Lidl, one of the world’s largest retailers that is preparing to open its first U.S. stores, plans to establish a new regional headquarters and distribution center in the Principio Business Park in Cecil County, Maryland, as part of its U.S. expansion. The company says it will invest $100 million in the project and create 100 […]
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.
Report: Kids Control Household Food Purchase Choices
The parents might bring home the bacon, but it’s probably the kids who pick the brand. Despite their size and obvious lack of discernible income, children have a disproportionate sway over household grocery purchases and decisions. And food marketers know it. In the “Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S., 8th Edition,” report, survey […]
KeHE Distributors Launches Care Trade With Companies That Do Good
During its show in Indianapolis in June, KeHE Distributors launched what it calls its “Care Trade” program. Scott Silverman, VP of growth solutions and own brands, made the announcement with a panel of speakers representing brands that are part of it. “I’ve known their brands as a consumer for quite a while, so we’re really […]
Boston City Council Reviews Mayor’s Restaurant Grading System
The Boston City Council is reviewing an ordinance filed by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh to establish a restaurant and food truck letter grading system to protect consumers and provide them with information about recent health inspections. If passed, the policy will allow inspectors to transmit violations noted into a numerical point system, which in turn will […]
VRGA Advises Members On Impact Of New GMO Labeling Law
The Vermont Retail Grocers Association (VRGA) is advising its members and suppliers that they can continue to label products that contain GMOs. President Obama recently signed into law a new federal bill governing GMO disclosure on food products, which preempts Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law. Erin Sigrist, VP at the VRGA, said there are a number of […]
Cott Corp. To Acquire S&D Coffee, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… Cott Corp. plans to acquire S&D Coffee, a premium coffee roaster and provider of customized coffee, tea and extract solutions to the foodservice, convenience, gas, hospitality and office segments in the U.S. Cott CEO Jerry Fowden said, “The S&D acquisition is another great step in our stated strategy to enhance our […]
Subway And U.S. Labor Department Reach Pact On Fair Wages, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Subway and the U.S. Department of Labor have signed an agreement that boosts franchisees’ compliance with labor laws and ensures that workers get paid the wages to which they are legally entitled. David Weil, U.S. Labor Wage & Hour Division administrator, said the agreement builds upon the division’s ongoing work to […]
Walmart Buying Jet.com For $3 Billion, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Walmart will buy e-commerce company Jet.com for approximately $3 billion in cash, a portion of which will be paid over time. Additionally, $300 million of Walmart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction. The acquisition will build on and complement the significant foundation already in place […]
Walmart Buying Jet.com For $3 Billion
Walmart said today that it will buy e-commerce company Jet.com for approximately $3 billion in cash, a portion of which will be paid over time. Additionally, $300 million of Walmart shares will be paid over time as part of the transaction. The acquisition will build on and complement the significant foundation already in place to […]
Report: Half Prefer To Buy Foods With Minimal Packaging To Reduce Waste
As Americans take notice of increasingly strained global food resources, new research from Mintel reveals that four in five (80 percent) U.S. food shoppers agree that reducing food waste is as important as reducing packaging waste. In an effort to limit waste, half (52 percent) of consumers prefer to buy foods with minimal/no packaging. As […]
Opportunities Vast For Personalized Food Products
In the U.S., folks know know what they like, and usually they’re willing to pay for it. This drive to personalize to suit lifestyles—to save time, live better and healthier, or indulge—extends to the food consumers buy in the grocery store, according to Nielsen. Consumers can purchase products free of gluten or chock full of […]
Instacart Rolls Out Service In Dallas
Instacart, the retail delivery service whose personal shoppers hand pick and deliver items from local stores, has expanded into Dallas, the fourth city it serves in Texas. As of Aug. 1, Dallas residents looking to purchase from Whole Foods Market, Central Market, Petco, Spec’s, Total Wine & More, Kroger and Tom Thumb can have their order delivered […]
Walmart Store Manager Shares Feedback From ‘Fresh Angle’ Remodel
A Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, is among the first of the company’s remodeled locations to unveil the retail giant’s “Fresh Angle” approach, which places fresh, unpackaged vegetables front and center. Travis Moore, that store’s manager, has shared the feedback he has received about the change. “When you walk into our store today, you’re intentionally […]
Review Paper: Organic Practices Help Reduce Exposure To Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Choosing organic is the best choice consumers can make to combat antibiotic resistance and protect themselves from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a review paper from The Organic Center concludes. Overuse of antibiotics in conventional livestock production has been implicated as an important contributor to antibiotic resistance. Research demonstrates that livestock produced without the use of antibiotics—as in […]
Chicken Consumers Rate Freshness, Taste And Price A Priority
U.S. chicken consumption remains high with 2016 levels surpassing those from the previous two years, according to new research presented at the recent 2016 Chicken Marketing Summit. In the two weeks leading up to the survey, 87 percent of consumers ate a chicken meal or snack purchased from a supermarket and 72 percent ate a […]
Macey’s Donation Helps Renovate Local Children’s Hospital’s Angel Garden
The Angel Garden at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, reopened Monday as a redesigned refuge for patients, families and staff—thanks to generous donations from Macey’s guests and vendors. The garden renovation was made possible from Macey’s customers, with an additional contribution from Macey’s Food stores—totaling $73,000 for Macey’s 2016 Caring for Kids […]
RFA Unites Suppliers To Aid Hunger Programs During National Deli Salad Month
The Refrigerated Foods Association (RFA) has reported a collective annual donation of $478,573 for food banks throughout North America, through in-kind food donations and direct monetary contributions. The special effort took place during National Deli Salad Month in July. The RFA is an organization of manufacturers and suppliers of prepared, refrigerated food products united by a […]
Second Bfresh Unit To Open In Brighton, Massachusetts
Bfresh, focused on affordable fresh foods, will open its doors at 470 Washington Street in Brighton, Massachusetts, on Aug. 19. This will mark the second bfresh store in the Greater Boston area. The inaugural bfresh store opened in nearby Allston in September 2015. Bfresh offers more natural and organic options than a typical market, vegan […]
Some New FDA Rules For Tobacco, E-Cigs Take Effect Aug. 8
The FDA’s final rule extending the agency’s regulatory authority to products such as e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah and pipe tobacco, certain dissolvables as well nicotine gels goes into effect Aug. 8. Some of the rule’s provisions that apply to retailers and manufacturers will take effect immediately on Aug. 8 while others will take effect later. Some information is […]
Greater Boston Food Bank Recognizes Stop & Shop, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger relief organization in New England, has named Stop & Shop as the only corporation to enter its newly-created Cornerstone Circle, a level of giving that recognizes donors that contribute more than $500,000 annually. The supermarket company is GBFB’s top food donor, providing […]
