In 1979, Sony transformed music portability with the Walkman; Pink Floyd released “The Wall”; the first children’s TV network Nickelodeon launched; and Gelson’s opened its Pacific Palisades store. Four decades ago, the Palisades was still a quiet emerging community, and Gelson’s helped to shepherd its growth and popularity, offering the very best produce, meats and […]
Author Archives: Lorrie Griffith

Lorrie began covering the supermarket and foodservice industries at Shelby Publishing in 1988, an English major fresh out of the University of Georgia. She started as an editorial assistant and proofreader—and, in spite of herself, she still proofreads everything, everywhere. Over more than three decades with Shelby, she held a variety of editorial roles. After a detour into business development, she rejoined Shelby in June 2024. “It’s good to be back covering the greatest industry in the world,” she says.
Lamb Weston Names Scheufler SVP, Chief Supply Chain Officer
Lamb Weston Holdings has named Gerardo Scheufler its new SVP and chief supply chain officer. He succeeded Rick Martin, who retired from the role effective Aug. 12. Scheufler has more than 25 years of supply chain experience, most recently serving as VP of global operations at Mondelez International Inc. There, he oversaw a restructuring program […]
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Taps Scott Owens As VP-Sales
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc., a marketer fruit and vegetables in North American has appointed Scott Owens to VP of sales and product management, North America (N.A.). In his new role, Owens will head the banana, pineapple and melon programs, overseeing an internal team focused on the core products of Del Monte Fresh Produce […]
Charlotte’s Web Growing To Meet Demand For Its Hemp CBD Lines
Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc., a Boulder, Colorado-based company whose business is hemp CBD extract products, has signed a lease on a newly constructed 136,610-s.f. industrial building located at 700 Tech Court in the Colorado Technology Center in Louisville, Colorado. The new location enables the company to prepare for production, distribution and R&D expansion to meet […]
Harley Loy, Founder Of The Markets In MS, LA, Dies At 89
Mr. Harley D. Loy, founder of Supermarket Operations Inc. (SOI), died July 17. He was 89. SOI operates seven stores under the name The Markets in five communities in southwest Mississippi and east central Louisiana. Mr. Loy, his four sons and nearly 400 team members built a community-minded company that continues to thrive. Three of […]
Blog: Beef And Alternative Proteins—Americans Choose Beef
Editor’s note: In this blog post from July 17, 2019, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board examines plant-based proteins and how consumers view them. We share this with permission. Recently, Burger King, the second-largest burger chain in the U.S., announced it would begin serving another version of the iconic Whopper using an all-vegetarian patty. Burger King’s adoption […]
Food Lion Will Offer Healthy Savings Program In All Stores
Food Lion customers in Virginia who carry a Healthy Savings card now are able to save instantly at checkout on fresh produce, whole grains, lean meats, yogurts and other items. The program rolled out in those stores Aug. 7. The Salisbury, North Carolina, grocer plans to expand the program to all other stores in its […]
Generation Next Pilots Photo Printing Kiosks At Atlanta-Area Krogers
Generation Next Franchise Brands is introducing a pilot with The Kroger Co.’s Atlanta Division for its Print Mates digital photo printing kiosks. The pilot phase will measure consumer engagement and response to the Print Mates kiosks, which are designed to “reinvent” the photo printing experience. Print Mates’ easy-to-use, touchscreen kiosks allow customers to print high-quality […]
IRI Consumer Connect Survey: CPG Non-Edible Sales Trends Mixed
Consumer confidence peaked in the second quarter of 2019, but spending is down and saving is up, according to the latest IRI Consumer Connect Survey results. Even though 56 percent of consumers say their financial health is good, CPG unit sales were flat or down and the non-food sector is struggling as well. To examine […]
Natural Grocers Sees Net Sales, Comps Increase In 3Q
