Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market announced June 20 that Jack L. Sinclair has been chosen as its new CEO and member of its board of directors, effective June 24. Sinclair has more than 35 years of experience in retail and grocery, most recently serving as CEO of 99 Cents Only Stores LLC, a Commerce, California-based […]
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.
Golding Farms Foods Acquires Arcobasso Foods To Enhance Its Offerings
Golding Farms Foods, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based manufacturer of private label and branded sauce and condiment products, has acquired Arcobasso Foods Inc., a manufacturer of refrigerated dressings, sauces and beverage mixers. Golding Farms says the acquisition will enhance its product offerings and capabilities in several high-growth categories and establishes a national manufacturing footprint to supply […]
Rouses Opens Replacement Store In Gulfport, Mississippi
More than 300 people lined up before dawn on June 12 to be among the first to check out their new Rouses Market in Gulfport, Mississippi, the Thibodaux, Louisiana-based grocer says. Doors opened at 6:55 a.m., and the shoppers were greeted by cheering team members and company leaders who offered a big “Welcome to Rouses” […]
Next Generation Takes Over At Alliance Sales & Marketing Of Alabama
To suggest that July 2018 was a bad month for the Tinney family of Birmingham, Alabama, is an understatement. The patriarch of the family, Doug Tinney, died unexpectedly, leaving his wife and four adult children to manage Tinney’s business, Alliance Sales & Marketing of Alabama. They quickly realized that Alliance was a true “old school” […]
An Exclusive Look At Aldi’s 1,900th Store In San Diego
The Shelby Report‘s VP-West Bob Reeves was on site at Aldi’s new store in the Mira Mesa neighborhood of San Diego that opened June 13. It marks the Illinois-based grocer’s 1,900th store in the U.S. and is part of a $3.4 billion Aldi investment to expand to 2,500 stores nationwide by the end of 2022. […]
Fourth-Generation Ala. Grocer Jackson Mitchell Buys Five Ga. Stores
Jackson Mitchell is a fourth-generation member of his family’s business, Mitchell Grocery Corp. in Albertville, Alabama. On June 12, Jackson Mitchell Holdings Inc.—of which Jackson Mitchell is founder and CEO—closed on a deal to purchase Little Giant Farmers Market Corp., which operates five Georgia grocery stores. These include the original Riverdale location; the flagship store […]
North Florida Profile: Region’s Economy Offers Opportunities For Growth
by Treva Bennett/staff writer The North Florida economy is strong and getting stronger, as the Sunshine State continues to grow in population, job opportunities and tourism. Jacksonville.com, citing an “Elevate Northeast Florida” report, recently said the Jacksonville area could become the “highest performing economy in the country” over the next five years. The report recommended […]
Perdue Foods’ New Chicken Plus Line Combines Chicken, Vegetables
Perdue Foods has created a new line called Perdue Chicken Plus that includes nuggets, tenders and patties. To make the new products, Salisbury, Maryland-based Perdue blends cauliflower, chickpeas and plant protein with no-antibiotics-ever white meat chicken. Each serving has a quarter-cup, or half a serving, of vegetables. The products are made with 100 percent all-natural […]
Kroger, Ocado Break Ground On High-Tech CFC In Ohio
The Kroger Co. and Ocado broke ground June 12 on their first customer fulfillment center (CFC). The automated warehouse facility with digital and robotic capabilities—also known as a shed—is being constructed in Monroe, Ohio. Kroger intends to open 20 CFCs to create a seamless customer experience. Two additional sites have been selected in the Central […]
NAMI Joins 950+ Groups To Urge Swift Passage Of USMCA
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) on June 11 joined more than 950 organizations representing the U.S. food and agriculture industries to urge members of Congress to swiftly ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). NAMI’s members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb and poultry, as well as manufacture the equipment and ingredients needed […]
Jensen Meat Co. Owners Acquire Before The Butcher
