Today is Election Day for many cities and counties in Georgia. The Georgia Food Industry Association is encouraging all members to go out and make their voice heard. There are 120 jurisdictions in all corners of the state will have Sunday sales referendums on the ballot and the GFIA urges you to vote. To view […]
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.
Winn-Dixie Making Revamped Coral Way Store A Center of Celebration
Winn-Dixie Stores is inviting guests to experience its newly remodeled Coral Way store throughout November, December and January. To commemorate the grand reopening of the Miami-area store, special events will be held that help to highlight the new store offerings including cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, giveaways and more. Store #251, located at 3275 SW 22nd […]
Poll: Most Austinites Support Alternative to Bag Ban
A recent poll of Austin residents indicates that an overwhelming majority—72 percent—would support an alternative to a proposed plastic bag ban, which if enacted, could prevent local retailers from providing plastic bags to customers when they check out. More than 400 registered voters were contacted by phone between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 by data […]
Chobani to Open New Facility in Idaho
Chobani has announced plans to open a second domestic manufacturing plant as part of the company’s continued strategic growth initiative. Chobani plans to invest over $100 million to build a state-of-the-art, high capacity production facility housed on 200 acres of agricultural and industrial land in Twin Falls, Idaho. The new facility will enable consumers’ to […]
Armour Rolls Out Lower Sodium Pepperoni
Armour® has created an option for sodium-conscious consumers who love pepperoni but aren’t willing to sacrifice flavor. The use of a new all-natural sodium replacer allows Armour to reduce sodium by 50 percent vs. its regular pepperoni. Armour Lower Sodium Pepperoni offers a snack and or ingredient choice for the nearly 25 percent of consumers […]
The $1.5 Trillion Question: What Happens Nov. 23?
Come Nov. 23, most grocers will have little on their minds besides serving holiday shoppers and maximizing the end-of-Thanksgiving sales. Meanwhile, in Washington, thoughts of drumsticks and stuffing will have to take a back seat as the primary focus will be on the 12-member deficit reduction commission which must produce at least $1.5 trillion in […]
Native American Buying Power
The Selig Center projects that the nation’s Native American buying power will rise from $19.6 billion in 1990, to $40 billion in 2000, to $67.7 billion in 2010, and to $90.37 billion in 2015. Native American buying power in 2010 will be 69 percent greater than in 2000. The 2000-2010 percentage gain is larger than […]
The Multicultural Economy
The Selig Center’s estimates and projections of buying power for 1990-2015 show that minorities—African Americans, Asians, Native Americans and Hispanics—wield formidable economic clout. The numbers are impressive. In 2010, the Hispanic market ($1 trillion) is larger than the entire economies (2009 GDP measured in U.S. dollars as reported in the CIA World Factbook) of all […]
Supervalu Sales Down, Same Store Sales Improve
Hyperlocal merchandising strategy is beginning to pay off by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor Minneapolis-based Supervalu Inc. has been focusing on merchandising, connecting stores across its network based on similarities—for example, having a university in town—and on growing its private label line. The company reported second quarter fiscal 2012 net sales of $8.4 billion, down from $8.7 […]
Spartan Stores Retail Sales Up 2.9 Percent
Comp Sales decrease 1.3 percent as Michigan jobless rate rises by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor Spartan Stores reported a nearly 3 percent increase in net sales in its retail segment in the second quarter. The increase was attributed to rising retail fuel prices and volume, as well as to rolling out the Yes Rewards loyalty program […]
AWG Reports Record Sales of $7.25B
Year-end rebate also a record, $151.6 million paid to members Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG) of Kansas City, Kan., achieved record sales of $7.25 billion in 2010, up $200 million from the prior year. AWG’s most recent year-end rebate also was a record 2.64 percent, amounting to $151.6 million paid to its members. In 2011, […]
Scholz: WGA Expo Floor Sold Out
Geoff Welch, Midwest regional manager for The Shelby Report, talked to Brandon Scholz, president of the Wisconsin Grocers Association, about this year’s WGA Innovation Expo, held Oct. 18-19 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Are you pleased with this year’s WGA Innovation Expo? I think you talk to any state association exec who runs […]
Sweet Georgia Blues Move Ahead With New Campaign
The promotion and education of Georgia blueberries by the Georgia Blueberry Commission continues to move full-steam ahead as the third-largest producing state of blueberries is poised to grow even further in 2012. With an exciting new marketing campaign that includes representation by Southern Living cookbook author and chef, Rebecca Lang, as well as a relationship […]
PakSense Unique Design Features USB Connection
PakSense Inc. announced at the recent PMA Fresh Summit the launch of the XpressPDF temperature-monitoring label. XpressPDF Labels monitor time and temperature of perishable items such as food, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, biologics and other perishable products during distribution and storage. About the size of a sugar packet, labels are flat and feature an integrated USB connection […]
Nell Awarded Floral Marketer of the Year
Dr. Terril Nell, professor and chairman of University of Florida’s Environmental Horticulture Department was named the 2011 Floral Marketer of the Year on Oct. 14 by PMA at Fresh Summit. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the award, which recognizes an outstanding floral professional who has served the mass-market floral industry with dedication and […]
Anderson Will Lead Foundation for Industry Talent Board
The board of directors of the PMA’s Foundation for Industry Talent met to focus on the Foundation’s goals and objectives for 2012 and beyond at PMA’s 2011 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in Atlanta. Chairman of the Board John Anderson, chairman, president and CEO of The Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, is joined […]
New World Record Set for Biggest Banana Display?
Chiquita Brands helped celebrate what is believed to be the world’s largest banana display. More than 70,000 pounds of Chiquita® Bananas from 1,776 boxes and 37 pallets comprised the display at Firelake Discount Foods in Shawnee, Okla. The display eclipses what is believed to be a record set in 2009 of 66,000 pounds of bananas […]
Heinen’s Fine Foods Goes High-Tech With Meat Labeling Program
Integrated Management Information Inc. and Heinen’s Fine Foods, a regional retailer with 17 locations in northeast Ohio, have launched the WhereFoodComesFrom® labeling program in the grocery chain’s meat department. The program is designed to give customers more information about the source and origin of Heinen’s Own Beef and Pork. IMI Global has created a new […]
Proposed Dairy Policy May Have Hidden Costs
A new study of the impacts of proposed dairy policy legislation on federal nutrition programs has found millions of dollars in hidden costs. Behind typical estimates of the price of the National Milk Producers Federation’s Foundation for the Future dairy policy proposal are large and unintended additional taxpayer costs, reductions in the effectiveness of federal […]
AFFI, USDA, FDA, Appliance Manufacturers to Launch ‘Cook it Safe’ Campaign
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and home appliance manufacturers to launch the “Cook it Safe” campaign. “Food safety has long been the number one priority for America’s frozen […]
