The Alabama Grocers Association (AGA), the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries and the Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers Association recently gathered for the 2018 Buy Alabama’s Best Retail Campaign Awards luncheon at The Club in Birmingham. “Buy Alabama’s Best” displays feature participating Alabama food products to help consumers identify which products are headquartered, produced […]
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.
IGA Names Its International Retailers Of The Year, Presents New Awards
It’s a big year for Baker’s IGA. The Ohio grocer, owned by Gary and Terrie Baker, celebrates 100 years in business and was just named the IGA USA International Retailer of the Year. This award and others were presented at a brunch on Feb. 11 as part of the IGA Global Rally in Las Vegas, […]
Chacko To Succeed Papadellis As President Of Ocean Spray Cranberries
Randy Papadellis, president and CEO of Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., announced Feb. 15 that he plans to leave the cooperative on July 1, 2018, capping an 18-year career. Effective immediately, Bobby Chacko, who has been serving as SVP and chief growth officer since 2017, has been promoted to president and COO. Papadellis, whose career in the food […]
Kroger’s Culinary Innovation Center Now Open In Downtown Cincy
The Kroger Co. has opened its new test kitchen and training facility in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, called the Culinary Innovation Center. Among the benefits of the new center for Kroger is the ability to grow its Prep+Pared Meal Kits this year, in both flavors and footprint. Daniel Hammer, Kroger’s VP of culinary development and new […]
Gelson’s Unveiling Three Remodeled Stores Next Week
Gelson’s will celebrate the grand reopenings of its Del Mar, La Costa/Carlsbad and Rancho Mirage, California, stores during the week of Feb. 19-25. Each remodeled store offers new amenities and will celebrate with samples, giveaways and special deals, including a 30 percent off six or more beer, wine or spirits sale, the Encino-based grocer said. […]
Morris To Succeed Denningham As COO Of Albertsons Cos.
Albertsons Cos. said Jan. 16 that President and COO Wayne Denningham plans to retire near the end of the company’s fiscal year, which typically falls in late February. Denningham’s career at Albertsons has spanned 40 years, having started working as a clerk as a teenager. Susan Morris will become EVP and COO, overseeing supply chain, manufacturing […]
Company Veteran Wescoe Named President Of Whole Foods’ Northeast Region
Whole Foods Market announced Jan. 8 that it has appointed 24-year company veteran Nicole Wescoe as president of its Northeast region, overseeing 41 stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Her territory includes the East Coast’s first Whole Foods Market 365 store, opening in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood in January, and a new Whole […]
Hydrox Cookies Become ‘Amazon Choice’ Product In Two Days
According to a Dec. 19 news release from Hydrox manufacturer Leaf Brands, it started selling its non-GMO sandwich cookies on Amazon in early December, and it already has become the No. 1 new sandwich cookie on the site. It also has been designated as an “Amazon Choice” product, which means Amazon recommends Hydrox as a […]
Delicato Family Vineyards Founding Family Member Dies At 84
Vincent “Vince” Indelicato, a founding family member of Delicato Family Vineyards in Napa, California, died Dec. 17 in Modesto. He was 84. Mr. Indelicato was born at San Joaquin County Hospital on Sept. 2, 1933, to Gaspare and Caterina Indelicato. He spent his childhood working in the Manteca cellars and vineyards of Delicato Family Vineyards, […]
Stater Bros.’ New Norco Store Offers More Services, Fresh New Look
Stater Bros. Markets held the grand opening of its new 45,712-s.f. store in the Norco Village Shopping Center in Norco, California, on Nov. 15, and The Shelby Report’s Bob Reeves, VP-West, was there. The new store at 2430 River Road—in a newly constructed shopping center where it was the second retailer to open after a […]
GMA Panelists Examine ‘The Future Retail Reality’
Louise Keely, global head of retail for Nielsen, Jay Nikolich, divisional VP of e-commerce at Pharmavite LLC and Jonathan Scherr, head of strategic partnerships at CircleUp, came together to discuss “The Future Retail Reality” at the Grocery Manufacturers Association Leadership Forum at The Greenbrier in West Virginia in September. Pharmavite offers vitamins, minerals and herbal […]
New IGA President/CEO Sees Three Trends Driving Retail’s Future
On John Ross’ first day as president and CEO of IGA USA in Chicago on Oct. 17, he and his predecessor Mark Batenic took time to field some questions from Shelby Report Editor-in-Chief Lorrie Griffith. Ross already had met with members of the 38-person team at IGA headquarters before the 9 a.m. Central interview. Asked […]
Coke Research: Offer Prepared Food Variety For Your Diverse Shoppers
The Coca-Cola Co. recently presented research about “Fresh-to-Go” meals, with the goal of helping grocers fine-tune their prepared meals programs to help families eat dinner together at home more often. Carrie Williams, senior manager of shopper insights for Coca-Cola, shared some of the insights from the research, which was fielded to help retailers participate in […]
SEG Growing Fresco y Más, Harveys In Florida In November
Southeastern Grocers (SEG) said Oct. 11 that it plans to open eight new stores in Florida, comprising five new Fresco y Más stores in South Florida and three new Harveys Supermarkets in West Florida. These banners are the fastest growing ones for the Jacksonville, Florida-based chain, which also operates the Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo banners. SEG […]
Sandwich Designed By NFL Wide Receiver Debuts At Harris Teeter
At 1 p.m. today—Tuesday, Oct. 3—Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess will make an appearance at the Harris Teeter store at Morrocroft Village in Charlotte to debut his personally designed signature sub sandwich (and sign autographs). Not surprisingly, Harris Teeter says the sandwich is made for larger appetites. Funchess’ sandwich, dubbed the “Funchess Munch,” features […]
Michigan Grocers, Retailers Associations To Join Forces On Jan. 1
The Michigan Grocers Association (MGA) and the Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) are combining operations effective Jan. 1, 2018. Michigan Grocers will become a division of the Michigan Retailers Association. With the change, MGA President and CEO Linda M. Gobler, who has been an advocate for the retail food industry for 32 years, will retire but […]
HR & Benefits News: The Real Cost Of Worker Turnover For Grocers
Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a new monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Price tag of turnover is shocking Employee turnover is a significant issue for independent grocers, especially for part-time workers. And the real cost of turnover is hidden—it’s not a tracked profit-and-loss statement line item. […]
Aurora Organic Dairy Out Ahead Of Corporate Citizenship Goals
Boulder, Colorado-based Aurora Organic Dairy, a leading producer of store brand organic milk, remains on track to surpass several of its five-year corporate citizenship goals, which were established in 2012. Aurora comprises more than 75,000 acres of organic farmland operated by 100 independent farmers and 12,000 organic pasture acres surrounding its dairy farms. The company […]
Living Wall Highlights New Whole Foods In Chicago Neighborhood
Whole Foods Market’s new Midwest flagship store in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood—at the historic Ashland-Belmont-Lincoln intersection—is wrapped on three sides by a 10-foot-high vertical garden with more than 5,000 plants, created with the “LiveWall” system. The new Whole Foods Market is 75,000 s.f. “The living wall softens the building’s exterior while providing beautiful greenery along the […]
Kroger To Open Kitchen 1883 Restaurant In Kentucky
The Kroger Co.’s culinary development team has revealed a new restaurant concept—Kitchen 1883—that will open in Union, Kentucky, in late October, serving “new American comfort food.” “With Kitchen 1883, our goal is to create a gathering place that offers a genuinely delicious place to relax and experience our food,” said Daniel Hammer, Kroger’s VP of […]
