Chandler, Arizona-based AJ’s Fine Foods will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day holiday on March 17 with a menu featuring a trio of chef-prepared hot and ready-to-enjoy Irish dishes throughout the day. AJ’s Bistro will feature three traditional Irish meals. Customers can choose form corned beef brisket with cabbage, red potatoes, and Irish soda bread; Shepard’s Pie, served […]
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 inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Hy-Vee, Midwest
Living Greens Farm Expands Vertical Aeroponic Growing Facility
Faribault, Minnesota-based Living Greens Farm is expanding its Midwest operations with the addition of a new innovative indoor facility in Muncie, Indiana, for growing and processing a variety of leafy green product offerings. The all-new facility will open in early 2023 and will occupy a 200,000-square-foot industrial building built in 2015 but yet to be occupied. The […]
Posted inDeli News, Home Page Slider, Midwest, Plant-Based News
Skinny Butcher Launches Plant-Based Virtual Kitchen Line With Wow Bao
Detriot-based Skinny Butcher has partnered with Chicago-based Wow Bao to launch a new plant-based protein brand in both retail and virtual restaurants. Skinny Butcher invited Los Angeles-based Golden West Food Group to exclusively manufacture the line, be equity stakeholders and serve as the vendor of record, ensuring speed to market on a national scale. Wow Bao created a virtual kitchen concept […]
Posted inAssociation News, Bakery News, Home Page Slider, National, Snacks Brands
ABA and SNAC International Release 2021 Salary, Benefits Survey
The American Bakers Association and SNAC International have released their “2021 Salary and Benefits Survey.” The nearly 150 pages of data covers company profile information, pay practices, benefits and pay information for 34 positions from 36 food manufacturers and supplier organizations across the U.S. and Canada. The survey features data collected from all segments of […]
Posted inPackaging News, Home Page Slider, Midwest, Snacks Brands
Southern Recipe Small Batch Introduces Refreshed Brand, Packaging
Lima, Ohio-based Southern Recipe Small Batch has revealed refreshed packaging and a renewed product appearance. The company said that the new packaging is designed to continue to meet the needs of and draw attention from its core consumers. The launch is accompanied by an integrated campaign to show off the new packaging, including a refreshed logo and enhanced […]
Posted inAssociation News, Home Page Slider, National
Consumer Brands Association Adds 8 CPG Companies To Roster
The Consumer Brands Association has added eight consumer packaged goods companies to its roster. These additions contribute to a 46 percent growth in dues revenue and a 35 percent increase in membership since the association’s relaunch as Consumer Brands. “When we debuted as Consumer Brands, we promised to build a new kind of trade association […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Home Page Slider, West
BetterBrand Appoints Polonowski As President And CCO
Los Angeles-based BetterBrand Inc. has appointed Steve Polonowski as president and Chief Commercial Officer. The move comes as the company scales up its manufacturing capabilities and prepares for retail distribution in 2022. Polonowski joins BetterBrand from Simple Mills, where he served as chief sales officer, building a high-performing sales organization and implementing initiatives that multiplied annual revenue. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Slider, Northeast
Weis Markets Names Gross As VP Of Center Store Sales
Sunbury, Pennsylvania-based Weis Markets has hired Mike Gross to join the company as its VP of center store sales and merchandising. In this role, Gross will oversee the day-to-day category management, merchandising and pricing for the company’s grocery, dairy, frozen, HBC/GM and adult beverage departments. He will be reporting to Bob Gleeson, SVP of merchandising […]
Posted inSustainability News, Beverage News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Miami Beach Partners With PepsiCo For Plastic-Free Pouring Rights
The Miami Beach City Commission voted on March 9 to approve a 10-year nonalcoholic pouring rights agreement with PepsiCo Beverages North America, a division of PepsiCo. The agreement stipulates the beverage company must provide packaged water and soda in aluminum packaging and is worth $2.3 million in cash and in-kind. “I am proud that our city used […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Slider, Southeast
How To Stock Up On Employees Despite Labor Shortage
Sponsored Content It might feel impossible to hire employees for your stores right now, but there are four easy ways to conquer the current labor crisis. Essentially, grocers should stop scrambling to find as many applicants as possible. You don’t need to get the most applicants — the key is finding the right ones. Casting […]
Posted inPlant-Based News, Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Slider, Midwest, Whole Foods
