Shoppers tired of pandemic, but that ‘does not make it go away’ by John McCurry, contributing writer Rick James, owner and CEO of Castle Group, based in Memphis, operates four Cash Saver stores. That includes the recent acquisition of a store that closed in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The stores have performed well so […]
Category: Shelby Originals
Posted inCOVID News, Home Page Slider, Market Profile, Shelby Originals, Southeast
Market Profile: TGCSA-Backed Talent Exchange Connected Laid-Off Workers
by John McCurry, contributing writer With areas of the economy – notably hospitality – hit hard by the pandemic, the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association worked with the Tennessee Department of Tourism to connect laid-off hotel and laid-off restaurant workers with jobs in the grocery industry, which was scrambling to find workers. Rob Ikard, […]
Posted inCOVID News, Home Page Slider, Market Profile, Shelby Originals, West
Market Profile: Pandemic’s Efforts Stretch From Bay Area To Oregon Line
by Cynthia Weifenbach, contributing writer The grocery industry has been at the forefront of feeding Northern California communities and doing its best to provide safe environments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, not unlike other areas of the country, there are differences even within the region, such as San Francisco Bay and Sacramento. “We have these patches,” […]
Posted inInternational Foods, Guest Contributors, Home Page Slider, National, Shelby Originals
Soto: U.S. Hispanics Consider Internet Essential During Pandemic
by Terry Soto / CEO of About Marketing Solutions Inc. A recent Pew Center survey published in April 2020 finds that Hispanics are 28 percent more likely to say the internet has been essential during the pandemic (65 percent Hispanics vs. 50 percent White-Non-Hispanic). This is great news for retailers because as shoppers work to […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Home Page Slider, Shelby Originals, Southeast
Assoc. Grocers CEO With Optimistic Outlook Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
by John McCurry / contributing writer Overall, grocers in Louisiana and Mississippi have handled the coronavirus pandemic well. That’s the assessment of Manard Lagasse, president and CEO of Baton Rouge-based Associated Grocers. Associated Grocers provides resources and support for more than 200 independent grocers in those states and Texas. “Obviously, there have been some issues […]
Posted inShelby Originals, Home Page Slider, Market Profile, Northeast
Family-Run Trucchi’s 92 Years Old And Thriving Despite Challenges
by John McCurry / contributing writer Jim Trucchi grew up in his family’s grocery business in Massachusetts. He’s now the CEO of Trucchi’s Supermarkets, a six-store chain, and thanks in part to the challenges of running a business during a pandemic, he’s never been busier. “I’m 67 and I’ve been doing this since I was […]
Posted inPlant-Based News, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Originals, Southeast
No Evil Foods, ANF Feed Growing Appetite For Plant-Based Products
by Mary Margaret Stewart, staff writer For Mike Wolianksy and Sadrah Schadel the journey to running No Evil Foods, a plant-based meat company in Asheville, North Carolina, began with the homesteading life in upstate New York. “We just were doing as much as we could from scratch because we wanted to try to know more […]
Posted inPlant-Based News, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, Shelby Originals, Whole Foods
Minnesota’s Cargill Makes Swift Move Into Plant-Based Protein
Midwest retailers expanding space to keep pace with shopper requests by John McCurry, contributing writer Consumption of plant-based protein products continues to surge across the U.S. This not only includes beef or chicken substitutes, but an array of products. The Plant Based Food Association and the Good Food Institute released a study earlier this year […]
Posted inPlant-Based News, Albertsons, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Originals, West
Meat Alternatives, Beyond Meat And Impossible Foods Leading Nationally
by Cynthia Weifenbach, contributing writer Two of the biggest players in the burgeoning plant-based foods industry – Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods – call the West Coast home. Since January, Impossible Foods’ retail footprint has increased more than 30-fold, including 219 H-E-B and Central Market grocery stores across Texas and 1,700 stores owned by […]
Posted inMarket Profile, COVID News, Home Page Slider, Northeast, Shelby Originals
Big M Supermarket Setting Weekly Sales Records For Licari
by John McCurry, contributing writer Carmen Licari’s first taste of the grocery business came as a young kid, working in his parents’ store in New York. Now 71, Licari proudly proclaims he’s been in the business for 65 years. The owner of Big M Supermarket in Dolgeville, New York, he is a third-generation grocer. His […]
