Ontario, California-based Heritage Grocers Group (HGG) appointed David Hinojosa as CEO following a board-led national search. Hinojosa, a 30-year retail veteran with experience across the U.S., Australia and Asia, will lead the 115-store ethnic grocery operator’s next phase of growth. He most recently served as COO at Vallarta Supermarkets, which he joined in 2023. His career includes […]
Category: Independent Store News
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, West
Harmons Gives Local Businesses $5K Grants
Harmons Neighborhood Grocer named four Utah-based businesses as recipients of its 2026 Local Supplier Development Grants, each receiving $5,000 to fund equipment purchases, technology upgrades and community initiatives. It was the first time Harmons has awarded four grants, up from three in previous years. The beneficiaries are Happy Trowels Farm, Heber Valley Cheese, Salsa Del […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, Publix Super Markets, Southeast
Publix Opens 55,000-Square-Foot Store In St. Petersburg, FL
Publix opened a new 55,454-square-foot supermarket March 12 at 6605 38th Ave. in St. Petersburg, adding a full-format location with an indoor seating area and an adjacent Publix Liquors to the city’s northwest side. Lindsey Willis, Publix’s media relations manager, said the store was designed with comfort and convenience in mind. “This store brings together […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Big Y Foods, Featured News, News, Northeast
Big Y Plans 6 New MA Stores For 90th Anniversary
Big Y hosted a media event March 10 at its future location in Saugus, Massachusetts, to announce six new store openings across the state and celebrate 90 years in business. Gov. Maura Healey addressed the gathering, calling the expansion a win for jobs and food access across the state. The event, held at 357 Broadway, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Hy-Vee, Midwest, News
Hy-Vee Opens Food Pantry At Kansas City Elementary School
Hy-Vee, Harvesters – The Community Food Network and KC Dream Center have opened a revitalized food pantry at M.E. Pearson Elementary School, marking the first on-site school food pantry in Kansas that Hy-Vee has launched with a Feeding America-affiliated food bank. The pantry is expected to serve about 150 families each month in Wyandotte County, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Corporate Store News, Featured News, Grocery Research, National, News
Study Finds 81% Of Americans Open To Switching Grocery Brands
Loyalty in the grocery aisle is softening, according to a new national study from Reach3 Insights that found 81 percent of Americans are open to trying new brands – a signal that routine, habit-driven CPG purchases are giving way to more deliberate in-store decision-making. The study, “Rethinking Routine: What’s Really Happening in the Grocery Aisle,” […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Natural Grocers, News, West
Natural Grocers Plans New Store In Walla Walla, WA
Natural Grocers has begun preparations for a new store in downtown Walla Walla, Washington, marking the family-operated chain’s sixth location in the state and first in the Walla Walla Valley. Ahead of the spring opening, the company is hosting a community meet-and-greet March 24 and a two-day hiring event March 25-26 at the Courtyard by […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Food City, Health & Wellness, News, Southeast
Food City Expands NationsBenefit Flex Card Access For Members
NationsBenefits has integrated its Flex Card network with Food City, allowing eligible health plan members to use prepaid benefit cards at all of the grocer’s participating locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama. Using the NationsBenefits Mastercard Prepaid Flex Card, they will be able to buy approved food as medicine items, over-the-counter (OTC) health […]