Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2015 study finds many low-income communities that are home to a significant number of food-insecure households have higher-than-average food costs. “In other words, many of the people we serve not only struggle to make ends meet, but they are also forced to spend more of their meager dollars to […]
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.
Candy Industry Adds To U.S. Economy
Candy making fuels the American economy to great effect, according to a new National Confectioners Association (NCA) report. The confectionery industry directly employs 55,000 people in the United States, and more than 400,000 jobs in agriculture, retail, transportation and other industries rely in part on the sale of confections for their livelihood. For every job that […]
New Bay State E-Cigarette Regulations To Take Effect Sept. 25
New regulations prohibiting the sale of electronic smoking devices to minors and placing other restrictions on promotions and sales will go into effect Sept. 25 after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey recently filed the finalized rules. The sale of electronic cigarettes and other smoking devices will be prohibited to anyone under the age of 18, […]
AFFI Applauds Legislation To Expand School Snack Program
American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) President and CEO Kraig Naasz expressed support for bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that will enable elementary schools to serve a full range of healthy fruit and vegetable snacks. Introduced by Reps. Bruce Poliquin (R-Maine) and Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon), the “Fruit and Vegetable Access for Children […]
Organic Panel At Expo East Zeroes In On Tomorrow’s Opportunities
A group of organic thought leaders looked into the future and agreed that major challenges need to be overcome for organic to fulfill its potential and move significantly beyond its position of nearly 5 percent of the U.S. food supply. “The next three to five years are going to be mission-critical for what happens in […]
NACS Issues Menu-Labeling Compliance Assistance, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Following up on the federal Food and Drug Administration’s announcement on its final menu-labeling rule, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) is providing its members with a summary of the final rule and a general understanding of their obligations by the December 2016 compliance deadline. The FDA’s menu-labeling rule […]
Massachusetts Company Acquires 29 Panera Bakery-Cafes, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… PR Management Corp. of Newton, Massachusetts, a Panera Bread franchisee, has acquired 29 bakery-cafes in Massachusetts. The company also plans to open another 14 bakery-cafes in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The acquisition brings Panera Management Corp.’s total to 64 units… The “Chefs Table Series” on cable television that features […]
Goya Foods Donates 150K Pounds Of Food In Honor Of Pope’s Visit, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Goya Foods donated 150,000 pounds of food in honor of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States. “We are all so blessed to have His Holiness Pope Francis visit the United States and for the opportunity to donate food in his name to each of the cities that he will […]
Smart & Final Stores Elects Two New Directors
Smart & Final Stores has elected Paul N. Hopkins and Kenneth I. Tuchman to its board of directors. Dave Hirz, president and CEO, said, “I’m pleased that Paul and Ken are joining our board of directors, adding extensive and diverse strategic expertise that will complement our current board and support the Smart & Final leadership […]
Food Lion’s Bagged Apples To Help Provide 1M Meals To Needy Families
Food Lion is partnering with its customers to help solve hunger by launching specially marked Food Lion Feeds bagged apples for sale in its stores. In its second year, the bagged apple campaign will help provide one million meals to feed families facing hunger in local communities across the grocer’s 10-state footprint. With the sale […]
CART Launches Retail Solutions Platform
The Center for Advancing Retail Technology (CART) has rolled out its enterprise platform advancingretail.org, a free service to help retailers and brand manufacturers find, learn about and connect with the best solutions for their business. An estimated 3,000 solutions are represented on the platform, making it the largest collection of retail solutions in the world […]
Industry Supports First National Goal To Reduce Food Waste 50 Percent By 2030
The USDA and EPA have set the first-ever national food waste reduction goal for the U.S., calling for a 50 percent reduction by 2030. As part of the effort, the federal government will lead a new partnership with charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, the private sector and local, state and tribal governments to reduce food loss […]
Price Chopper Helps To Raise More Than 145K Meals For Harvesters
Price Chopper, along with local NBC affiliate 41 Action News and Harvesters-The Community Food Network, raised more than 145,000 meals for local food banks during its annual Fill the Fridge perishable food drive. Fill the Fridge is the Greater Kansas City’s original and largest perishable food drive. For the fourth year in a row, Price […]
Meijer Introducing True Goodness Brand
Meijer is expanding its assortment of what it calls real food products through the launch of the True Goodness by Meijer brand. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer combined its Meijer Naturals and Meijer Organics products lines to one True Goodness by Meijer brand in an effort to minimize confusion over which products are better for […]
United Family Expands Guest Reward Program To Offer Free Fuel Or Groceries
The United Family is expanding the company’s rewards program with the launch of a points program allowing guests to earn free fuel or groceries by making everyday purchases at any of the 66 United United Supermarkets, Market Street, Amigos, Albertsons Market and United Express locations in West Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth and New Mexico. Through the […]
Connecticut Food Companies Unite For Great American Milk Drive
Adams Hometown Market, Better Valu, Tri Town Foods and Guida’s Dairy are urging shoppers to make donations at checkouts in support of The Great American Milk Drive. The drive kicked off Sept. 18 and continues through November. Shoppers can use tear-pad slips to make a donation of $1, $3 or $5, with the funds raised […]
Hughes Of Organic Valley Re-Elected To Lead OTA Board
Melissa Hughes of Organic Valley has been chosen for the second year in a row to lead the Organic Trade Association’s board of directors as president. She is general counsel and director of government affairs for Organic Valley, the nation’s oldest and largest organic dairy cooperative. Other officers announced at OTA’s annual meeting were: Kim Dietz of […]
Giant Landover Brings Back Pumpkin Private Line, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief… Back by customer demand, Giant Food of Landover, Maryland, is offering more than 50 seasonal pumpkin private label products in both the non-perishable and fresh departments. Items range from pumpkin-infused everyday products like pasta sauce, ice cream, waffles and hummus to specialty meal solutions like fully-cooked pumpkin organic chicken, pumpkin and […]
BrewFest Highlights NYACS/ESEA Fall Conference, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Members of the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) and the Empire State Energy Association (ESEA) sampled 36 craft beers from 24 brewers in mid-September as part of the “Food & Fuel Fall Conference” in Saratoga Springs, New York. The BrewFest event was organized by NYACS board member Andrea […]
Walmart Expands Online Grocery Pickup Locations, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Walmart has expanded its test of curbside pickup for groceries by adding five more locations in Arkansas. Over the past few weeks, Walmart has increased the number of grocery pickup stores in Supercenter and Neighborhood Markets in Denver, Phoenix and Huntsville, Alabama. Shoppers order groceries and other items online, then […]
