Snyder’s-Lance and Diamond Foods, two major national snack manufacturers, have signed a definitive agreement by which Snyder’s-Lance will acquire all outstanding shares of Diamond Foods in a cash and stock merger transaction for approximately $1.91 billion. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Diamond Foods’ five snack brands include Kettle […]
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.
General Mills Identifies Four Key C-Store Customer Segments
No two convenience store shoppers are exactly alike, but General Mills Convenience & Foodservice has identified four distinct consumer segments, each with their own attitudes, behaviors and needs. The segments include: Breakfast Barons, Vice Squanders, Pit Stoppers and Meals & More. “These macro consumer segments help convenience retailers get into the mindset of the different types of consumers coming through […]
North American Meat Institute Objects To Report Claiming Processed Meats Cause Cancer
A new report by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer Research (IACR) is causing quite a bit of controversy for labeling processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon and ham as carcinogenic, as well as claiming that red meat is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The IACR said the risk of developing colorectal cancer […]
A&P Puts Intellectual Property Up For Sale, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief… A&P has announced it has put its intellectual property up for bidding, including brand names for its stores and private label brands, slogans and customer data. The bid deadline is Nov. 19… Shelley Broader, the former Hannaford, Delhaize USA and Walmart executive, will join Chico’s FAS, a women’s fashion retailer, as […]
7-Eleven Exploring Core-Mark As A Wholesale Partner, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… 7-Eleven is working on an agreement with Core-Mark through which it will add the wholesaler as a new supply partner, particularly in parts of the West. Core-Mark is coming off a new five-year agreement with Murphy USA that made Core-Mark that company’s primary wholesale distributor, delivering more than 75 percent […]
Walgreens Signs Pact To Buy Rite Aid, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Two of the nation’s largest drugstore chains have agreed to combine operations. Walgreens Boots Alliance announced Oct. 27 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Rite Aid in a deal valued at $17.2 billion. Walgreens has more than 13,100 stores in 11 […]
Tony’s Fresh Market Is IFRA’s 2015 Industry Retailer Award Recipient
Tony’s Fresh Market is the Illinois Food Retailers Association (IFRA) 2015 Industry Retailer Award recipient. The company was honored during the IFRA-Grocery Merchandisers Association (GMA) Annual Conference and Expo, which was held earlier this month at the Drury Lane Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace. “The IFRA board of directors unanimously chose Tony’s Fresh Market as […]
Survey: ‘Local’ Food No Longer Just A Trend To Drive Sales But Critical For Growth
The third annual A.T. Kearney survey of U.S. shoppers’ local food-buying habits finds that local food has made the leap from a “hot” consumer trend to a central growth driver for grocery retailers and restaurants. Two years ago, when A.T. Kearney conducted its first study of local food-buying habits, merely offering local food was a […]
PMA Fresh Summit Sets Attendance Record, Marks Other Milestones
Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention and Expo, the annual homecoming of the fresh produce and floral industry, drew record-breaking attendance from the global supply chain attracting 19,332 attendees from 63 countries, Oct. 23-25 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. In its 66th year, the event surpassed the previous East Coast attendance […]
Food Industry Vet Lamprecht Makes Wyoming’s Valley Foods A Unique Destination For Locals, Tourists Alike
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Tim Lamprecht has more experience in the food industry that most. This year, in fact, marks his 50th year in the business. His career has spanned from “carryout boy” to supplier representative to today being the owner and GM of Valley Foods and Liquor in Saratoga—located about 7,000 feet in elevation […]
Largest Donation Of Fresh Produce Expected On Sunday For Atlanta Community
Local food bank volunteers will work through the night on Sunday, Oct. 25, to “harvest” thousands of pounds of fresh fruit, vegetables and even flowers from the Georgia World Congress Center after the fresh produce industry’s largest U.S. convention and expo comes to a close. The fresh produce will be donated by exhibitors at Produce […]
PMA Teams With Group To Get Fresh Produce On Screen
In support of the produce industry’s efforts to drive demand for more fresh produce, the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) on Friday during its Fresh Summit conference in Atlanta announced a strategic alliance with the Entertainment Resource & Marketing Association (ERMA)—the association of entertainment marketing professionals—to bring fresh produce center stage through television shows, movies and […]
Italian Trade Commission Partners With Golub Corp.
Golub Corp. (Price Chopper) executives recently joined with officials from the Italian Trade Commission to announce a new multi-year partnership agreement to increase the variety of authentic Italian products across all Price Chopper stores in six states. The partnership—one of only three in the country, and the only of its kind on the East Coast—is focused […]
Forman Of Cumberland Farms Named President Of Newly Configured NECSEMA
Gwen Forman of Cumberland Farms is the new president of the newly merged New England Convenience Store Association and Independent Oil Marketers Association. The group’s new name is New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association, or NECSEMA. The group held its first event Oct. 22 at the Dedham Hilton in Dedham, Massachusetts, and elected new […]
Friendly’s Debuts First Drive-Thru In Westfield, Massachusetts
Friendly’s Ice Cream, the operator of Friendly’s restaurants and a manufacturer of ice cream products, has opened its first drive-thru in western Massachusetts, located at the Friendly’s restaurant at 21 Southampton Road in Westfield, right off exit 3 from the Mass Pike. This is a test concept and, if successful, could create new growth for the […]
Gulf Oil Awaiting Federal Approval Before Moving To ArcLight Capital, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Pending Federal Trade Commission approval, the transfer sale of Gulf Oil from Cumberland Farms will occur with the new owner: Arclight Capital Partners of Boston, a private equity firm focused on North American Energy Infrastructure assets. Since its establishment in 2001, ArcLight has invested more than $13.1 billion across multiple […]
Private Equity Firm Acquires The Greene Turtle, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… Stone-Goff Partners of New York has acquired Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille, a 41-unit casual dining concept based in Maryland. Founded in 1976, the company has expanded throughout the Northeast with locations in Delaware, Virginia, the D.C. area, West Virginia and Long Island. The chain is described as casual […]
CVS Health MinuteClinic Surpasses 1,000 Clinic Milestone, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… CVS Health MinuteClinic, the walk-in medical clinic of CVS Health, has opened its 1,000th MinuteClinic location nationwide in Washington, D.C. Since opening the first walk-in retail clinic 15 years ago, MinuteClinic has expanded its clinics across 31 states and the District of Columbia to more than 26 million patient visits. […]
Foods Dominate As Kids’ Favorite Brands
Oreo, America’s “wonderfilled” classic cookie, has topped this year’s list of Kids’ Most Loved Brands, according to findings from the 2015 Young Love study of more than 7,000 children and their parents. In fact, food brands dominate this year’s list, taking 14 of the 25 spots on the list. Oreo beats out last year’s No. […]
Angelic Bakehouse Achieves Non-GMO Project Verification
Angelic Bakehouse, a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified bakery specializing in sprouted grain products, has received Non-GMO Project Verified status for its best-selling product, Sprouted Seven-Grain bread. The Non-GMO Project is North America’s only third-party source for verification and labeling of non-GMO food and products. The Milwaukee-based company expects the remainder of its product […]
