Food Marketing Institute (FMI) released its inaugural analysis, the “Power of Fresh Prepared/Deli,” which explores fresh prepared and deli foods through the eyes of the consumer. Grounded in Nielsen data, the research outlines how the supermarket industry will continue to identify improved ways to track consumer dynamics, convenience and household trends that have had a profound […]
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.
2016’s Top 10 Stories Of The West
2016’s Top 10 Stories New formats, new top executives and new store ownership were at the center of most of the biggest stories of the year in the West. A number of Kroger banners, in particular, saw leadership changes this year; Kroger also got in on the format experimentation with a rebranded store in Washington […]
Several Grocers Recognized For Efforts To Reduce Food Waste
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy have announced the inaugural class of the “U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions.” These are U.S. businesses pledging concrete steps to reduce food loss and waste in their operations by 50 percent by 2030. These companies include Ahold USA, Blue Apron, Bon […]
Eataly Marketplace To Open In Boston On Tuesday
Eataly—an Italian marketplace that includes a variety of restaurant, food and beverage counters, retail items and a cooking school—will open in Boston on Nov. 29 at the Prudential Center. The 45,000-s.f., three-story building will feature 10,000 artisanal products from Italy and New England. It also will include four restaurants, 10 eateries, two cafes, a cannoli […]
Soupman Partners With Boston Market Founder To Expand Distribution
Soupman, makers of gourmet soup that inspired the famous “Seinfeld” soup episode, is partnering with George Naddaff, the founder of Boston Market, to bring its soups to restaurant partners and other foodservice venues across the U.S. Naddaff is the chairman and CEO of Business Expansion Consulting Co., a Boston-based M&A advisory and consulting firm that focuses on […]
Giant Food Recognized With Business Philanthropy Award
Giant Food recently received the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Business Philanthropy Award in the large business category. The award, which is a joint program of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the Baltimore Business Journal, recognizes Maryland businesses that have demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of life for Maryland residents through extraordinary philanthropic […]
Boomers, Millennials Lead Spending In $30B Pet Industry
Nearly 80 million households in the U.S. own a pet, representing 60 percent of the entire population and a large portion of consumer spending, which is why Acosta—a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry—has released new research focused on the growing industry. The Hot Topic Report, “The Pet Parenting Boom,” […]
Couple Married At Harveys In Albany, Georgia
Two Harveys customers—Charles and Mary Tinson—were joined by friends and family on Thanksgiving Day as they wed at the grocer’s Albany, Georgia, supermarket—the exact location where they reconnected four years ago on Thanksgiving Day. On Thanksgiving Day 2012, after returning home from a tour in Afghanistan, Charles walked into Harveys Supermarket at 1032 W. Gordon […]
Judge Temporarily Blocks Upcoming Overtime Rule
Texas federal District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III has preliminarily blocked the U.S. Labor Department’s new overtime rule, which was set to go into effect on Dec. 1. In a ruling Tuesday, Mazzant blocked the implementation or enforcement of the salary-related changes in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act’s “white collar” exemptions. He issued his […]
To Capture Holiday Profits, The Pennies Are In The Details
by Art Patch/Special to The Shelby Report As a college student, I had the good fortune to work for a manager who was willing to share with me what it took to run a grocery business. He let me know right away that no question was without merit. But before he began responding to my […]
To Be Successful, Foodservice Operations Need Flexibility
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer The competition grocery retailers face when entering the foodservice space is heating up, both with each other and with restaurants, which often have an edge when it comes to atmosphere and the ability to shift with trends. To meet rising consumer expectations for fresh, seasonal and memorable food experiences, retailers need […]
Lowes Foods Reports Dramatic Increase In Coupon Redemption Using Digital Platform
Winston-Salem-based Lowes Foods, with grocery stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, is reporting a 422 percent increase in average coupon redemptions over the last six weeks compared with the average for the six weeks prior to the launch of Unata’s integrated coupons platform. Lowes Foods is the first grocery retailer to embed digital […]
The 2016 ROFDA Report
Each year, The Shelby Report publishes a special section about Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, better known as ROFDA. This special showcases the group’s work, its leadership and member-owners, as well as the independent grocery industry. The 2016 special appears below and also in the December print editions of The Shelby Report and The Griffin Report […]
Giant Food, Safeway Workers Vote To Ratify Union Contracts
UFCW Local 400 members working at Giant and Safeway stores throughout the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area have voted to ratify new union contracts. A statement issued by Local 400 said, “We didn’t get everything we wanted, but both contracts include several key improvements over our previous collective bargaining agreements, including higher starting pay; more frequent wage progression increases; wage […]
620-Plus Businesses Urge Congress Not To Repeal Financial Reforms
More than 620 businesses have signed a letter addressed to congressional leaders asking them to not overturn swipe fee reform. The letter notes that the financial reforms “are critical to U.S. businesses and our customers. The debit card fee and rule reforms prescribed in Section 1075 of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act have […]
Millennials’ Impact On Foodservice Packaging Trends
The 2016 Trends Report from the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) reveals key industry shifts that focus on changes being driven by the generational influence of Millennials. “This year more than ever, it’s hard to deny the influence of the Millennial generation on the foodservice packaging industry,” said FPI President Lynn Dyer. “As such a large, influential […]
Lucky’s Market Leader Steve Black Joins Rouses As President, COO
Steve Black, previously president of Lucky’s Market, a specialty grocery chain focused on natural, organic and locally grown products, has been named president and COO of Rouses Markets, effective in December. Donny Rouse, CEO of Rouses Markets, made the announcement today. Rouse recently assumed his new role as CEO of the 56-year-old Thibodaux, Louisiana-based company. Before […]
2016 Southeast Retailer Of The Year: Food City
Abingdon, Virginia-based Food City was selected as The Shelby Report of the Southeast’s Retailer of the Year as a company that exemplifies leadership in merchandising, marketing, innovation and community service. The company founded by Jack Smith back in 1955 started out, as most do, with one store, his in Grundy, Virginia. Unlike many, though, Smith’s […]
Southeastern Grocers To Donate More Than 1K Turkeys To Food Banks
Southeastern Grocers is donating more than 1,000 turkeys to Feeding America affiliates throughout the Southeast to help feed the one in eight people who will struggle with hunger this Thanksgiving. The approximately 11,000 pounds of turkey can provide nearly 10,000 much needed meals to hungry families throughout the Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie footprints. Ian McLeod, […]
Sanders To Resign From Sprouts Farmers Market Board
Doug Sanders will resign as executive chairman of the Sprouts Farmers Market board of directors. He will focus his efforts on his recent appointment as CEO of a technology company. The change will become effective at the board’s next scheduled meeting on Feb. 20. “Doug has been an integral part of Sprouts since our inception and […]
