Thanks to its longstanding partnership with a Michigan grower, Meijer is continuing its tradition of supplying each of its 223 stores across the Midwest with locally-grown poinsettias this holiday season—enough to fill about eight football fields. But the partnership with Masterpiece Flower Co. has also allowed the Byron Center, Mich.-based grower to expand its own […]
Category: Center Store
Center store news for grocery retailers: dry grocery, pantry staples, merchandising and category trends in the aisles.
See more center store coverage in Aisle Watch.
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products, Suppliers
Indulgent Nature Of The Holidays Help Rank Sweets High On Latest Shelf Score
Instantly, the world’s largest audience and insights company, has released its latest Shelf Score report, a monthly top 10 list of the newest CPG products ranked by consumer purchase intent. Based on the findings of the November Shelf Score, consumers appear to be embracing the indulgent nature of the holidays. Sweet treats from revered chocolate […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Center Store, Southwest, Suppliers
Big Red, Trees For Troops Bring Christmas Cheer To Military Families
Austin, Texas-based Big Red soda has partnered with Trees for Troops to donate live Christmas trees to military families. For every Big Red purchase this holiday season, Big Red will donate a portion of the proceeds to send Christmas trees to military members and their families around the world. Last year, Trees for Troops donated […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Center Store, Grocery News, National, Suppliers, Whole Foods
Though Amazon Is No. 1 Among Moms, Food Brands Dominate Favorites Ranking
Food brands make up half the list of the top 25 most loved brands among moms of children age 6-12. Brands making the list include Reese’s, Oreo, Hershey’s, M&M’S, Kit Kat, Snickers, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lay’s, Doritos, Goldfish, Tropicana, Cuties and Pringles. Nevertheless, Amazon takes the No. 1 spot, topping the list of 283 family-friendly […]
Posted in, Center Store, Southeast
Honey Nut Cheerios’ Living Billboard In Florida Highlights Limited-Edition Box
Florida residents this week previewed Honey Nut Cheerios’ one-of-a-kind living billboard, just outside of Orlando, to celebrate the classic cereal’s key ingredient—real honey. Much more than just a billboard installation, the three-story free-standing structure was home to more than 100,000 honeybees. The honey produced from the working hives was used to spell out “Made with […]
Posted in, Center Store, Industry News, Marketing News, Merchandising News, Southwest, Sustainability News
Steamboat Springs Location Wins Tom’s, Natural Grocers Contest
The Natural Grocers store in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, won Tom’s of Maine’s “Garbage to Green” promotion, a contest encouraging each of the chain’s 90 locations to reuse empty Tom’s of Maine products and reduce the amount of waste sent to local landfills. Participants created original Tom’s of Maine end cap displays incorporating the empty natural […]
Posted in, Center Store, Frozen Food, Perishables, Southwest, Suppliers
Blue Bell Readies For Phase Three Of Return
Blue Bell Ice Cream continues to expand its distribution following the virtual shutdown of its operations earlier this year after a recall of its products. Phase three of the Brenham, Texas-based company’s five-phase market re-entry is scheduled to begin Dec. 14. Phase three includes the remaining majority of Texas and central and southern Alabama. “We […]
Posted in, Center Store, Grocery News
Products With A ‘Fall Feel’ Dominate Instantly’s Latest Shelf Score Report
Instantly, the world’s largest audience and insights company, has released its latest Shelf Score report, a monthly top 10 list of the newest CPG products ranked by consumer purchase intent. With temperatures cooling down across the nation, consumers are seeking products that offer a fall flavor and feel. In the October edition of Instantly’s Shelf […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Center Store, National
Coca-Cola Partners With Musician/Author To Promote Book During Homeless Youth Awareness Month
Country music artist and New York Times bestselling author Jimmy Wayne is joining forces with Coca-Cola to make a positive difference during National Homeless Youth Awareness Month in November. Wayne’s latest book, “Walk To Beautiful” (HarperCollins Christian Publishing), the critically acclaimed memoir that recounts Wayne’s transition from homeless teen to becoming a country music star with a No. 1 song, was […]
Posted in, Center Store, Marketing News, Midwest, Suppliers
Country Hearth Breads Launches Great Holiday Get-Together Sweepstakes
