by Alissa Marchat/staff writer From bourbon to fried chicken, Kentucky is known for a number of indulgences, but the Bluegrass State appears to be going “clean” and “green” when it comes to groceries. The state has seen a recent influx of players in the natural and organic grocery segment, including Lucky’s Market, Fresh Thyme Farmers […]
Category: Shelby Content
Exclusive, in-depth stories from the Shelby team. Explore Food Industry features, market profiles, and unique perspectives from industry leaders.
Unified CEO On 3Q Results: On Track After Haggen’s Hit To Top Line
Unified Grocers suffered a blow during its fiscal third quarter due to the loss of business from Haggen’s Pacific Southwest stores but, according to the wholesaler’s leader, there also are reasons to be pleased with the results, which came out Monday. The “top line was hit a little bit, certainly…this was the quarter when Haggen […]
Rouses’ Leader Preps For First Baton Rouge Store Opening As Rebuilding Of Flooded Unit Begins
Donny Rouse stays busy, but his schedule has been especially challenging over the last several days. The managing partner of Rouses Markets, the nearly 50-store chain based in Thibodaux, Louisiana, is getting renovations under way at the grocer’s Denham Springs unit, which was destroyed by the historic and deadly floods that inundated the southern portion of […]
Demographics Don’t Tell The Whole Story…But Store Managers Do
For years, grocery retailers followed a simple formula to identify their key customer. The target was a woman 19 to 49 years old. Why? Because this group most often was married, had children, were homemakers and did the majority of grocery shopping. Their shopping list was usually made up of recipes for family meals. As […]
Millennials: A Challenge, And Opportunity, For The Meat Industry
New research from Midan Marketing explores how Millennials’ meat consumption differs from that of Baby Boomers One of the largest generations in U.S. history is moving quickly into its prime spending years and forcing companies to re-evaluate the way they do business. Currently, the size of the U.S. Millennial market is 75.4 million, according to […]
Stater Bros. Officially Marks 80th Anniversary On Wednesday
Stater Bros. Markets will officially celebrate a big anniversary on Aug. 17. It was on this day in 1936 that the first Stater Bros. market opened in Yucaipa, California. For 80 years, Stater Bros. has continued the heritage of its founders by providing its customers with the lowest possible prices, the best quality merchandise and friendliest […]
Former House Speaker Boehner To Keynote 2017 NGA Show
Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner will deliver the opening keynote address, sponsored by The Kraft Heinz Co., during the National Grocers Association’s (NGA) 2017 NGA Show, Feb. 12-15 at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. A former small businessman, Boehner served for nearly five years as […]
Greeting Cards In The Grocery Cart?
by Sara Fernández Cendón/Creative Director-Cultural Identity, Hallmark Cards Special to The Shelby Report Why Hispanics are a natural fit for greetings within grocery retail If you cater to Hispanic customers, you already know the facts: Hispanics are frequent visitors to grocery stores and actually enjoy the experience; they favor fresh foods and home-cooked meals; and […]
Louisiana Leaders: Industry Can Help Those In Path Of Historic Floods
As is the norm when it comes to natural disasters, grocers and others in the industry are wondering what they can do to help those impacted by the historic flooding in Louisiana. “Over the last 10 days, heavy rains have been falling in South Louisiana but, over the last three to four days, extraordinary amounts […]
Grocery Outlet Execs Share ‘Secret Sauce’ Ingredients
Grocery Outlet opened a new location in Costa Mesa in December, adding to its 250-plus store count and venturing for the first time into Southern California. Executives from the company offered a peek behind the curtain into the operations of the chain during a recent Food Industries Sales Managers’ Club (FISMC) event honoring Grocery Outlet. The […]
Bulk Nation President: How We Capture Millennial Shoppers
by Clay Donato/Bulk Nation Special to The Shelby Report The only thing constant in the grocery industry is change; opportunities and challenges will always be fast-moving targets. Capturing and keeping the Millennial market is important now and will continue to be into the future. So our industry should respond. In fact, an operator who is […]
2016 Independent Grocers Financial Survey: Same-Store Sales Increase 2.1 Percent
FMS and the National Grocers Association (NGA) have released the results of the 2016 Independent Grocers Financial Survey, covering fiscal year 2015. This joint study polled independent supermarket operators in 38 states and four Canadian provinces on their financial performance and business strategies, and provides an in-depth look at the economic, political and competitive landscape […]
KeHE Distributors Launches Care Trade With Companies That Do Good
During its show in Indianapolis in June, KeHE Distributors launched what it calls its “Care Trade” program. Scott Silverman, VP of growth solutions and own brands, made the announcement with a panel of speakers representing brands that are part of it. “I’ve known their brands as a consumer for quite a while, so we’re really […]
National And Regional Retailers Thrive In Gulf Coast Market
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Times are still tough and competition, as always, is a challenge for retailers in Louisiana and Mississippi, but that’s not stopping a number of national and regional chains from thriving in those states. From new locations to same-store growth, the outlook for many retailers is positive. Brandon Trosclair, GM and owner […]
Column: Getting A Boost From Nutrition Bars
by Naomi Sleeper Director of Business Development Imperial Distributors As the sun makes an appearance in the summer, so do we…on bike paths, hiking and running trails, waterfronts, sports fields; any outside venue, really. The seasonal upswing in outdoor activities, enhanced by a growing focus on wellness and active lifestyles, means a boost in the […]
Trading Company Stores President: Humor Is A Differentiator
Trading Company Stores President Paul Matejovsky had no intention of being in the grocery business. He grew up in Montana, spending “half my time on a saddle horse and the other half on a tractor. I was going to be a cowboy, baby.” He told those gathered for the ROFDA Spring Conference in Coeur d’Alene, […]
Harry’s Farmers Market Founder Still Speeding Along In Life And Work
Harry Blazer opened his first Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta, Georgia, in 1988. Blazer grew the business into three mega-stores and six Harry’s in a Hurry locations, generating revenues of $140 million and employing 1,200 people. Admitting later that the company expanded so fast it “ran out of runway,” Blazer sold to Whole Foods Market […]
2016 North Fla. Market Profile: SNAP Changes, Fierce Competition
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps, in Florida has seen two big changes this year—one proving a positive for retailers; another impacting their bottom line, and not for the good. In January, the work requirements for food assistance for an Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) […]
Strong Results, Stronger Together: AWG Celebrates 90th Anniversary
Learn more about AWG’s proud past and its continued growth in a 40-page section, which appears below and in the June 2016 print editions of The Shelby Report of the Midwest, The Shelby Report of the Southeast and The Shelby Report of the Southwest.
Column: Going Beyond Technology To Empower Organizations
by Brian Miller, Intesource, a PROACTIS company Special to The Shelby Report Technology has long been a valuable asset in sourcing projects. Sourcing technology can enable organizations to be more transparent, foster innovation, drive meaningful improvements in process efficiencies and effectively manage costs. But not all solutions can deliver the specific results you’re after, and […]
