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 […]
Category: Shelby Signature Content
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 […]
Wayfield Foods Unveils Eden Fresh Market Concept Store
Atlanta-based Wayfield Foods has opened a new-format store called Eden Fresh Market. True to its name, the store offers a broader selection of fresh foods than a traditional Wayfield Foods store. Eden Fresh Market is located southwest of Atlanta, at 12160 County Line Road in Fayetteville. It had a soft opening at the end of […]
Deep Community Roots, Family And Beer Have Kept John’s Grocery Thriving
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest If only the walls of John’s Grocery could talk. The grocery store has been in business for 70 years, which is impressive for a small, family-owned independent retailer. But the building where John’s Grocery is located has been a cornerstone in Iowa City history going back another 100 years. “Iowa was founded […]
Meet Gen Z: Plastic Water Bottles Bring Landfills To Mind
by Claire Lentsch/a contributor to The Shelby Report The first thing that comes to mind when it comes to landfills is plastic. Although plastic is not the only thing that forms mountains of waste, it is one of the more common things we face in our day-to-day lives. Ads promote the idea of “save the […]
Junior’s Super Market Readies For The Future
Junior’s Super Market is a seven-store chain based in Pharr, Texas, where it now operates three stores: one Junior’s Express and two Junior’s Super Market locations. Other locations in the Rio Grande Valley include Edinburg, San Juan, Hidalgo, Penitas and Alton. The Shelby Report’s Jan Meade caught up with owner Felix Chavez Jr. for a […]
Indiana Grown Makes Life‑Changing Connections For Producers
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Austin and Kristen Witt have been growing blackberries on their District 6 Farm in Jasonville, Indiana, since 2015. It isn’t easy to grow blackberries in the state, but for the Witts, it was a lot easier than selling them. “This is all new to us,” said Austin Witt. “I didn’t even know […]
With Retail Store Openings Down And Closings Up, Employees Appreciate Leadership
by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report There is so much happening in retail businesses, it’s no wonder employees are concerned about their future. Most distressing is a recent industry study by Jones Lang LaSalle showing new store openings down 28.8 percent in 2017. Most of us follow the […]
Washington Market Profile: Challenges, But Growth, Too
by Lorrie Griffith/editor-West One of the dichotomies in a state like Washington is that while there are major metropolitan areas like Seattle, there also are extremely rural areas. But, of course, both are subject to the same state laws, like the $12 an hour minimum wage that went into effect this year that will go […]
California Perspective: Relationship-Building Plays Important Role In The Political Process
by Ron Fong/president and CEO, California Grocers Association Success in government relations often is rooted in the connections developed with legislators over the years. While politics, and lobbying specifically, is by its nature an adversarial pursuit, good government relations separate the conflict from the person you conflict with. Legislation comes and goes, but legislators stay […]
Indiana Now Has Sunday Sales, Which Is…Great?
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Anyone who wanted to grab a cold beer on Sunday in Indiana was out of luck until March of this year. That is when a state law took effect allowing Sunday alcohol sales. Now a customer can get a cold one on Sunday, but only from a liquor store. Grocery, drug and […]
Consumers’ Expectations In Dairy Products Changing
The list is long of what consumers are demanding from their dairy product favorites, including qualities like sugar reduction, value-added ingredients, portability and clean labels. The themes play out across dairy’s four leading categories: cultured products, cheese, milk and ice cream. According to the National Dairy Council (NDC), nutrition experts agree that it is best […]
Lovera’s In Krebs, Oklahoma, Makes Award-Winning ‘Approachable’ Cheese
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest Caciocavera is the signature cheese of Lovera’s Handcrafted Foods in Krebs, Oklahoma. The name is a play on the Italian caciocavallo (literally “horse cheese”). It keeps with a tradition born in Southern Italy some 500 years before Christ walked the earth. Cheeses were tied one to the other and transported to market […]
Mars Wrigley’s Front-End Plan Can Bring ‘Instant’ Double‑Digit Growth
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest & Southwest As food retailers know very well, the majority of consumers no longer eat three sit-down meals every day. They are snacking instead. It is no surprise, then, that the fastest-growing category in the check lane is snacks. Yet snacks only get about 8 percent of the space there, Rimsha Baig, […]
Flexibility Has Kept Alabama Grocer Thriving For 50 Years
Gene Lawrence began his grocery career on a bicycle. Back in the early 1960s, he delivered groceries to people’s homes when he worked for an independent grocer in Montgomery, Alabama. About 1964, he went to work for Hudson-Thompson wholesale grocers there in Montgomery. He worked in produce, stocking and checking, and they trained him in […]
Meet Gen Z: Snacking Is Convenient, Efficient And Preferred By Younger Consumers
by Claire Lentsch/a contributor to The Shelby Report Editor’s note: Shelby Midwest Editor Terrie Ellerbee met Claire Lentsch at the 2017 Supervalu National Expo in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lentsch was invited to share her perspective as a member of Generation Z (born since the mid-1990s) and a consumer. Snacking is replacing family meals. A lack […]
IGA Is ‘Upbranding’ Before Switch To Digital-First Marketing
Shoppers will always want three things from their local grocery store: value, convenience and selection. Those have been the top three attributes shoppers have sought out for many decades. What has changed over time are the qualities that come next, said IGA President and CEO John Ross. “You start asking them ‘what would make a […]
13th Annual Showcase Of Women Of Influence In The Food Industry
We are proud to present the 13th annual edition of Women of Influence in the Food Industry. The honorees represent companies coast to coast and have various backgrounds and experience. The categories include manufacturers, brokers, distributors, retailers, chefs, convenience stores, organizations/associations and restaurants. These women trendsetters are qualified for inclusion in this prestigious listing because […]
Art’s Angle: Keeping The Business Simple Bodes Well For Growth
by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report I had the opportunity recently to chat with one of the owners of a small but very successful independent food retailer in Northern California. He is co-owner of an eight-store chain with stores ranging in size from 20,000 to 50,000 s.f. He […]
J. Polep Distribution Is Our 2018 Wholesaler Innovator Of The Year
Polep family message continues to be dominant theme for customers, employees and vendors by Mike Berger/editor – Northeast Throughout every conversation with each team member of J. Polep Distribution Services, the word “family” always comes up. Jeff Polep, company chairman, says he wants every staff member, customer and vendor to be part of the J. Polep […]