Lightlife Debuts Ready-To-Cook, Plant-Based Tempeh Cubes
Chicago-based Greenleaf Foods has debuted its new Lightlife Tempeh Cubes, a ready-to-cook product innovation joining the brand’s growing portfolio of top-selling tempeh products. The cubes are available on Amazon and in the produce section of Sprouts, New Seasons and Albertsons retail locations in Southern California, with additional availability regionally at Giant and Whole Foods Market […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Slider, West
Weee! Partners With Disney For ‘Turning Red’ Inspired Recipes
Fremont, California-based Weee! has teamed up with Disney and Pixar to create three recipes inspired by the movie “Turning Red.” Additionally, Weee!’s Chief Creative Officer, Jon M. Chu, sat down with the movie’s director, Domee Shi, to talk about her favorite foods from childhood, what she eats when she’s stressed, and her journey as a director. She […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Home Page Slider, Southeast
Farmer Focus Appoints Dillon As Chief Sustainability Officer
Harrisonburg, Virginia-based Farmer Focus has appointed Matthew Dillon as chief sustainability officer. Dillon brings experience with social impact brands, sustainable supply chains, and federal and state advocacy, along with a passion for organic agriculture and a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities ahead for food companies. Dillon serves as a regular speaker at industry […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Bashas', Home Page Slider, Southwest
Bashas’ Celebrates 90th Anniversary With Social Media Campaign
As it prepares to officially celebrate 90 years of serving Arizona later this year, Bashas’ is inviting residents to look back and share the sights, sounds, tastes and experiences that they have had within its stores. Until April 30, Arizonans can share their memories by visiting bashas.com or through scanning a special QR code and sharing their […]
Posted inProduce News, Home Page Slider, Southwest
Brighter Bites Receives $1.5M Walmart Foundation Grant
Brighter Bites, a Houston, Texas-based nonprofit providing under-resourced families with fresh produce and nutrition education, has received a $1.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation to expand programming in communities throughout the country. The grant will support Brighter Bites’ project, “Build a Better Tomorrow for Our Families,” by creating communities of health through increasing access to fresh […]
Posted inAssociation News, Home Page Slider, National, Snacks Brands
NCA Report States Chocolate, Candy Sales Hit All-Time High
In 2021, chocolate and candy sales were up 11 percent over 2020, and up 15.4 percent over 2019 as consumers increasingly focused on seasonal celebrations, sharing and gifts, and emotional well-being, according to the third annual “State of Treating” report published by the National Confectioners Association. The report, released at the 2022 State of the Industry Conference, […]
Posted inAssociation News, Albertsons, Home Page Slider, West
Natural Products Expo West Recaps Successful Convention Week
Informa Markets’ Natural Products Expo West welcomed the in-person return of the industry’s largest trade show March 8-12 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Now in its 41st year, the event drew more than 2,700 exhibitors and 57,000 plus registered attendees to experience the newest innovations in natural and organic foods, beverages, clean beauty, home products, supplements and ingredients. Expo […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Slider, Northeast
ShopRite Employees Featured On Cheerios Packaging For Hunger Relief
Keasbey, New Jersey-based ShopRite and 102 ShopRite employees will appear on limited-edition Cheerios boxes as part of an annual tradition recognizing employees for fighting hunger in their communities. Store fundraising efforts this year raised more than $1.1 million for regional food banks. To earn a photo on the cereal box, ShopRite employees across stores compete each […]
Posted inPackaging News, Home Page Slider, Northeast, Snacks Brands
Utz Brands Celebrates National Potato Chip Day With New Packaging
Hanover, Pennsylvania-based Utz Brands Inc. celebrated National Potato Chip Day on March 14 with a new look for its Utz brand potato chips line. In 2021, U.S. households purchased 1.5 billion pounds of potato chips, as the original flavor still reigns supreme. Barbecue came in as the favorite for the brand’s potato chip flavors, followed by […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Home Page Slider, National
NCR Named Largest Point Of Sale Software Supplier For Fifth Year
NCR Corporation leads the global point-of-sale software market in the retail and hospitality industry as the number one supplier, according to research and consulting firm RBR’s annual report. NCR has topped the list of more than 100 suppliers for five consecutive years and one in six POS installations worldwide is from NCR. Additionally, the report shows the […]