by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor There is a lot of water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and there appears to be something in it. Minnesota, and specifically the Twin Cities, is drawing in grocery retailers and enticing existing operators to expand. “It’s an exciting time for Minnesotans because the choice in the marketplace really does […]
Category: Shelby Content
Exclusive, in-depth stories from the Shelby team. Explore Food Industry features, market profiles, and unique perspectives from industry leaders.
Posted in, Guest Contributors, National, Shelby Signature Content, The Independent Perspective
Larkin: Taxes, Healthcare, Regulations Top Concern List For 2016
by Peter Larkin/Special to The Shelby Report Despite Republican majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Congress continues to grapple with gridlock. And, heading into an important 2016 presidential election, where Republicans need to defend 24 U.S. Senate seats vs. the 10 seats on the Democrat side, the 2016 elections will […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Independent Store News, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, Suppliers, West, Women In The News
Group Carries On Industry’s ‘Little Joe’s Christmas Party’ Tradition
In 1957, three men—Sam Guzzo of Oroweat Baking Co., Charlie Dragna of Barbara Ann Bread Co. and John Fusano of San Fernando Valley Olive Co.—started what would become an annual Christmas party. The event was held during the holiday season and hosted at Little Joe’s Italian Restaurant in Chinatown Los Angeles. The party quickly became […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National, Produce News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content
Disney Is Using ‘The Force’ For Good
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor Since 2006, the goodies in Walt Disney Co. parks haven’t been as fatty, sweet or salty as they once were. That’s when the company updated its nutritional standards. The better-for-you change became no less than a guiding force for the organization, said John King, VP of licensing, consumables and Disney consumer […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Corporate Store News, Independent Store News, Industry News, National, ROFDA Reports, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, Women In The News
Pace Of Change Sparks New, And Renewed, ‘Worries’ Among Execs
Food retailing has changed greatly over the last decade, and perhaps nowhere can that be seen more clearly than through the Food Marketing Institute’s “Worry Index,” a polling of anxieties that keep executives up at night, so to speak. “One of the most distinguishing facts about this year’s list is that half of the items […]
Posted in, California Perspective, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, West
Company Culture Is The Most Important Factor For Success, Says ‘Happiness Expert’
Shawn Achor, founder and CEO of GoodThink Inc. and author of “The Happiness Advantage,” keynoted the California Grocers Association’s recent Strategic Conference to share a simple message: When it comes to a company’s chances for success, “culture eats strategy for lunch.” Achor spent 12 years with Harvard University as a researcher in the field of […]
Posted in, C-Store News, Independent Store News, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News
Buche Foods Keeps Pace Walking In Founder’s Footsteps 110 Years Later
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor With a name like Gus, he’s got to be a grocer. Gus Buche, that is, the seven-year-old son of fourth-generation grocer RF Buche. Gus is named for RF’s great-grandfather, August Francis Buche, who started the family business 110 years ago in Lake Andes, South Dakota. GF Buche Co. and the state […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, National, ROFDA Reports, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Special Section
The 2015 ROFDA Report
Each year, Shelby Publishing Co. 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 2015 special appears below and also in the upcoming December print editions of The Shelby Report and The […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Market Profile, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content
Tony’s Fresh Market Is IFRA’s 2015 Industry Retailer Award Recipient
Tony’s Fresh Market is the Illinois Food Retailers Association (IFRA) 2015 Industry Retailer Award recipient. The company was honored during the IFRA-Grocery Merchandisers Association (GMA) Annual Conference and Expo, which was held earlier this month at the Drury Lane Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace. “The IFRA board of directors unanimously chose Tony’s Fresh Market as […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, West
Food Industry Vet Lamprecht Makes Wyoming’s Valley Foods A Unique Destination For Locals, Tourists Alike
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Tim Lamprecht has more experience in the food industry that most. This year, in fact, marks his 50th year in the business. His career has spanned from “carryout boy” to supplier representative to today being the owner and GM of Valley Foods and Liquor in Saratoga—located about 7,000 feet in elevation […]
