by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Lehi Valley Trading Co., a producer and processor of nuts, dried fruit, candies and trail mixes, is rolling out Snackworthy, a new value brand of snacks targeted at Millennial consumers that the company touts as “free from 100-plus unworthy ingredients,” including no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and no antibiotics. Some products […]
Category: Shelby Signature Content
2016’s Top 10 Stories Of The Southeast
2016’s Top 10 Stories Mergers and acquisitions, new formats and executive changes were at the center of many of the biggest stories of the year in the Southeast. Several supermarket companies based in the region found new ownership, including Food Lion, The Fresh Market and Louisiana’s LeBlanc’s Food Stores. Others, like Southeastern Grocers, began rolling […]
Final Thoughts At Jack Brown’s Memorial Service Come From The Late Leader Himself
by Bob Reeves/VP-West Leave it to Jack H. Brown to get in the final word. Even at his own memorial service. At the longtime Stater Bros. leader’s celebration of life service, held Saturday at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, a recording from 2008 found in Mr. Brown’s office desk drawer following his death […]
Super Deals, Good Deeds And Fresh Digs Made 2016 A Memorable Year For Grocers
It was yet another year full of mergers and acquisitions, and that in itself isn’t news to anyone following the grocery industry. What may have raised the eyebrows of readers of The Shelby Report were the specifics. Affiliated Foods Midwest and Associated Wholesale Grocers are now one. Roundy’s sold to Kroger. Supervalu sold Save-A-Lot to […]
2016’s Top 10 Stories Of The West
2016’s Top 10 Stories New formats, new top executives and new store ownership were at the center of most of the biggest stories of the year in the West. A number of Kroger banners, in particular, saw leadership changes this year; Kroger also got in on the format experimentation with a rebranded store in Washington […]
To Capture Holiday Profits, The Pennies Are In The Details
by Art Patch/Special to The Shelby Report As a college student, I had the good fortune to work for a manager who was willing to share with me what it took to run a grocery business. He let me know right away that no question was without merit. But before he began responding to my […]
The 2016 ROFDA Report
Each year, The Shelby Report 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 2016 special appears below and also in the December print editions of The Shelby Report and The Griffin Report […]
Kroger Replaces Old Dawsonville, Georgia, Store With Marketplace Unit
Just in time for the holidays, Dawsonville, Georgia, has gotten a new—and much bigger—Kroger store. The supermarket chain opened a nearly 124,000-s.f. Marketplace unit Nov. 16, replacing a 71,000-s.f. Kroger store that opened in the North Georgia city in 1997 and closed Tuesday evening. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting event Wednesday morning at the new […]
Diversity A Proven Key To Business Success
The Illuminators held a breakfast board meeting during the recent California Grocers Association (CGA) Strategic Conference in Palm Springs. At the breakfast, the speaker covered a topic that was eye opening, befitting its morning time frame. Albertsons Cos.’ Jonathan Mayes spoke on the importance of diversity within organizations. He is SVP of public affairs, government relations, […]
The Reese Group: 50 Years Of Family Ownership
The heritage of the Reese Group’s 50 years of family ownership dates back to 1966 when Paul Reese joined the Nashville, Tennessee, broker established in 1902. As one of the oldest brokerage houses in the country, the Reese Group represents some of the top brands across the industry. And while the family-owned company—headquartered in the […]
Burns Family Stores Are No Stranger To Foodservice At Retail
by Mike Berger/editor–Northeast Pat Burns, owner of Burns Family Neighborhood Markets, is no stranger to prepared foods and foodservice at retail. He saw its potential in 1996 and seized upon the opportunity. He now owns nine stores, and each has large foodservice sections. In mid-August, ShopRite of Brookhaven opened in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, and on Sept. […]
Lone Star State Shoppers Love To Click And Collect
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Southwest What a difference a year has made for shoppers who’d rather swing by and have their groceries brought to them than cart around the store and wait in the checkout lane. H-E-B Curbside, Kroger ClickList and Walmart’s pickup service (no clever name yet from Bentonville) are making the lives of young mothers, […]
Independents Can Excel In A Number Of Areas
by Peter Larkin/ president and CEO, National Grocers Association Special to The Shelby Report We here at NGA are gearing up for The NGA Show, which will be held Feb. 12-15 in Las Vegas. And as we begin to look forward to the show, I find myself thinking about the areas where independents can excel […]
Wyo. Profile: DDA, Business Council Working With Grocers And Community To Develop The State
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer In early August, McKee Foods Corp. awarded the Casper (Wyoming) Downtown Development Authority (DDA) a grant to help move the Casper downtown public plaza forward. The grant is part of a McKee Foods initiative called OH!—the Outdoor Happiness movement. McKee Foods is working with every state in the country to discover […]
Harvest Market Designed To Cultivate Shopper And Producer Connections
When Niemann Foods Inc. (NFI) President and CEO Rich Niemann spoke about the company’s new Harvest Market as it opened to the public on Oct. 6 at 2029 South Neil Street in Champaign, Illinois, he shared the store’s mission: to connect food producers and makers with its customers. He talked about food and he talked […]
A Family Tradition: Staying True To Roots Keeps Metcalfe’s Ahead Of The Competition
Metcalfe’s Market may be nearing the century mark, but this is a family-owned business that always seems to be a step ahead of what’s next. A hot topic of late has been grocery delivery. Metcalfe’s Market has been doing that for 15 years. Grocers these days are putting a strong focus on perishables, including beautiful […]
7-Eleven Of Oklahoma Continues To Grow, Adds Kitchens To Newer Stores
More than 60 years ago, the late Bill Brown and his wife, Carol, moved their family to Oklahoma City with an emerging business idea: a chain of conveniently located stores that stocked all the things people might want or need in the moment, from ice and refreshments to basic grocery staples, according to the company’s […]
Emery Jensen Addition Means More Options For Grocers
Nearly 16,000 peopled attended the recent Ace Hardware fall show in Chicago, including retailers from across the country. The Oakbrook, Illinois-based company hosted more than 1,300 exhibitors offering springtime products like outdoor living and garden items, outdoor furniture, barbecue grills and plants and flowers. Among the Ace storeowners were several grocery retailers looking to differentiate […]
Old Competitors And New Vie For Market Share In Rapidly Growing Carolinas
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer It’s been a busy year for the grocery industry across the country, but nowhere does there seem to be quite as much activity as in North Carolina and South Carolina. Between new stores, closures and the introduction of new competitors, grocers in the Carolinas have their work cut out for them […]
Wisconsin Lawmakers Will Again Take Up Minimum Markup Law
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest It is a fight that has gone on for two decades now, according to Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) President and CEO Brandon Scholz. The debate over whether to repeal the Unfair Sales Act is hotter in some years than others. This looks to be a hot one. Wisconsin’s Unfair Sales Act or […]
