The National Confectionery Sales Association (NCSA) has announced 11 inductees for the Candy Hall of Fame Class of 2026 and named Michael Rosenberg, president and CEO of PIM Brands Inc., as the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Service Award. Both honors will be presented during the NCSA’s annual meeting Oct. 22-24 at the Signia by […]
Category: Grocery News
Posted inNonfood Items, Association News, National, News
IHA Names 12 Global Honorees In 2026 Product Design Awards
The International Housewares Association (IHA) named 12 Global Honorees in its 2026 Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Excellence in Product Design during the annual gia Gala at McCormick Place in Chicago. The winners were drawn from five finalists in each of 12 product categories, selected through a two-round judging process. The awards were a part […]
Posted inBakery News, News, West
Rise Baking Co. Expands UT Facility, Closes WA Plant
Rise Baking Co. is adding 115,000 square feet of manufacturing space to its facility in Pleasant View, Utah, as part of a network consolidation that includes shuttering its plant in Kent, Washington. The expansion, which is expected to create 170 new jobs, is slated for completion in 2026. The Pleasant View facility has operated since […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Health & Wellness, Midwest, News, The Kroger Co.
The Kroger Co. Adds Zepbound KwikPen To Retail Pharmacies
The Kroger Co. announced that Zepbound KwikPen, Eli Lilly’s multi-dose weight-management injection, is available at participating Kroger Family of Pharmacies locations. For the first time, self-pay patients eligible for Lilly’s KwikPen Self-Pay Savings Card can access the manufacturer’s program at a retail pharmacy counter. Zepbound is a GLP-1 receptor agonist prescribed for chronic weight management. […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Featured News, Midwest, News
AWG Brands Adds 63 New Products In Q1 2026
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is rolling out 63 new private brand items across its Best Choice, Superior Selections by Best Choice, Tippy Toes, TopCare and Simply Done lines in the first quarter of 2026, with products hitting shelves throughout the quarter. The expansion spans food, wellness and household categories, with a notable debut: four Tippy […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, Executive News, Featured News, National, News
AFFI Names Van Doren Chief Of Government Affairs
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) has hired Lisa Van Doren as chief of government affairs, effective March 16. Van Doren will lead the association’s legislative and regulatory strategy on behalf of the frozen food industry. In the role, Van Doren also will manage congressional and federal agency engagement, oversee coalitions and political activities and […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, Featured News, News, Northeast
NFRA Names 8 Finalists For 2026 Penguin Pitch Emerging Brand Contest
The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has named eight finalists for its 2026 Penguin Pitch: Emerging Brand Contest, spotlighting innovation across frozen and refrigerated categories ahead of the organization’s convention. The grand-prize winner will receive a featured showcasing opportunity at Café NFRA during the 2026 NFRA Convention, set for Oct. 17-20 in National […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Association News, Featured News, National, News
12 Finalists Named For 2026 Seafood Excellence Awards
Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America has named 12 finalists for its 2026 Seafood Excellence Awards, selected from 108 entries in its New Product Showcase. Winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. ET on March 15 in the Wave Makers’ Zone at the Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, followed by […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, Featured News, National, News
IFPA Calls On Congress To Fund Produce Incentives, Expand School Programs
International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) CEO Cathy Burns testified March 11 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, urging lawmakers to expand federal produce incentives, modernize nutrition programs and increase investment in U.S. growers. Burns argued that closing America’s fruit and vegetable consumption gap is a public health and economic imperative. Nine […]
Posted inBakery News, Midwest, National, News
Puratos To Acquire MI-Based Dawn Foods
Belgian bakery ingredients group Puratos has begun an agreement to acquire Jackson, Michigan-based Dawn Foods, bringing together two family-owned companies that have each operated in the professional bakery industry for more than a century. The combined company would connect Dawn Foods’ large-scale North American distribution with Puratos’ international subsidiary network, and pair Dawn’s application-focused creativity with […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, Featured News, Finance News, National, News, Nonfood Items
AI Experts Urge Retailers To Move Beyond Simple Automation
