Independents | The Shelby Report
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Lowes Foods Reports Dramatic Increase In Coupon Redemption Using Digital Platform

Winston-Salem-based Lowes Foods, with grocery stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, is reporting a 422 percent increase in average coupon redemptions over the last six weeks compared with the average for the six weeks prior to the launch of Unata’s integrated coupons platform. Lowes Foods is the first grocery retailer to embed digital […]

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

Schnucks Opening Replacement Store In Evansville, Indiana

On Dec. 7, Schnucks will open a replacement store in Evansville, Indiana, for its 4600 Washington Avenue location. That store, which was in operation for nearly 40 years, will close at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. At 7 a.m. the next morning, a new, 59,000-s.f. supermarket with a pharmacy will open less than a quarter […]

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

Balls Food Stores COO Testifies Before House Ag Committee On SNAP Program

Mike Beal, COO of Balls Food Stores in Kansas City, Kansas, on Wednesday testified on behalf of the National Grocers Association (NGA) before the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee in a hearing titled “The Past, Present and Future of SNAP: Opportunities for Improving Access to Food.” In his testimony, Beal shared the positive impacts […]

Posted inEquipment & Technology, Albertsons, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Online Grocery Technology, Store News, West

California Fresh Market Opens Line-Free Grocery Store

Business partners Alfred Holzheu, Greg King and Sean Walwick have opened a California Fresh Market in a former Haggen/Albertsons store in San Luis Obispo, California, that allows shoppers to skip the checkout line by using an app on their smartphone. The store opened Nov. 9 at 767 Foothill Boulevard. To skip the line, shoppers download […]

Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, West

KKR Invests In Two California Hispanic Grocers

Vendor memos from Mi Pueblo Food Center and Cardenas Markets dated Nov. 1 said that KKR, a global investment firm, has made investments in each company. Mi Pueblo operates in Northern California, Cardenas in Southern California. Both grocers say KKR is committed to their growth, saying the investment will be used for “creating new jobs […]

Posted inBeverage News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Midwest

Medina Liquor Agency Now Operating Inside Buehler’s Store

The Buehler’s Medina River Styx store in Medina, Ohio, marked the official opening of the Medina Liquor Agency, inside of the supermarket, on Monday. This completes the transfer and relocation agreement with the Wine Reserve to purchase the Medina Liquor Agency. Dan Shanahan, president and COO of Buehler’s Fresh Foods, said, “With the highly successful […]

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

Gordy’s Market Appoints New CEO And COO, Makes Other Leadership Changes

Gordy and Donna Schafer today announced the retirement of their sons Jeff Schafer, president of Gordy’s Market, and Rick Schafer, VP of facilities. Jeff and Rick have worked for the Wisconsin-based, family-owned and -operated business for more than 80 years combined. Gordy’s Market CFO David Schafer, son of Gordy and Donna, will assume the role […]

Posted inStore News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Southeast

LeBlanc’s To Reopen As Rouses On Tuesday

LeBlanc’s Food Stores will reopen as Rouses Markets next week. The Louisiana grocery chains announced early last month that they would be joining forces under one banner, giving Rouses 54 stores. LeBlanc’s nine stores will close at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, and reopen as Rouses at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8. Five of the […]

Posted inSuppliers, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Southeast, Store News, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Alabama Grocers Association Presents Awards At Food Industry Finest Luncheon

The Alabama Grocers Association held its annual Food Industry Finest Luncheon on Oct. 26 at The Club in Birmingham. More than 200 people attended the event. The group recognized its Retailer, Wholesaler and Vendor of the Year Award winners. Speakers included Secretary of Sate John Merrill and motivational speaker Dr. Kevin Elko. “Each of these […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Home Page Latest News, Store News, West

Bashas’ Remodels Its First Native American Reservation Store

Bashas’ will debut its newly remodeled Diné Market in Chinle, Arizona, on Wednesday. The unit is the first store that Bashas’ opened on a Native American reservation. It also is the first Diné Market to receive a full remodel since 2008. The store is located at the corner of Highway 91 and Route 7. “The first […]

