KeHE Distributors has been nominated for the Vendor of the Year award in the deli department by the Safeway Northern California Division. The nomination recognizes KeHE’s commitment to excellence, innovation and outstanding service in the fresh category. According to the nomination, KeHE’s Fresh Marketplace “helps make stores worth leaving home for. We know that in-person […]
Category: Grocery News
Posted inProduce News, News, West
Zespri To Showcase Ad, Sampling, Giveaways At Organic Produce Summit
Zespri has launched a new campaign, “Grown by Nature’s Rules,” which showcases the stories of growers and their commitment to high-quality, great-tasting organic fruit. To highlight the distinctive growing process that has helped drive demand and sales for Zespri’s premium Organic SunGold and Green Kiwifruit, the company’s team will be available at booth No. 813 during […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, Marketing News, National, News
IGA Partners With NWPB To Boost Watermelon Awareness
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has begun a partnership with the National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) to launch a second-half 2025 shopper marketing and retailer education campaign designed to boost watermelon awareness, drive in-store engagement and support IGA retailers. Kicking off in July, the multimedia campaign leverages IGA’s retail media network, digital circulars and in-store […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Midwest, News
Prairie Fresh Introduces Bacon Product Line
Prairie Fresh has introduced a line of naturally hardwood-smoked bacon – available in applewood-, hickory and hickory-smoked thick cut varieties – to its portfolio. Backed by a connected food system called the “Prairie Fresh Way” and a legacy in bacon processing, the company is positioned to compete in the $7 billion bacon category, which boasts […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Grocery Store Equipment, Guest Contributors, National, News
For Grocers, Refrigeration Management Is Often-Overlooked Lever For Profitability
by Jonathan Tan, co-founder of the Ratio Institute In 1916, Clarence Saunders opened the first self-service grocery store in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1930, the modern supermarket arrived in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York, in the form of King Kullen. These innovations birthed the need for the fourth utility in food retail – modern […]
Posted inFeature, Association News, Bakery News, Dairy News, Deli News, National, News
Webinar Unpacks Trends From IDDBA 2025
Consumer anxieties, vibrant merchandising and the fast rising influence of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare topped the talking points during a June 12 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association-sponsored webinar, “Digesting All the Trends at IDDBA 2025.” Maeve Webster, president of the Bennington, Vermont-based consultancy Menu Matters, and Mike Kostyo, VP, sifted through what they saw on the show floor to […]
Posted inProduce News, Coborn's, Midwest, News
Coborn’s Teams Up With Healthy Family Project For Produce For Kids Campaign
Coborn’s, Cash Wise and Marketplace Foods have partnered with Healthy Family Project and several produce brands to launch the 2025 Produce for Kids campaign. Running through Aug. 12, the campaign encourages Midwest families to make healthier choices at home while supporting local Boys & Girls Clubs. This year’s effort will result in a $7,000 donation […]
Expert Article
Fresh Take On Customer Appreciation – Highlights From The Fresh Expo
In April, RDW Fresh Brands hosted its newly rebranded customer event, The Fresh Expo. Designed to be more than just a traditional appreciation gathering, the expo reflects the company’s continued evolution and commitment to innovation, connection and leadership in the fresh industry. Held on April 9, the Hawaiian-themed celebration brought the beach to Minnesota and […]
Posted inBakery News, National, News
BGL Sells Specialty Bakers Brand To HC Private Investments
Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) has sold Specialty Bakers, a provider of branded and private label baked goods for the in-store bakery section and a portfolio company of Stonebridge Partners, to HC Private Investments. HC Private Investments will combine Specialty Bakers and Snackwerks together to create Artisan Bakery. Founded in 1901 and based in Marysville, […]
Posted inBakery News, National, News, Snacks Brands
The J.M. Smucker Co. To Remove FD&C Colors
The J.M. Smucker Co. has committed to remove FD&C colors from all consumer food products by the end of 2027. While the majority of the company’s consumer foods are already free of FD&C colors, this removal will impact its sugar-free fruit spreads and ice cream toppings as well as certain products from its Hostess brand portfolio. […]
