Sponsored content Charlie Wood, VP of sales at Bake’n Joy, discusses the latest bakery trends and key factors for retailers to consider when choosing a bakery partner. Wood has a history of working in the food and beverages industry. His areas of expertise include consumer products, management, marketing strategy, competitive analysis and strategy. He is […]
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 inIndependent Store News, Albertsons, Corporate Store News, Guest Contributors, Southwest, The Kroger Co.
Simmering Southwest: Region Boasts Unique Brew Of Grocery Retailing
By Diana Leza Sheehan / founder and principal consultant, PDG Insights The American grocery landscape is a fascinating ecosystem of national giants and regional independents, learning and competing against each other. The Southwest region of the United States has evolved in unexpected ways, driven by strong independents that innovate effectively while continuing to successfully compete […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
SmartSense Renews Partnership With 3 Grocers
Grocers continually strive to prioritize customer satisfaction and operational efficiency while maintaining high food safety standards. To achieve this, grocers such as Jerry’s Foods, Knowlan’s Fresh Foods and Giant Eagle have renewed, upgraded and expanded their relationships with SmartSense to help amplify their commitment to ongoing food safety practices and quality assurance. “Our mission is […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Southeast
Save A Lot Prepares New Store In Leitchfield, KY
Save A Lot is bringing a new store to the community at 415 Mill St. in Leitchfield, Kentucky, replacing an older location in town. Owned and operated by Houchens Food Group, a grand-opening celebration took place on May 29, giving residents the opportunity to experience the new store. This location is one of the 88 Houchens Food […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Urges CMS To Address Disparities With Healthy Benefit Cards
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), highlighting critical gaps in healthy benefit card access in the Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental benefits for the chronically ill (SSBCI) food program. In its comments, NGA underscores the exclusion of independent grocers from healthy benefit cards and calls […]
Posted inAssociation News, Northeast
PFMA Conference Highlights Food Industry Trends
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) welcomed industry leaders for its annual conference May 7-8 at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square. “It’s always a joy to unite our new members with long-standing partners for a rich blend of connection and education,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of PFMA. “This year, we grew our […]
Posted inMarketing News, National
How To Turn Loyalty Members Into Super-Users
Sponsored content In Part I of the series, the data showed that there’s a mismatch between loyalty membership and loyalty behavior. Here in Part II, we take a closer look at those loyalty customers to explore what grocers can do to make super-users out of those infrequent loyalty members. For any given grocer, there are […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Corporate Store News, Northeast, Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop, Badger Technologies Celebrate School Partnership With Donation
Stop & Shop celebrated the fifth anniversary of its partnership with P.S. 105 The Bay School in New York by donating $17,500 to enable the school to meet the needs of its more than 600 students. In 2019, The Bay School was the first school in New York to be a recipient of the Stop […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Feature, Southeast
Closing Technology Gap Between Independents, Competition
ARG’s technology has continued to evolve along with its retailers over the last 20 years based upon the changing market and competitive landscape. As company officials have noted, this includes leveraging the advantages of data utilization and machine learning on its repository of retailer data to deliver solutions for individual stores that they are not […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Foodtown, Northeast
Foodtown Of Cold Spring Reopens, Offering Expanded Departments
PSK Supermarkets, an employee-owned company and member of Allegiance Retail Services, held a grand re-opening May 17 of Foodtown of Cold Spring, New York. The supermarket was recently enlarged and renovated, featuring brand new departments and freshly made products daily. “We are excited to invite the Cold Spring community to stroll the aisles of our […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, IGA, National
IGA Brings Back Summer Grill Giveaway Sweepstakes
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has announced the return of the Celebrate Summer Grill Giveaway Sweepstakes. The Celebrate Summer Grill Giveaway will select three shoppers to win a dream grill of their choosing (valued at up to $1,000). Consumers can enter up to once a day at iga.com. Running through June 25, the giveaway is sponsored by The […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southeast
ECRS, InComm Healthcare Partner For Benefit Card Integration
InComm Healthcare has joined ECRS’ CATAPULT point-of-sale integration ecosystem, which will allow Dual Network Benefit Card holders to use their health plan supplemental benefit funds at ECRS retailers nationwide. Serving more than 320 healthcare plans and more than 10 million members, InComm Healthcare created the Dual Network Benefit Card so members of participating health plans […]
Posted inFestival Foods, Independent Store News, Midwest
Festival Foods’ Senior Directors Hailed For Innovation
Two of Festival Foods’ senior directors, Jackie Johnson and Jessica Fontenot, were recently named Champions of Change by the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA). The award recognizes leaders in the food industry who are making a positive impact on their companies and communities. Johnson and Fontenot, both in Festival’s Fresh Foods Department, were hailed […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Albertsons, Feature, Northeast, The Kroger Co.
Grocery Retailing In Northeast: Diverse Landscape Varies By City, State
by Diana Leza Sheehan, founder and principal consultant, PDG Insights From bustling cities to quaint coastal towns, the northeastern United States offers a broad array of cultures and lifestyles. This extends far beyond accents and historical landmarks. Venture into a grocery store in the Northeast, and one encounters a retail landscape unlike any other in the […]
Posted inH-E-B, Independent Store News, Southwest
H-E-B Opens E-Commerce Fulfillment Center In Cibolo, TX
H-E-B has opened a new e-commerce fulfillment center in Cibolo, a project that expands the retailer’s commitment to integrate technologies that drive omnichannel growth and provide a better shopping experience for Texans. The 55,000-square-foot facility, which is connected to H-E-B Cibolo at 850 FM 1103, will support curbside and home delivery orders throughout Cibolo, New […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, CERTCO Inc., Midwest
Certco Prepares Distribution Centers, Suppliers For FSMA 204 Compliance
Certco Inc., serving more than 200 independent grocery locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, will use the ReposiTrak Traceability Network to automate supplier traceability in preparation for the launch of FSMA 204. Once connected, Certco suppliers will be able to share the complex set of key data elements that are required under the FDA’s FSMA 204 food […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Southeast
Walmart Opens Two ‘Updated’ Neighborhood Markets
Walmart is testing “valuable changes” in the Southeast, with two new Neighborhood Markets opening in the Dune Lakes area of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and in the Vine City neighborhood of Atlanta. Walmart has committed to “opening or converting more than 150 stores in the next five years – with the Neighborhood Market set to […]
Posted inBeverage News, Association News, National
Bottled Water Outsells Carbonated Soft Drinks For Eighth Year In A Row
Bottled water has retained its title as America’s favorite packaged drink, outselling carbonated soft drinks (by volume) for the eighth year in a row, new data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) shows. Bottled water’s total volume sold in 2023 was 15.94 billion gallons, compared to carbonated soft drinks, which sold 11.84 billion gallons. Bottled […]
Posted inAssociation News, Northeast
NJFC Honors Industry Leaders At ‘Night Of Distinction’
The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) honored three industry leaders May 15 during its annual “Night of Distinction” reception. The event drew more than 500 guests, including prominent food industry executives across the region. Additionally, Anthony Calandra of Calandra’s Bakery of Newark spearheaded a drive to bring in scholarship donations to benefit the NJFC Educational […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Feature, Southeast
ARG’s Focus On Creating Personal Relationships Backed By Integrity
When Alliance Retail Group (ARG) was founded in 2004, it was with the mission to create a business model that stood out, based on personal relationships. From the start, it was important to the founders that strong business metrics were ingrained in the company’s culture. To some, it might seem old fashioned, but they were […]