Aldi’s exclusive brand, Nature’s Nectar 100% Berry Burst Juice, won this year’s Self magazine Healthy Food Award under the drink category. Made from a blend of four fruit juices, the 100% Berry Burst Juice is one of 35 varieties including All Natural Lemonade and 100% Apple Juice in the Nature’s Nectar brand. “We are very […]
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, Center Store, National
Starbucks Collection Benefits Create Jobs for USA Fund
Starbucks has introduced the Indivisible collection available at participating Starbucks stores in the U.S. and at www.StarbucksStore.com for a limited time, starting June 12. For each qualifying purchase from the Indivisible collection, a donation will be made to Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) for the Create Jobs for USA Fund. The Starbucks Indivisible collection offers coffee […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
UltraFreshSystem Packaging Available for Fresh-Cut Produce
South Carolina-based packaging company Sonoco, California-based manufacturer Paper Pak Industries and packaging and St. Louis-based supplies distribution company Bunzl Distribution have introduced the UltraFreshSystem for packaging fresh-cut produce. The UltraFreshSystem features a custom-designed, thermoformed Sonoco tray combined with an UltraZapXtendaPak food safety pad from Paper Pak Industries. The tray includes an insert to channel liquid […]
Posted in, National, The Independent Perspective
Online Learning for Independents
Now launching: The N.G.A. Online Training and Education Center With a highly competitive marketplace, small staffs, tight budgets and high turnover with a relatively inexperienced workforce, retailers have some challenges in training in-store team members. Bringing store-level personnel into classrooms or sending them to meetings can be expensive, time-consuming and impractical. And while webinars or […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, National, Whole Foods
O’Connor: There Is No Middle
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor Profound changes in birth rates, household size, the role of women in the workforce, wage growth, longevity and the “deferral” mindset of the younger generation all are societal changes consumer package goods (CPG) companies and retailers must consider as the market becomes more segmented than ever before. “This is a topic […]
Posted in, Perishables, Southeast, Southwest
No Time 2 Cook Dishes Now Available In Central Markets
No Time 2 Cook, makers of fine frozen “scratch” Cajun and Southern specialties, has announced that its Homemade Chicken Pot Pie and Squash Supreme have been picked up by H-E-B’s Central Market stores in Texas, the company’s first major retailer in that market. No Time 2 Cook began seven years ago as a cottage industry […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Marketing News, Midwest, National, Southwest, Whole Foods
Caddell: NARMS/IFBA Readies for a New Beginning
By Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor The National Association for Retail Merchandising Services (NARMS) is moving its base of operations from Wisconsin to Colorado, making changes to headquarters staff, assessing the services it offers and looking ahead to its own future as sales move into alternative channels. Tom Caddell, NARMS International executive director, spoke to The Shelby […]
Posted in, Center Store, National
Bodor: Candy in Moderation Equals Happiness
Confectionary manufacturers employ 70,000 individuals directly in the U.S. That number easily triples when individuals whose jobs are dependent on those candies produced—suppliers, brokers, trade customers—are included, said Allison Bodor, SVP, public policy advocacy for the National Confectioners Association (NCA). The same is true for the snack industry. Bodor spoke at the NCA’s Sweets & […]
Posted in, California Perspective, West
Proposed Bills Would Make Grocers Public Health Educators
Lawmakers continue to struggle with priorities as California’s unprecedented “top two” June primary election approaches and lawmakers face voters in newly drawn districts. Uncertainty about political futures has created an odd climate in Sacramento, with more than 2,000 bills introduced in 2012—many of which are rumored to be destined for the trash heap as soon […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products, Southwest
Frito-Lay Introduces Tostitos Thins Tortilla Chips
To celebrate the introduction of Tostitos Thins tortilla chips, the latest addition to the Tostitos family, PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division today kicked off a partnership with entertaining expert Courtney Dial-Whitmore for a new online resource—Tostitos Fiesta 411—for planning and creating perfect at-home cantina-style parties, complete with the perfect snacks. Available exclusively at Target stores nationwide for […]