Posted inCenter Store, National, News, Packaging News
Seed Oil Free Certified Products See Triple-Digit Growth
Seed Oil Free Certified, the world’s first certification for products made without seed oils, has entered a strategic data partnership with SPINS, a provider of data and analytics for the wellness-focused CPG industry. This collaboration provides the first empirical look into an emerging consumer preference: the growing demand for products made without industrial seed oils. […]
Posted inProduce News, National, News
GrubMarket Acquires Coast Citrus Distributors
GrubMarket, an AI-powered technology and digital transformation company in the food supply chain, has acquired Coast Citrus Distributors. GrubMarket‘s largest acquisition to date, the move enhances the company’s national produce distribution capabilities, particularly for high-demand tropical fruits and specialty root vegetables. Founded in 1950 by Roberto Alvarez, Coast Citrus Distributors has a 75-year legacy of […]
Posted inBakery News, News, Packaging News, West
King’s Hawaiian Highlights Brand Refresh For 75th Anniversary
King’s Hawaiian is marking its 75th anniversary with a brand refresh, followed with new retail packaging in July. This strategic evolution aims to reinforce its market leadership and connect with a new generation of consumers, offering grocers a fresh opportunity for category growth. Since Robert Taira opened his first bakery in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950, […]
Posted inAssociation News, National, News, Specialty
Specialty Food Association Names Fancy Food Rising Stars
The Specialty Food Association has selected the inaugural roster of its Fancy Food Rising Stars program for buyers and investors. Recognizing emerging leaders in the specialty food industry age 35 and younger, the Rising Star initiative sought nominations from across the buying and business-financing communities, with SFA making the final selections. They receive complimentary badges […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Midwest, Walmart
Walmart Debuts Case-Ready Beef Facility In Olathe, KS
Walmart’s first owned and operated case-ready beef facility has opened in Olathe, Kansas, packaging and distributing Angus cuts sourced from Sustainable Beef LLC to stores across the Midwest. “The opening of our new facility in Olathe, Kansas, is centered on delivering more of what our customers want – affordable food and quality they can trust,” […]
Posted inBakery News, News, Publix Super Markets, Southeast
Publix Wins 9 Blue Ribbons At Pie Championships
Publix Super Markets is celebrating its freshly-made in-store pies, which won nine blue ribbons at the recent 2025 American Pie Council Pie Championships in Orlando, Florida. The grocer’s bakery competed in the commercial division in the mini, small and large categories. The mini pie winner was the key lime pie, while the large pie winners […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, National, News
Study: Consumers Purchase Private Label Products Without Knowing
First Insight has released findings from its latest study, “The Quiet Takeover of Private Label,” revealing that the traditional distinctions between private and national brands have become so subtle that most consumers can’t tell the difference. Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of consumers surveyed believed they could recognize a private label when making a purchase, yet […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Market Profile, News, West
ASMI Helps Build Trust, Loyalty In Alaska’s Sustainably Caught Seafood
The Shelby Report recently caught up with Amy Dukes, head of retail marketing for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, to discuss Alaska’s seafood and how grocers can build sales in the category. What key trends should grocers be aware of with Alaska seafood? According to Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s Retail Consumer Research Report, 80 […]
Posted inProduce News, Corporate Store News, News, The Kroger Co., West
Divert Expands Organics Recycling Program To All Fred Meyer Stores
Divert Inc. and Fred Meyer Stores, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., have expanded their organics recycling program to support all 105 of the grocer’s locations in Oregon and Washington. “Fred Meyer and Kroger have been valued customers of Divert for many years, and we are proud to expand our collaboration to further advance the […]
Posted inBakery News, National, News
HC Private Investments Establishes Artisan Bakery
HC Private Investments, a Chicago-based family office, has established Artisan Bakery, a premium baked goods and snack manufacturer, through the acquisitions of Snackwerks and Specialty Bakers. With a combined heritage dating back to 1901 and a national manufacturing footprint, Artisan Bakery is positioned to deliver premium, indulgent bakery products across retail and co-manufacturing channels. Terms […]