by Cindy Sorensen, Founder and CEO/The Grocery Group When almond-based “milk” beverages entered the market a few years ago, they took market share away from soy-based beverages. The market then saw an influx of new beverage introductions made with a wide variety of nuts and plants, all hoping to have the same success enjoyed by […]
Category: Shelby Signature Content
People To Watch: Barons Market’s Ina McDonald
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group have introduced a new series entitled People to Watch that focuses on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this fourth installment, The Grocery Group Founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews Ina McDonald, district manager for Barons Market in San Diego, California. Sorensen’s questions are in […]
North Florida Profile: Region’s Economy Offers Opportunities For Growth
by Treva Bennett/staff writer The North Florida economy is strong and getting stronger, as the Sunshine State continues to grow in population, job opportunities and tourism. Jacksonville.com, citing an “Elevate Northeast Florida” report, recently said the Jacksonville area could become the “highest performing economy in the country” over the next five years. The report recommended […]
People To Watch: Harps’ Sarah Thacker
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group have introduced a new series entitled People to Watch that focuses on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this third installment, The Grocery Group Founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews Sarah Thacker, advertising manager for Harps Food Stores. Sorensen’s questions are in bold. Tell […]
Central Co-op Focuses On Making A Difference In The Community
by Treva Bennett/staff writer It all comes down to making a difference in the community. When she started her job as CEO of Seattle’s Central Co-op on March 25, Catherine Willis Cleveland said she felt as if she had come full circle in her career. After almost dying in a climbing accident in Nepal when […]
Meet MRA: The Revitalization of Milk Begins!
by Cindy Sorensen Founder and CEO, The Grocery Group The dairy case is one of the most profitable sections of the grocery store. It delivers 20 percent of store profit in just 3 percent of the store space. The milk category is large and enviable. It’s consumer household penetration of 95 percent and its trip-driving […]
Family-Owned Roots Poultry Offers Much More Than Shredded Chicken
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Wayne Root was stringing phone lines for AT&T in northwest Ohio when the Great Depression hit, taking his job with it. To support his family, Root began buying produce and other foods from local farmers and taking them to market in the Cleveland area, where he had contacts. In Cleveland, he would […]
Henderson’s IGA An ‘Oasis’ For Visitors, Vital To Community
2019 Nebraska Market Profile by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest If you visit the Facebook page of Henderson’s IGA in Valentine—and you should—don’t be surprised to see Clint Eastwood. He stars in a “Fistful of Brats.” Humphrey Bogart is in another video (well, his profile anyway) titled “Burgers of the Sierra Madre.” Notable quote: “Burgers? We don’t need […]
HR & Benefit News: 3 Key Federal Labor Laws For 2019 Highlighted
HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Grocers across the nation have many state and federal laws to keep up with throughout the year, and in 2019, they will need to ensure they stay diligent in their compliance with current laws and aware of those that are […]
Transportation Issues Felt Throughout Grocery Industry
Randy Arceneaux is president and CEO of Affiliated Foods in Amarillo, Texas. If there is one thing Texans understand, it is the oil business. The oil business had a good year in 2018, and so did Affiliated Foods. “We grew a little over 5 percent, and the encouraging thing for us this year is that, […]
A Look At Some Best Practices For Retailer Labor Productivity
It is critically important for retailers to monitor the productivity of their associates. Labor productivity measures the output of store associates over a specific period of time. Tracking measures such as sales per labor hour or scans per minute will ensure that a retailer is getting the most of his/her labor dollars. Low productivity rates […]
The United Family Brings Texas-Born Culture To New Mexico Stores
The United Family’s parent company, Albertsons, handed United the reins to its stores in New Mexico in September 2014. Since then, United has worked to bring the culture it perfected in West Texas to the Land of Enchantment. “Your biggest fear is your culture, because you can integrate the systems and you can change the […]
Specialty Products Have Always Had A Home At Kaune’s In Santa Fe
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest Kaune’s Neighborhood Market—and as stated on the company’s website, “if you’ve ever known a Connie, you can say Kaune’s”—is a small boutique grocery that has been in operation in Santa Fe since 1896. According to a story in Specialty Food Magazine, founder Henry Spencer Kaune, who was from Illinois, was known for […]
URM Continues Upgrading Operations, Adding New Members
Ray Sprinkle, president and CEO of URM in Spokane, Washington, sat down in mid-November with Shelby Publishing’s president and publisher, Ron Johnston, at Sprinkle’s office in Spokane. URM Stores Inc., formerly called United Retail Merchants, began in 1921 when five retailers banded together to form a corporation. Today, URM comprises many more retailers than that, […]
Rural North Dakota Grocers May Soon Get Help From The U.S. Postal Service
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest The Republican Party dominates state politics in North Dakota. With large majorities in both the House and Senate, state politics can be somewhat predictable, said John “Jiggs” Dyste, president and CEO of the North Dakota Grocers Association (NDGA). But North Dakota is different from most other states in at least one way. […]
A Reawakening At Borden: Executives Plan Company’s Next Chapter
Tony Sarsam was looking for what he called the next “great adventure,” and he has found it at Borden Dairy. Now CEO of the Dallas-based company, Sarsam most recently was CEO of Los Angeles-based Ready Pac. Prior to that, he honed his turnaround skills at PepsiCo. He not only has the experience doing it, but […]
Now-Thriving Arizona Seeing Grocers Investing In Stores And Growth
by Treva Bennett/staff writer Competition is alive and well in the Arizona grocery industry, and it looks to become even more so in the future. With a strong economy and growing population, Arizona—one of the hardest-hit states during the recession—is becoming more attractive to national retailers, according to Tim McCabe, president of the Arizona Food […]
Alabama’s Economy Bolstering All Kinds Of Businesses, Including Grocery
by Treva Bennett/staff writer Home to the Rocket Capital of the World in Huntsville, the state of Alabama is blasting off in terms of its business climate. Overall, Site Selection ranked Alabama No. 8 in its 2018 Business Climate analysis, tied with Indiana. Another economic development-focused publication, Business Facilities, ranked the state No. 1 for […]
An Interview With Topco’s Liebich About Leadership
The Shelby Report and The Grocery Group this month introduce a new column series called “Emerging Leaders” that focuses on current and future leadership in the grocery industry. In this first installment, The Grocery Group Founder and CEO Cindy Sorensen interviews Jamie Liebich, dairy category director for Topco. Sorensen’s questions are in bold. Jamie, congratulations […]
