The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group have partnered on this series entitled People to Watch to focus on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this installment, The Grocery Group Founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews Tiffany Crandell, territory sales manager, Mars Wrigley Confectionery. Tell me a little bit about you […]
Author Archives: Treva Bennett
Senior Content Creator
After 32 years in the newspaper industry, she is enjoying her new career exploring the world of groceries at The Shelby Report.
Kroger Promotes New Leaders In Central And Dillons Divisions
The Kroger Co. has promoted two members of its leadership team in the wake of the upcoming retirement of Pam Matthews, president of the Central division. Colleen Juergensen, currently president of the Dillons division, has been promoted to president of the Central division, and Steve Dreher, currently VP of the Dillons division, has been promoted […]
Zynstra Has Technology To Relieve ‘Retail Edge’ Struggles
Zynstra showcased its edge virtualization technology in October at the NACS Show in Atlanta. In the previous 18 months, the U.K.-based company has been receiving a significant amount of interest from grocery and convenience/fuel retailers, according to Gavin Bisdee, VP of global marketing. Zynstra’s edge virtualization technology optimizes existing store technology and enables digital transformation. […]
Sorensen: Independent Retailers Are Fast, Focused and Flexible
by Cindy Sorensen/founder and CEO, The Grocery Group I loved the early days of my grocery industry career. I had the responsibility for selling the full portfolio of Nestle Foods’ products to 65 independent grocery stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and western Wisconsin market. These retailers taught me so much about the business. Thankfully, I […]
People To Watch: John Fraro, Big Y’s Deli, Bakery, Foodservice Director
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group have introduced a new series entitled People to Watch that focuses on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this installment, The Grocery Group founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews John Fraro, director of deli, bakery and foodservice for Big Y Foods, which is based in […]
Memorial Service Planned For Beverage Industry Veteran Robert Shircliff
On Jan. 2, 2020, Robert Thomas (Bob) Shircliff, 91, died at home, surrounded by family. The elder son of Thomas Maxwell Shircliff and the former Martha Somes, he was born in Vincennes, Indiana, on May 20, 1928. Mr. Shircliff graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1946, and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana […]
AWG Appoints Rouse To Succeed Murfin On Board Of Directors
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) announced Jan. 9 that Chuck Murfin has resigned from its board of directors, effective Dec. 10, 2019, due to his retirement from the supermarket industry after 40 years of operations. Murfin recently sold his four supermarkets in the Springfield, Missouri, area to another AWG member. In a related move at its […]
Non-Food For Thought: Supermarket ‘Selfcare’ Solutions
by Naomi Sleeper VP of Continuous Improvement and Strategic Initiatives, Imperial Distributors It is that time of year when we replace our holiday indulgences with better-for-you practices. Gyms are packed more than usual, and nutrition becomes a priority (according to Google Trends, the search term “nutrition” has peaked every January over the past five years). […]
Court Approves $850 Million In DIP Financing For Dean Foods
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has entered a final order granting Dallas, Texas-based Dean Foods Co. authority to access the full amount of its $850 million in debtor-in-possession (“DIP”) financing. The company previously had received interim approval from the court to access up to $475 million of the DIP financing. […]
Sprouts Shares Whole30 Shopping List For New Year’s Resolutioners
In celebration of the New Year, Sprouts Farmers Market has published a Whole30 Shopping List for those who want to reset their health, habits and relationship with food by participating in the January Whole30. To further educate customers about the Whole30 program, Sprouts will host a series of store events featuring book giveaways and expert advice with […]
Summit Marketing Partners Acquires Howard F. George Food Brokers
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Summit Marketing Partners has finalized an agreement to acquire Howard F. George Food Brokers. With this acquisition, Summit Marketing continues its growth and expansion and furthers its goal of becoming the premier food brokerage in the Midwest in deli/bakery, meat/seafood and frozen/grocery. “This move allows us to continue to focus on growing […]
Food Retailers Expand Grocery Health, Wellness Programs
FMI released the 2019 Retailer Contributions to Health and Wellness report Dec. 11, finding grocery stores are expanding the health and wellness programs they offer to shoppers. The majority (90 percent) of survey respondents report having an established health and wellness program and about half (49 percent) have programs for both employees and customers. This […]
The Year In Review: Innovation In Thought Was Lacking In Dairy Industry
by Cindy Sorensen/founder and CEO, The Grocery Group Each year as I prepare to write my dairy industry “year in review” column, I reflect on the newsworthy events that occurred in the industry in the previous 12 months. This reflection often includes a look back on the following: new product introductions; ingredient, product and package […]
Kalera Is On The Cutting Edge Of Vertical Farming
Kalera, a technology-driven vertical farming company, is using high-yield hydroponic production systems to grow lettuce faster, cleaner, at a lower cost and with less environmental impact. Kalera’s new CEO, Daniel Malechuk, sat down recently with Tom Bachmann, VP-Southeast for The Shelby Report, to talk about the company and its future. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Kalera […]
White Leaf Provisions Offers Baby Food Free Of Glyphosate Residue
White Leaf Provisions, based in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, has become the first shelf-stable Glyphosate Residue Free certified baby food line in the United States. Glyphosate is the world’s most-used weed killer (herbicide). In 2015, the World Health Organization’s cancer body IARC determined that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic to humans. A very well-publicized testing report by […]
Evo Hemp, Mood33 Introduce New Line Of Hemp-Infused Herbal Teas
Evo Hemp, a hemp food and beverage company based in Boulder, Colorado, is introducing a new line of hemp-infused herbal teas with beverage maker Mood33. These new teas are infused with Evo Hemp’s organic, U.S.-grown hemp extract and made with premium botanicals and real fruit juices. They will be available in the beginning of 2020 […]
C&S Wholesale Grocers Expanding Into Pacific Northwest
C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. is expanding operations into the Pacific Northwest with the addition of a new warehouse in Troutdale, Oregon. The state-of-the-art warehouse will open by the summer of 2020, according to the Keene, New Hampshire-based company. C&S already services several retail partners in the area. “As the business behind grocery, we are always […]
Cardenas Markets Opens Its First Store In Tucson, Arizona
The grand opening for Cardenas Markets’ first store in Tucson, Arizona, took place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20. The ceremony was attended by store officials, local leaders and members of the business community. This new store provides 150 jobs to the local economy and occupies 50,000 s.f. of a newly remodeled retail space at […]
Bashas’ And Food City Stores Expanding Baby Departments
Bashas’ and Food City stores across Arizona are expanding their baby departments. The expansion will bring more than 600 additional items to the stores’ baby departments, expanding the in-store footprint by 50 percent. Newly-added products span a range of everyday needs like formula, early stages food, diapers, breastfeeding supplies, and health and wellness products. “Time […]
Groundbreaking For Buc-ee’s Warner Robins Store Set For Nov. 18
Buc-ee’s, the world’s largest travel center, plans to break ground on its new location in Warner Robins, Georgia, at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 18. Buc-ee’s will to make its Georgia debut in early 2021 at the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and Russell Parkway. The 53,000-s.f. travel center will have 116 fueling positions and thousands of snack and food options […]
