Posted inAssociation News, Guest Contributors, Harps Food Stores, National

Independent Grocers Must Always Keep Looking Forward

NGA’s slogan is “At the heart of the community,” reflecting the important position that independent grocery stores have in so many communities around the country. I’d go out on a limb and suggest a secondary tagline, “Always looking forward,” because a significant part of NGA’s mission is to help its members prepare for whatever lies […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, Southeast, The Kroger Co.

Home Of Cash Saver, Castle Retail Group Aims To Be Memphis’ Low-Price Leader

Castle Retail Group operates five grocery stores, all within the city limits of Memphis. Three of the locations operate under the Cash Saver banner. Ranging in size from 30,000 to 69,000 square feet, they operate as a cost plus-10-percent deep-discount price format. CRG also owns two smaller footprint neighborhood stores. High Point Grocery, which opened in […]

Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Southeast

TGCSA’s Ikard Recaps State Legislative Session, Leading With Swipe Fees Fight

The Shelby Report of the Southeast recently visited with Rob Ikard, president and CEO of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association (TGCSA), to learn more about the legislation and public policy updates impacting retailers in the Volunteer State. Calling the 2024 legislative session “quite busy,” Ikard said TGCSA spent many long hours advancing the […]

Posted inSnacks Brands, Aldi, Amazon Fresh, Feature, Southeast, The Kroger Co., Whole Foods

Mama Geraldine’s Snacks Returning To Grocery Shelves After Plant Burned

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 […]

Posted inMarket Profile, Independent Store News, Rouses Market, Southeast

Focus On Local, First-To-Market Approach Sets Rouses Apart Along Gulf Coast

Louisiana-based Rouses Markets is one of the fastest-growing family-owned companies in the country. It also is one of the top privately held companies and largest employers along the Gulf Coast. Founded in 1960 by Anthony J. Rouse Sr., the company has expanded from its humble roots as a single store operator in Houma, Louisiana, to […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Hy-Vee, Market Profile, Midwest

Hy-Vee Continues To Grow Business Units Across Operating Area

Home state grocer Hy-Vee has been making news with its proposed growth into the southern U.S. But it’s also growing in the Midwest. The West Des Moines-based company, which has 550 “business units” – primarily retail stores – in its operating area, recently grew to nine states with the biggest acquisition in company history. Its […]