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 […]
Category: Industry News
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 […]
Hannaford, Manomet Honored For Social Responsibility Efforts
Among this year’s winners of the New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) Cornerstone and Partnership for Innovation Awards are Hannaford Bros. and Manomet. Winners of the Cornerstone and Partnership for Innovation Awards were chosen for their exemplary efforts to promote the concepts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the greater business community of New […]
Trig’s To Open Its Eighth Wisconsin Grocery Store In Tomahawk
T.A. Solberg Co. Inc. has purchased Nelson’s County Market on North 4th Street in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. The store will transition to the Trig’s banner, owned by T.A. Solberg, on June 24. “We are looking forward to serving the Tomahawk area. This is a particularly good fit for us because our two locally owned companies […]
Lidl Winning Shoppers Over On Price, But Also On Quality, Assortment
European hard discounter Lidl’s entry into the U.S. over the last year is resonating with grocery consumers in a meaningful way, according to global consulting firm Oliver Wyman. An independent survey by the firm found that 48 percent of 600 consumers who tried Lidl are now shopping there on a regular basis (more than twice per month). […]
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 […]
With Retail Store Openings Down And Closings Up, Employees Appreciate Leadership
by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report There is so much happening in retail businesses, it’s no wonder employees are concerned about their future. Most distressing is a recent industry study by Jones Lang LaSalle showing new store openings down 28.8 percent in 2017. Most of us follow the […]
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 […]
Rhode Island Tractor Trailer Tolling Begins Monday
The first two sets of 14 planned tolls in Rhode Island will begin collecting from large commercial vehicles on Monday, June 11, opening up a new funding stream for bridge and road repairs. About $450 million per year is expected to be generated once all the toll booths are constructed. Steve Arthurs, Rhode Island Food […]
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 […]
The United Family ‘Upgrades’ Streetside E-Commerce Platform
The United Family, a division of Albertsons Cos. with stores across north and west Texas and New Mexico, has upgraded its Streetside e-commerce platform, powered by MyWebGrocer, a software and digital media company. Highlights of the upgrade include sponsored listings and category header ads, which the retailer hopes will increase customer engagement; and enhanced metrics […]
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. […]
Recommended: Grocers Trying To Lessen Impact On The Environment
Specialty grocery stores such as Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market and Whole Foods Market have as part of their mission to minimize their impact on the environment and natural resources. “We are worried about the planet. We care about the generations to come, our children and grandchildren,” said Rick Hood, owner of Ellwood Thompson’s, which has […]
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 […]
Wegmans’ Burger Bar To Make Virginia Debut On June 3
The doors to Wegmans Food Markets’ Chantilly, Virginia, store are set to open at 7 a.m. on Sunday, June 3. The 120,000-s.f. supermarket is located at The Field at Commonwealth near the intersection of Route 28 and Westfields Boulevard. Open 6 a.m.-midnight daily, Chantilly is Wegmans’ 97th store. Among the 60,000-plus products offered there, more than […]
Kroger Precision Marketing To Begin Offering Boosted Product Listing Ads
The Kroger Co., through Kroger Precision Marketing powered by 84.51°, will launch a self-service marketing platform, Boosted Products in Search, on June 4. Kroger intends for the platform to help brands reach digitally active shoppers with hyper-relevant products within search results across Kroger digital properties, and view performance in real-time. Brands will have the ability to promote their online […]
Ralphs To Reopen Sawtelle Supermarket In West Los Angeles On June 1
Ralphs Grocery Co. this week will celebrate the grand reopening of its remodeled supermarket at 11361 National Boulevard in West Los Angeles’ Sawtelle neighborhood. Following more than three months of ceiling-to-floor renovations, the supermarket is set to reopen on Friday, June 1. As part of the celebration, the first 300 customers will receive coupons for free breakfast items, […]
Leevers Supermarkets’ New Loyalty Program Rewards Healthy Eating
Leevers Supermarkets Inc., a Save-A-Lot grocery licensee, has partnered with Green Piranhas Inc., a digital customer engagement platform development firm, to launch Snap2Save, a new kind of grocery shopping loyalty app. The program goes beyond saving customers money. It also aims to help them eat healthier by incenting the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. […]
