Ayer, Massachusetts-based Catania Oils spotlighted its new palm-based shortening products at the recent 2023 IDDBA Show in Anaheim, California. Anne Whitney, marketing generalist for the company, talked with The Griffin Report of the Northeast about the company and its products. “We actually had a customer of ours supply cookies that were made with our shortening,” […]
Author Archives: Sommer Stockton
Digital Content Editor
Sommer joined The Shelby Report in January 2022 after graduating from Brenau University in Gainesville, GA, with a B.A. and M.A. in Communications and Media Studies. As Digital Content Editor, she leverages her expertise in digital strategy and content creation to enhance The Shelby Report’s online presence and engage readers.
Committed to the grocery industry, Sommer also serves on an advisory committee with the National Grocers Association (NGA), advocating for independent grocers. She enjoys exploring emerging trends and delivering actionable insights to the Shelby community.
Posted inMarketing News, Merchandising News, National
Study: Regional Grocers Face Mounting Online Competition From Walmart
New research from Mercatus illustrates how much Walmart will continue to challenge regional grocers’ e-grocery business. The retail giant enjoys on average a 15 percent price advantage online based on a large basket of groceries in the U.S. In addition, Walmart relies little on service fees to support the cost of pickup operations, and it […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Northeast
Renovated Save A Lot Store Ready To Reopen In Perryopolis, PA
Save A Lot will hold a grand reopening July 15 for its recently renovated store at 3454 Pittsburgh Road in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania. Part of Save a Lot’s efforts to work with its independent license owners to modernize stores across the country, the remodel reflects its new brand image, featuring an easier-to-shop footprint with new décor […]
Posted inProduce News, West
Side Delights Showcasing Redesigned Packaging For Organic Potatoes
Newport Beach, California-based Fresh Solutions Network will present its redesigned packaging for Side Delights organic potatoes and onions July 13 at the Organic Produce Summit trade show in Monterey, California. Fresh Solutions Network partners Basin Gold Cooperative of Pasco, Washington, and Sterman Masser Farms of Sacramento, Pennsylvania, will represent the network at the show. The […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Northeast
ARS Converts Two Brooklyn Stores To Foodtown Banner
Iselin, New Jersey-based Allegiance Retail Services, a retailer-owned grocery co-op, has announced changes involving two stores – both owned and operated by Fouad Elayyan – that will now carry the Foodtown banner in Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn Harvest of Metropolitan Avenue, an ARS banner, has been converted to Foodtown of Metropolitan Avenue. It and Foodtown […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Northeast
Dietz & Watson Focuses On Choices, Value During Inflationary Times
Philadelphia-based Dietz & Watson showcased its uncured frank and sausage category at the recent IDDBA Show in Anaheim, California. Taylor Grissinger, senior retail marketing manager, spoke on the show floor with The Griffin Report of the Northeast’s Maggie Kaeppel. Grissinger said the company has new SKUs of 15-ounce franks, in four flavor varieties, under the […]
Posted inMarket Profile, West
Meal Kits Cornerstone Of Corner Store Seattle Area Grocer
Kitchen & Market, which has three locations in the Seattle area, was founded on a simple idea – how to make planning meals easier. Founder and CEO Stephanie King set about that goal after a long career in private label grocery. “Instead of just retiring, I opted to put my idea down on paper. I […]
Posted inPackaging News, National
Imperial Dade Acquires Atlantis Packaging
Imperial Dade, a Jersey City, New Jersey-based distributor of foodservice packaging and janitorial supplies, has announced the acquisition of Chino, California-based Atlantis Packaging. The transaction is the 67th for Imperial Dade under the leadership of Chairman Robert Tillis and CEO Jason Tillis. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Owned and operated by Eric Rodriguez, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Southwest
Brookshire Grocery Co. To Sell Pharmacy Business To Walgreens
Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire Grocery Co. has reached an agreement for Walgreens to acquire its 120 pharmacies in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, which includes pharmacy customer prescription files and related pharmacy inventory. The majority of these locations will be converted to Walgreens pharmacies that operate inside of Brookshire Grocery Co.’s stores. “We are excited to take […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Albertsons, Southwest
Albertsons Market, Market Street Donate $42K To Hunger Nonprofits
Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Albertsons Market and Santa Fe, New Mexico-based Market Street joined The Food Depot and Roadrunner Food Bank for two check presentation ceremonies following a 12-day statewide donate-at-the-register fundraising campaign. Guests and team members combined to raise more than $42,500 to help these organizations fight food insecurity across New Mexico. The fundraiser ran […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Associated Grocers, Inc., Southeast
Associated Grocers Holds Employee Cornhole Tournament
Associated Grocers held its first employee cornhole event June 29 at its company headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Over the last couple of months, employees have teamed up to play cornhole within their departments to form a bracket to play against other Associated Grocers’ winning departmental teams. Retail Operations’ Chris Ordoyne and Corey Hughes slid […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, National
Marketplace Pressure Drives Stronger Meat Demand
Circana and 210 Analytics have taken a deep dive into the numbers to understand the marketplace impact on meat and poultry trends. The average price per pound in the meat department across all cuts and kinds, both fixed and random weight, stood at $4.56 in May. For the first time in many months, the average […]
Posted inCenter Store, Amazon Fresh, Southeast, Whole Foods
Zep’s Home Pro Collection Aims To Fill Cleaning Gap
In an effort to fill what it views as a void in the household cleaning category, Atlanta-based Zep has expanded its portfolio to include the Home Pro collection of family-friendly formulas. The Zip Home Pro collection will help consumers clean in less time with commercial grade cleaning products developed for high-efficiency home use. The full portfolio […]
Posted inDairy News, Midwest
Hiland Dairy Serves Up Summer Cravings Contest
Springfield, Missouri-based Hiland Dairy is offering coupons, recipes and prizes in its “Savings for Summer” Cravings Contest through July 31. Consumers are asked to visit the website for a chance to win Hiland kitchen items and Silver Dollar City prizes. The contest also features coupons on Hiland products to make summer recipes. “We know consumers […]
Posted inOrganic Natural, Snacks Brands, Southeast
Mars Welcomes Acquisition Of Kevin’s Natural Foods
McLean, Virginia-based Mars Inc. has completed the acquisition of Kevin’s Natural Foods. Kevin’s makes chef-inspired sous-vide meals, sides and sauces. Founded in 2019, it has experienced double-digit growth and is available in more than 17,000 retail locations. “This is an important milestone for Kevin’s Natural Foods, and I want to thank every colleague at Kevin’s […]
Posted inPublix Super Markets, Independent Store News, Southeast
Publix Pushing Expansion With Two More Stores
Publix Supermarkets has expanded its reach in Florida by opening two locations – a 54,964-square-foot store in Royal Palm Beach and a 46,811-square-foot store in Miami. “We are excited to welcome our customers to [these new stores]…and look forward to providing them with the premier service and quality Publix is known for,” said Lindsey Willis, […]
Posted inFestival Foods, Midwest, Online Grocery Technology
Festival Foods Taps Upshop To Optimize Fresh Ops
With the goal of revolutionizing its fresh perimeter, Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Festival Foods has partnered with Upshop, a provider of AI-driven retail software, for store operations. This partnership is timely for Festival Foods as the organization gears up for growth and requires systems that can rapidly scale. With Upshop, store employees gain the ability to […]
Posted inH-E-B, Independent Store News, Southwest
Site Of New H-E-B Store Steeped In Austin History
H-E-B has opened a 107,000-square-foot store at 12021 Highway 290 West in Austin, Texas, the site of a longtime popular music venue. Previously operated as the Nutty Brown Café & Amphitheatre, the location also was the original home of Nutty Brown Mills, a flour mill and candy shop. H-E-B bought the property in 2015, with […]
Posted inFood City, Corporate Store News, Southeast
Food City Campaign Supports Paralyzed Veterans
In partnership with Paralyzed Veterans of America and seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty, Abingdon, Virginia-based Food City is holding its annual in-store checkout donation campaign through July 25. Paralyzed Veterans of America is a national nonprofit service organization dedicated to supporting veterans with spinal cord injuries and diseases such as MS and ALS. Designed to […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Executive News, Southeast
Heartland Catfish Co. Names New Regional Sales Manager
Veteran food broker Linda Farnsworth Gwinn has joined Itta Bena, Mississippi-based Heartland Catfish Co. as a regional sales manager, working with customers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Founded in 1996, Heartland has grown into a large U.S. farm-raised catfish producer and processor. Owned by the Tackett Family of Tackett Fish Farms, […]