From staff reports At the Annual Meat Conference, held March 24-26 in Orlando, Florida, industry leaders convened to discuss the evolving landscape of the meat and poultry sectors. For the 2025 Meat and Poultry Market Outlook presentation, key speakers included Brian Earnest, lead protein industry analyst at CoBank; Christine McCracken, executive director and protein analyst […]
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.
Posted inCorporate Store News, News, Southwest, Walmart
Sam’s Club Shares Vision, Growth Strategy
At Walmart Inc.’s 2025 Investment Community Meeting, Sam’s Club shared its long-term vision and growth strategy to redefine the club model. The $90 billion business, which began as an experiment over four decades ago, has plans to double membership and more than double sales and profit over the next eight to 10 years. Sam’s Club […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Center Store, Midwest, News
AWG Brands Introduces Pure Wonder By Best Choice
AWG Brands, the private brands program of Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG), has launched Pure Wonder by Best Choice, a new brand dedicated to pets. Available this month, the brand offers a comprehensive range of pet products, including food and essentials for dogs, cats and birds. The decision to introduce Pure Wonder by Best Choice […]
Posted inCenter Store, News, Northeast
Catania Oils’ Basile Named To Dealmaker Hall Of Famers
Catania Oils, one of Massachusetts’ largest manufacturers, recently announced that CEO Anthony Basile was named to Smart Business Network’s 2025 Boston Class of Dealmaker Hall of Famers. The Boston Dealmakers Conference was held March 20 at The Westin Copley Place. Catania Oils, a family-owned business for 125 years, has grown into the Northeast’s leading processor […]
Posted inBakery News, News, West
La Brea Bakery Redefines Pretzel Bread With New Artisan Line
La Brea Bakery has debuted a new soft pretzel bread line to deliver a better-for-you take on a classic category that continues to gain popularity. As demand for premium, restaurant-quality bread at home continues to grow, La Brea Bakery’s Soft Pretzel breads offer a versatile option. Because of their versatility and consumer appeal, the new […]
Posted inExecutive News, Center Store, Midwest, News
T. Marzetti Co. Names Berman Retail President
T. Marzetti Company, a subsidiary of Lancaster Colony Corp., has appointed Tanya Berman as president of its retail business unit, effective April 21. In this role, Berman will lead sales, marketing and innovation for T. Marzetti’s portfolio of retail brands and licensed products. Berman has 25 years of experience in general management and marketing, with […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Association News, National, News
PLMA Re-Elects Board Chair, Welcomes New Directors
The Private Label Manufactures Association (PLMA) re-elected Kristal Sevcik, VP of business development at AmeriQual Group, as chair of its board of directors. Sevcik, who assumed the position in 2024, will serve a second one-year term. The members of the association also accepted the slate proposed by the nominating committee – Jeanine Antiporek of Refresco […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, National, News
AFFI Leads Frozen Food Advocacy At 2025 Government Action Summit
Frozen food business leaders came together April 1-3 for advocacy and Congressional outreach during the American Frozen Food Institute’s (AFFI) Government Action Summit in Washington, D.C. Attendees spoke with their Congressional offices about the benefits of frozen food, addressing how it is a solution in nutrition access. Freezing locks in nutrition and flavor, which helps the […]
Posted inExecutive News, Association News, News, West
USC Marshall Enhances Fall 2025 Food Industry Executive Program
USC Marshall Executive Education, in collaboration with the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC), has revamped its Food Industry Executive Program (FIEP) for fall 2025. The four-day offering is designed to equip food industry executives in retail, manufacturing, grocery and supply chain sectors with advanced leadership strategies, market insights and a competitive edge in an […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Vallarta Supermarkets, West
Vallarta Supermarkets To Open New Store In Los Angeles
Vallarta Supermarkets is preparing for the April 23 grand opening of a new store at 3300 W Slauson Ave. in the Park Mesa Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The grocer shared that it is taking over a 46,333-square-foot space, formerly occupied by Ralphs and “left vacant for some time,” bringing 165 new jobs to Park […]
Posted inProduce News, Associated Wholesale Grocers, News, Southeast
Healthy Family Project Celebrates 9-Year Partnership With AWG
