Affinity Group has acquired Matrix Sales & Marketing and Jon Morris & Co., two retail sales and marketing agencies. Enzo Dentico, CEO of Affinity Group Retail, said, “Both Jon Morris & Co. and Matrix Sales & Marketing have a tremendous history of success in our industry and are excellent solutions-oriented sales agencies that primarily focus […]
Category: Industry News
MountainKing Acquires Colorado Packing Facility For Small Potatoes
In response to the explosive growth and demand for smaller-sized potatoes in smaller-sized bags, MountainKing has acquired a Colorado packing facility in the farm-rich San Luis Valley. The new packing facility will be dedicated exclusively to its fingerlings and new baby versions of MountainKing yellows and reds. The new MountainKing facility in the south-central Colorado […]
Peapod Collaborates With Food Writer Mark Bittman On Meal Kits
Chicago-based Peapod has a new meal kit collaboration with Mark Bittman, one of the country’s best-known, most prolific food writers. Peapod is making it easy for customers to get some of Bittman’s newest meals on the table by highlighting several of his new cookbook’s recipes in shoppable, click-to-cart format recipes as well as an exclusive […]
H-E-B Will Upgrade Its Longest-Standing Austin Grocery Store
After more than 60 years of serving neighborhoods surrounding South Congress and Oltorf, H-E-B now is taking steps to make major improvements to its longest-standing grocery store in Austin, Texas. The grocer says it will go from being one of the oldest stores in the city to one of the most innovative stores in the […]
Kroger, Higi Providing Smart Health Stations to Roundy’s Shoppers
Chicago-based higi, a consumer health engagement platform which partners with retailers to enable care access points via a connected network of smart health stations, has expanded its relationship with The Kroger Co., whose Roundy’s Supermarkets will now offer higi smart health stations as a resource to all consumers who visit their stores. Higi stations offer […]
FMI Applauds FDA Support For Food Product Date Labels Initiative
The Food Marketing Institute is pleased the U.S. Food and Drug Administration supports industry efforts to make food product date labels more understandable. The FMI received a letter from the FDA that supports efforts with the food manufacturing community to reduce consumer confusion regarding food product date labels. FMI President and CEO Leslie Sarasin replied […]
Publix Bagger Victorious In Tennessee Competition
Publix employee Sabrina Martinez has won the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association state Best Bagger competition. Martinez bested other grocery baggers from around the Volunteer State at the annual Convention and Expo of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association, which was held in Nashville on May 9. As Tennessee’s Best Bagger, Martinez will […]
Central Co-op Focuses On Making A Difference In The Community
by Treva Bennett/staff writer It all comes down to making a difference in the community. When she started her job as CEO of Seattle’s Central Co-op on March 25, Catherine Willis Cleveland said she felt as if she had come full circle in her career. After almost dying in a climbing accident in Nepal when […]
Dollar General Locates Cold Storage Hub In Pennsylvania
Dollar General Corp. has established a new cold storage facility in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. At full capacity, the project is expected to support the creation of 100 new jobs. “Dollar General is excited to expand in Pennsylvania through the collaboration with Gov. (Tom) Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development,” said Mike […]
Whole Foods Bans Plastic Straws In July As Part Of Plastic Reduction
Whole Foods Market will eliminate plastic straws from its stores in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada by July 2019, becoming the first national grocer to make this change. In addition, Whole Foods switched to smaller plastic bags in its produce department this year and is replacing hard plastic rotisserie chicken containers with […]
Inline Plastics Expands Safe-T-Fresh SquareWare Containers
Inline Plastics, with corporate headquarters in Shelton, Connecticut, has a new product line of “mini”-sized containers. The company has expanded the Safe-T-Fresh SquareWare family with the addition of the new line of Snackers. Snackers are compact, leak-resistant containers that are sized for small servings. They make the most of snug merchandising spaces, while offering consumers […]
New Sparkling Ice Case Wraps Support Honor Flight Network
For a fourth year, Sparkling Ice is working with the Honor Flight Network to take the nation’s military veterans on trips to Washington, D.C., to see the war memorials built in their honor. But this is the first year Sparkling Ice has designed special limited-edition case wraps to promote Honor Flight. The new Honor Flight […]
Casey’s Redesigns Website To Make It Easier To Order Pizza
Casey’s General Stores has debuted a new and improved Caseys.com, with a refreshed design and enhancements to the online ordering system, designed to make it easier to order Casey’s pizza. “Our customers love Casey’s pizza, and we wanted to make it even easier for them to order online,” said Art Sebastian, VP of digital experiences […]
Sprouts Hiring 150 For New Lake Forest, California, Store
Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country, is hiring for its soon-to-be finished new store in Lake Forest, California. The nearly 30,000-s.f. store at 24332 Rockfield Boulevard will open at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Details about the grand opening celebration will be announced at a later date. […]
Albertsons Updating, Adding To Signature Select Brand Line
Albertsons Cos.’ Signature Select brand is ramping up its presence across stores with the addition of more than 300 new products and updated branding in 2019. The redesigned products are in the Signature Kitchens, Signature Home, refreshe and The Snack Artist brands. Streamlining these products into Signature Select’s portfolio of more than 2,400 products provides […]
Lucas Continues Her Grandfather’s Legacy At JSL Foods
Jade Wong Lucas, national accounts manager-foodservice at JSL Foods Inc. in Los Angeles, now is promoting the Twin Dragon brand her grandfather created 65 years ago. “I’m so pleased to be working at JSL Foods and having the opportunity to continue the legacy of the Twin Dragon brand,” Lucas said. “JSL Foods has been a great […]
The Power Of Meat: Meeting Consumers Where They Are To Increase Sales
Meat is the calling card for most grocery stores, according to Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics, who for 14 years now has prepared the Power of Meat report on behalf of the Annual Meat Conference, sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute and the North American Meat Institute. This year’s edition, like those in the past, […]
Far East Brokers Introduces New GrillPerks Rewards Program
Far East Brokers and Consultants in Jacksonville, Florida, has developed the new GrillPerks rewards program, which it says is the first cross-category consumer loyalty program for manufacturers of grilling-related products. The online program engages shoppers with helpful tips, recipes and promotions on a wide range of grilling products and rewards them with gift cards from […]
Natural Grocers’ {N}Power Loyalty Program Celebrates 1 Million Members
Natural Grocers’ customer loyalty program {N}power is expected to surpass 1 million members early in the summer of 2019 and the company is planning sweepstakes to celebrate. The Natural Grocers’ customer loyalty program launched in May 2015 and provides the organic and natural retailer’s customers with digital coupons, personalized offers, rewards and other benefits. To […]
Noluma International Offers Solution For Light Damage To Dairy Products
New research shows 90 percent of dairy farmers know that light damages nutrients in milk, and 98 percent would work with a partner to make their packaging light protected. However, fewer than a third (29 percent) of consumers are aware that light damages milk, with over half (55 percent) saying that supermarkets should be proactively […]
