The Shelby Report’s Southwest VP Tom Maloney was present for the opening of the new Fry’s Marketplace in Phoenix on July 15. The store is located at 1311 E. Bell Road. The 124,070-s.f. Marketplace features a wine bar that serves a wide selection of wines as well as local craft beer; a specialty cheese shop; […]
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.
Publix Has Target Date For Cage-Free Egg Transition
Publix Super Markets has published a position statement on its website that says it will work toward a 100 percent cage-free egg supply by 2026. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sent out an email to media with a link to Publix’s statement. Even though Publix already offered seven varieties of cage-free eggs […]
House Passes Biotech Labeling Act; President’s Desk Is Next Stop
The U.S. House has voted 306-117 in favor of final passage of S. 764, the Roberts-Stabenow Biotech Labeling Act. Industry groups are praising the House for passing the bill, which is now on the desk of President Obama. Media reports have indicated that the president is likely to sign the bill. If signed, the law […]
Natural Grocers Holding Job Fair For Idaho Store
Lakewood, Colorado-based Natural Grocers will open a new store in Hailey, Idaho, on Sept. 27, adding 28 jobs to the community. A job fair for the Hailey store, which is located at 710 North Main Street, will take place near the store, at the Wood River Inn at 603 North Main Street. The job fair […]
Senate Passes Roberts/Stabenow GMO Labeling Bill; Now To The House
Next week is a big week in the U.S. House of Representatives for the U.S. food industry, following the July 7 Senate passage of a bipartisan bill that creates a national labeling standard for all foods made with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Industry groups commended the Senate for its passage […]
Meat/Poultry/Seafood Sourcing Event Coming This Fall To Florida
FirstSource Events’ MainCourse1on1 is coming up Nov. 2-3 at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine, Florida. Bill Doherty, director of MainCourse1on1, says the event targets high-volume retail and foodservice buyers and suppliers of all “main course proteins,” including meat, poultry and seafood. Referring to surveys of past participants in MainCourse1on1, Doherty said, […]
Senate To Hold Final Vote On Compromise GMO Labeling Bill
On July 6, the U.S. Senate voted 65-32 to end debate and have a final vote on bipartisan national legislation regarding the disclosure of genetically engineered ingredients in food products. The compromise bill, S. 764, was championed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). It includes reforms to […]
Column: Getting A Boost From Nutrition Bars
by Naomi Sleeper Director of Business Development Imperial Distributors As the sun makes an appearance in the summer, so do we…on bike paths, hiking and running trails, waterfronts, sports fields; any outside venue, really. The seasonal upswing in outdoor activities, enhanced by a growing focus on wellness and active lifestyles, means a boost in the […]
Trading Company Stores President: Humor Is A Differentiator
Trading Company Stores President Paul Matejovsky had no intention of being in the grocery business. He grew up in Montana, spending “half my time on a saddle horse and the other half on a tractor. I was going to be a cowboy, baby.” He told those gathered for the ROFDA Spring Conference in Coeur d’Alene, […]
Kroger Achieves 50th Quarter In A Row Of ID Sales Growth
For the first quarter of fiscal 2016, The Kroger Co.’s identical (ID) supermarket sales growth, without fuel, of 2.4 percent. That marks Kroger’s 50th consecutive quarter of positive identical supermarket sales growth, excluding fuel. Kroger also reported reported net earnings of $680 million, or $0.70 per diluted share vs. $619 million, or $0.62 per diluted […]
Western Family’s Oregon HQ To Close With Topco Deal
On June 13, Western Family Foods Inc. and Topco Associates LLC reached an agreement that authorizes Topco to source three of Western Family’s brands that are sold through independent grocery retailers across the U.S. The brands are Western Family, Shurfine and Natural Directions. According to a statement from Western Family, “Under this arrangement, Topco will […]
Powdered Alcohol Ban In California Awaits Governor’s Signature
Alcohol Justice and the California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) are reporting that the Senate Governmental Organization Committee unanimously passed AB 155 on June 14. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), and coauthored by Sen. Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar), previously had passed unopposed through the Assembly. It will prohibit the possession, purchase, sale, […]
Southeastern Grocers Commits To Southeast Produce Growers
Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores, on June 14 announced a new local sourcing policy, committing to only source produce from local farms and orchards in the Southeast whenever possible. Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers says this policy should help grow Southeastern agriculture as well as provide customers with the freshest local […]
Wrigley Adds Skittles Line, Jobs To Factory In Illinois
On June 14, Wrigley’s Mars Inc. subsidiary opened a state-of-the-art addition to its Yorkville, Illinois, factory. The Yorkville expansion is the result of a $50 million investment by Mars that adds 145,000 s.f., a new Skittles line and 75 new jobs—a 25 percent increase in the workforce at the facility. “Mars has a long-standing history […]
Gelson’s Markets Holding June Fundraiser For CF Foundation
Starting June 6 and through the rest of the month, Gelson’s is holding a fundraiser to benefit those who live with cystic fibrosis (CF). Gelson’s operates 25 upscale grocery markets throughout Southern California, and with its shoppers, the grocer hopes to raise funds to help find a cure for this inherited disease that targets the […]
Natural Grocers To Open 20th Texas Store
Natural Grocers will open a store in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, June 14. The company, which already has 19 stores in the state of Texas, will employ 28 people at this location. The store will open at 8 a.m. and is located at 13310 NW Military Highway. In celebration of the grand opening, Natural […]
Grocery Outlet Sets Cage-Free Egg Goal
Extreme-value grocery retailer Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is working with suppliers to source 100 percent cage-free eggs for all of its locations by 2025, based on available supply. “Many Grocery Outlet stores serve underserved populations who regularly experience food insecurity. Our first obligation is to these customers, and we are committed to providing them wholesome, quality […]
General Mills Launches First All-New Cereal Brand In 15 Years
For the first time in more than 15 years, General Mills is introducing an all-new cereal brand—Tiny Toast—that arrives on store shelves across America this week. Available in strawberry and blueberry flavors, whole grain is the first ingredient in Tiny Toast, which also has no artificial flavors or colors from artificial sources and no high […]
Walmart Annual Meeting: McMillon Says Company Will ‘Reimagine Retail’
On Friday, June 3, at Walmart’s 46th annual shareholders meeting, President and CEO Doug McMillon urged the company’s 2.3 million associates to get behind the company’s vision, saying, “We have the opportunity to reimagine retail again.” As part of this “reimagining,” McMillon announced that Walmart is now working with Uber and other partners to test […]
Former PepsiCo Chief Enrico Dies At 71
Roger Enrico, who spent 30 years with PepsiCo before retiring in 2003, died June 1. He was 71. According to the Dallas Morning News, Enrico was snorkeling near his home in the Cayman Islands when he died. A major part of Enrico’s legacy is his leadership at Pepsi during the “Cola Wars” of the 1980s, […]
