Peapod and Instacart have teamed up with Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham to deliver groceries to hotel guests so they can cook their meals in their rooms. The pilot service is now available at eight Hawthorn Suites hotels in and around Chicago; Philadelphia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut; and Orlando, Florida. Wyndham officials say the program was developed to help […]
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.
QuickChek Expands On Long Island
QuickChek recently opened a new 5,868-s.f. store at 3965 Hempstead Turnpike in the Bethpage community in Nassau County, Long Island. The new store is open 24 hours a day and features touchscreen technology for fresh subs, sandwiches, wraps and salads, as well as personalized hot and cold beverages. Amenities include no-fee ATMs, indoor seating for […]
Food Universe Marks Second Corporate Store In Queens
Key Food Stores, a chain of primarily independently owned and corporate grocery stores, has opened its newest Food Universe location at 35-10 Francis Lewis Boulevard in Bayside, New York. It marks the company’s second corporate store in Queens. The 15,500-s.f. unit has been renovated. The expanded produce department provides shoppers with many fresh and organic options. […]
Ventura Foods Promotes Buckles To New COO Role
Ventura Foods has promoted John D. Buckles to the newly created role of COO, effective June 1. He will lead an integrated commercial and operations function for the global manufacturer of custom and branded food products, including dressings, sauces, mayonnaises and margarines. “Given the significant growth we’ve already experienced and pace at which we plan […]
Chicago’s Food Market La Chiquita Joins AWG
Alfredo Linares’ first major life change happened in 1964 when he and his family ventured from a small town in Mexico to Chicago, Illinois. He was 9 years old at the time, and it was a true culture shock. He was struck by the many different nationalities that live there, the cold and the snow. […]
Festival Foods To Purchase Two Pierce’s Marketplace Stores In Wisconsin
Festival Foods plans to purchase two Pierce’s Marketplace stores in Baraboo and Portage, Wisconsin, from Angie and Dave Pierce. The Pierce family operates a third Pierce’s Market in Muscoda. Festival Foods, which operates 26 other locations across the state, expects to begin operations June 20 under the Festival Foods banner. Mark Skogen, president and CEO […]
Winners Selected For H-E-B Primo Picks Video Showdown
Who says giving away free cookies can’t be a lucrative endeavor? For an inventive video by a San Antonio man, the idea earned him $25,000 and a spot in a H-E-B commercial. For months, creative Texans took their shots at producing videos about their favorite H-E-B Primo Picks products as part of the H-E-B Primo […]
Cash&Carry Smart Foodservice To Open Fourth Idaho Store In June
Cash&Carry Smart Foodservice, a warehouse-format store catering to the foodservice industry, will open a new store in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on June 17. Located at 208 E. Appleway Avenue, the store will be Cash&Carry’s fourth in Idaho, third in the local region (joining two Spokane, Washington, stores) and 61st in the western U.S. The 20,000-s.f. […]
Former Certified Grocers CEO Dies At 85
Mr. Everett William Dingwell II, who served as president and CEO of Certified Grocers—now Unified Grocers—died April 11 at his home in Sacramento, California, surrounded by family. He was 85. Mr. Dingwell was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Everett and Esther (Van Scoyoc) Dingwell. He was the oldest of five children. When he was […]
Weis Markets Reports Significant 1Q Sales Increase
Weis Markets reports that its sales increased 15.4 percent to $852.2 million in the first quarter, compared to $738.2 million for the same period in 2016. This represents the Pennsylvania-based company’s 12th consecutive quarter of increased comparable store sales. During the 13-week period ended April 1, 2017, the company’s net income declined 41.2 percent to […]
Massachusetts House Passes Pregnant Workers Rights Bill
A bill passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives would require employers to provide “reasonable accommodation” for pregnant women and nursing mothers, provided they don’t cause the business undue hardship. Undue hardship is defined as an action that requires significant difficulty or expense and takes into account the following five factors: • Nature and cost of […]
Grocery Biz ‘Not For The Faint Of Heart’: Independent Sales Down From Prior Year
FMS Solutions and the National Grocers Association (NGA) have released their annual “Independent Grocers Financial Survey,” the latest edition covering fiscal year 2016. The study, now in its 12th year, found independent grocers reported that their sales were down 1.62 percent in 2016 compared to 2015. Food-at-home deflation across all categories, especially in meat and […]
Associated Grocers Baton Rouge Hosts Spring Food Show
Associated Grocers Baton Rouge recently held its Spring Food Show at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, Louisiana, drawing more than 800 vendors, retail members and store representatives. The show’s theme was “Best Picks on Route 66.” This year, the wholesaler recognized J.H. “Jay” Campbell Jr., former CEO and then executive chairman, on his retirement after […]
USDA Reorganized To Elevate Rural Development As Priority
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday announced the creation of an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a recognition of the ever-increasing importance of international trade to American agriculture, the department says. Perdue made the announcement standing by barges filled with agricultural products along the banks […]
Food City Appoints EVP Of Store Ops For Knoxville Division
Food City has named Ron Tacker EVP of store operations for its Knoxville division. A career grocer, Tacker brings more than 42 years of retail experience in a broad range of fields to this position. “I am confident that Ron will be a valuable asset to our company, as well as an active member of […]
Supermarkets Shifting From Traditional To Digital Circulars
Consumers historically have turned to print circulars for grocery shopping decisions. They make shopping lists and plan trips based on the weekly sales and special offers. Today, shoppers are becoming more comfortable with personalized digital communications and coupons delivered to their mobile devices from their neighborhood supermarkets. To attract younger customers, grocers are increasingly investing […]
GF Buche Co. Promotes McFayden To Operations Manager
Chris McFayden has been promoted to operations manager for GF Buche Co. He replaces Gregg Drees, who recently retired from the South Dakota grocery chain. McFayden started at the Gregory Buche Foods in 1996 as a carryout and quickly rose up the ranks to store supervisor. From there, he was promoted to store manager of the Gus […]
Whole Foods Market Brings In Kohl’s Exec As New CFO, Shakes Up Board
Whole Foods Market has appointed Kohl’s executive Keith Manbeck EVP and CFO, effective May 17. He will succeed Glenda Flanagan, who last year announced her plans to retire. Manbeck will join a leadership team that is “implementing an accelerated plan to enhance shareholder value in a dynamic and increasingly competitive marketplace,” according to a press release […]
Hy-Vee Guarantees 100 Percent Of Its Sushi From Responsible Sources
Hy-Vee Inc. has successfully transitioned 100 percent of its sushi to responsible sources. The supermarket chain guarantees that all sushi prepared and sold in its 244 Midwestern stores, including Hy-Vee Market Grille restaurants, will now contain seafood that is caught in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. According to its recently updated Seafood Procurement Policy, Hy-Vee […]
Wegmans Posting Calorie Information Ahead Of Menu-Labeling Deadline
Wegmans’ customers who pick up a made-to-order or prepared item, such as a muffin or sandwich at the Sub Shop, will begin to notice updated calorie information on labels and menu boards around the store. In 2010, the FDA advised chain restaurants and similar food establishments that, by May 5, 2017, they would be required […]
