By January 2018, all canned tuna sold at Whole Foods Market will meet rigorous sustainability and traceability requirements that aim to reduce overfishing and bycatch, and support fishing communities, according to the Austin, Texas-based grocery chain. The new sourcing policy includes canned tuna items sold in the grocery aisle as well as the prepared foods […]
Category: Grocery News
Consumer Wellness Concerns Continue To Impact Animal Protein Industries
by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Departments in the store that sell meat, particularly the deli, meat and seafood departments, can be tricky spaces for shoppers to navigate. Even as consumers become more educated about the foods they eat and the industries that are producing them, they also are increasingly confused about the wellness and sustainability attributes […]
SpartanNash Expands Opioid Safety Project To 61 Michigan Pharmacies
In a continued effort to educate store guests and prevent accidental prescription opioid overdoses, SpartanNash says it is expanding its Opioid Safety Project to each of its 61 Michigan pharmacies. SpartanNash was the first major grocery retailer in Michigan to offer this kind of program and expand it throughout the state, with participating pharmacies located […]
St. Patrick’s Day Spending Forecasted To Reach Record $5.3B
Americans will spend more than ever as they put on their favorite green outfits to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Spending for the holiday is expected to reach $5.3 billion, an all-time high in the survey’s 13-year history. More than […]
The Omnishopper Can Be A Challenge For Retailers
It’s been a long time since the general store was the go-to place for consumers to pick up everything they needed from week to week. But variety hasn’t just increased over the years, it’s diversified and, as a result, today’s consumers aren’t just shopping a single channel—they blend channels and shop fluidly according to their […]
Talking Rain CEO Abruptly Departs
Kevin Klock, president and CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Co., the maker of Sparkling Ice, has left the company. A reason was not given in press release issued Friday by the company, though Klock was in New York City conducting media interviews as recently as late February with new chief marketing officer Brian Kuz, according […]
S.O.S Soap Pads Marking 100th Anniversary
S.O.S Soap Pads are celebrating a century of cleaning as 2017 marks the brand’s 100th anniversary. Developed in 1917 by a cooking utensil salesman named Irwin Cox, the scrubbers were designed to help his customers keep their new pans shiny. Cox’s wife called the pads S.O.S, which stood for “Save Our Saucepans.” When S.O.S pads […]
United Fresh Reveals 25 Retail Produce Manager Award Honorees
Marking its 13th year of recognizing exceptional retail produce managers, the United Fresh Produce Association has revealed the winners of its 2017 Retail Produce Manager Awards. The group of 25 produce managers represents supermarket banners, commissaries and independent retail stores from 14 different states and two Canadian provinces. The winners will be the honored guests at the United […]
Wholesome! Brand Rolling Out New, Revamped Products
Wholesome! brand is introducing several new candy items, relaunching its organic stevia and presenting new options with its sugar packets. Wholesome! Organic DelishFish Sugar Land, Texas-based Wholesome! says its latest innovation focus is on launching candy that tastes delicious and is made with clean ingredients. Organic DelishFish is the brand’s first candy item introduced from this focus. This […]
Product Revamps, Marketing Efforts Help Frozen Food Manufacturers Compete With Growing Fresh Segment
The frozen food market has proven to be largely resilient in the face of both fresh food and meal kit trends. Sales have been steady, if unspectacular, since 2012, according to market research firm Packaged Facts in a new report, “Frozen Foods in the U.S.: Hot Meals, Sides, and Snacks, 6th Edition.” Packaged Facts estimates […]
Being In The Running: Driving Deli Image And Reputation
by Anne-Marie Roerink/Principal, 210 Analytics; and Rick Stein/VP of fresh food, FMI Opportunities for deli growth are bright. These departments allow shoppers to have a hand in preparing tonight’s dinner—or not. The deli can offer a complete meal solution as an alternative to cooking, or a ready-to-eat (side) dish in combination with items cooked from scratch. […]
FDA Revamps Nutrition Facts Label For Packaged Foods
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently finalized a new Nutrition Facts label on packaged foods and beverages to better help consumers make informed food choices that support a healthy diet. Manufacturers will need to use the new label by July 26, 2018, and small businesses will have an additional year to comply. During […]
Study: Demand For Pouches Used In Meat Packaging To Grow 5.3 Percent Annually
Demand for pouches used in meat packaging is forecasted to climb 5.3 percent per year to $220 million in 2021, with unit gains expected to advance 3 percent per year to 1.6 billion units. Above average gains will be driven by the growing preference for products that make meal preparation more convenient. These and other trends are […]
Pepsi Blames Philadelphia Soda Tax For Job Cuts
Pepsi said Wednesday that it is cutting 80 to 100 jobs in Philadelphia and laid blame on the city’s beverage tax that took effect Jan. 1. The layoffs reportedly will happen over the next few months and impact frontline and supervisory positions. Pepsi employs a total of 423 people in the area, where it has […]
Brookshire’s World Record Attempt Will Help Feed Thousands
Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) completed its attempt to break a world record on Feb. 24 at the East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) by building the world’s largest canned food pyramid. Community volunteers stacked 36,000 cans over a period of four days to create the 12-ft. pyramid. The cans used for construction were donated to the […]
Publix Pharmacy Provides Free Montelukast
Publix Pharmacy is adding montelukast, a prescription medication for asthma and allergies, to its Free Medication Program, which provides up to a 90-day supply of certain common prescription medications at no charge to pharmacy customers for as a long as prescribed. “We’re always happy to help our customers get the medications they need to treat […]
CVS Removing Artificial Trans Fats From Store Brand Products
CVS Pharmacy claims it is the first national retail pharmacy chain to announce the removal of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, from all of its exclusive store brand food products. The retailer says it offers more than 600 exclusive snack and grocery options that are free […]
Double Up Food Bucks Expands To Lowe’s Grocery Stores In New Mexico
Beginning this spring, New Mexicans who receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can save money when they buy New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables at several Lowe’s grocery stores in New Mexico. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, assists one in five people in the state. Double Up Food Bucks, a program of the New […]
SpartanNash Sales Increases Benefit From Holiday Shift
SpartanNash said Wednesday that business gains and the timing of the New Year holiday resulted in fourth quarter sales growing to $1.83 billion from $1.77 billion a year ago. Net sales for the food distribution segment increased to $838.6 million from $773.7 million in the same quarter a year ago. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company said the gains […]
KeHE’s Summer Selling Show Marks Record Attendance, ‘Best Of’ Awards Presented
The 2017 KeHE Summer Selling Show, held earlier this month in New Orleans, hosted more than 3,700 industry professionals—a nearly 35 percent increase from the year prior. Retailers, vendors and brokers were able to get a look at the latest natural and organic, specialty and fresh products for the summer season. “This increased attendance is […]