Posted inYear In Review - 2020, Home Page Slider, Market Profile, Shelby Originals, Southeast
SOUTHEAST: Learning Never Stops At Stokes: Family Grocer Navigates Supply Chain
by John McCurry, contributing writer “The supply chain is kind of broken at the moment,” said John Childers, owner of Stokes Supermarket. “The factories are having a tough time. There are certain categories that are coming back, but some are still limping along. We are still having trouble getting Clorox, Lysol, that type of product.” Counting […]
Posted inCOVID News, Home Page Slider, Market Profile, Midwest, Shelby Originals
Neiman Siblings Continue Family Tradition
Company is ‘hometown’ store in four locations by John McCurry, contributing writer Like many independent grocers, Bryan Neiman grew up in the business. His parents, Hal and Jean, opened their first store in Alpena, Michigan, in 1983. During subsequent years, Neiman’s Family Market added stores in Tawas, St. Clair and Clarkston, Michigan, for a total of […]
Posted inNonfood Items, Home Page Slider, Shelby Originals, West
Whittier Welcomes Cardenas Markets
Company’s new store is part of westward growth by Mary Margaret Stewart, staff writer The Shelby Report was on hand for the festivities July 1 as a new Cardenas Markets opened in Whittier, California. CEO John Gomez later gave Bob Reeves, West VP of Shelby Publishing, a tour of the store. Ontario, California-based Cardenas is a […]
Posted inShelby Originals, Home Page Slider, Northeast
Highland Park Markets, Fellow Grocers Rising To Pandemic Challenges
by John McCurry/contributing writer Employees at Highland Park Markets, a Hartford, Connecticut, area grocer, are working hard to serve customers during the coronavirus crisis. Molly Devanney, a company VP interviewed during the first weeks of the pandemic, said activity has been crazy. Employees are working hard to restock shelves and perform extra cleaning of […]
Posted inCOVID News, Home Page Slider, Market Profile, Shelby Originals, West
State Mulls Mask Incentive For Grocery Store Shoppers
by Cynthia Weifenbach, contributing writer In an effort to encourage shoppers to wear a mask in grocery stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, Montana is considering a 3 to 5 percent discount off the total bill at checkout for patrons with a mask on. “We looked at different things to do to get people to wear masks […]
Posted inCOVID News, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Originals, Southwest
Junior’s Growing Along With Hidalgo In South Texas
by John McCurry / contributing writer Hidalgo County in South Texas, with a population approaching 900,000, is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S. A major logistics hub, it is the No. 1. land port for fresh produce imports from Mexico, with about 2 million tons of fresh produce entering the country annually. […]
Posted inCenter Store, Home Page Slider, Shelby Originals, West
Navigator Lighthouse Leading Way To Supermarket Shelves, Success
Pierces found new nonprofit to boost diversity, inclusion In the wake of weeks of Black Lives Matter protests nationwide, Subriana and Allen Pierce decided to focus their efforts on starting a nonprofit foundation, Navigator Lighthouse, to help women- and minority-owned CPG companies get up and running and onto store shelves. The Pierces, a husband-wife brokerage, […]
Posted inInternational Foods, Home Page Latest News, Shelby Originals, Southeast
Every Supermarket Served By Georgia-based Souto Is ‘A Different World’
by John McCurry / contributing writer Souto Foods, a Norcross, Georgia-based distributor catering primarily to the Hispanic market, has experienced rapid growth since its founding a decade ago. Sebastian Souto, company president, described markets as being highly competitive and unique in every zip code. “We serve products for many nationalities, from South and Central America […]
Posted inInternational Foods, Home Page Slider, Northeast, Shelby Originals
ASG: Stores Know, Read And Adapt To Their Markets
by John McCurry / contributing writer Associated Supermarket Group likely serves one of the most multicultural markets in the Northeast, if not the entire U.S. ASG provides an array of services, including store financing, procurement, distribution, marketing, merchandising, advertising and promotion for more than 200 stores in the New York Tri-State area and along the […]
Posted inShelby Originals, Home Page Slider, National
Profile: Meet Regina Anderson, Head Of Food Recovery Network
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group together present this series, People to Watch, to focus on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this installment, The Grocery Group Founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews Regina Anderson, executive director of the Food Recovery Network. Tell me a little bit about you and what […]