Gregg and Jeff Hamann, owners of San Diego ground beef producer Jensen Meat Co., have acquired controlling interest in Before the Butcher, an Irvine, California-based maker of plant-based “meats.” The acquisition closed May 23. Financial details were not disclosed. The acquisition gives Before the Butcher access to a $25 million line of credit, a 90,000-s.f. […]
Recommended: Workers To Vote On Strike Against 3 SoCal Chains
Members of seven Southern California food workers locals, including San Diego’s, will vote June 24 on whether to authorize a strike against three major grocery chains, it was announced Monday via social media. Potentially targeted are Albertsons, Kroger-owned Ralphs and Albertsons-owned Vons — which took major losses in the last major supermarket strike in 2003-2004. […]
Foley Succeeds Leopardi As President Of Meals & Beverages At Campbell
Chris Foley has been named president of Campbell Meals & Beverages and SVP of Campbell Soup Co., the Camden, New Jersey-based company announced June 10. Foley succeeds Roberto Leopardi, former president–Meals & Beverages, who is leaving the company. Foley will lead the $4.3 billion Meals & Beverages division that includes the company’s U.S. soup, simple […]
Food City Breaks Ground On New Radford, Virginia, Store
A new Food City in Radford, Virginia, now is underway. The 49,700-plus-s.f. supermarket, located on Tyler Avenue, is expected to be completed by this fall. “We are extremely excited to be joining the Radford retail community. We look forward to constructing a state-of-the-art supermarket that will create both jobs and tax revenue for the citizens […]
21st Amendment Brewery Distributing Across Texas This Summer
San Leandro, California-based 21st Amendment Brewery, the 26th-largest craft brewery in the U.S., said in late May that it will launch its beers statewide in Texas this summer. Its craft beer line includes Brew Free! or Die IPA, El Sully Mexican-Style Lager, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer, Sparkale Sparkling Rosé Ale, and Blood Orange […]
Shenandoah Growers Opens ‘NextGen BioFarm’ In Jefferson, Georgia
Virginia-based Shenandoah Growers, specializing in indoor bioponic growing, has opened a new, expanded production facility in Jefferson, Georgia. The facility will pack, ship and grow fresh, certified organic herbs to meet local demand, expand Shenandoah Growers’ living organic product line and improve delivery logistics in the Southeast region. The 62,400-s.f. facility is one of Shenandoah […]
NC’s Hampton Farms Taps Agency To Promote Its Seasonal Peanut Line
Hampton Farms, an in-shell peanut company in Severn, North Carolina, has chosen Rivers Agency, a full-service integrated marketing firm in Chapel Hill, to “elevate its brand and launch new product-driven campaigns” following what Hampton Farms said was a “competitive pitch process.” As Hampton Farms’ agency of record, Rivers will handle branding, campaign strategy and execution, […]
Josie’s Java House Brand Now Sold In Southeastern Grocers Stores
San Diego-based Youngevity International (YGYI) announced in May that its Josie’s Java House Brand coffee, made by its CLR Roasters manufacturing division, now is available in 570 stores owned by Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers (SEG): 400 Winn-Dixie stores, 96 Bi-Lo stores, 25 Fresco y Mas stores and 50 Harvey stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, […]
Walmart To Launch InHome Delivery Later This Year
Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart eCommerce U.S., shared in a June 7 blog post that the company will launch a new service called InHome Delivery later this year. The new service will allow online shoppers to have their groceries delivered even when they can’t be at home. InHome will be kicked off this […]
Keurig Dr Pepper Reveals New Corporate Responsibility Commitments
Keurig Dr Pepper on June 3 announced unified Corporate Responsibility (CR) commitments to deliver positive impact, less than a year after the merger of Burlington, Massachusetts-based Keurig Green Mountain and Dallas, Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group. KDP’s new “Drink Well. Do Good.” CR platform was developed following extensive analysis across the company’s expansive hot and […]