Posted in, Center Store, Southwest, Suppliers
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, McCombs Launch Education Program
Dr Pepper Snapple Group and the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin have embarked on a novel program to grow one of the company’s iconic brands. DPS has tapped a pair of the university’s MBA students to serve as brand consultants for Yoo-hoo and bring a fresh, innovative approach to […]
Posted in, National
H-E-B, Publix ‘Most Trusted’ According to Temkin Research
Temkin Group released its 2012 Temkin Trust Ratings that rates the level of trust that consumers have with 206 large companies across 18 industries. This is the second year that Temkin Group has published these ratings. The research, which is based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers in January 2012, shows that 19 percent […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products
Heinz Ketchup with Balsamic Vinegar Now a Standard Offering
As a result of consumer fanfare surrounding a recent limited time offering, Heinz Ketchup Blended with Balsamic Vinegar will join the brand’s standard line-up of ketchup offerings. The product is the first new flavor from Heinz Ketchup in nearly a decade. Heinz Ketchup Blended with Balsamic Vinegar uses traditional Heinz variety tomatoes and Heinz’s special […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Midwest, National
Former Meijer Exec Holt Replacing Van Helden at Supervalu
Pete Van Helden, EVP of retail operations, will leave Supervalu this spring. The Eden Prairie, Minn.-based company said in a new release that the decision was “mutually beneficial” and that it “comes at the right time … as the company continues to implement its business transformation strategy. “Pete has been a passionate leader of our […]
Posted in, National, Perishables, Southwest
AMI Gets Warm Texas Welcome, Ready for Atlanta
by Terrie Ellerbee Associate Editor The American Meat Institute (AMI) held its 2012 Meat, Poultry & Seafood Convention and Expo in Dallas alongside FMI 2012: The Retail Food Show and United Fresh 2012: The Produce Show, in Dallas May 1-3. Anne Halal, VP, convention and exposition services for AMI, said Dallas was very welcoming to […]
Posted in, Midwest
Wisconsin Potatoes Looking for Best Camping Recipes
Potatoes are a no-fuss veggie: packed with nutrition and easy to prepare in advance or on the spot. The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) is looking for your favorite easy-to-make Wisconsin potato camping recipes; recipes that can be prepared in advance or at the campground. Hot or cold dish, it doesn’t matter. WPVGA […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National
Sarasin: Don’t Overlook the Magnitude of Current Trends
by Terrie Ellerbee associate editor Just as it takes two separate eyes looking at an object from their distinct angles to achieve perspective and a sense of depth, the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends and FMI Speaks: The State of the Food Retail Industry reports each have individual focuses, but put together they create a […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National, Perishables
FMI Establishes Industry Toolkit on Seafood Sourcing
At the FMI2012 Sustainability Solutions Center, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) released its first Sustainable Seafood Toolkit, a free resource providing food retail answers to the integration and implementation of seafood sustainability procurement policies and procedures. “Selling fresh seafood in grocery stores certainly isn’t a new concept, with more than 92 percent of retailers offering […]
Posted in, Marketing News, Midwest, National
Jurgens: FMI 2012 ‘Phenomenal’
Ric Jurgens, CEO of Iowa-based Hy-Vee until he retires June 1, spoke to The Shelby Report’s Geoff Welch at FMI 2012 The Food Retail Show on May 2. Jurgens, who is past chair of the FMI board of directors, said response to the show has been phenomenal. “As a board member, I’m extremely proud of […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National
Inaugural FMI Foundation Gala Raises $685,000
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation hosted its inaugural Industry Leadership Dinner on April 30, raising $685,000 through the support of its food retailer members, suppliers and esteemed industry partners, and embarked on a program to enhance its scope to encompass wellness programs. “FMI Foundation’s renewed energy in pivotal industry areas, such as food safety, […]