Shelby Originals | In-Depth Food Industry Stories & Analysis
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HR & Benefits News: Current Employee Handbook: A Must for Grocers

Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Myth: Independent grocers really don’t need employee handbooks…no one reads them anyway. Reality: An employee handbook can help protect grocers who face lawsuits or discrimination charges if it’s up-to-date and well-written. Grocers of all sizes need […]

Posted inRecommended Reading, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Shelby Content, Southeast, Store News

Recommended: Reports Say Winn-Dixie Parent Could Be Headed For Bankruptcy

Speculation began late last week that Southeastern Grocers, the fifth-largest conventional supermarket in the U.S., could be facing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The company employs more than 50,000 associates who serve customers in grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies throughout the seven southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. […]

Posted inFood Service News, Bakery News, Deli News, Grocery News, Grocery Store Layout, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Produce News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, West

Letting The Food Speak For Itself: Bristol Farms’ New-Concept Mulholland Store

Bristol Farms’ new prototype store will open Nov. 11. The 25,000-s.f. store on Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills, California, located in a space formerly owned by Haggen, is the first major design departure for Bristol Farms in its 35-year history and is “a store that we’ve been dreaming up for a decade,” Kacie Davis, owner […]

Posted inShelby Signature Content, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, West

Smart & Final’s Scott And Kelly Drew ‘Putting Life Back Together’ After Fire

by Alissa Marchat/web editor It’s been a devastating month for many California residents. Fires in both Northern and Southern California have claimed dozens of lives and thousands of buildings, among them the home of Smart & Final EVP of Operations Scott Drew and his wife Kelly. Scott’s name is likely a familiar one to many […]

Posted inShelby Content, Deli News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Market Profile, Southwest

Farmers Fresh Market Brings Value To Ignacio, Colorado, Community

by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest There are about 800 residents living in Ignacio, Colorado, a town that can be overshadowed by touristy Durango about 25 miles away. Now, Ignacio is trying to redefine itself. Locals who want to find out what is happening with that effort and give their own input can do so at their local […]

Posted inGuest Contributors, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Whole Foods

Will Someone Win The Price Vs. Service Battle, Or Is There Room For Both?

by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report For years, the successful retail business model featured a strong commitment to customer service. Customer service does cover a broad area but was often listed in surveys as the primary reason a customer chose a store. It was not uncommon for employees […]

Posted inAssociation News, Home Page Latest News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Shelby Signature Content

Changes Are Coming To NEW As Technology, Financial Industries Approached

by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest & Midwest Sarah Alter took over as president of the Network of Executive Women (NEW) on June 5. She may be new to the organization, but not to its ideals. She has had a penchant for helping women and diverse leaders advance throughout her career, which fits perfectly with NEW’s vision to […]

Posted inShelby Content, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, International Foods, Specialty, West

Multicultural Marketplace Column: Challenging Times Call For Bold Action

by Terry Soto/strategy consultant and author of “Marketing to Hispanics: A Strategic Approach to Assessing and Planning Your Initiative” When thinking about the topic for this article, I couldn’t help thinking about what is most salient in the Hispanic community right now. I would have to say without a doubt that it’s the current negative […]

Posted inWoman Executive of the Year, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Honorees, Shelby Signature Content, Whole Foods, Wholesaler/Distributor News, Women In The News

Tandy Harvey Is Shelby’s Midwest Woman Executive Of The Year

Providence Brought Tandy Harvey to Supervalu by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Tandy S. Harvey will tell you she loves Supervalu, a company she has spent more than three decades serving. Her first job was a part-time summer gig in a warehouse in Champaign, Illinois, in the mid-1980s. She was in college earning a mechanical engineering technology degree […]

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HR & Benefits News: The Real Cost Of Worker Turnover For Grocers

Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a new monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors.   Price tag of turnover is shocking Employee turnover is a significant issue for independent grocers, especially for part-time workers. And the real cost of turnover is hidden—it’s not a tracked profit-and-loss statement line item. […]

Posted inShelby Signature Content, Home Page Latest News, Marketing News, Midwest, Private Label Brands, Shelby Content

