Bashas’ celebrated the grand reopening of its 7th Street and Union Hills Drive supermarket (731 E. Union Hills Drive) in north Phoenix, Arizona, on Jan. 10, with the celebration continuing through Saturday, Jan. 13. The newly remodeled store’s expanded offerings include: New value aisles featuring the best deals in the store; A walk-up Starbucks coffee and […]
Category: Independent Store News
URM Stores Continues To Strengthen Its Value Proposition For Retailers
Ray Sprinkle has been at the helm of URM Stores Inc. in Spokane, Washington, for four years now. During that time, the retailer-owned co-op has enjoyed some bright spots, like sales growth and a frozen and refrigerated warehouse expansion, while also weathering some storms, including a data breach. The future looks to be mostly sunny, […]
Bashas’ Chicken Challenge: Turn A Rotisserie Chicken Into Three Dishes
After stretching their pocketbooks during the holidays, families are looking for ways to stretch their grocery dollars, so Arizona grocer Bashas’ is encouraging them to get creative in the kitchen with a new challenge: share three easy-to-make dishes from one Bashas’ rotisserie chicken. The hometown grocer’s second annual “Stretch Your Dollar” Rotisserie Chicken Challenge will […]
SpartanNash Introduces ‘Our Family’ Brand To Michigan Retailers
SpartanNash is introducing the Our Family brand to the Michigan market—at its 87 retail stores, including Family Fare Supermarkets, D&W Fresh Market, Forest Hills Foods, ValuLand and VG’s stores, and at more than 300 independent retail customer stores throughout the state. Our Family products are available in every aisle of the store, including items like […]
AGNE To Purchase Five Vermont Independent Grocery Stores
Associated Grocers of New England (AGNE) will buy one of Vermont’s largest independent retail grocery chains and add five stores to its roster. Vermont grocer Mike Comeau is selling his stores in Waterbury, Richmond, Shelburne, Johnson and Jericho to AGNE, which is headquartered in Pembroke, New Hampshire. In announcing the purchase, Comeau said, “As we […]
Lunds & Byerlys Launches Digital Loyalty Program, Integrated Coupons
Lunds & Byerlys, a Minnesota-based, family-owned grocer, and Unata, a provider of 1-to-1 digital solutions for grocers, have launched Lunds & Byerlys Extras and Integrated Digital Coupons, two new digital features that the companies say will deliver convenient and affordable shopping for customers online and in-store. Lunds & Byerlys Extras is the retailer’s new digital […]
Georgia Independent’s Own-Recipe Fried Peanut Clusters Spawn A Thriving Second Business
by Lorrie Griffith/editor–Southeast West Foods, an independent grocery store in the rural southwest Georgia town of Edison, has been making and selling fried peanuts to its customers for many years. The store’s owner, John West, who bought the store from his dad, Richard, back earlier in this decade, said the peanuts have always been a […]
Buehler’s Fresh Foods Names New Board Of Directors
Buehler’s Fresh Foods, a regional supermarket chain located in northeast Ohio, has named the board of directors for its newly formed company. Dan Shanahan, president and CEO of Buehler’s, was elected as chairman and is joined on the board by Jim Tapscott and Paul Nanula. “We welcome the addition of these two outstanding new board […]
Raley’s Launches Same-Day Delivery Service In Reno
Raley’s eCart e-commerce platform is launching its third phase of delivery service to Reno, Nevada. The grocer’s offerings now can be delivered to select zip codes in the Reno area. This is the next step in Raley’s investment in e-commerce, developed with the purpose of making grocery shopping more convenient for its customers. In November, […]
At Hanover Co-op Food Stores, ‘Local’ Actually Means Local
Associated Grocers of New England member If you’ve ever seen a picture postcard of a quaint New England town, then you have a pretty good idea about the communities Hanover Co-op Food Stores serves, according to Allan Reetz, director of public relations. The 81-year-old co-op operates four retail stores in the Upper Connecticut River Valley, […]
iFresh CEO Wins New York City Business Pioneer Award
Long Deng, CEO of iFresh Inc., a New York City-based Asian American grocery supermarket format and online grocer, has received the Business Pioneer Award from the Chinese American Citizens Alliance of Greater New York (CACAGNY). The alliance is the oldest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. CACAGNY’s Wai Wah Chin, commenting on […]
Western Markets’ 28th Wine & Food Festival Raises $44K For Charity
Birmingham, Alabama-based Western Markets, a locally owned independent supermarket chain, recently hosted its 28th Annual Wine and Food Festival at the Birmingham Zoo. Each year, proceeds from the event are used to benefit local charities in the communities Western Markets serves. During the Wine and Food Festival’s 28-year history, the company has donated more than $246,000 […]
Publix Ranks Among The Best Workplaces For Diversity
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix has been recognized as one of the 2017 Best Workplaces for Diversity by The Great Place to Work Institute and Fortune Magazine. According to Fortune, the list recognizes companies in the U.S. “doing the most to create inclusive cultures for minorities, LGBT employees and women.” Publix ranked No. 6 on this year’s list. […]
2018 IGA Hometown Proud Retailers Are The ‘Best Of The Best’
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has revealed its 2018 IGA Hometown Proud Retailers, representing the “best of the best from IGA’s progressive independent retailers in the United States.” “Submitted by our IGA Licensed Distribution Centers as their candidate for IGA USA International Retailer of the Year, these Five-Star IGA Hometown Proud retailers represent the best […]
Vallarta Supermarkets Opens 50th Store In Pasadena, California
Vallarta Supermarkets, a Hispanic supermarket chain, opened its 50th store this week, located in Pasadena, California. The new supermarket in in the Renaissance Plaza Shopping Center on the southwest corner of North Fair Oaks Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard. It previously was occupied by a Vons Supermarket. The remodeled 50,000-s.f. facility was built with an […]
ROFDA Fall Conference: ‘Bold Moves’ Needed In New Era Of Grocery
How does an independent grocer leverage e-commerce in this “new era” of grocery retailing? That is the question Steve Bishop, managing partner, Brick Meets Click, attempted to answer at the ROFDA Fall Conference. While e-commerce is a small percentage of sales today, it is a disproportionately important part of the business. Bishop said Amazon’s acquisition […]
Industry Orgs Urge House To Pass ADA Reform Legislation
The National Grocers Association (NGA), a trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, and 28 state trade associations this week urged the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the ADA Reform and Education Act of 2017 (H.R. 620) in a letter sent to lawmakers. According to the organizations, the legislation would “protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits brought […]
Publix To Open Second GreenWise Market Location
Publix Super Markets has selected Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, as the second location for its new GreenWise Market concept, focusing on the specialty, natural and organic sector. Mount Pleasant lies immediately to the east of Charleston, and the selected site is located within the Indigo Square shopping center at the northwest corner of US Highway […]
Festival Foods To Open Newest Eau Claire Location This Week
Festival Foods will open its newest store at 2717 Birch Street in Eau Claire on Friday, Dec. 1. The Birch Street Festival Foods will offer a new meat service case, salad and soup bar, scratch bakery, wine and spirits department and catering services, as well as natural and organic foods and deli options. The store […]
AFPD, Local Businesses And Nonprofits Distribute Turkeys In Michigan
The Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers (AFPD) says it is one of the largest turkey drives in the country, having distributed more than 85,000 of the holiday birds since 1980. AFPD teams with local independent retailers and suppliers to bring free turkeys to families in need during the holiday season as part of AFPD’s Annual […]
