they’re called independent retail grocers, they will be the first to tell you that they are dependent […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Southeast
Southern Season Plans New Store In Charleston
Southern Season plans to open a store in Charleston, S.C., in the early summer of 2013. The 44,000-s.f. store will be owned by The Beach Co. and located at the Brookgreen Town Center on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. The store will include one of the world’s largest gourmet food markets with a vast selection […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Natural Grocers Opens In Helena, Mont.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage opened its newest location in Helena, Mont., on Tuesday. The Helena store at 3061 North Montana Ave. is the company’s third Montana location, following stores in Billings and Missoula earlier this year. Natural Grocers, based in Colorado, offers only natural and organic products on its shelves: shoppers will find only […]
Posted in, Northeast, Store News
Fairway Market Opening In Kips Bay, N.Y., On Friday
Fairway Market says it has a holiday gift for residents of Kips Bay, Murray Hill, Gramercy, Union Square and many other midtown area New York neighborhoods. The newest Fairway Market will open at 550 Second Ave., off 30th Street, on Friday. The 40,119-s.f. store, in the Kips Bay Shopping Center, is being staffed by many […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, New Products
KeVita Launches New Daily Cleanse At Whole Foods
KeVita is mixing its proprietary culture featuring four strains of live probiotics with lemon and cayenne in its newest flavor, KeVita Daily Cleanse. Starting in January, KeVita Daily Cleanse will be available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. KeVita Daily Cleanse is a low-calorie, low-glycemic interpretation of the classic Master Cleanse. Lightly sweetened with […]
Posted in, National, West
Fresh Market, Utah Jazz Partner On Healthy Concessions At Home Games
For the first time, the Utah Jazz and Fresh Market are teaming up to offer healthy options to Jazz fans throughout the 2012-13 NBA season. In conjunction with JazzFit, a Utah Jazz program that encourages fans to achieve a happier, healthier, active lifestyle, Fresh Market will provide a produce stand offering the freshest seasonal fruit […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Stater Bros. Raises $232K For City Of Hope Pediatric Cancer Programs
Stater Bros. Charities recently raised $231,896 during the Kids 4 Hope Campaign, which benefits Pediatric Cancer Programs at City of Hope in Duarte, Calif. Stater Bros. has conducted this company-wide Kids 4 Hope Mobile Campaign for nine years and, to date, this campaign has raised more than 1.2 million for City of Hope Pediatric Cancer […]
Posted in, C-Store News, Southeast
New 7-Elevens Signal Growth In Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami has become home to three new corner store-type 7-Elevens, a sign of growth in the area, the South Florida Business Journal reports. The new stores are smaller than a typical 7-Eleven, do not include a parking lot and focus on grab-and-go options for the increasing number of residents and workers in the downtown […]
Posted in, Midwest, Perishables
Hy-Vee Partners With Suppliers To Fill Holiday Demand For Fresh Seafood
In the landlocked Midwest, seafood may not be thought of as traditional holiday fare. But this holiday season, when families gather around the Christmas dinner table or ring in the New Year with friends, it’s more likely than ever that fresh seafood will be on the menu. Kenan Judge, AVP of meat and seafood operations […]
Posted in, Feature, National
Social Media, Mobile Technology Increasingly Driving Shopper Behavior
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Kevin Kirsch, co-owner of Chevy Chase Supermarket in Chevy Chase, Md., understands the importance of technology and social media. In fact, he assumes the younger generation expects his 25,000-s.f. single-store operation to have a website, at the very least. “Then I assume that you figure stores should at least have a […]
Posted in, National
Kroger, Walmart Reported To Be Among Bidders For Hostess
The Kroger Co. and Walmart Stores Inc. are reportedly among the bidders for assets being sold by Hostess Brands Inc., the bankrupt maker of Wonder bread and Twinkies, Bloomberg reports. There are about two dozen bidders, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The source asked not to be named because the process is […]
Posted in, Executive News, National
Phillips Foods Appoints New COO To Lead Global Operations
Phillips Foods has appointed Paul Opitz as COO, effective Jan. 1. Previously the president of Phillips Asia, Opitz has been tasked with leveraging his 50-plus years of seafood production experience to enhance operational efficiencies for the global seafood processor. “Paul is the perfect leader to guide our company to even greater success in the years […]
Posted in, National
FPFC Raises $59K For Charities During Annual Auction
The Fresh Produce & Floral Council (FPFC) hosted its annual charity auction and luncheon at the Sheraton Cerritos in Cerritos, Calif., on Wednesday. Actor, singer and entrepreneur Frankie Avalon served as the event’s special guest as well as the celebrity auction host. Lorelei DiSogra, United Fresh, spoke about the great success of the “Let’s Move […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, West
El Rancho Marketplace Opens Store With Help From Calif. FreshWorks Fund
More than 50,000 residents of a California community have increased access to healthy foods and 140 jobs closer to home, as $1.7 million in unique financing allows a new business to invest in San Luis Obispo County. One of the first loans disbursed by California FreshWorks Fund LLC provides El Rancho Marketplace the means to […]
Posted in, National
Advantage Sales & Marketing To Purchase Action West Group
Advantage Sales & Marketing LLC (ASM) plans to launch a new division focused on retail meat, seafood, deli and bakery clients and customers. The move will be fueled by ASM’s planned acquisition of six companies that currently form a working alliance under the name of Action West Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. […]
Posted in, Executive News, West
Haggen CEO Gabriel Resigns
Clarence “Gabe” Gabriel has stepped down as president and CEO of Haggen Inc. and is being replaced by three experienced members of the grocery company’s management team, The Bellingham Herald reports. Gabriel’s resignation letter was accepted by the Haggen board of directors Friday, Dec. 7, and was relayed to company employees, said Clement Stevens, who […]
Posted in, National, West
United Natural Foods Workers At Auburn, Wash., D.C. Go On Strike
Workers at the United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) distribution center in Auburn, Wash., located at 22 30th St. NE, have gone on strike in response to what they say is the company’s refusal to negotiate over mandatory subjects of bargaining and other unlawful actions. Picket lines were established at 7 p.m. Monday. “UNFI is not […]
Posted in, National
Supervalu Sues Exec Who Defected To Rival
Supervalu is suing to keep a former executive from spilling secrets in his new job with a major competitor, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports. For about 15 months, Leon Bergmann was president of independent business at Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Supervalu Inc., where he led the company’s food and service sales to about 2,200 independent […]