Independents | The Shelby Report
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New Seasons Market Plans First San Francisco Store

Portland, Oregon’s New Seasons Market plans to open its first San Francisco store—a 29,000-s.f unit at 555 Fulton Street between Laguna and Octavia streets. The store will be part of the Fulton Street Ventures development project; an opening date has not been set. “We are excited to come to San Francisco and join the Hayes […]

Posted inCenter Store, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Southwest

Brookshire’s World Record Attempt Will Help Feed Thousands

Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) completed its attempt to break a world record on Feb. 24 at the East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) by building the world’s largest canned food pyramid. Community volunteers stacked 36,000 cans over a period of four days to create the 12-ft. pyramid. The cans used for construction were donated to the […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Grocery Store Layout, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Southwest, Store News

Four Generations Open Fourth Edwards Cash Saver

Four generations of the Edwards family attended the grand opening of their new Edwards Cash Saver in Beebe, Arkansas, on Feb. 1. Patriarch Oral Edwards, founder of the Edwards grocery chain, cut the ribbon as company president, Steve Edwards, welcomed a crowd to the new store. The first 100 customers received a bag full of Best […]

Posted inGrocery Store Layout, Food Service News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, National, Suppliers

Décorworx Aims To Help Independents Differentiate

by Terrie Ellerbee/editor–Midwest and Southwest   Utah-based Décorworx creates beautiful shopping environments, and it has done so for humongous grocery and mass merchandise stores. But the whole dynamic of the company changed when a conscious decision was made to turn its focus to independent grocers, Jeff Dansie, president and owner, tells The Shelby Report. “We […]

Posted inMidwest, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Store News

Remke Markets Sold, Fresh Encounter To Manage

Fresh Encounter will take over management of Remke Markets Inc., which is being acquired by Generative Growth. Both Fresh Encounter and Generative Growth are based in Findlay, Ohio. Generative Growth is a wholly owned corporation whose members include third-generation grocers Michael S. Needler Jr. and Julie Needler Anderson. Headquartered in Erlanger, Kentucky, Remke operates stores in […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Latest News, Produce News, Southwest, Suppliers

Double Up Food Bucks Expands To Lowe’s Grocery Stores In New Mexico

Beginning this spring, New Mexicans who receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can save money when they buy New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables at several Lowe’s grocery stores in New Mexico. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, assists one in five people in the state. Double Up Food Bucks, a program of the New […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Amazon Fresh, Association News, Center Store, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, The Independent Perspective, Whole Foods

Larkin Outlines Top 3 Hot Topics Among NGA Show Attendees

The Shelby Report’s Editor-in-Chief Lorrie Griffith sat down with National Grocers Association (NGA) President and CEO Peter Larkin at the NGA Show in Las Vegas in earlier this month, which turned out to be the show’s seventh consecutive year of record-breaking attendance—more than 3,400—including a record level of retailer and wholesaler participants. The Expo floor […]

Posted inFood Service News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content

Asian Retailer One World Market Eyes Opportunities For Expansion

by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Ethnic retailing is a bright spot in the supermarket industry, and One World Market believes that the Asian demographic is emerging as one of the brightest. The Asian population in the U.S. has grown by 43 percent in the last decade, recently replacing Hispanics as the country’s largest immigrant group, the […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Store News

Study: Gap Between Shoppers Using Social Media And Connecting With Their Supermarkets Remains Wide

The Retail Feedback Group (RFG) has released the “U.S. Supermarket Shopper Digital Update,” a new report focusing specifically on the digital aspects of shopper engagement with supermarkets. The report is an offshoot from RFG’s annual report of supermarket shopper satisfaction, the “U.S. Supermarket Experience Study.” Social media gap remains an opportunity While 87 percent of supermarket […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Amazon Fresh, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Whole Foods

Rosie Will Serve As First Online Grocery Platform For Independents To Accept SNAP Payments

Participants in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will soon have a new, convenient way to shop and pay for their groceries. At The NGA Show, happening now in Las Vegas, Rosie announced that independent grocers using its e-commerce app can now offer customers the ability to shop online and pay for SNAP-eligible items at-store using […]

Posted inMarketing News, Association News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, National, Private Label Brands, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, Suppliers

