Supermarket News In Brief… An Ayer, Massachusetts, Shop ’n Save recently opened, creating 60 new jobs for the community. The store replaces what used to be Hannaford, but the Maine retailer-distributor now supplies the store. The store is owned by Mike Szelest. The store also is partnering with local farmers. The Ayer store is part […]
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.
Posted in, Northeast
Deadline Nears For MRA Annual Awards Nominations, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… The deadline to nominate candidates for the Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) Awards is Wednesday, Jan. 6. The evening dinner event will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on Monday, March 14, the second day of the New England Food Show. Nomination categories are Business Partner of the Year, […]
Posted in, Northeast
Valeant Announces Walgreens Pact And New Distribution To Independent Pharmacies, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has new fulfillment agreements with Walgreens and has indicated it intends to extend this distribution model to additional participating independent retail pharmacies. Valeant also plans to reduce dermatological and ophthalmological products by 10 percent. The reduced pricing will apply to the wholesale list prices of these products […]
Posted in, Grocery News, Industry News, National, Store News
Proposed SNAP Requirements For Retailers Expected In Early 2016
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) says that a proposed rule with new eligibility standards for retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly referred to as food stamps, is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2016. The rule will implement provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, which require retailers […]
Posted in, Center Store, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Southeast, Suppliers, Women In The News
Supplier Spotlight: ‘Not The Wise Of Yesteryear’
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Jolie Weber has been leading Wise Foods since June, but the CPG veteran has been with the Atlanta-based company for nearly 12 years—holding executive leadership roles in areas ranging from marketing to finance. “I have always been in the consumer packaged goods industry,” Weber says. “My first job out of college […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, Marketing News, Online Grocery Technology, Produce News, Suppliers, West
Pear Bureau Northwest Launches Redesigned Trade Website
On behalf of nearly 1,600 growers of Northwest pears, Pear Bureau Northwest has introduced a redesigned trade website focused on “the business of pears.” Providing pear category resources from crop information to training and marketing support, this mobile- and tablet-ready website provides a localized tool kit for growing pear category sales. “We have conducted a […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Industry News, Organic Natural, Perishables, Southwest, Store News
Whole Foods Will Pay $500K To Settle NYC Overcharging Claims
New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Julie Menin said Monday that a settlement agreement has been reached with Whole Foods Market. The agreement settles DCA’s investigation into the Austin, Texas-based retailer’s alleged mislabeling of pre-packaged products. Whole Foods refused DCA’s initial demand for $1.5 million and said in a statement that it […]
Posted in, West
California’s Minimum Wage Increases On Jan. 1
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) is reminding California’s employers and workers that, effective Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage will increase to $10 per hour. “This increase in the minimum wage is California’s second increase in 16 months. Those earning minimum wage will now have a bit more to take home every paycheck,” said […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Center Store, Industry News, Southeast
TGCSA Hosting Training Seminar Ahead Of Wine Coming To Food Retailers Next Year
The Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association (TGCSA) on Jan. 20 will host a training seminar for the state’s retailers that plan to bring wine to their shelves in July 2016. These retailers “will have to navigate a complicated set of rules and regulations,” according to TGCSA. One requirement for retailers is to certify clerks […]
Posted in, Northeast
Dannon Teams Up With Feeding America To Provide 1.6M Meals
Foodservice operators, consumers and The Dannon Co. of White Plains, New York, recently rallied around Dannon’s “Sack Hunger” campaign to support the fight to end hunger in the U.S., raising more than 1.6 million meals in three months. The Sack Hunger program was initiated through a unique partnership between Danone Food Service, the NFL and long-standing partner Feeding […]
Posted in, Northeast
Gala Fresh Farms Banner Joins Key Food Stores
The Gala Fresh Farms banner has joined Key Food Stores Co-op, a chain of primarily independently owned and corporate grocery stores, in the tri-state area. Key Food announced the grand opening of its first Gala Fresh location at 2485 Grand Avenue in Baldwin, New York, on Dec. 18. “The Gala Fresh banner is a very welcome […]
Posted in, Northeast
Gulf Oil Officially Sold To ArcLight Capital Partners’ Affiliate
ArcLight Capital Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm focused on energy infrastructure investments, has officially purchased Gulf Oil from Cumberland Farms. The purchase was conducted through Chelsea Petroleum Products Holdings, an affiliate of ArcLight. The purchase was informally announced several months ago but was delayed until federal review. Gulf will maintain its headquarters in Massachusetts […]
Posted in, Northeast
Subway Transitioning To Cage-Free Eggs
Subway has become the latest to commit to serve only eggs from cage-free layer hens across its 30,000 North American locations by 2025, a transition that has already begun in select U.S. and Canadian markets. On Dec. 22, Nestlé said it would transition to using only cage-free eggs in all of its U.S. food products […]
Posted in, Northeast
Foodshare Of Connecticut Awarded $100K Grant By MassMutual, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief… Foodshare of Bloomfield, Connecticut, has been awarded a $100,000 grant by MassMutual Life Insurance Co. through its annual employee giving program. James Arena-DeRosa, Foodshare president, says the grant will be used to support Foodshare’s efforts to fight hunger in Connecticut’s Enfield and Hartford counties… The Connecticut Food Association’s annual meeting/installation of […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Extends Public Comment On ‘Natural’ Food Labeling, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… In direct response to requests from the public, the FDA has extended the comment period for the use of the term “Natural” on food labeling. The comment period will now end on May 10. In early December, the Natural Products Association (NPA) submitted a formal request to the FDA for […]
Posted in, Center Store, Frozen Food, Perishables, Southeast
Blue Bell To Begin Next Phase Of Market Re-Entry Next Month, Includes Southeast
Blue Bell Ice Cream will enter phase five of its market re-entry plan over a two-week period beginning Jan. 18. The week of Jan. 18 will include middle and eastern Tennessee, the northern sections of Alabama and Georgia and parts of Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The week of Jan. 25 will include […]
Posted in, Grocery News, National
2016 Flavor Of The Year: Coconut
Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned company in the fragrance and flavor business, has revealed that coconut is the Flavor of the Year for 2016. Used for centuries in Southeast Asian cuisine, coconut was only embraced globally in the last decade. Before, in much of the western world, coconut would mainly conjure up images of sugary-sweet […]
Posted in, Coborn's, Fresh Thyme, Market Profile, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content
Booming Twin Cities Market Attracts New Players As Existing Operators Expand
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor There is a lot of water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and there appears to be something in it. Minnesota, and specifically the Twin Cities, is drawing in grocery retailers and enticing existing operators to expand. “It’s an exciting time for Minnesotans because the choice in the marketplace really does […]
Posted in, Grocery News, Industry News, National, Store News
Study: Associates Are The Trump Card In Nurturing Supermarket Loyalty
The Retail Feedback Group (RFG), a provider of actionable stakeholder feedback, has released its 2015 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study. The research, now in its eighth year, found that supermarkets continue to generate high satisfaction among their shoppers, scoring an average of 4.44 on a 5-point scale, where 5 is highest. Shoppers who felt like a […]
Posted in, Guest Contributors, National, Shelby Signature Content, The Independent Perspective
Larkin: Taxes, Healthcare, Regulations Top Concern List For 2016
by Peter Larkin/Special to The Shelby Report Despite Republican majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Congress continues to grapple with gridlock. And, heading into an important 2016 presidential election, where Republicans need to defend 24 U.S. Senate seats vs. the 10 seats on the Democrat side, the 2016 elections will […]