Harvest Health Foods, a family-owned grocery chain in Michigan, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize inventory management and online shopping experiences, according to Bill Reiffer, the company’s VP of purchasing. Prior to becoming an ECRS customer in 2015, Harvest Health Foods employees were pricing each item individually. “It was our first point of sale,” […]
Category: Bonus Content
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Feature, National, Snacks Brands
The Hershey Co. Highlights New Retail Capabilities For Boosting In-Store Sales
The Hershey Co. is “perfecting perfection” with its Reese’s Big Cup, utilizing two new technologies designed to “drive decisions, track performance, collect actionable data and boost sales.” Momin Bhatti, Hershey’s associate manager of corporate communications, visited with The Shelby Report during the recent Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis, sharing how the company is using […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Cosentino's Food Stores, Midwest, Retailer of the Year
Cosentino’s Cultivating Community Through Giving, Local Partnerships
Being a part of the community is one of the core missions at Cosentino’s. From schools and sports teams to town holiday events, the Cosentino Charity Foundation helps support many groups and causes. The company also is a key supporter of local businesses, featuring many of their products in-store. As most philanthropic groups tend to […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Aldi, Meijer, Midwest, SpartanNash
Via ‘Infrastructure For Innovation,’ Michigan Leaders Plan To Foster Economic Growth
Michigan’s economy is expected to grow by 1.8 percent in 2024 – slightly higher than 2023 but lower than the national economy – according to Comerica Bank. But state leaders are not sitting still; growth plans are in place. On May 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, delivering the keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference, announced […]
Posted inCenter Store, Feature, Northeast
Catania Oils Works To Meet Demand, Keep Prices Steady
Catania Oils reported a move to a larger facility as well as packaging and product innovation at IDDBA 2024. Anne Whitney, marketing generalist for the Ayer, Massachusetts-based producer of oils, told The Shelby Report’s Maggie Kaeppel that the company is seeing increased demand, which led to the move to the new 215,000-square-foot warehouse last September. […]
Posted inRetailer of the Year, Cosentino's Food Stores, Independent Store News, Midwest
Relationships, Customer Service Remain Cosentino’s Hallmarks
The first Cosentino’s Market was on the east side of Kansas City. Brothers Jerry and Jim Cosentino had recently returned to Kansas City from serving their country during World War II and were trying to determine what to do next. They took a gamble and bought a small grocery store in Blue Ridge. With no […]
Posted inRetailer of the Year, Cosentino's Food Stores, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Midwest
Generations Strong, Cosentino’s Food Stores Building Success On Old-Time Values
Many retailers believe that to succeed in business they need to focus on future-forward goals and distance themselves from the old ways of doing things. For family-run Cosentino’s Food Stores, The Shelby Report of the Midwest’s 2024 Retailer of the Year, leveraging how business was done in the past has played a central role in […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Feature, Southeast
ECRS’ CATAPULT Retail POS Utilizes AI To Help Independent Grocers Compete
Artificial intelligence applications for local and regional retail grocers are no longer on the horizon – they are a reality today. Pete Catoe, founder and CEO of ECRS, a retail solutions provider, said AI technology is available to grocers with practical tools they should already be using to enhance the customer experience. Catoe said two […]