IGA Announces Its New Cause Marketing Partner

by Lorrie Griffith/editor-in-chief IGA USA revealed its new cause marketing partner at its 2017 Global Rally, Feb. 10-12 in Las Vegas. The new partner is Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, an organization that is summed up best by its tagline, according to President and CEO Marcia Lee Taylor: Where families find answers. The organization offers support […]

Posted inWest, Equipment & Technology, Feature, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, Supply Chain News, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Unified Grocers Goes The Extra Miles For Retailers In Alaska And Guam

by Alissa Marchat/staff writer The grocery industry is a tough one to succeed in, particularly when your store is located thousands of miles away from your wholesaler. That’s the challenge faced by those retailers in Alaska and Guam, which are served by Unified Grocers out of Seattle and California. Grocers and consumers alike face their […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, Store News

Mackenthun’s Fine Foods Honored By Minnesota State House

Mackenthun’s Fine Foods in Waconia was honored by the Minnesota House of Representatives Feb. 6. Rep. Jim Nash presented the Mackenthun family with a House Resolution to commemorate 100 years in the grocery business. Jaime Mackenthun and Jessa Mackenthun Theis, fifth generation co-owners, were present for the reading and to accept the resolution. Rep. Nash […]

Posted inCoborn's, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Midwest, Store News, Suppliers

MGA Recognizes Six Minnesota Companies For Efforts To Fight Hunger

The Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA) has revealed the Silver Plate Award winners of its 2016 Bag Hunger Campaign contest. The contest is part of a state-wide campaign coordinated annually by the MGA that engages Minnesotans in the fight to bag hunger in their neighborhoods. The 2016 Bag Hunger Campaign donated $15,000 to Second Harvest Heartland with an […]

Posted inWest, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Marketing News, Online Grocery Technology, Wholesaler/Distributor News

AFS Uses Technology To Simplify Print Advertising For Independents

Associated Food Stores (AFS) and eComSystems are teaming up make print advertising easier for independent grocers. The Salt Lake City-based wholesaler partnered with the technology firm in 2013 to create AFS AdStudio, a custom advertising development and production program that allows retailers to quickly and easily build custom weekly ads. Since then, the companies have worked together […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, Wholesaler/Distributor News

SpartanNash Begins Companywide Habitat For Humanity Fundraiser

Kicking off the first of four companywide retail fundraising campaigns in 2017, the SpartanNash Foundation is inviting store guests to join it in supporting local Habitat for Humanity affiliates in eight states. The retail scan campaign to provide shelter—one of the foundation’s missions—begins on Feb. 8 and will run through Feb. 19. During the 12-day […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Southeast

Newly Remodeled Liberty IGA And Ace Hardware Now Open In Kentucky

Liberty, Kentucky’s fully remodeled Liberty IGA store reopened its doors Jan. 18, with a ribbon cutting to celebrate. The store was expanded by about 6,000 s.f., approximately 5,300 s.f. of that in an adjacent Ace Hardware store. The store now is more than 20,000 s.f. The overall shopping center where the store is located also […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Latest News, Southwest

El Rio Grande Latin Market Opens New Store In Mesquite, Texas

El Rio Grande Latin Market will host a grand opening for its ninth store in Mesquite, Texas, on Wednesday. The 48,000-s.f. full-service supermarket is located at 2106 N. Galloway Avenue between Galloway and Highway 80. The grocery chain, founded in 2005, serves the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The company says the new market places an emphasis […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Latest News, Midwest

New Cincinnati Food Co-op Celebrates Grand Opening

Clifton Cooperative Market, a new food co-op at 319 Ludlow Avenue in Cincinnati, has debuted, wrapping up its grand opening festivities over the weekend. The store opened to fill the void in the community left by the former Keller’s IGA, according to National Cooperative Bank (NCB), which provided a $1.875 million loan for the purchase […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Midwest

Save-A-Lot Operator The Janes Group Recognized With OGA’s Pinnacle Award

The Ohio Grocers Association (OGA) on Tuesday presented its large operator Pinnacle Award to Joe Janes and The Janes Group, which operates 18 properties throughout the state—including 15 Save-A-Lot stores, the Corner Market off Charleston Pike in Chillicothe and two convenience stores. The Pinnacle Award, based on operational excellence and significant contribution to Ohio’s food industry, is […]