For its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, Lakewood, Colorado-based Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage on Aug. 1 reported that net sales increased $11.3 million, or 5.3 percent, to $224.4 million vs. the 2018 third quarter. The net sales increase, according to the grocer, primarily was driven by a $5.1 million increase in comparable store […]
NGA Show Adding Pavilions For Foodservice, Pet Care And More
The NGA Show is debuting seven new specialty pavilions for the 2020 event, scheduled for Feb. 23-26 at the San Diego Convention Center. New on the 2020 NGA Show Expo floor are: • Foodservice Pavilion—Retailers can source products and services from current and emerging foodservice brands, allowing them to remain competitive by adding cafés within […]
New York City Bans CBD-Infused Food And Drinks
by Kristen Brissette/editorial assistant New York City’s Health Department has issued a ban that prohibits foodservice establishments from selling cannabidiol (CBD)-infused food and drinks, saying it is “responsible for promoting the safety of the food available to New Yorkers.” These products have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and selling […]
Albertsons Names Davidson President Of Its Portland, Oregon, Division
Albertsons Cos. has named Gineal Davidson president of its Portland, Oregon, division, which operates more than 140 stores in Oregon and Washington. She succeeds Greg McNiff, who was named president of Stater Bros. Markets in Southern California. Davidson started with Albertsons 30 years ago as a courtesy clerk in Boulder, Colorado, and was quickly promoted […]
Albertsons’ McNiff To Succeed Frahm At Helm Of Stater Bros. Markets
After more than 47 years of service to Stater Bros. Markets, President George Frahm, 66, has announced his plans to retire on Oct. 31. Food industry veteran Greg McNiff has been named to succeed him. “I have been blessed to work at Stater Bros. for my entire career and have had the opportunity to advance […]
Repurposing Deli To Meet Shoppers’ Needs
Sponsored content What is deli’s mission? Is it all about price cuts and product specials? Or should deli have a higher purpose? Shoppers have been telling us they want deli to do a better job meeting their needs when they’re short on time and menu ideas.¹ They’ve also asked us to deliver a shopping experience […]
Lancaster Local, Noluma Team Up To Offer Light-Protected Milk
Noluma International has partnered with Lancaster Local to roll out light-protected packaging that preserves the nutrients, flavor and quality of Lancaster Local’s new organic milk with A2A2 protein. Lancaster Local is a Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based community of farmers that produce Grade A milk. Research shows that in as little as an hour, retail and other indoor lights such […]
Boxed Names Former Amazon Executive Its First President
Boxed has tapped former Amazon executive Prentis Wilson as its first president. Founded in 2013, New York-based Boxed delivers warehouse club products direct to consumers. “Boxed brings convenience and savings to on-the-go consumers who don’t have the time, means, or patience to shop at a brick-and-mortar big box club, all with no membership fees,” according […]
Karns Quality Foods Store To Replace Darrenkamp’s In York, Pa.
Karns Quality Foods said July 25 that it will open a new location in the Newberry Commons Shopping Plaza in York County, Pennsylvania, in a space previously occupied by Darrenkamp’s, which announced last September that it would close its four stores. Darrenkamp’s had operated for more than eight decades. The new Karns Quality Foods store […]
Tops Taps Its Third Woman For Warehouse Leadership Role
Williamsville, New York-based Tops Friendly Markets has named Kelly Quigley GM of its Tops Grocery Distribution Center. Quigley becomes the third woman Tops has named to oversee a warehouse facility. In June, Tops announced the promotion of Sandy Macpeek to the role of GM of the Tops Frozen Distribution Facility in West Seneca, New York. […]
Big Y To Relocate Ansonia, Connecticut, Store To Derby
Springfield, Massachusetts-based Big Y said July 22 that it will relocate its Big Y World Class Market in Ansonia, Connecticut, to a location about three miles away, in Derby. The existing store sits at 403 Main Street in Ansonia. Construction currently is underway at the new “state-of-the art market” in Derby that is expected to […]
