Houston’s urban core is seeing residents shift outward. Seeking a lower cost of living, many are choosing to relocate to towns within a 30-mile radius, which still affords them easy access to the city. Retailers appear to be following suit and selecting locations well outside city limits to build new stores. One of the fastest […]
Category: Market Profile
Village Comes Together To Open Co-op Grocery
The village of Utica, Nebraska, has an estimated population of 840. Located in Seward County, it’s a 45-minute drive to Lincoln, the state capital and home of the University of Nebraska. When the village lost its only grocery store about 15 years ago, it impacted the community. About 13 years ago, when the local Catholic […]
Population Surge Helps Lift Dynamic Grocery Industry In Florida
Brick-and-mortar retailers, including grocers, remain the primary point of purchase for consumers, accounting for about 70 percent of total retail sales in the nation, according to Lorena Holley, VP and general counsel for the Florida Retail Federation. The grocery industry in Florida has remained resilient, Holley noted, with FRF members “actively finding ways to stretch […]
Seafood City Sets Up Shop In Sugar Land, TX
Seafood City in Sugar Land is the first Filipino-focused specialty supermarket to open in Texas. The 50,000-square-foot one-stop shop is located in the First Colony Commons shopping center in what was formerly Conn’s Furniture store. Attracting shoppers from well over a 60-mile radius, the store has quickly become a popular destination, drawing more than 3,000 […]
In ‘Complicated Time,’ Grocers See Shift In Shopper Preferences
Election years are a busy time for any trade group and this year is no exception for the California Grocers Association. “Politically we’re going through an interesting time in Southern California and the entire state right now. The presidential election this fall has created a headwind of sorts,” said Nate Rose, the group’s senior director […]
As North Texas Grows, Grocery Industry ‘Very Competitive’
When looking at northern Texas – and specifically the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – it is important to note it is a region that spans more than 9,000 miles. Depending on the source and direction viewed, North Texas is either teeming with retail grocery options or in desperate need of them. Take Dallas, for instance. To the […]
El Rio Grande Latin Market Largest Local Hispanic Grocer In DFW
Last summer, El Rio Grande Latin Market opened its ninth store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The opening earned owner Hamdy Shalabi the distinction of becoming the largest locally-based Hispanic grocer in the market. As anyone who has shopped in one of his family’s stores can attest, El Rio Grand Latin Markets are far from […]
Raine’s Offers Eureka Variety Along ‘Loneliest Road In America’
Scott Raine loves a challenge. And running the only grocery store in Eureka, Nevada, provides plenty of them. Raine owns and operates Raine’s Market along with his mother, Lee, and his wife, Silvia. Scott and Silvia’s sons – Steel, Sabre, Storm and Strider – also work at the store. The “greater metropolitan area” of Eureka […]
Nebraska’s Food Industry Finds Itself In ‘Interesting Position’
Ansley Fellers, executive director of the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association, said the state’s food industry is in “an interesting position.” Although it is large, the eastern side is the most populated, with the western side being very rural. Fellers said a recent study by the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association to gauge how many independent grocery […]
New Hampshire Grocery Industry Gets Creative With Employee Shortages
As a whole, New Hampshire had a good year economically in 2023, providing a healthy runway for 2024, according to Kevin Daigle, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Grocers Association. He said the state’s workforce returned to pre-pandemic levels, and population growth continues to outpace the New England region. “Unemployment remains low and economic […]
Independents Impacted By Warm Winter In North Dakota
Weather can greatly influence shopper behavior and that was the case in North Dakota this winter. The state, which is normally cold and snowy from November through March, has been exactly opposite of what its 780,000 residents typically experience. John “Jiggs” Dyste, president of the North Dakota Grocers Association, pointed out that the change in […]
Report: Nevada Has Second Highest Average Weekly Grocery Spend
Nevada has a population of about 3.2 million, having grown at an annualized 1.4 percent over the five years to 2023, according to IBIS World. The Silver State’s gross state product in 2023 reached $170.1 billion, growing 17.5 percent over the five years to 2023. Nevada’s market size in the supermarket and grocery industry was […]
Independent Grocers Helping West Texas Weather Challenges
Independent grocers in West Texas have certainly weathered some challenging times as of late. From supply chain and e-commerce issues to inflation, labor and financial constraints, grocers in the Amarillo, El Paso and Lubbock regions have been dealing with a significant amount of upheaval. Chad Collen, director of retail experience/sales for Grocers Supply, said the […]
Alabama’s Grocery Tax Poised For Further Reduction This Year
After more than a decade of hard work, the reduction of Alabama’s grocery tax is finally a reality, according to Alabama Grocers Association President Ellie Taylor. Act 2023-554 passed the Alabama legislature, and on Sept. 1, 2023, the grocery tax rate was reduced from 4 percent to 3 percent. Alabama now joins the 47 other […]
Krause’s Market Prides Itself On Variety For Shoppers
Kari Olson and her, brother Dalles Jr., who operate Krause’s Market, know a thing or two about running a grocery store in a rural area. In one form or another, Olson and her family have been in the retail food business in North Dakota since World War II. The family’s first store opened 80 years […]
Vista Markets Serves Evolving El Paso With Plentiful Perishables
Vista Markets started out in the early 1980s as a small, standalone bakery in El Paso, Texas. At the time, it was operated by owner Mike Piña and just two employees. Through the years, Mike’s brothers, Oscar and Armando, joined the business. In 1987, they opened their first small supermarket with a bakery. Today, Vista […]
Delaware Known For Strong Economy, Business Friendliness
Delaware is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. According to U.S. Census Bureau, the population of The First State increased 10.2 percent from 2010 to 2020. And, current estimates show the number of people moving to the state has continued to climb in the past three years. People are coming to Delaware for […]
Sleeper’s Market Offers Something For Everyone In Caribou, ME
Family-operated since 1914, Sleeper’s Market has had to continuously evolve its business to remain competitive and relevant. Located in Caribou, Maine, this 10,000-square-foot location is part grocery, part clothing store. And being close to the Canadian border means Sleeper’s caters to both American and Canadian customers. Founded by Joseph Sleeper Sr., the store is now […]
Maine Sees Evolving Retail Landscape, Population Shift
Maine is known for its picturesque mountain and coastal landscapes, as well as its seafaring traditions, agricultural and forestry businesses. It also is a state dealing with economic and workforce challenges and an evolving retail landscape. Layered on top of this, Maine is experiencing a profound pandemic-fueled population shift. COVID had (and is still having) […]
With Heart For Small Towns, Lowe’s Excellent Fit In New Mexico
Owned and operated by the Lowe’s family (now in its third generation), Lowe’s Markets is well known and appreciated by residents of New Mexico. Headquartered in Littlefield, Texas – just 44 miles from the New Mexico border – Lowe’s operates 22 stores in the state under the banners of Lowe’s Market (11), Super Save (four), […]