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help retailers unlock hidden revenue in underperforming inventory, improve customer targeting and streamline operations — but only if companies stop treating it as a time-saving shortcut and start using it as a strategic tool. That was the message from two digital commerce experts during a keynote at The Inspired Home Show […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Association News, Featured News, National, News
NCA Launches Candy Campaign Ahead Of U.S. 250th Anniversary
The National Confectioners Association has launched Sweet Land of Liberty, a yearlong advocacy and marketing campaign timed to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that frames the U.S. chocolate and candy industry as a major American manufacturing story. The campaign features activations in Washington, D.C., and nationwide, including a presence at Sweets & […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Food City, Health & Wellness, News, Southeast
Food City Expands NationsBenefit Flex Card Access For Members
NationsBenefits has integrated its Flex Card network with Food City, allowing eligible health plan members to use prepaid benefit cards at all of the grocer’s participating locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama. Using the NationsBenefits Mastercard Prepaid Flex Card, they will be able to buy approved food as medicine items, over-the-counter (OTC) health […]
Posted inDairy News, Midwest, News
WI Dairy Producers Win 135 Awards At World Championship Cheese Contest
Wisconsin dairy artisans claimed 135 awards during the 2026 World Championship Cheese Contest, including 44 best-of-class honors, outpacing every other state and country in the competition and outperforming the next five highest-recognized competitors combined. The contest drew more than 3,000 entries from 34 U.S. states and territories and 25 countries, with international judges evaluating products […]
Posted inBeverage News, Grocery Research, National, News
EY Survey: Ingredient Scrutiny, Wellness Reshaping Beverage Purchases
A new survey from EY finds that health awareness, generational differences and digital tools are fundamentally changing what consumers want from beverages – with implications for retailers and CPG brands across the category. The study surveyed more than 2,500 adults in the U.S. and Brazil between Nov. 20-Dec. 11. Wellness is baseline expectation Health-driven behavior […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Executive News, Featured News, Finance News, National, News
NPPC Elects New Officers, Board Members For 2026-27 Term
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) elected new officers and board members to lead the organization through the 2026-27 term, tapping a mix of multi-generational family farmers and large-scale production executives to guide its national advocacy agenda. Rob Brenneman of Washington, Iowa, was elected president. Brenneman owns and operates Brenneman Pork and has served on […]
Posted inProduce News, Featured News, News, Northeast, Wakefern
Wakefern Opens Applications For Local Produce Supplier Summit
Wakefern Food Corp. is accepting applications from growers to participate in its annual Local Produce Supplier Summit on July 15 at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center in Edison, New Jersey. Qualified applicants will be invited to present to Wakefern’s procurement teams, participate in panels and explore retail partnerships across the cooperative’s eight supermarket […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National, News
Edible Arrangements Partners With Mars On Limited-Time Candy Fruit Bouquets
Edible Arrangements, an e-commerce retail hub and gift destination under the Edible Brands portfolio, has partnered with Mars on a limited-time spring and summer collection featuring M&M’S and Skittles candies. Available exclusively at Edible stores across the U.S. and Canada, the new candy arrangements pair Edible’s fruit bouquets with pastel-colored M&M’S milk chocolate candies and […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Association News, Featured News, Finance News, National, News
NCA Report: U.S. Confectionery Sales Climb To $55B In 2025
Americans spent a record $55 billion on chocolate, candy, gum and mints in 2025, and the category shows no signs of slowing down, according to the National Confectioners Association’s (NCA) 2026 State of Treating report. Sales are projected to grow an additional $7.3 billion over the next five years, reaching $62.2 billion across all outlets […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Featured News, Midwest, News
AWG’s Save-A-Label Program Directs $106K To Nonprofits In 2025
Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc.’s (AWG) Save-A-Label program contributed $106,508 to nonprofits and schools in 2025, supporting 997 organizations across a 17-state footprint. The program, which has run since 1987, converts UPC labels from AWG’s Best Choice Family of Brands into direct cash donations for qualifying organizations. How the program works Shoppers collect UPC labels from […]