Walk into most grocery stores and the experience is largely transactional: Grab a cart, work your way down the aisles and check out. Redner’s Markets wants to change that, and its newest store in Wilmington, Delaware, is the place where it’s making moves toward that next-generation grocery shopping experience. The Reading, Pennsylvania-based grocer broke ground […]
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.
Posted inAssociation News, Featured News, Finance News, Market Profile, News, Northeast
Shift In Spending Patterns Detected As DE Shoppers Navigate Economic Minefields
Julie Miro Wenger, executive director of the Delaware Food Industry Council, spoke with The Griffin Report about the busy year she and her members have had. Many challenges have arisen over the past 12-plus months, as a new administration has made some sweeping changes that affect the industry. But the state’s grocers, as is their […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, News, Southwest, The Kroger Co.
The Future: Kroger Texas Division Drives Forward Through Innovation
Kroger Texas says the spirit of innovation runs through everything the division undertakes. As a result, Houston and Dallas have served as test-and-learn markets for several of Kroger’s national innovations. These include Nuro driverless grocery delivery, a Hispanic concept store and an Asian concept store. For the Hispanic concept store, Houston was selected as the […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Feature, Featured News, News, Southwest, The Kroger Co.
The Present: Kroger Texas Division Understands What Shoppers Want
Texas has always been one of the most dynamic, competitive markets Kroger has competed in. To try and keep a competitive edge, the grocer focuses heavily on offering customers value and savings. Savings come in the form of extensive digital coupons, personalized offers, Fuel Rewards (including a variety of 4x gas points offers throughout the […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Feature, Featured News, News, Southwest, The Kroger Co.
The Past: 70 Years Strong, Kroger Texas Division Paves Path Of Progress
Kroger has a longstanding history and deep roots in Texas, dating back to 1955 when the Ohio-born grocer entered the Houston market with the purchase of grocery company Henke & Pillot, which had been in operation since 1872. Kroger kept the Henke & Pillot name on the stores for about 10 years, replacing it in […]
Posted inAssociation News, Market Profile, News, West
AFMA: Grocers Weather Supply Chain Uncertainties, Keep Focus On Customers
Lisa Bednar, president of the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, took time out of her busy legislative season to respond to questions from The Shelby Report of the West’s Lorrie Griffith about what’s happening in the state’s grocery industry. We’re coming out of a year that saw a new administration in the White House, a […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Southeast
Funding, Support Go Long Way For Grocers In Underserved Atlanta Areas
In December 2024, Invest Atlanta – the official economic development authority for the city of Atlanta – announced millions of dollars in grants to bolster fresh food access in underserved areas around the city. The first announcement was Invest Atlanta providing $8 million in funding for two stores to be operated by independent operator Savi […]
Posted inAssociation News, Finance News, Market Profile, News, West
Hawaii Grocery Industry Adapts During Uncertain Times, Mounting Challenges
The grocery industry in Hawaii is facing mounting challenges as food insecurity remains high and transportation costs continue to climb. Approximately 30 percent of Hawaii’s residents report some level of food insecurity, according to Alexis Chapman, director of operations for the Hawaii Food Industry Association in Honolulu. The situation is even more dire in certain […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, Market Profile, News, West
Okimoto Corp.’s Longstanding Values Guide Everyday Operations Of Its Stores
Hawaii grocer Okimoto Corp. celebrated 75 years in business in 2024, built on a foundation of honesty, integrity, humility and unity. Led by the third generation – Kris, Kyle and Kit Okimoto – the company operates two stores on Oahu and one on Molokai. Kit Okimoto, who in addition to his CFO duties in the […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Finance News, News, Northeast, ShopRite
Klein’s Celebrates Milestone Year With Plans To Keep Moving Forward
Shoppers will find a blend of heritage and progress when shopping Klein’s Family Market’s nine ShopRite stores in Maryland. Whether shopping a Klein’s store in a larger city like Baltimore or a smaller town like Cardiff, customers will find a broad selection of Maryland-grown and -made products (and everything else they need) in modern stores […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Finance News, News, West