Posted inWest, Corporate Store News, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Store News, Suppliers, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Washington Food Industry Association Names New Board Leaders

The Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) has named two longtime leaders in the state’s grocery industry to lead the organization’s board of directors in 2017. Mike Erickson, chairman of Harbor Wholesale Foods in Lacey, will serve as the WFIA’s board chairman, succeeding Mike Trask of Stanlar Foods Inc. The association’s new first vice chair, Metropolitan […]

Posted inWest, Albertsons, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Store News

NorCal’s G&G Supermarkets To Become Safeway After Deal Closes

G&G Supermarkets, with one store in Santa Rosa and another in Petaluma, California, is being acquired by Safeway, an Albertsons company. In a statement Thursday, G&G said it had shared the news about the “new chapter in the company’s history” with employees, which will become part of the Safeway family. “G&G has been proud to […]

Posted inStore News, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Southwest, Whole Foods

Lone Star State Shoppers Love To Click And Collect

by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest What a difference a year has made for shoppers who’d rather swing by and have their groceries brought to them than cart around the store and wait in the checkout lane. H-E-B Curbside, Kroger ClickList and Walmart’s pickup service (no clever name yet from Bentonville) are making the lives of young mothers, […]

Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Midwest, Store News, Wholesaler/Distributor News

AWG Wraps Merger With Affiliated Foods Midwest

Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has completed its merger with Affiliated Foods Midwest (AFM). With its first shipments to stores out of its newest divisions in Norfolk, Nebraska, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Oct. 23, the combined cooperative will operate singularly as AWG with more than 1,000 independent members. This combination of retailers makes AWG the largest […]

Posted in, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Midwest, Store News

Minnesota Grocers Association Kicks Off Bag Hunger Campaign

The Minnesota Grocers Association (MGA) is encouraging consumers statewide to bag hunger in their neighborhoods by shopping at participating retailers during the 2016 Bag Hunger Campaign. All food and monetary contributions collected in-store will go to local food banks and shelves to benefit hungry Minnesota families. Bag Hunger is a three-way partnership with grocers, vendors […]

Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, National, Store News, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Wakefern, AWG Top NCB Co-op 100 Report

The National Cooperative Bank has released its annual NCB Co-op 100, listing the nation’s top 100 revenue-earning cooperative businesses. In 2015, these businesses posted revenue totaling approximately $223.8 billion. Considered one of the list’s “main sectors” is grocery, in which Wakefern Food Corp./ShopRite, based in Keasbey, New Jersey, reported $15.5 billion in revenue and earned […]

Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, National, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, The Independent Perspective

Independents Can Excel In A Number Of Areas

by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report We here at NGA are gearing up for The NGA Show, which will be held Feb. 12-15 in Las Vegas. And as we begin to look forward to the show, I find myself thinking about the areas where independents can excel […]

Posted in, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Southeast, Store News, Suppliers, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Golfers Raise Funds For Alabama Grocers Education Foundation

The Alabama Grocers Education Foundation held its 24th annual fall golf outing on Thursday at Inverness Country Club in Birmingham. The tournament included two flights and raised funds for the Alabama Grocers Association’s Education Foundation, which funds scholarships to employees and children of employees of Alabama Grocers Association companies. To date, the foundation has awarded […]

Posted in, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Southwest, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Colorado’s Hays Market Is Affiliated Foods MW’s Retailer Of The Year

Colorado’s Hays Market recently was recognized with the 2016 Retailer of the Year for a Wholesale Co-op by its parent co-op, Affiliated Foods Midwest. As one of 800 stores in the 13-state region considered for the award, it meant a lot to sibling owners Neal, Ryan and Russell Hays, according to the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. […]

Posted in, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, National, The Independent Perspective

NGA Makes Three Appointments To Board Of Directors

The National Grocers Association (NGA) has appointed David Ochs, SVP of sales, East, KeHE Distributors, and Jeff Strack, president and CEO of Strack & Van Til, to fill recent vacancies on its board of directors. Additionally, the organization has named Mike Stigers, EVP and president, wholesale and supply chain services, Supervalu, to serve on the board’s […]