Walgreens Boots Alliance, parent company of Walgreens, says it remains actively engaged with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its review of the pending acquisition of Rite Aid. Walgreens Boots Alliance now expects that the most likely outcome will be that both companies will be required to divest more than 500 stores but fewer than 1,000. In […]
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.
Big Y’s Final Hannaford Store Conversions Nearly Complete, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… The second group of four Hannaford stores being converted to Big Y will open Friday, Sept. 16. The stores are in Quincy, Norwell, Saugus and West Peabody, Massachusetts. Store teams are making minor renovations, cleaning, painting, rebranding and upgrading equipment. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, deli, prepared […]
Aramark Reveals Site Of New HQ In Philadelphia, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Aramark is planning a new site for its world headquarters in Philadelphia. The company plans to relocate to 2400 Market Street in fall 2018. Situated along the Schuylkill River, the existing structure, originally built as a Hudson Motor Car Co. plant in the 1920s, will be transformed into a modern, 600,000-s.f. […]
Heineken USA Establishes Five Points Trading Co., And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Heineken USA is creating Five Points Trading Co., a new venture aimed at incubating a range of global beers in the U.S. Under this new umbrella, Five Points Trading Co. will assume U.S. importer of record responsibility for Red Stripe, Tiger, Birra Moretti, Affligem, Murphy’s Stout, Prestige, Sagres and Mort […]
Food Manufacturers Must Renew FDA Registrations By Dec. 31, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Under the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act, food facilities that manufacture, process, pack or store food for distribution in the U.S. are required to renew their FDA registrations between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. Food facilities now are required to renew every even-numbered year. FDA’s registration renewal requirement applies to […]
Publix Opens Store In Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Publix Super Markets today opens its new Muscle Shoals store at 3220 Woodward Avenue, marking the Lakeland, Florida-based grocer’s 62nd Alabama store. “Publix differentiates itself by providing excellent customer service, quality products and competitive prices,” said Brenda Reid, media and community relations manager for Publix. “We look forward to serving Muscle Shoals and hope that […]
Upcoming Workshop Intends To Help Food Industry Manage Labeling Changes
For the first time in more than 20 years, a new Nutrition Facts label was unveiled on May 20. For the Nutrition Facts Panel, manufacturers have two years to comply. This latest update accompanies many other labeling requirements that will impact package design—including GMO disclosure, health claims, natural claims, agency-specific labeling, vending labeling and more. In […]
Coborn’s Opens ‘Next-Generation’ Supermarket Focused On Fresh
Coborn’s Inc. recently opened a “next-generation” supermarket in Isanti, Minnesota. It is a first-of-its-kind store format with a significant focus on fresh selections and an updated modern industrial design. “We are a company that is constantly striving to appeal to the changing needs of our guests,” said Chris Coborn, chairman, president and CEO of Coborn’s […]
New Bay Area Safeway Stores Debuting Wednesday
Safeway, a division of Albertsons Cos., will open three new stores across the Bay Area on Wednesday. The grand openings include: Pacifica, The Fairmont Shopping Center; Oakland, The Ridge Shopping Center; and Walnut Creek, The Orchards at Walnut Creek. “We are excited to open three new stores to meet the needs of our customers and […]
Northgate González To Test Produce Incentives With SNAP Customers, Thanks To USDA Grant
by Lorrie Griffith/editor–West Northgate González Market, the 41-store Southern California grocery retailer, soon will embark on a four-year pilot test to see whether offering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants financial incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables actually increases their purchase and consumption. The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) trial is being made possible through […]
Giant Launches Free Fruit For Kids Program
Giant Food of Landover, Maryland, is launching its Free Fruit for Kids program for all children age 10 and under in all 169 of its stores. Parents and caregivers have to go no farther than the produce department to find a healthy snack option for kids while they are shopping. The free fruit is offered […]
NACS Joins Others In Urging Congress To Protect Debit Card Reforms
A coalition of more than 400 large and small retailers, as well as the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and National Restaurant Association, have urged Congress to uphold debit card reforms. Debit swipe fee reform, also known as the Durbin Amendment, was signed into law in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Debit reform […]
NRA Exec Says Future Is Promising For Foodservice Industry
Hudson Riehle, SVP of research and knowledge for the National Restaurant Association, and Rachel Roginsky, principal of the Pinnacle Advisory Group, both painted a good economic picture nationally and in New England for the foodservice and lodging industries when they spoke at the Economic Outlook Breakfast, hosted by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association in Providence […]
Study Reveals More Americans Embracing Organic And Non-GMO Foods
More grocery shoppers are seeking out and trying “better-for-you” foods, especially dairy- and meat-free alternatives, according to a new national health food study by Earth Balance. Two thousand consumers were polled for the study, which looked at which new foods they’re trying, their top motivators and trends in healthy eating. When asked which factors are most […]
Tops Reformulates Nearly 1,200 Private Label Products, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… Tops Friendly Market has revamped its private label Tops line with many reformulations containing simpler ingredients and more attractive packaging. The brands include food items, household items, paper products and cleaning supplies. In other news, Tops has moved its freezer warehouse to a 200,000-s.f. facility in West Seneca, New York. The […]
Jimmy John’s Sells Majority Stake To Roark Capital, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Jimmy John’s Sandwiches says that an affiliate of Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm that focuses on franchise and consumer brands, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in the company. Jimmy John’s has more than 2,500 locations and $2 billion in system-wide sales. Founded in […]
Report: One In Five Seafood Samples Mislabeled Worldwide, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Oceana has released a report detailing the global scale of seafood fraud, finding that on average one in five of more than 25,000 samples of seafood tested worldwide was mislabeled. In the report, Oceana reviewed more than 200 published studies from 55 countries, on every continent except for Antarctica. The […]
Christian Leader Howard E. Butt Jr. Of H-E-B Dies At 89
Christian businessman Mr. Howard E. Butt Jr., who pioneered the concept that the business world was a high calling for people of faith, died Sunday evening at home from complications related to Parkinson’s. The former president of The H. E. Butt Foundation and H-E-B board vice chair was 89. As a bridge builder between the […]
Soupman Rolling Out Newest Variety—Shrimp Bisque
Soupman’s newest slow-cooked, small-batch soup variety—Shrimp Bisque–is now arriving at major grocery chains, including Publix, H-E-B, Acme, Shaw’s, Heinen’s, Fairway and more. Original Soupman soups are available in the soup aisle in Tetra Pak cartons. “Shrimp Bisque is a delicious soup made with loads of shrimp and is hearty and tasteful, but not too heavy,” […]
How Generations Differ In What They Look For In Food
It’s no secret that Millennials are changing the food and nutrition landscape, but Boomers have their own set of unique ideas about what they want on their plate, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2016 Food and Health Survey. Based on the survey, perceptions of the healthfulness of certain foods vary dramatically […]
