Lowes Foods President and CEO Tim Lowe discusses six store openings and conversions, the consumer shift to value and why grocery retailers must earn a place in AI’s consideration set.
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.
NJ Gov. Signs Surveillance Pricing Ban Despite Industry Objections
The Fair Price Protection Act contains prohibitions about shoppers’ personal data and new electronic shelf label deployments.
Tops Markets Tops Last Year’s Total Raised For CMN Hospitals
Tops raised more than $428,000 during its annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign, which ran June 14-July 4 at participating stores.
Whole Foods Market Plans August Opening For NJ Store
The Skillman store is set to open its doors Aug. 21, less than a month after the company’s Eatontown, New Jersey, opening.
JOH Expands North Central Division With WI Acquisition
The Massachusetts sales and marketing agency is expanding outside its longstanding markets in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Hugo’s HR Director Retires After Half-Century Of Service
Jeff Westrem has retired as human resources director at Hugo’s Family Marketplace after a 50-year career with the Grand Forks, North Dakota-based grocer. Hugo’s said Westrem is known for his approachable personality and willingness to help others. He started with Hugo’s in 1976 as a teenager doing grocery carryout. After earning a business administration degree […]
Hy-Vee Adds 30-Minute Pickup, Delivery Chainwide
Hy-Vee has begun offering online orders in as fast as 30 minutes at all of its stores, giving shoppers a faster option for both in-store pickup and delivery. Customers select “Get it faster” during online checkout to use the 30-minute option. Delivery fee is $14.95; for a 30-minute pickup order, the fee is $9.95. For […]
Food City Breaks Ground For New Store In Oneonta, AL
The Abingdon, Virginia-based grocer’s expansion in Alabama continues, with this new location expected to open next spring.
FMI Reveals 2026 Store Manager Award Winners
Four category winners – and the People’s Pick recipient from among them – were revealed during a live-streamed ceremony July 23.
Acosta Tracker: Stock-Up Trip Costs $366, Up 27% From 2020
A typical grocery stock-up trip now costs more than $366, roughly 27 percent above a comparable 2020 basket, according to the inaugural Acosta Group Affordability Tracker released July 23. The Jacksonville, Florida-based firm measures affordability by comparing the cost of an 84-item basket of commonly purchased grocery and household essentials against median hourly earnings in […]
AWG, Illinois Grad Students Finish 5th Year Of Private Brand Research
Students in the University of Illinois’ Master of Science in Business Analytics program studied new item adoption and pricing dynamics.
Arkansas Grocer Adds Personalized Weekly Ads On Existing Platform
Little Rock-based Edwards Food Giant is able to add the personalization without a separate integration or an additional vendor.
McCollam To Retire As President, CFO Of Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies has announced that Sharon McCollam, president and CFO, plans to retire. The retirement was announced July 23, the same day the company reported its first quarter results as well as plans to consolidate its divisions into regions and centralize its center store buying process. McCollam, who joined Albertsons five years ago, will remain […]
NGA Foundation Creates New Award To Honor Industry Mentors
The new honor was created for independent grocery leaders who develop and promote the next generation of leaders.
Utz To Go Private In $2.9B Deal With Germany’s Intersnack
Utz Brands will be taken private in a deal valuing the salty snack maker at approximately $2.9 billion, with Germany’s Intersnack Group acquiring all outstanding Class A common stock for $14.25 per share in cash. The price represents a premium of roughly 91 percent over the July 20 closing price. When the transaction closes, expected […]
Joseph’s Classic Market Debuts Loyalty Program Built On Catapult
Joseph’s Classic Market, a family-owned gourmet grocer in South Florida, has launched the Joseph’s Loyalty Program, a customer rewards initiative designed to deepen relationships with shoppers while preserving its hospitality-first experience. Powered by ECRS’ Catapult unified transaction platform, Joseph’s program was implemented in all four of its stores, giving shoppers a way to earn rewards […]
Brand Builders, Investors Agree On What Separates Winning CPG Brands
Two panels, two very different rooms, but one message. At the CPG Convergence Conference, hosted June 25 by the Navigator Lighthouse Foundation and Mission Matters at Verizon’s 5G Labs in Playa Vista, California, a panel of brand strategists and a panel of investors took the stage hours apart. They never coordinated, but they arrived at […]
Albertsons ID Sales Down in Q1, Restructuring Operations
The changes are designed to speed decision-making, strengthen accountability and improve the customer experience, the Boise-based grocer said.
H-E-B Continues North Texas Growth With Murphy Store
H-E-B has opened its first store in Murphy, Texas, its 14th in the DFW Metroplex, where the San Antonio grocer keeps growing.
Schnucks, VitalityIP To Launch Personalized AI Shopping Assistant
By end of summer, Schnucks shoppers will be able to access an AI-powered shopping assistant that will offer personalized nutrition guidance, meal ideas and product recommendations.
