by Howland Blackiston/ principal, King-Casey As groceries and supermarkets step into the brave, new world of branded, proprietary food offerings, they quickly learn that they have a whole new set of competitors—specifically, QSRs and fast-casual restaurants. But that’s not all bad news. QSRs have served their market for 50-plus years, which means that grocers can shortcut […]
Category: Grocery News
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 […]
Julie’s Organic Ice Cream Company Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Julie’s Organic is turning 20 and celebrating its flagship product with a limited-edition box design and consumer giveaways. The brand debuted what it says was the first nationally available organic ice cream in 1998—four years before USDA organic standards were established. To honor the milestone, Julie’s Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich is available now in a […]
7-Eleven Expands Customer Choice With Vintage Wine
7-Eleven’s new Voyager Point wine line is designed for customers to be able to “trade up in quality at an affordable price,” the Texas-based convenience store company says. Voyager Point varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blend from California and Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. SRP for a 750-ml bottle is […]
Butterball Launches New ‘Premium’ Deli Turkey And Chicken Portfolio
Butterball is launching a new deli portfolio featuring specialty and seasoned items in flavors that were selected specifically for this new set. Leading the portfolio is the Thanksgiving Roasted deli turkey breast. “Consumers that know Butterball for its unique Thanksgiving flavor can enjoy it year-round, straight from the deli counter with this skin-on, oil-browned turkey breast, roasted with […]
Weigel’s Latest Location Focuses On Made-To-Order Foodservice
C-store chain Weigel’s has opened its 66th store near its corporate headquarters in Powell, Tennessee, at 7505 Clinton Highway. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new store was held June 6. A special grand opening celebration starts June 11 and will run through June 17. “We’ve had many requests to expand and update our presence here […]
Three Strikes For Delivery Meal Kits: Let Deli Step Up To The Plate
Sponsored content by Tyson Foods Inc. Shoppers really don’t like meal kit services, which they’ve been led to believe will make their lives easier. In fact, they give them three strikes for being a “recipe for more stress.”1 According to Eric LeBlanc, director of channel marketing, deli, at Tyson Foods Inc., “Instead of striving to […]
Specialty Food Association Honors Two With Lifetime Achievement Awards
This year, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) is recognizing two industry legends with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Chef Paul Prudhomme and distributor Seymour Binstein will be celebrated for their roles in helping to build specialty food into a $140 billion industry. “The mission of Specialty Food Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award is to celebrate those whose careers […]
URM Launches Its First Exclusive Product Brand—Merchant’s Craft Beverages
Spokane, Washington-based URM Stores is rolling out its first exclusive product brand, Merchant’s Craft. The new brand of beverage products will replace Western Family brand soda, sparkling water and mixers at URM-supplied stores in the Northwest. The official launch date for Merchant’s Craft is June 1, though the products were available at some retail stores […]
Acosta: Mix Of National, Private Label Brands Key To Retailer Success
As the brick-and-mortar grocery industry faces increasing competition from all angles, an effective brand strategy can be the key to sustained success for retailers. Shoppers turn to different brands for different needs and seek a balance when it comes to retailers and brand offerings, according to Acosta—a full-service sales and marketing agency for the consumer packaged […]
Stew Leonard’s Offers 10K Burgers For Trump/Jong-un Peace Summit
Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of Stew Leonard’s, has offered to donate 10,000 burgers for the peace summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after the North Korean government announced their desire to open a “burger joint” in Pyongyang. Stew Leonard’s, which sells more than 30 million pounds of beef a year in the […]
Massachusetts Tortilla Manufacturer Launches Online Store Locator
Maria and Ricardo’s, a tortilla manufacturer in Canton, Massachusetts, has added an online store locator on its website. The features make it easier for consumers to locate retail stores that carry specific types of Maria and Ricardo’s tortillas. On the company’s store locator page, customers click the “Select Specific Products” button. Colorful product images are […]
7-Eleven Introduces Its First Cold Brew Iced Coffee
In response to the popularity of cold-brewed coffee among Millennial and Gen Z coffee-drinkers, 7-Eleven is introducing its own version of the chilled drink. The company’s new proprietary Cold Brew Iced Coffee is slow steeped and chilled for peak smoothness and flavor, 7-Eleven says. For a limited time, the new iced coffee drink will cost 99 cents for […]
Hallmark Expands Birthday Card Lineup, Partners With Online Influencers
Hallmark is kicking off the summer season with new introductions to the greeting card aisle. This year, the company says it is focusing on celebrating birthdays with brand new cards that “bring dazzling lights, fun sounds and loads of excitement.” Hallmark also is launching two all-new card lines and introducing to its retail partners—for the […]
HelloFresh Launches Retail Product Line At Nearly 600 Stores
HelloFresh SE is making its retail debut, starting at 581 stores under the Ahold Delhaize USA brands Giant Food (Landover) and Stop & Shop. As an independent food brand, HelloFresh will partner to increase its availability with more retailers throughout the year, including “revitalizing the grab-and-go aisles for smaller format retail chains,” the company says. […]
Tyson Foods Acquires Organic ‘Smart Chicken’ Brand
Tyson Foods Inc. is expanding its production of organic branded chicken through the acquisition of Tecumseh Poultry LLC. The purchase includes the air-chilled Smart Chicken brand. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed. Tecumseh Poultry was founded in 1998 and produces air-chilled, fresh chicken, as well as deli-style chicken and a variety of chicken sausages. […]
New ShopRite Trading Company Brand Created For Artisanal Foods
ShopRite is debuting a new premium store brand, ShopRite Trading Company, comprising “artisanal foods inspired by a variety of world cuisines.” The line includes both imported and domestically sourced foods and is available exclusively at all the more than 270 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Described by the […]
More Than Organic Items Found In MOM’s New Maryland Store
Family-owned and -operated MOM’s Organic Market opened a 16,000-s.f. store on June 1 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with some unique features. One of those features is an in-store restaurant called Naked Lunch, an all-organic vegetarian eatery; another is MOM’s Bake Shop, selling organic sandwich breads made from heirloom grains and live starters. The store’s beekeeping section […]
Arkansas Edwards Stores Roll Out New Websites Through Freshop
Freshop Inc. has developed new websites for select Edwards Food Giant and Edwards Cash Saver stores. The new sites were designed to make the grocery shopping experience easier for customers in 11 Arkansas locations, says the company. They will include features like online shopping, list building, a full catalog of products, clickable weekly circulars, recipes and more. Edwards Food […]
Albertsons Cos. Launches ‘Top-Shelf’ Private Label Line
Albertsons Cos. is “expanding and elevating” its Own Brands portfolio with Signature Reserve, branded as a “top-shelf culinary presence.” “Signature Reserve inspires delicious discovery with extraordinary and expertly sourced flavors and ingredients,” said Geoff White, president of Albertsons Cos. Own Brands. “Shoppers are more educated and interested in culinary trends than ever before, and Signature […]