St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Country Hearth breads is offering Midwest consumers the chance to win one of two $1,000 cash awards with the “Great Holiday Get-Together Sweepstakes.” Pan-O-Gold Baking Co., bakers of Country Hearth and Village Hearth breads, is sponsoring the sweepstakes open to residents age 18 and older in its Upper Midwest market area. Entries […]
Posted in, Center Store, Marketing News, National, Suppliers
Foods Dominate As Kids’ Favorite Brands
Oreo, America’s “wonderfilled” classic cookie, has topped this year’s list of Kids’ Most Loved Brands, according to findings from the 2015 Young Love study of more than 7,000 children and their parents. In fact, food brands dominate this year’s list, taking 14 of the 25 spots on the list. Oreo beats out last year’s No. […]
Posted in, Center Store, Midwest, Suppliers
Angelic Bakehouse Achieves Non-GMO Project Verification
Angelic Bakehouse, a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified bakery specializing in sprouted grain products, has received Non-GMO Project Verified status for its best-selling product, Sprouted Seven-Grain bread. The Non-GMO Project is North America’s only third-party source for verification and labeling of non-GMO food and products. The Milwaukee-based company expects the remainder of its product […]
Posted in, Center Store, Grocery News, Marketing News, Midwest
Carlin O’Brien Becomes Carlin Group
Carlin O’Brien, a privately owned full-service brokerage and member of BeaconUnited, is changing its name to Carlin Group—a name change the company says better reflects the regional CPG sales and marketing agency it has become. The news comes as Carlin Group participates in this year’s National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Frozen and […]
Posted in, Center Store, Executive News, Southeast, Suppliers
Flowers Baking Co. Gets New President
Flowers Foods has named Chris Mulford president of Flowers Baking Co. of Thomasville, Georgia, a subsidiary of Flowers Foods. Mickey Miller, current bakery president, retires after 42 years of service with the company. Mulford began his career with Flowers in 1987. Holding several sales positions with the company, he most recently served as VP of […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Center Store, National, Suppliers
242 Breweries Take Home Medals at 2015 Great American Beer Festival
The 2015 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) competition in Boulder, Colorado, awarded 275 medals to some of the best commercial breweries in the U.S., plus three GABF Pro-Am medals to teams of amateur brewers paired with professional brewers. Presented by the Brewers Association, GABF is the largest commercial beer competition in the world and a […]
Posted in, Center Store, Southwest
Ben & Jerry’s ‘Tex-Clusive’ Winning Flavor Unveiled
Texans voted and a whopping 79 percent selected as Bourbon Pecan Pie as their first ever, Lone Star State-exclusive Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor. Ben & Jerry’s brought Texans two of their biggest and boldest flavors as part of the ice cream company’s first “Texas Churned” summer tour and asked fans to vote for […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, Store News
Soupman Soups Coming To Kroger Stores Nationwide In September
Soupman is rolling out four soups at more than 2,100 Kroger stores nationwide. Soupman’s Lobster Bisque, Chicken Noodle, Chicken Gumbo and Crab & Corn Chowder, will be at Kroger, Dillon Stores, Fry’s Food Stores, King Soopers, Ralph’s, Fred Meyers, Smith’s and others starting in September. All of Soupman soups are sold in environmentally friendly, “green” […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Center Store, Marketing News, National, Whole Foods
GMDC Celebration Of Its 45th Gets Under Way
Aug. 1 marked the official 45th anniversary of the Global Market Development Center (GMDC). The official celebration will take place at GMDC’s 2015 Health Beauty Wellness Conference taking place Oct. 1-5 in Phoenix, Arizona. As part of the runup to the celebration, GMDC shared some information from “The Evolution of Retail: Reinventing the Customer Experience,” […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products
Bacon Salt Inventor Adds New Flavors To Crouton Lineup
J&D’s Foods, the Seattle-based food innovation company and inventor of Bacon Salt, has released three new crouton flavors: Pretzel Bread Croutons, Tomato Basil Croutons and Everything Croutons. This comes on the heels of the company’s successful launch of Bacon Croutons, gourmet croutons combined with the taste of bacon. J&D’s croutons can be tossed in salads, added soups or […]
Posted in, Center Store, Southwest, Suppliers
Renfro Foods Celebrates ‘75 Hot & Spicy Years’
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor Doug Renfro likes to say that Renfro Foods has grown “from itty-bitty to really small in only 75 years.” His grandparents, George and Arthurine, co-founded a packaged spices and pepper sauce business, George Renfro Food Co., in the garage of their North Texas home in 1940. It has become almost cliché […]