Mobeam Inc., a San Francisco technology platform for delivering coupons to mobile phones, has beamed a $6.4 million Series A round of venture capital on board from investors, reports the San Francisco Business Times. The company, founded in April 2010, has added new investor DFJ Athena, a Korea-focused venture fund affiliated with Draper Fisher Jurvetson, […]
Category: Equipment & Technology
Valentine’s ‘Spice’ Advice from Johnsonville Italian Sausage
Wisconsin-based Johnsonville Sausage says it’s going to help men impress the ladies in their lives this year with some Valentine’s Day “Advice with Spice.” Through Feb. 19, all are invited to visit Johnsonville Kitchens on Facebook for some advice to “spice” things up this Valentine’s Day. And, since Johnsonville knows everyone has a few buddies […]
Piggly Wiggly Carolina Expands Online Grocery Service
After successfully offering online shopping in 10 stores for the past four years, Piggly Wiggly Carolina has expanded its Click’n Shop program to 26 additional locations, nearly tripling Piggly Wiggly’s eCommerce presence in South Carolina. With MyWebGrocer’s Click’n Shop online shopping solution, Piggly Wiggly Carolina shoppers can purchase groceries online and choose to pick up […]
Noble Roman’s Partners with The Pantry for Pilot Program
Noble Roman’s Inc., the Indianapolis-based, non-traditional pizza franchisor, is partnering with The Pantry Inc., a leading convenience store operator in the Southeast, for a pilot program featuring Noble Roman’s branded foodservice system. The Pantry is headquartered in Cary, N.C., and has more than 1,650 locations in 13 states. The pilot program will begin with a […]
Centerplate Celebrates Heartland with Exclusive Super Bowl Menu
Centerplate, the largest hospitality partner to North America’s premier sports stadiums, convention centers and entertainment venues, is introducing its exclusive hospitality menu for Super Bowl XLVI, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. In more than 250 venues nationwide, Centerplate prides itself on bold, chef-inspired cuisine grounded in treasured local flavors. And the Super […]
WMMB Launches 3rd Annual Macaroni & Cheese Blog
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) has invited 30 of the country’s top food bloggers to participate in the third annual “30 Days, 30 Ways with Macaroni and Cheese” blogger program. The blog relaunched Jan. 20 in celebration of National Cheese Lover’s Day. A new blogger-created recipe will be unveiled each day for 30 days. […]
FMI: PINs Imperative as New Chip Card Technology is Adopted
As the U.S. migrates to Chip card technology for payments, it will be imperative that card issuers enable a PIN (personal identification number) for their cards to prevent fraud. Liz Garner, director of government relations for the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), noted, “With recent announcements by the card networks, and more anticipated this spring, it […]
Star Packaging Launches Fully Recyclable Stand-Up Pouch
Atlanta-based Star Packaging Corp., a provider of innovative flexible packaging, has launched its TerraFlex RP line of fully recyclable stand up pouches. The newest addition to Star’s TerraFlex family of sustainable packaging solutions, TerraFlex RP is ideal for use in virtually any flexible packaging application. From food and beverage to grass seeds and lawn products, […]
GE Capital Provides Credit Facility to Navarro Discount Pharmacy
GE Capital, Corporate Retail Finance is now the administrative agent and sole lender on a $65 million asset-based credit facility for Navarro Discount Pharmacy, the largest Hispanic-owned pharmacy chain in the U.S. and an MBF Healthcare portfolio company. The financing will be used to refinance debt and for general corporate purposes. Founded in 1960, Miami-based […]
Valpak Coupons Now Available on CheckPoints App
Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, will expand its reach further by making its coupons available on CheckPoints, an app that gives shoppers access to discounts and savings right when and where they need them. Valpak will offer its savings to mobile consumers via CheckPoints with national brand partners such as Procter […]
@WalmartLabs Acquires Mobile App Company Small Society
@WalmartLabs, a division of Walmart Stores, has acquired the Small Society team. “We will continue to build great mobile apps, but now we will focus all of our attention on a single company—the largest one in the world,” said Raven Zachary, president of Small Society. Walmart has made a number of targeted acquisitions in the […]
Revionics Signs Grocer for Price Optimization Software
Roseville, Calif.’s Revionics Inc. has signed K-VA-T Food Stores to use its price optimization software, reports the Sacramento Business Journal. K-VA-T Food Stores is based Abingdon, Va. It operates 104 grocery stores, with 76 pharmacies and 71 gas stations under the Food City, Super Dollar, and Gas ‘N Go brands in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. […]
Stater Bros. Awarded by State for ‘Green Business Practices’
For the second year in a row, Stater Bros. has received a Waste Reduction Award for its environmentally friendly programs from California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP). In total, Stater Bros. eliminated 125,780,911 lbs. of waste from landfills in 2011. The company’s significant green programs include: • Recycling […]
Lauer Retires from Topco
Steven K. Lauer has retired from his positions as president and CEO of Topco Associates LLC in Skokie, Ill. Lauer, who retired Dec. 23, has been with the cooperative for 19 years. He joined Topco in 1993 as CFO and was promoted to president and CEO in 1999. Under Lauer’s leadership, Topco’s membership has grown […]
P&G Clears Plan for Mobile Coupons
Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) is partnering with mobeam inc. to bring the first fully mobile couponing system to market. The innovation, created by mobeam of California, makes electronic coupons presented on a phone or other mobile device scannable, so shoppers need only their phones/handhelds, not a stack of coupons, at check out. Today, couponing […]
NCGA To Celebrate ‘International Year of Cooperatives’
With the United Nations declaring 2012 the “International Year of Cooperatives,” the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) will officially kick off its year of celebrations with a “virtual” premiere of an online video series hosted by Kevin Gillespie, co-owner and executive chef at the Woodfire Grill Restaurant in Atlanta and sixth season finalist of the […]
2012 Food Trends Reflective of Economy, Digital Age
What do a plankton-feeding fish from Australia, Curry Powder’s golden ingredient, and explosive corn have in common? They may play a starring role in 2012’s American food trends, according to food and nutrition forecasters at Publicis Consultants USA. “Economic circumstances are prompting more than the usual degree of change in the highly adaptable food and […]
Glorioso’s Design Firm Earns Recognition
Glorioso’s Italian Market recently won The Business Journal’s 2011 Real Estate Award for Best New Development or Renovation. The project was directed by Mehmert Store Services Inc. of Sussex, Wis., which worked with Glorioso’s Italian Market on a major renovation of the historic Astor Theater, converting the 20,000-s.f. building into the new location for Glorioso’s […]
Zero Zone Celebrates 50 Years
Since 1961, when it first began operations in a dairy barn in a small town outside Milwaukee, Zero Zone Inc. has earned the reputation of producing top-of-the-line commercial refrigeration units at competitive prices. Now, 50 years later, the company has expanded its operations in spite of the economy; in fact, 2010 was the company’s most […]
Hy-Vee Food Stores Deploys aisle411 Mobile App
Mobile retail navigation service aisle411, which helps shoppers find what they are looking for in-store, has been deployed in Hy-Vee Food Stores. Shoppers can access the aisle411 in-store shopping platform for Hy-Vee Food Stores within aisle411’s iPhone and Android applications, as well as within the Hy-Vee Foods iPhone application. aisle411’s proprietary platform takes in-store inventory […]
