Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., and Hy-Vee will host the second annual Nourishing Change Conference June 2-4 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Building on the success of the inaugural event, the Nourishing Change Conference will bring together leaders from public and private sectors who are committed to […]
Author Archives: Shelby Report Staff

The Shelby Report newsroom covers the grocery industry for retailers, wholesalers and suppliers. Staff reports include store openings, executive appointments, company announcements and industry event coverage. Since 1967, The Shelby Report has covered supermarkets, grocery chains and independent grocers through five regional editions.
SEG, DLJ Produce Partner For Veterans Day Fundraiser
Southeastern Grocers (SEG), in partnership with DLJ Produce, will donate 5 cents to the USO for every pound of Razzle Dazzle Premium Grapes sold through Veterans Day, with a total contribution of up to $50,000. With more than 2.5 million veterans calling the Southeast home, the region represents one of the largest military populations in […]
Amazon Introduces Grocery Private Label Brand
Amazon has launched Amazon Grocery, a private label brand featuring more than 1,000 food items rated four stars or above. The brand unites Amazon’s customer favorite Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly brands into one grocery essentials collection, available at Amazon Fresh stores and Amazon.com. Items range from milk, olive oil and fresh produce to meat […]
Walmart Eliminating Synthetic Dyes Across All Private Label Products
Walmart U.S. plans to eliminate synthetic dyes and the use of an additional 30 ingredients, including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes from its private brand food products. The change, which includes all Walmart U.S. food private brands such as Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and bettergoods, is in line with evolving customer preferences and supports […]
Study: SNAP Restrictions Could Cost Retailers $1.6B To Implement
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), National Grocers Association and FMI – The Food Industry Association have released the “SNAP Restrictions Impact Analysis,” which estimates that the costs food retailers will face under proposed restrictions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will total about $1.6 billion. That amount is equal to 1.9 percent […]
New Research Reveals Effective Retention Strategies
Mike McNamee has spent more than a decade helping retailers grow through data-driven insights. As senior director of account management at Upside, he partners with grocers nationwide to maximize profitability and build stronger customer relationships through personalized, margin-bound promotions. That mission is reflected in Upside’s new “Winning the Uncommitted Customer” report, built on more than […]
Orsak To Take Helm As H-E-B President
H-E-B has promoted COO Roxanne Orsak to president, effective in January, succeeding Craig Boyan, who plans to retire at the end of 2026 after 20 years at the helm. Orsak will be the first woman to serve as president of H-E-B, which was founded 120 years ago by Florence Butt, a pioneering female entrepreneur. She […]
Study: Americans Experiencing Highest Rates Of Food, Financial Insecurity
More than 35 percent of American families with children skipped a meal in the past month due to financial reasons, according to the 11th wave of the dunnhumby Consumer Trends Tracker released Sept. 29 during Groceryshop. This is the highest rate of food insecurity since August 2023, when inflation for groceries hit 3.7 percent. Overall, […]
Kroger Expands DoorDash Partnership Across All Banners
The Kroger Co. has expanded its partnership with DoorDash to bring its full grocery assortment, including exclusive Our Brands products and everyday essentials, to customers. Kroger has been one of the most searched and requested grocers on DoorDash. Beginning Oct. 1, customers can shop its full grocery assortment across banners like Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Ralphs […]
HFG Empowering Employee-Owners, Supporting Communities
A 100-percent employee-owned company, Bowling Green, Kentucky-based Houchens Food Group (HFG) operates in the grocery, convenience, hardware and restaurant industries. It has more than 400 locations across 15 states, including Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Alabama. HFG is a subsidiary of Houchens Industries Inc., one of the largest and most diversified wholly-owned S Corp employee […]
ShopRite Unveils Fast Charging Station In Mount Laurel, NJ
ShopRite held a ribbon cutting ceremony Sept. 16 to celebrate a new electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station in the parking lot of its store at 1000 Nixon Drive in the Mount Laurel Township of New Jersey. The Electrify America station features six Hyper-Fast chargers, each capable of delivering up to 350kW – fast enough […]
Upshop Launches AI-Driven Grocery Operating Platform
Upshop introduced Upshop 360, a unified grocery operating system, Sept. 29 at Groceryshop 2025. The new system does more than connect supply, demand, production and fulfillment into one platform – it embeds artificial intelligence across all operational data to give retailers a real-time, accurate and AI-powered cockpit. The cockpit tells grocers what to do next […]
IGA, Red Pepper Collaborate On Digital Marketing Solutions
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has announced a new Red Oval Partnership with Red Pepper Digital, a provider of digital marketing solutions for retailers. The partnership will give IGA’s network of independent grocery stores access to innovative digital circular and advertising platforms that help grocers reach shoppers more effectively and drive measurable sales growth. “Our […]
Ahold Delhaize USA To Launch Edge Retail Media Ad Platform
Ahold Delhaize USA has shared that its retail media arm, AD Retail Media, will launch Edge, a proprietary advertising technology platform, in January. Powering on-site display, sponsored search and in-store digital screens, Edge is built for the grocery sector. The platform creates opportunities for CPG partners to reach customers with a transparent, intuitive way to […]
Utz Brands To Upgrade Campus In Hanover, PA
Utz Brands Inc. is planning a multi-phase project aimed at upgrading facilities across its campus in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The following investments will begin in the coming months: Utz Employee Hub: Construction will begin in 2026 to upgrade Utz’s headquarters at 900 High St. and transform it into a modern Utz Employee Hub. Teams working across […]
J. Skinner Baking Appoints New CEO, Chief Commercial Officer
J. Skinner Baking, a U.S. bakery manufacturer, has appointed David Kowal as CEO and David Meltzer as chief commercial officer. The appointments mark a significant milestone in the company’s growth, reflecting its commitment to service, innovation and distribution expansion. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, J. Skinner Baking is a manufacturer of artisanal pastries and ready-to-eat baked […]
Algolia Launches AI Grocery Solution For Digital Shopping
Algolia has introduced its Intelligent Grocery Solution, a new artificial intelligence (AI) application designed specifically for the grocery industry. The platform combines real-time search, personalized recommendations and inventory-aware discovery to simplify and personalize the digital grocery shopping experience. For decades, the grocery store has been a place of familiar and functional habits. Now, an undeniable […]
Utz Brands To Eliminate FD&C Colors From Products By 2027
Utz Brands Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks, has issued the following statement regarding the removal of certified Food, Drug and Cosmetic (“FD&C”) colors from its product portfolio: “Since 1921, Utz Brands Inc. has been committed to making snacks with quality, transparency and simple, trusted ingredients. As consumer tastes and government regulatory initiatives […]
Swiftly Aims To Level The Playing Field With Audience Optimizer
Swiftly has introduced its Audience Optimizer solution, empowering regional and independent grocers to thrive in today’s digital-first marketplace. Since publicly launching in 2024, Audience Optimizer has driven millions in incremental sales and double-digit returns across hundreds of stores nationwide. For decades, print circulars have been the primary way grocers drive weekly traffic. However, as circulation […]
Instacart Launches Consumer Insights Portal To Help Brands
Instacart has introduced the Consumer Insights Portal, a new software platform for brands to access its first-party grocery shopping data. Built on daily activity from nearly 100,000 stores and more than 1,800 retail banners, Consumer Insights Portal gives marketing, sales and insights teams self-serve access to SKU-level performance, search behavior, substitution patterns and promotion impact […]
