by Kristen Cloud/web editor Galen Walters met the Arteaga family in 2008 in The Woodlands, Texas. The family that in 1957 founded the vegetable and specialty foods company La Huerta—based in Aguascalientes, Mexico—came to The Woodlands to be nearer family. It didn’t take long for Walters, a 40-year veteran in business operations and retail marketing […]
Category: Shelby Content
Exclusive, in-depth stories from the Shelby team. Explore Food Industry features, market profiles, and unique perspectives from industry leaders.
Lidl Could Be Coming To Texas, So Here’s What You Need To Know
Lidl has established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and it is building warehouses in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The new-to-the-U.S. retailer has said it will begin opening stores in 2018, but it is possible some could debut in late 2017. Lidl has about 80 store locations (some say as many as 150) picked […]
Cashen: Putting A Stop To ‘Global Whining’ One Tip At A Time
Comedic motivational speaker Christine Cashen knows that we’re all tired and busy and stressed. But we don’t have to be. According to Cashen, we all are responsible for letting ourselves feel stretched too thin, and she’s on a mission to put a stop to our tendency to complain about our stressful, busy lives without doing […]
Porter’s Thriftway Invites Customers To Hold It Accountable
A new 35,000-s.f. Porter’s Thriftway with unique architecture has opened in Big Spring, Texas. The Shelby Report’s Ron Johnston recently toured the airy store with Trae Porter, a third-generation grocer with the family business. The gleaming Porter’s Thriftway, a former Safeway, started out in rough shape, Porter told Johnston. “It was scary looking. There was […]
Arizona’s Grocery Industry Hopeful For A Bright Future
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer This time last year, grocers in Arizona were feeling optimistic about the state’s economy in the year ahead, and 2016 did not disappoint, Arizona Food Marketing Alliance (AFMA) President Tim McCabe tells The Shelby Report. The Grand Canyon State’s unemployment rate has continued to fall overall, down to 5.5 percent from […]
New Brand From Lehi Valley Targets Health-Conscious Millennial Consumers
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Lehi Valley Trading Co., a producer and processor of nuts, dried fruit, candies and trail mixes, is rolling out Snackworthy, a new value brand of snacks targeted at Millennial consumers that the company touts as “free from 100-plus unworthy ingredients,” including no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and no antibiotics. Some products […]
2016’s Top 10 Stories Of The Southeast
2016’s Top 10 Stories Mergers and acquisitions, new formats and executive changes were at the center of many of the biggest stories of the year in the Southeast. Several supermarket companies based in the region found new ownership, including Food Lion, The Fresh Market and Louisiana’s LeBlanc’s Food Stores. Others, like Southeastern Grocers, began rolling […]
Final Thoughts At Jack Brown’s Memorial Service Come From The Late Leader Himself
by Bob Reeves/VP-West Leave it to Jack H. Brown to get in the final word. Even at his own memorial service. At the longtime Stater Bros. leader’s celebration of life service, held Saturday at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, a recording from 2008 found in Mr. Brown’s office desk drawer following his death […]
Super Deals, Good Deeds And Fresh Digs Made 2016 A Memorable Year For Grocers
It was yet another year full of mergers and acquisitions, and that in itself isn’t news to anyone following the grocery industry. What may have raised the eyebrows of readers of The Shelby Report were the specifics. Affiliated Foods Midwest and Associated Wholesale Grocers are now one. Roundy’s sold to Kroger. Supervalu sold Save-A-Lot to […]
New Research On Fresh Prepared/Deli In Grocery Explores Retailer Opportunities
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) released its inaugural analysis, the “Power of Fresh Prepared/Deli,” which explores fresh prepared and deli foods through the eyes of the consumer. Grounded in Nielsen data, the research outlines how the supermarket industry will continue to identify improved ways to track consumer dynamics, convenience and household trends that have had a profound […]
2016’s Top 10 Stories Of The West
2016’s Top 10 Stories New formats, new top executives and new store ownership were at the center of most of the biggest stories of the year in the West. A number of Kroger banners, in particular, saw leadership changes this year; Kroger also got in on the format experimentation with a rebranded store in Washington […]
To Capture Holiday Profits, The Pennies Are In The Details
by Art Patch/Special to The Shelby Report As a college student, I had the good fortune to work for a manager who was willing to share with me what it took to run a grocery business. He let me know right away that no question was without merit. But before he began responding to my […]
The 2016 ROFDA Report
Each year, The Shelby Report publishes a special section about Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, better known as ROFDA. This special showcases the group’s work, its leadership and member-owners, as well as the independent grocery industry. The 2016 special appears below and also in the December print editions of The Shelby Report and The Griffin Report […]
2016 Southeast Retailer Of The Year: Food City
Abingdon, Virginia-based Food City was selected as The Shelby Report of the Southeast’s Retailer of the Year as a company that exemplifies leadership in merchandising, marketing, innovation and community service. The company founded by Jack Smith back in 1955 started out, as most do, with one store, his in Grundy, Virginia. Unlike many, though, Smith’s […]
Kroger Replaces Old Dawsonville, Georgia, Store With Marketplace Unit
Just in time for the holidays, Dawsonville, Georgia, has gotten a new—and much bigger—Kroger store. The supermarket chain opened a nearly 124,000-s.f. Marketplace unit Nov. 16, replacing a 71,000-s.f. Kroger store that opened in the North Georgia city in 1997 and closed Tuesday evening. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting event Wednesday morning at the new […]
Diversity A Proven Key To Business Success
The Illuminators held a breakfast board meeting during the recent California Grocers Association (CGA) Strategic Conference in Palm Springs. At the breakfast, the speaker covered a topic that was eye opening, befitting its morning time frame. Albertsons Cos.’ Jonathan Mayes spoke on the importance of diversity within organizations. He is SVP of public affairs, government relations, […]
The Reese Group: 50 Years Of Family Ownership
The heritage of the Reese Group’s 50 years of family ownership dates back to 1966 when Paul Reese joined the Nashville, Tennessee, broker established in 1902. As one of the oldest brokerage houses in the country, the Reese Group represents some of the top brands across the industry. And while the family-owned company—headquartered in the […]
Burns Family Stores Are No Stranger To Foodservice At Retail
by Mike Berger/editor–Northeast Pat Burns, owner of Burns Family Neighborhood Markets, is no stranger to prepared foods and foodservice at retail. He saw its potential in 1996 and seized upon the opportunity. He now owns nine stores, and each has large foodservice sections. In mid-August, ShopRite of Brookhaven opened in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, and on Sept. […]
Lone Star State Shoppers Love To Click And Collect
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest What a difference a year has made for shoppers who’d rather swing by and have their groceries brought to them than cart around the store and wait in the checkout lane. H-E-B Curbside, Kroger ClickList and Walmart’s pickup service (no clever name yet from Bentonville) are making the lives of young mothers, […]
California Grocery Veteran Bob Wilson Passes Away
Mr. Bob Wilson, who spent 30 years with Nestlé/Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in Northern California before he retired in 2015, has died. An obituary was unavailable at the time of this report. Mr. Wilson was inducted into The Food Industry Hall of Fame last year. In a special edition recognizing him, The Shelby Report noted […]
