Tops Markets and the National Compassion Fund, the nonprofit that distributes charitable contributions in the aftermath of mass casualty crimes, have named the co-chairs of the Buffalo-community Steering Committee. This group will be led by Mark Blue, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Lackawanna and president of the Buffalo NAACP, and Paul Vukelic, president and […]
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 inFestival Foods, Corporate Store News, Midwest
Festival Foods, Kwik Trip Launch Gas Rewards Program
Skogen’s Festival Foods and Kwik Trip launched a Wisconsin statewide fuel savings partnership May 25. “We’re always looking for ways to bring value to our guests, so when presented the opportunity to partner with another Wisconsin business to do that, it was a no-brainer for us,” said David Jackson, Kwik Trip digital marketing and loyalty […]
Posted inH-E-B, Independent Store News, Southwest
H-E-B To Provide Community Support In Response To Texas Tragedy
H-E-B will support its Texas community with a donation campaign through in-store and online grocery orders. On May 24, a shooter descended upon an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, taking more than 20 lives. As a member of the community, H-E-B stated that it is committed to support its partners and neighbors who have been […]
Posted inAssociation News, West
CGA To Hold Emerging Brands Pitch Slam Contest During Conference
The California Grocers Association in partnership with the Navigator Lighthouse Foundation has announced its 2022 Emerging Brands Pitch Slam Contest at the CGA Strategic Conference. Set for Sept. 25, in Palm Springs, the selected brands will present their products to an audience of retailers and consumer packaged goods companies. Only 10 companies will be selected. […]
Posted inExecutive News, Bravo Supermarkets, Northeast
NJFC Honors Lebiak With Industry Achievement Award
The New Jersey Food Council has named Gus Lebiak, president and COO of Krasdale Foods, as an NJFC Industry Achievement Award honoree. Krasdale is an independent, family-owned grocery distribution, merchandising and marketing services company. With its base of operations in New York, Krasdale has 20 stores in New Jersey that operate under the CTown and Bravo […]
Posted inProduce News, West
The SF Market Hosts CA Official Ross, Highlights Food Redistribution
San Francisco-based The SF Market, a wholesale produce market home to 26 merchant businesses, hosted California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross May 20 for a store tour, highlighting the grocer’s food recovery program. Ross was joined by Natalie Krout-Greenberg, CDFA’s director for the division of inspection services; Joshua W. Bingham, CDFA’s public information officer […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Promotes Matzen, Anderegg To Director Positions
The NGA Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association, has announced two staff promotions. Chelsea Matzen will be assuming the role of director of the NGA Foundation, overseeing all department programs, including scholarships, industry promotion, leadership development, diversity and inclusion and student programs. After four years with the National Farmers Union, Matzen joined […]
Posted inSupply Chain News, Southwest
McLane Honors Former Military Employees For Memorial Day
Temple, Texas-based McLane Company Inc., a supply chain services firm, is observing Memorial Day by recognizing its former military employees. The company stated that it “has long understood the value of hiring former members of the military. With offices and distribution centers located near some of America’s largest military bases, McLane is well-positioned to recruit […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Grocery Store Equipment, Southwest
Walmart, Symbotic Expand Partnership For Automation System
Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart has expanded its partnership with Symbotic, an A.I.-powered supply chain technology company, to implement its robotics and software automation platform in all 42 of Walmart’s regional distribution centers over the coming years. This is an expansion of Walmart’s prior commitment to deploy Symbotic Systems in 25 regional distribution centers. The robotics platform plays a role […]
Posted inCentral Market, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, Southwest
Central Market To Begin Carrying Del Pacifico Shrimp Burgers
Dallas, Texas-based Central Market has begun carrying Del Pacifico Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp Burgers. Del Pacifico Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp Burgers are made with sustainable wild-caught whole shrimp – not ground. The company states that chopping the shrimp by hand and adding black pepper, garlic and olive oil ensures consumers are getting the highest-quality seafood […]