Grocery Outlet Embarks On Informed Store Refresh
Improving the in-store experience as well as product mix and inventory levels have been guiding decisions at Grocery Outlet this year. President and CEO Jason Potter, who has been at the helm of the Emeryville, California-based grocer since Feb. 3, outlined Grocery Outlet’s priorities during a Nov. 4 earnings call covering third-quarter results. “We’ve spent […]
Posted inAssociation News, Market Profile, News, Northeast
Council President: Season Of Change Afoot Across Maryland Grocery Market
The Maryland grocery market is in a season of change, according to Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Food Industry Council. “New stores have opened, but many have closed this year as well,” said Locklair, who also serves as president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance and the Maryland Association of Chain Drug Stores. “Food is […]
Posted inMarket Profile, H-E-B, Independent Store News, News, Southwest
Central Texas Flooding: Grocers Deliver Aid, Funding and Community Support
Thirty counties in Central Texas remain disaster areas following the catastrophic flooding from rains that began to fall July 2. Flood waters rose from about 3 feet to 30 feet in just a few hours, leading to the loss of 25 girls and two counselors at Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, on the Guadalupe River, […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Feature, News, West
Sprouts Farmers Market Looking To Midwest, Northeast As New Growth Areas
Sprouts Farmers Market held its third quarter conference call Oct. 29, covering not only financial results but several other topics, including its plans around new store growth. By the end of this year, the Phoenix, Arizona-based grocer will have opened more stores than originally planned, and the pace will continue to ramp up, company executives […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, West
Idaho-Based M&W Markets Relishes History, Plans For Future
M&W Markets has its headquarters in a dairy barn about five minutes from downtown Boise, Idaho. The barn was built more than 100 years ago, complete with two silos out front. “We do take a little bit of pride in that, our agricultural roots as a family,” said Rich Tate, a member of the third […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Northeast
Charley Family Shop ’n Save’s Roots In Pittsburgh Area Run Deep
Tom Charley and Mike Charley are the fourth-generation owners of Charley Family Shop n’ Save, a three-store group in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. Tom Charley spoke to The Griffin Report’s Lorrie Griffith about the company’s origins – rooted in the American dream – and how the fourth generation is working to keep the business strong […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Southeast
Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery Fulfills Co-Owners’ Food Dreams
Bringing like-minded people together has resulted in at least eight marriages and some lasting friend groups, according to Mary Walsh, co-owner of Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery in Greenville, South Carolina. Walsh, who opened the store in fall 2011 with co-owner Jacqueline “Jac” Oliver, said, “When you build a place where people will interact with […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, National, News
IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show Returns To CA
The International Fresh Produce Association’s CEO Cathy Burns and 2025 board chair Tammy DeBoer, president of Harris Teeter, held a press briefing in early September ahead of its major gathering for the year, the Global Produce & Floral Show, Oct. 16-18. This year, the event is back in Anaheim, California. A couple of changes are […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Southwest
Clark’s Continued Serving Meeker Community Despite Encroaching Wildfire
When wildfires threatened Watt’s Ranch Market in Meeker, Colorado, this summer, two executives from the company that owns the store – Aspen-based Clark’s Market – stepped in to keep it operating while team members went home to prepare for possible evacuation. Clark’s COO Jim Clapp first arrived on the scene, later joined by Director of […]
Posted inAssociation News, Feature, National, News
FMI Report Says Grocery Shoppers Are Resilient, With Aspirations To Eat Well
FMI – The Food Industry Association surveyed nearly 1,600 shoppers in late July to gather intelligence for the second installment of 2025 of its U.S. Grocery Shopping Trends report, which the association has been generating for 51 years. Subtitled “New Routines,” the report “examines the logic behind grocery shopping or the notion of what is […]