Federated Group Gains Shopko, Banner Wholesale

Federated Group, which will celebrate its 90th year in business this December, brought its annual show back to a historic landmark, The Drake Hotel in Chicago. Federated Group takes over the luxurious venue and invites attendees, many of whom return every year, to catch up with a first-night cocktail reception. Jen Linke, VP of brand […]

Posted inWest, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Q&A With Supervalu’s New West Region Wholesale President Leon Bergmann

Leon Bergmann has been named president of West Region Wholesale for Supervalu, effective immediately. “Leon’s experience at both Unified (Grocers) and Supervalu will allow him to hit the ground running as we incorporate customers from the western United States into the larger Supervalu family of retailers. I’m thrilled he has accepted this opportunity to be […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Southwest, Whole Foods

Family-Owned GES Has A Hit With Edwards Cash Saver

by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest When the ownership of longtime community grocer Knight’s Super Foods in Beebe, Arkansas, changed hands from one family to another early this year, there likely was some apprehension in the community. The Knight family had been very active in Beebe. People knew and trusted them. Paul Rowton was sensitive to those feelings. […]

Posted inWest, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content

Oliver’s Market Reaffirms Its Focus On Community With Launch Of ESOP

by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Oliver’s Market, Sonoma County’s largest locally owned and independent grocer, in early June celebrated the sale of 43 percent of the company to employees through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The company also registered with the state of California as a social purpose corporation, allowing leadership to consider employees, the […]

Posted inMarketing News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content

Best Practices For Supermarket Advertising Budget Allocation

To entice consumers to shop in-store or online, supermarkets must set aside a budget for advertising. With a range of 0.02-4.0 percent, food retailers spend an average of 1.25 percent of sales (excluding pharmacy and gasoline dollars) on advertising. The recently released “2017 Promotional and Advertising Practices Study Among U.S. Grocery Retailers,” published by Aptaris […]

Posted inNonfood Items, Guest Contributors, Home Page Latest News, National, Shelby Content

Getting SMART About Back-To-School

by Naomi Sleeper/director of business development, Imperial Distributors As the summer season comes to a close, families are starting to do their back-to-school (BTS) shopping. According to a National Retail Federation (NRF) study, BTS and college spending is the second highest shopping season for retailers, after the winter holidays. Total BTS spending accounts for more than […]

Posted inCoborn's, Amazon Fresh, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Midwest, Online Grocery Technology, Shelby Content, Store News, Supply Chain News, Whole Foods

Insights: Coborn’s Succeeds As E-Commerce Differentiator

How can an independent grocer succeed in an increasingly crowded e-commerce market? For St. Cloud, Minnesota-based Coborn’s, the winning formula includes boosting its e-commerce investment, differentiating from competitors, training delivery drivers to engage consumers and even making friends with customers’ dogs. Recent National Grocers Association (NGA) research underscored the importance of boosting e-commerce strategies. The […]

Posted inWoman Executive of the Year, Albertsons, Corporate Store News, Food Industry Hall of Fame, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Honorees, West

Well-Deserved Dual Honors For Gelson’s Executive

Donna Tyndall is a shoo-in for The Shelby Report of the West’s Woman Executive of the Year award as well as induction into the Food Industry Hall of Fame. Currently serving as SVP of store operations for Encino, California-based Gelson’s, Tyndall was the first woman in management for the upscale grocer. And she has taken […]

Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, ROFDA Reports, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Suppliers, Wholesaler/Distributor News

Bo Jackson Says: Brand Name Is Meaningless Without A Reputation For Quality

Vincent “Bo” Jackson, a Heisman Trophy winner, a two-sport athlete and a businessman with more than two decades of experience, doesn’t take a half-hearted approach to anything if his track record is any indication. And the zealousness that has defined his athletic career also characterizes his more recent business ventures, including VEJ Holdings LLC, a […]

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Grocers Growing Social Media Usage

Although 87 percent of supermarket shoppers say that they regularly follow one or more social media sites, just 25 percent indicate they are friends with or connected to their primary grocery store. Those stats are from our previous article featuring the Retail Feedback Group’s “U.S. Supermarket Shopper Digital Update.” Interaction Marketing’s report, “Social Media: Invest […]