Following months of rebuilding after tragedy struck in September 2023, Mama Geraldine’s Cheese Straws and Bodacious Snacks is back in business. Cathy Cunningham, company founder, talked about her journey with The Shelby Report at the 2024 IDDBA Show. At a dinner last fall with some girlfriends in downtown Jasper, Georgia, Cunningham said she received a call […]
Category: Feature
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Feature, Southwest
John Soules Foods Helping Retailers Differentiate
The Shelby Report recently caught up with John Soules, co-CEO of John Soules Foods. Established in 1975, the Tyler, Texas-based company is a formulator, manufacturer and marketer of ready-to-cook and fully cooked beef and chicken products as well as fully cooked breaded chicken. It has production facilities in Tyler, Texas; Gainesville, Georgia; and Valley, Alabama. […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Dollar General, Feature, Food Lion, National
Self-Checkouts A ‘Double-Edged Sword’ For Grocery Customers, Retailers
Self-checkouts in grocery stores present both benefits and challenges for the retailers that utilize them. In the benefits column, they allow customers buying just a handful of items to not get in a line behind someone doing two weeks’ worth of shopping. They also lessen the labor and eventually payroll burden for retailers, many of […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Aldi, Feature, Southeast
Aldi Gaining Steam Across Southeast
Shaun O’Keefe, Aldi regional VP based out of the company’s Jefferson, Georgia, distribution center, conducted a tour for journalists in mid-July at the company’s store on Peachtree Road in Atlanta’s Buckhead area. Aldi currently operates 81 stores in Georgia, with 50-55 of them in the Atlanta area, depending on your definition of what the Atlanta […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Feature, Southeast
Super G Mart Serves As Meeting Ground For Different Cultures
Super G Mart is the largest international supermarket in North Carolina, offering spices, produce, grocery and household items from across the globe. Paul Han, VP of operations, spoke with The Shelby Report of the Southeast about the company during the recent Carolinas Food Industry Council conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The first Super G […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Feature, Southeast
Acosta Group Execs Talk Key Trends, Challenges
As the landscape of fresh foods continues to evolve, two executives with Jacksonville, Florida-based Acosta Group shared some of their insights with The Shelby Report of the Southeast. Kathy Risch, SVP of shopper insights and thought leadership, and John DuBois, VP of fresh foods, were presenters at the recent IDDBA Show and talked about key […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Feature, National
Toshiba Executive: AI Powering Improvements For Self-Checkouts
Self-checkout systems have revolutionized the grocery shopping experience, offering numerous advantages for both customers and retailers. By empowering shoppers to scan and bag their own items, these systems reduce wait times, allowing customers to move through the checkout process with greater speed and convenience. This increased efficiency not only benefits customers but also frees up […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, Feature, Meijer, National
Driving Produce Sales As Parents Prepare For 2024-25 School Year
A new study by The Foundation for Fresh Produce reveals most children are not eating enough fruits and vegetables every day. To boost consumption, the foundation has launched a month-long campaign, “Hacks for Healthy Back-to-School Habits.” Designed to promote simple and engaging food, cooking and meal prep “hacks,” the effort aims to instill healthy eating […]