ROFDA Member: Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. Editor’s note: The following is a portion of 2018’s ROFDA Report honoring ROFDA vets. The full report is available in the December 2018 editions of The Shelby Report. David Bullard, president and CEO of Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. (PWADC), took a break from college to serve in […]
Category: Shelby Originals
The Griffin Report Of The Northeast’s 2018 Year In Review
New store concepts, new executives and some financial setbacks marked the top 10 news stories in the Northeast region over the past year. 1. UNFI acquires Supervalu United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) in October finalized its acquisition of Supervalu in a deal worth about $2.9 billion. The deal first was announced July 26. Providence, Rhode Island-based […]
Minnesota Nice Could Get Tested In St. Paul This January
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest There is much that is new and unique in Minnesota right now. Let’s start with the Minnesota Grocers Association’s (MGA) new logo. It was refreshed in 2018 after almost 20 years to more accurately reflect the association’s mission. The logo now features a grocery cart as the foundation for the state, reflecting […]
The Shelby Report Of The Southwest’s 2018 Year In Review
A super buy, first-ever closure and a great American is honored in Oklahoma There were some unexpected closures in 2018 brought to readers by Natural Grocers and Sam’s Club. Down in San Antonio, H-E-B has delved deep into high-tech with its acquisition of on-demand delivery service Favor and upcoming tech facility and innovation lab for […]
Georgia’s Grocery Market Is ‘Extremely Competitive’
by Treva Bennett/staff writer As Georgia’s economy has improved over the past few years, competition in the grocery industry has grown. Kathy Kuzava, president of the Georgia Food Industry Association (GFIA), said for the fifth year in a row Georgia has been named “No. 1 State for Business” by Site Selection, a leading economic development […]
The Shelby Report Of The Southeast’s 2018 Year In Review
The top 10 stories in the Southeast over the past year have largely been related to stores, whether it was competitive pressures causing stores to be sold or successful grocers expanding into new territories. 1. Southeastern Grocers files Chapter 11 The Jacksonville, Florida-based grocer that operates Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo, Harveys and Fresco y Mas stores filed a […]
Hornbacher’s Continues To Grow In Fargo, North Dakota, Area
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Hornbacher’s soon will open its ninth store. It will be the chain’s eighth Fargo/Moorhead market location and the first in West Fargo, North Dakota. Three-quarters of the walls were up the last time Hornbacher’s President Matthew F. “Matt” Leiseth visited the site. The 65,000-s.f. store should open in the spring. “We are […]
Albertsons Named West Retailer Of The Year; Miller Joins Hall Of Fame
Albertsons Cos. may not be the obvious choice for our 2018 West Retailer of the Year honor, as the Boise, Idaho-based grocer has been going through the painstaking integration process with Safeway for the past three and a half years, which has been “a distraction,” according to Chairman Robert G. “Bob” Miller. But that process […]
Geissler’s Looks To The Future After 95 Years In Business
Bob Rybick, the new president and CEO of Geissler’s Supermarkets, believes one of its strengths after 95 years of service to its Connecticut and Massachusetts customers is the retailer’s connection and commitment to each of the seven communities it serves. Rybick leads the family’s fourth generation that owns and operates Geissler’s, and he is not […]
Longtime Geissler’s Leader Reflects On More Than 44 Years Of Service
Jim Nilsson Jr., longtime leader of Geissler’s Supermarkets in Connecticut and Massachusetts, quietly retired early in September. He is still working on a couple of projects at Geissler’s, such as e-commerce and installing new software for sales and purchasing. Nilsson’s duties as owner and CEO, however, are finishing up as he transitions into retirement and […]
Lowes’ President Continues To Ask: How Can We Reinvent Ourselves?
Tim Lowe, president of North Carolina-based Lowes Foods, was a featured speaker at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Leadership Forum in August in Colorado Springs. Lowe was among the speakers invited to share their strategies and collaboration opportunities. Lowe oversees a locally owned (by Alex Lee Inc.) and operated grocery company comprising nearly 100 full-service […]
Harvey Mabry, A Homerun Hitter In Baseball, Life And H-E-B, Turns 80
In 1951, Harvey Mabry hit a grand slam in the semi-final game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He was 12 years old at the time and was the first Little League player to ever have accomplished such a feat in the series. Fans wanted Mabry’s autograph and, back in Austin, Texas, […]
HealthMarket Is Just The Right Fit For Hy-Vee
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Hy-Vee has crafted a store that appeals to a range of shoppers—from busy moms to bodybuilders to diabetics and diehard Doritos fans—and it does it in just 15,700 s.f. The first-ever Hy-Vee HealthMarket opened in West Des Moines, Iowa, on July 31. Packaged cheese, Cheerios, lunchmeat, Coke and Mountain Dew are available, […]
Firelake Discount Foods Is The First Blue Zones Grocer In Oklahoma
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest Firelake Discount Foods in Shawnee, Oklahoma, recently was designated the first-ever Blue Zones Project-approved grocery store in Oklahoma. Richard Driskell, director of retail operations for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, oversees three tribal grocery stores, including the flagship in Shawnee. At 88,000-s.f., it is the largest tribally-owned grocery store in the U.S. The […]
Exclusive: 2018 Northeast Market Review
Each year, The Griffin Report of the Northeast publishes a Northeast Market Review—a guide of food retailers in the region that includes store totals and market share by state as well as other helpful information. This year’s review is sponsored by Imperial Distributors and also appears in the October 2018 print edition of The Griffin Report of the Northeast. Keep […]
Lipari: Detroit Is Back And Michigan Is On Fire
Thom Lipari is president and CEO of Warren-based Lipari Foods. His father, Jim, started the company in the 1950s by distributing unique products from the back of his Ford station wagon. Thom came on board in 1971. Today, Lipari Foods operates a central distribution center in Warren, the largest suburb of Detroit. From that facility, […]
Albertsons On Broadway Makes Its Debut In Boise
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest, Southwest Albertsons on Broadway opened its doors 79 years to the day that Joe Albertson opened his first cutting-edge, innovative store just a few miles down the road at 16th and State streets. In his obituary in 1993, the amenities in that first store were described as “unheard of in markets of […]
Hometown Food Markets Makes Grocery Shopping A Sensory Experience
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest Hometown Food Markets, owned by Ed and Dana Sowards, operates two Colorado stores. The towns they serve, Pagosa Springs and Antonito, are located on either side of the Continental Divide. Both are tourist towns and sit at about 8,000 feet above sea level. “Both of them are the last stops before you […]
The Shelby Report Salutes Our West Retailer Exec Of The Year: Pat Posey, Bristol Farms
Everybody Likes Pat Patrick “Pat” Posey, VP of non-perishable procurement and merchandising for Southern California-based retailer Bristol Farms, seems to be one of those guys everybody likes, as you’ll see from comments provided to us by his colleagues (friends). In addition to managing a successful career in the grocery business that started at Ralphs Grocery […]
Raley’s Strategic Initiatives Focus On Customers, Concepts, Team Members
Kevin Konkel, who was appointed to the newly created role of chief operations officer at Raley’s this past March, kicked off a trio of executives from the West Sacramento-based grocery who addressed the audience at the Western Association of Food Chains annual convention in May. Konkel was followed by Deirdre Zimmermann, SVP of marketing, and […]