Healthy Family Project has begun its 2025 Produce for Kids campaign in Associated Wholesale Grocers’ (AWG) Springfield and Gulf Coast divisions, marking a nine-year partnership dedicated to promoting healthier families and supporting communities in need. Through this year’s campaign, participating produce partners are collectively donating 170,000 meals to local Feeding America food banks. Shoppers will […]
Posted inProduce News, Corporate Store News, News, West
Save Mart Is Official Partner Of San Joaquin Asparagus Festival
Save Mart will serve as an official partner of the 39th annual San Joaquin Asparagus Festival, taking place April 11-13 at the fairgrounds in San Joaquin County, California. The community event draws large crowds each year in celebration of spring, with local fresh produce, vendors, live music, carnival rides, a petting zoo and family fun. […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, News, Southwest, Walmart
Walmart Highlights Business Strategy Focused On Driving Growth
Walmart hosted its Investment Community meeting April 9, with leadership highlighting the strength of the company’s business operations and strategy. Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart Inc., expressed confidence in the company’s ability to navigate against a more fluid backdrop, given improved business flexibility and profit diversification. He emphasized the retailer’s resilience, having successfully managed […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Publix Super Markets, Southeast
Publix Celebrates Grand Opening In Jasper, GA
Publix celebrated the grand opening of a new supermarket April 9 at 178 Virginia Way in Jasper, Georgia. “We’re excited for the opening of this Publix location in Jasper,” said Nicole Krauss, Publix media relations manager. “We look forward to providing premier service and quality products to new and existing customers in the first mountain […]
Posted inExecutive News, Health & Wellness, News, West, Wholesaler/Distributor News
Associated Food Stores Shares Pharmacy Leadership Promotions
Associated Food Stores (AFS) has made three leadership promotions within its pharmacy division to guide modernization efforts, which include implementing new processes and exploring innovations such as central fill automation. Eliseo Faz has been named SVP of pharmacy, where he will oversee all pharmacy operations across the company. Chris Sheard has been promoted to VP […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National, News
Instacart Expands In-Store Advertising To All Brands On Caper Carts
Beginning this month, Instacart’s more than 7,000 brand partners will have access to in-store advertising on Caper Carts, its AI-powered smart carts, with no additional work required. Caper Cart ads are inventory- and aisle-aware, which means that ad campaigns will extend only to carts when shoppers are in relevant aisles and where items are in […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southwest
El Rio Grande Latin Market Improves Pricing, Promotions Strategy With RELEX
El Rio Grande Latin Market, a grocery chain specializing in Latin American products with locations across Texas, has selected RELEX Solutions to advance its pricing and promotions optimization strategy. By moving away from manual processes to an AI-powered solution, El Rio Grande aims to offer more competitive prices, increase promotional effectiveness and improve the overall […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Executive News, Food City, News, Southeast
Food City’s Purdy Inducted Into PLMA’s Private Label Hall Of Fame
Ross Purdy, VP of center store operations for Food City, was recently inducted into Private Label Manufacturers Association’s (PLMA) Private Label Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category. PLMA created the Private Label Hall of Fame in 2006 to recognize those who have “made significant contributions to the growth and development of the global […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Fresh Thyme, Midwest, News
Fresh Thyme Market Adds Natural Product Advisor Certification For Employees
In partnership with Alive Academy, Fresh Thyme Market has launched a custom accredited retailer education certification program designed to enhance employee knowledge in the vitamin, supplement and body care category. “Providing our customers with an elevated shopping experience starts with our incredible team,” said Fresh Thyme President Liz Zolcak. “Through our partnership with Alive Publishing […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Marketing News, News, Northeast
Northeast Grocery Taps Grocery TV To Elevate In-Store Experience
Northeast Grocery Inc., the parent company of Market 32, Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets, has partnered with Grocery TV to elevate its in-store experience. Through the partnership, Grocery TV will power digital screens in Northeast Grocery’s 300 stores across its six-state footprint, introducing more engaging promotions to shoppers. Grocery TV’s consultative approach resulted in […]