Posted inPackaging News, Northeast, Snacks Brands
The Hershey Co. Unveils Two-Story Trade Show Exhibit
Pennsylvania-based The Hershey Company is showcasing its leadership in retail and consumer insights by focusing on the value of space for both retailers and consumers during the National Confectioners Association’s 2022 Sweets & Snacks Expo from May 24-26 in Chicago. Hershey recently participated in a study where it explored the needs of retailers. Key insights […]
Posted inProduce News, Midwest
FullTilt Marketing Shares State Fruit Trends For Memorial Day
Minot, North Dakota-based FullTilt Marketing conducted a social media trend analysis of the most popular online fruit associated with Memorial Day in all 50 states to identify the fruits consumers were talking about. The social media and web analysis of fruit-based recipes highlights the fact that the most fashionable food is red, white and blue, with […]
Posted inRetailer of the Year, West
Products Are Star, Price Is Hero At New-Look FoodMaxx
FoodMaxx is The Save Mart Companies banner that is committed to everyday low prices across the store, particularly those items customers buy most, such as milk, eggs, bread, diapers, produce and fresh meat. According to the company’s website, the store commits to the following principles in order to achieve this mission: Everything is designed to […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Midwest
Conagra Brands Showcases Lineup At 2022 Sweets & Snacks Expo
Conagra Brands Inc. is attending the National Confectioners Association’s 2022 Sweets & Snacks Expo. The expo is being held in Conagra Brands’ hometown of Chicago through May 26. “The Sweets & Snacks Expo is a great opportunity to connect with our customers and showcase the power of our snacking line-up,” said Spencer Fivelson, VP and general manager of snacks […]
Posted inExecutive News, Independent Store News, Northeast
Tops Promotes Grimes To Store Manager
Williamsville, New York-based Tops Friendly Markets, a full-service grocery retailer, has promoted Ken Grimes to store manager at its location in Canton, Pennsylvania. Grimes was formerly the assistant store manager of the Tops in Big Flats, New York. He started his career in the grocery business in 1990 and has held several positions over the […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National
Sweets & Snacks Expo Releases Most Innovative New Product Winners
The Most Innovative New Product Awards have kicked off the 25th annual Sweets & Snacks Expo by recognizing the most innovative confectionery and snack products and the companies that created them. These products have been developed over the last year and are available on store shelves. “Innovation puts the candy and snack categories in the […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southeast
DemandTec Launches ‘Autonomous Pricing On Demand” Service
Atlanta-based DemandTec by Acoustic, a leader in retail pricing, promotions and markdown technology, has launched its “Autonomous Pricing On Demand” service. The service delivers enterprise-grade, AI-powered price optimization for retailers of all sizes to quickly respond to market and consumer behavior changes so they can compete with larger, tech-savvy competitors. A first for the retail pricing […]
Posted inAsk The Experts, Home Page Latest News
How Can Technology Help Independent Grocers In A Global Pandemic?
Q&A with Francois Labelle, director of product at LOC Software Francois Labelle has been in the Point of Sale Industry for more than 25 years, starting in the reseller space and moving through to his position as director of product at LOC Software for the last eight years. Francois leads the LOC’s product roadmap. What […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, National
Fire Up The Grill For This Summer’s Three Hottest Consumer Categories
by Michael Uetz/ Managing Principal, Midan Marketing, strategic meat marketing, research and creative communications agency. As temperatures warm up, consumers have started planning for grilling season. For this summer’s backyard barbecues, we expect there will be three distinct consumer mindsets at the meat case: the cost-conscious consumer who is feeling the effects of inflation but […]
Posted inRetailer of the Year, Albertsons, West
People-First Lucky California Really Wants ‘Our Folks To Shine’
Bobby McDowell, VP of store operations for Lucky California, got his start in the industry in 1983 with Skaggs Alpha Beta. He has worked his way up through the ranks and has worked with a couple of different companies over his career, including box-format stores. His aunt worked at Alpha Beta and got him a […]