Fareway Meat & Grocery donated $288,869.96 to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation through customer round-up purchases between Nov. 24-Dec. 24. The total reflects an increase of more than $13,000 compared to the previous year’s campaign. The annual toy drive also collected 20,381 new toys across participating Fareway locations for distribution to children across Iowa. […]
Category: Independent Store News
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Finance News, News, Retailer of the Year, Vallarta Supermarkets, West
Vallarta Moving To Broader Appeal – ‘We’ve Got To Give Everybody Something’
In 1985, the Gonzalez family opened a small market in Van Nuys, California, called Carnicería Vallarta. The family focused on selling traditional cuts of meats popular in their native Mexico. They worked hard to build a name for themselves by offering high-quality authentic products, providing a high level of customer service and treating employees as […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, News, West
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Wins NGA’s Student Case Study Competition
The National Grocers Association Foundation shared that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the NGA Foundation Student Case Study Competition following presentations at The NGA Show in Las Vegas. This year’s case study, “Keeping Shelves Relevant and Customers Inspired,” challenged students to develop innovative, practical solutions for Nugget Markets, a 16-location independent grocer across Northern […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Frozen Food, Hy-Vee, Midwest, News
Hy-Vee Introduces Dietitian Dishes Frozen Meal Line
Hy-Vee has launched Dietitian Dishes, a line of frozen medically tailored meals developed by the West Des Moines, Iowa-based retailer’s registered dietitians to support heart- and diabetes-friendly diets. The frozen meals, available in Hy-Vee’s HealthMarket department and online, come in more than 15 varieties of nutrient-dense, single-serve options. Flavors include Egg Roll in a Bowl, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Big Y Foods, News, Northeast
Big Y Plans Fourth Eastern MA Store In Saugus
The 46,000-square-foot store Big Y plans to open at 357 Broadway in Saugus, Massachusetts, is the fourth in that area the grocer has announced in recent months. “We’re proud to announce another Big Y store in eastern Massachusetts, continuing a wave of growth that includes Pembroke, Fairhaven and North Dartmouth,” said Mathieu L. D’Amour, VP […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast, Wakefern
Inserra Supermarkets To Open First Fresh Grocer In Brooklyn
Inserra Supermarkets will open The Fresh Grocer of Brooklyn on Feb. 13 at 523 Fulton St., marking the supermarket banner’s first location in New York City and creating about 140 new jobs. The 18,000-square-foot store, located across from the Fulton Mall in downtown Brooklyn, will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 a.m. The first 100 […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, H-E-B, News, Southwest
H-E-B Opens 11th DFW Location In Forney, TX
H-E-B opened a store Feb. 4 in Forney, Texas, marking the 11th location the San Antonio-based retailer has opened in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex since 2022. The 139,000-square-foot store at 11700 East U.S. Hwy. 80 joins 10 other H-E-B stores and three Joe V’s Smart Shop locations the retailer has opened in the area. H-E-B […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Fareway, Midwest, News
Fareway Donates 69K Pounds Of Ham To Iowa Food Banks
Fareway Stores has donated more than 69,000 pounds of ham – totaling 5,504 hams – to help feed those facing food insecurity. The donation will be distributed through three food bank partners. The Food Bank of Iowa will receive 60 percent, while Siouxland Food Bank and River Bend Food Bank each will receive 20 percent. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Finance News, News, Southeast
C&S Wholesale Grocers Signs Supply Agreement With Sedano’s Supermarkets
Keene, New Hampshire-based C&S Wholesale Grocers has signed an agreement with Sedano’s Supermarkets, becoming the primary supplier for the 32-store Hispanic grocery chain based in Hialeah, Florida. The deal includes distribution, transportation, procurement, merchandising and retail services for all Sedano’s locations, with C&S supplying an expansive assortment and mix. “We’re excited for our partnership with […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, News, West
Ridley’s Family Markets To Acquire Terrel’s Markets In UT
Ridley’s Family Markets, a family-owned grocery retailer serving the Intermountain West, has entered into an agreement to acquire Terrel’s Markets. The transaction is expected to close on or near the first week of April. All six Terrel’s Markets locations – in Fillmore, Gunnison, Mount Pleasant, Nephi, Payson and Santaquin, Utah – will transition to the […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast
ARS Launches AI-Powered Meal Planning Platform PrepPal
Allegiance Retail Services has launched PrepPal, an AI-powered meal planning platform that converts weekly circular promotions into shoppable five-day meal plans with integrated grocery lists. At the center of the experience is Aiden, PrepPal’s branded digital chef created by Allegiance. Leveraging artificial intelligence, Aiden analyzes weekly promotional items and assembles budget-conscious meal plans built entirely […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Corporate Store News, National, News, Online Grocery Technology
DoorDash Adds 5 Grocers, Expands SNAP/EBT Access Across 7 Chains
DoorDash added five grocery partners and expanded SNAP/EBT payment capabilities to seven additional merchants on Feb. 2, broadening access to on-demand grocery delivery across multiple categories, regions and payment options. The new partners include Berkeley Bowl, Cermak Fresh Market, Harmons Grocery, JONS Fresh Marketplace and Pete’s Market. Consumers who have uploaded their SNAP cards to […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Midwest, News
Walt Churchill’s Market Receives NGA’s Peter J. Larkin Award
The National Grocers Association (NGA) presented the Peter J. Larkin Award for Community Service to Ohio-based Walt Churchill’s Market during the opening session of The NGA Show in Las Vegas on Feb. 1. The award honors independent grocers that exemplify exceptional dedication to community engagement and service. For more than 100 years, Walt Churchill’s Market […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast, Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop Lowers Chicken Prices In CT, NJ, NY
Stop & Shop has reduced prices on chicken at all its stores in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, with the price reductions taking effect before the Big Game. The lower prices apply to a range of products from national brands like Perdue and Bell & Evans to private brands like Stop & Shop’s Nature’s […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, H-E-B, News, Southwest
H-E-B Buys Land For Supply Chain Campus In North Texas
H-E-B finalized a land purchase of more than 600 acres in Valley View, Texas, where the San Antonio-based retailer plans to build facilities in multiple phases to support its supply chain operations. Situated along Interstate 35 and E. Lone Oak Road, the property in Cooke County is about 60 miles north of Fort Worth. The […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, News, Publix Super Markets, Southeast
Publix Opens New Store In Locust Grove, GA
Publix opened a new store Jan. 28 in the Shops at Indian Creek, 4518 Hwy 42 S. in Locust Grove, Georgia. The 48,387-square-foot store features traditional departments, including a full-service deli counter with a variety of meats and cheeses, an international selection of olives, antipastos, hummus and more than 200 artisan cheeses from the United […]
Posted inAssociation News, Independent Store News, National, News
NGA Recognizes Creative Choice Awards Winners At 2026 Show
The National Grocers Association honored the winners of its annual Creative Choice Awards at The NGA Show on Feb. 1 in Las Vegas, recognizing outstanding marketing and merchandising programs from independent grocery retailers across the country. Houchens Food Group received two national awards this year. The Bowling Green, Kentucky-based, 100-percent employee-owned company received the Unilever […]
Posted inAssociation News, Finance News, Independent Store News, National, News
NGA Honors Hugo’s Magnuson Nelson With Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award
The National Grocers Association named Kristi Magnuson Nelson, president of Grand Forks, North Dakota-based Hugo’s Family Marketplace, as the 2026 recipient of the Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. One of the most prestigious honors in the independent grocery industry, the award honors the legacy of Zaucha, NGA’s first president and CEO, whose career was […]
Expert Article
Real-Time Insight For Real Results: Giving Independent Grocers Control Over The Decisions That Drive Profit
Independent grocers operate in one of the most demanding areas of retail. Margins are tight, labor is unpredictable and vendor costs can change without warning. Yet many store leaders still rely on month-end reports or spreadsheets that arrive long after the moment to adjust has passed. That delay makes it harder to lead with confidence. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Executive News, Festival Foods, Midwest, News
Festival Foods’ Munns Retiring, Whitney Promoted To Chief Merchant
Festival Foods shared two personnel moves Jan. 30, including the upcoming retirement of Randy Munns, EVP and COO, and the promotion of Adam Whitney to chief merchant. Munns will retire Feb. 13 after a 40-year career in the grocery industry, including 35 years with the Wisconsin-based chain. Munns joined Festival in 1991 as a third-shift […]