by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest If only the walls of John’s Grocery could talk. The grocery store has been in business for 70 years, which is impressive for a small, family-owned independent retailer. But the building where John’s Grocery is located has been a cornerstone in Iowa City history going back another 100 years. “Iowa was founded […]
Category: Market Profile
More Help Is Available For Kansas’ Struggling Rural Grocers
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Many independent grocers in Kansas’ rural communities struggle to remain open. This year alone, at least five independent grocers already have closed, according to David Procter, director of the Center for Engagement and Community Development (CECD) at Kansas State University (KSU). “We know of several stores that have closed this year, so […]
Missouri General Assembly Has ‘Most Successful Session In The State’s History’
Last year about this time, Dan Shaul told The Shelby Report that while the General Assembly had done some good work in 2017, it could have done a whole heck of a lot more. This year, that heck of a lot more got done, and there is more to come. A lot of work got […]
Junior’s Super Market Readies For The Future
Junior’s Super Market is a seven-store chain based in Pharr, Texas, where it now operates three stores: one Junior’s Express and two Junior’s Super Market locations. Other locations in the Rio Grande Valley include Edinburg, San Juan, Hidalgo, Penitas and Alton. The Shelby Report’s Jan Meade caught up with owner Felix Chavez Jr. for a […]
Washington Market Profile: Challenges, But Growth, Too
by Lorrie Griffith/editor-West One of the dichotomies in a state like Washington is that while there are major metropolitan areas like Seattle, there also are extremely rural areas. But, of course, both are subject to the same state laws, like the $12 an hour minimum wage that went into effect this year that will go […]
Indiana Now Has Sunday Sales, Which Is…Great?
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Anyone who wanted to grab a cold beer on Sunday in Indiana was out of luck until March of this year. That is when a state law took effect allowing Sunday alcohol sales. Now a customer can get a cold one on Sunday, but only from a liquor store. Grocery, drug and […]
Central Florida Gaining In Population, Businesses
by Lorrie Griffith/editor–Southeast Central Florida is in the midst of a housing crisis created by Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico last September. According to the Orlando Sentinel’s 2018 Central Florida Business Forecast, released in January, 50,000 or more Puerto Ricans are believed to have moved to Florida since the storm, many of them now […]
Alabama Market Profile: State’s Economy Is On The Upswing
by Lorrie Griffith/editor–Southeast Alabama’s economy is on the upswing, according to Ellie Taylor, president of the Alabama Grocers Association AGA), located in Birmingham. In fact, the state’s unemployment rate is now 3.5 percent—the lowest in its history. The good times look to be continuing, as two major plants were announced in January. One is a […]