Posted in, Produce News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, West
When Size Matters: Calif. Drought Raises Questions About How We Buy, Grow Food
by Karen Caplan/Special to The Shelby Report It always bugs me when I go into a produce department and all the fruits are so large. You know what I mean—strawberries the size of billiard balls, apples and oranges (or even bananas) so big that you could split the fruit with a friend! And these big […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Guest Contributors, National, Shelby Signature Content
The Path To Chapter 11 Can Follow One Of Several Roads
Events leading a business to file for protection under Chapter 11 can take different forms and move at different speeds. The retail food business has recently served up two examples of polar opposites in their trip to Chapter 11. A&P’s trip, by some accounts, began in the 1950s. Haggen, on the other hand, had barely […]
Posted in, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, West, Women In The News
WAFC’s Christianson Has Devoted Her Career To Mentoring, Education
Carole Christianson started her career at age 18 with a family-owned bottling company, National Drinks in Gardena, California. Thus began a 40-plus-year career in the grocery industry that has led to many significant accomplishments and awards. From National Drinks, to Dr Pepper, to Coca-Cola Enterprises, to the establishment of her own company, Christianson West, in […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, National, Store News, The Independent Perspective
Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers Named Honorary Best Bagger In Congressional Showdown
The National Grocers Association (NGA) hosted its fourth annual National Best Bagger Congressional Showdown, held in conjunction with the American Frozen Food Institute’s Frozen Filibuster, on Wednesday at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. NGA’s 2015 Best Bagger National Champion David Tochinskiy of Rosauers Supermarkets in Spokane, Washington, competed against Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers […]
Posted in, Hugo's Family Marketplace, Independent Store News, National, The Independent Perspective, Women In The News
WGA Presents U.S. Sen. Heitkamp With Inaugural Legislator Of The Year Award
The Women Grocers of America (WGA) has presented U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota with its inaugural Legislator of the Year Award in recognition of her work to support the independent supermarket industry and sustained commitment to women entrepreneurs. WGA, an affiliate program of the National Grocers Association (NGA), was formed to advance women […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Southwest, Special Section, Store News
Special—H-E-B At 110: From Humble Beginnings To A Texas Icon
It was Nov. 26, 1905, to be exact, when Florence Butt opened the C.C. Butt Grocery Store with her savings of $60 to support her ailing husband and three children. For $9 a month, she leased the 450-s.f. store on the ground floor of a small frame building on Main Street in Kerrville, Texas. Sales […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Market Profile, Midwest
A Big Battle With The Wisconsin State Legislature Is Brewing
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor A huge battle is brewing in Wisconsin, and what is spurring it on revolves around a new entrant into the state: Meijer. The Michigan-based retailer has opened two stores in Wisconsin and plans to open more. It stands accused of breaking the state’s Unfair Sales Act, or minimum markup law, by […]
Posted in, National, Produce News, Shelby Signature Content, Women In The News
Vegetable-Centric: More Than ‘Meats’ The Eye
by Karen Caplan/Special to The Shelby Report Once upon a time, vegetables were served as a side dish or in a side salad. They were something you cooked to go with your meat. I even remember a time when fresh kale was used solely as a garnish! This is no longer the case. For the […]
Posted in, Deli News, Independent Store News, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, Midwest, Shelby Signature Content
Giovanni’s Meats & Deli: Different Owners, Same Tradition Of Customer Service
by Sudie Crouch/contributing writer Taking over an established business can be a daunting task, especially when the business has been part of the community for as long as Giovanni’s Meats & Deli. But it was a task Matthew and Priscilla Palesh happily dug into. Founded in 1968, the Cleveland, Ohio-based market had stayed in the […]
Posted in, Market Profile, Shelby Signature Content, Southeast
Kentucky Sees Steady Store Activity, But Implementation Of Internet Lottery Creates Concern For Retailers
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Ted Mason, executive director of the Kentucky Grocers Association and Kentucky Association of Convenience (KGA/KACS), isn’t hearing much from the group’s members these days, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Mason considers the relative silence a positive sign that Kentucky’s economy, specifically its retail industry, is on the […]