The Mushroom Council recently released a study analyzing the latest mushroom shopper purchase trends. The Fresh Mushroom Fast Facts study provides key insights into the shopping behaviors that are driving fresh mushroom category growth. According to the study, more than half of U.S. households purchased mushrooms in 2015. Nearly four out of five purchasing households […]
Category: Industry News
General Mills Partners With Cooperative To Increase Organic Dairy Supply
General Mills has formed a sourcing partnership with the largest organic cooperative in the U.S. that will help about 20 dairy farms add around 3,000 acres to organic dairy production over the next three years. The program with Wisconsin-based Organic Valley will drive more acres in the U.S. into the organic certification process and builds […]
Casey’s Fiscal Year Ends Strong As Company Looks To Expand East And South
On June 6, Casey’s General Stores Inc. reported diluted earnings per share of $1.19 for the fourth quarter of fiscal year ended April 30 vs. $1.05 for the same period a year ago. For the year, diluted earnings per share grew 24 percent to $5.73 vs. $4.62 for the same period last year. “Fiscal 2016 […]
Kroger’s Mid-Atlantic Division Ratifies Agreement With UFCW Local 400
The Kroger Co.’s Mid-Atlantic division has ratified a new labor agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400. The agreement covers 5,100 associates in Virginia from Bristol east to Appomattox and from Martinsville north to Harrisonburg, three stores in Kingsport/Johnson City, Tennessee, and two stores in the Bluefield, West Virginia, area. “We are […]
Meijer Opens Supercenters In Wisconsin And Indiana
Meijer opened a new 192,000-s.f. supercenter in Sussex, Wisconsin, on June 7. The Sussex store is one of nine new Meijer supercenters to open this year, and part of an investment of more than $400 million in new and remodeled stores that will create 3,000 new jobs across the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer’s six-state foot […]
Second Mushroom Council, Beef Checkoff Veal Summer Grilling Promotion Under Way
The Beef Checkoff and the Mushroom Council have teamed up for a second Veal Mushroom Summer Grilling Promotion. A new Veal and Portobello Mushroom Blend Burger recipe has been introduced through labels placed on specially marked packages of veal. The promotion is supported with a consumer sweepstakes featuring a $500 grand prize and two $50 […]
Grocery Outlet Sets Cage-Free Egg Goal
Extreme-value grocery retailer Grocery Outlet Bargain Market is working with suppliers to source 100 percent cage-free eggs for all of its locations by 2025, based on available supply. “Many Grocery Outlet stores serve underserved populations who regularly experience food insecurity. Our first obligation is to these customers, and we are committed to providing them wholesome, quality […]
Walmart Annual Meeting: McMillon Says Company Will ‘Reimagine Retail’
On Friday, June 3, at Walmart’s 46th annual shareholders meeting, President and CEO Doug McMillon urged the company’s 2.3 million associates to get behind the company’s vision, saying, “We have the opportunity to reimagine retail again.” As part of this “reimagining,” McMillon announced that Walmart is now working with Uber and other partners to test […]
Survey: How Much Would You Invest In Your Deli/Bakery Department Manager?
by Lorrie Griffith/editor At what level in your company’s hierarchy do you feel comfortable spending money for team members to go to conferences, conventions and workshops to enhance their job performance? While a lot of companies don’t hesitate to send upper- and mid-level executives to these kinds of events, there can be hesitation when it […]
Kroger Introduces Online Grocery Shopping In Greater Houston
Select Kroger Houston division customers are now able to try ClickList, the chain’s exclusive online grocery ordering service. Stores testing the service include Baytown (6315 Garth Road), Cypress (9703 Barker Cypress Road), Galveston (5730 Seawall Boulevard) and Tomball (24350 Kuykendahl Road). As an introductory offer, Kroger will waive the $4.95 service charge for a customer’s […]
Doc’s Food Stores Promotes ‘The Blend’ In Three Departments
Doc’s Food Stores, which operates as Country Mart, JB’s Market and Apple Market in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, has launched the Mushroom Council’s “Blend” in its deli, meat and produce departments at all of its stores. “The Blend” is mixing finely diced mushrooms into proteins such as beef, turkey, lamb or pork to make hamburgers, […]
Cargill To Acquire Fort Worth-based Five Star Custom Foods
Cargill has signed an agreement to acquire Fort Worth, Texas-based Five Star Custom Foods Ltd., a business specializing in cooked protein products and custom prepared soups and sauces for the foodservice and food processing sectors. The acquisition includes both of the Five Star Custom Foods facilities in Fort Worth and Nashville, Tennessee. Terms of the […]
GMA Highlights Industry Progress In Reducing Food Waste
The food industry has made significant strides in cutting food waste and is taking steps to reduce consumer confusion around product date labeling, an expert from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) told the House Agriculture Committee on May 25. GMA Senior Director of Sustainability Meghan Stasz testified at the hearing on behalf of the Food […]
IBWA: Bottled Water Consumption, Sales Increase
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), in conjunction with research, consulting and financial services firm Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC), has released 2015 bottled water statistics, which show that Americans’ consumption of bottled water increased by 7.9 percent and bottled water sales rose 8.9 percent vs. the previous year. BMC now indicates that bottled water is poised […]
TreeHouse Foods To Close California And Wisconsin Facilities
TreeHouse Foods is closing manufacturing plants in Azusa, California, and Ripon, Wisconsin. The Azusa facility has approximately 660 employees and produces bars and snack products primarily for retail customers. The full facility is expected to close and production is expected to end in the second quarter of 2017. Products produced at the Azusa facility will […]
H-E-B Store In Austin Makes History With COTE Award
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) has selected H-E-B at Mueller in Austin, Texas, as one of the top 10 examples of sustainable architecture and ecological design projects that protect and enhance the environment. H-E-B is the first grocery store to receive a national AIA COTE Top Ten Award. “Following […]
Mars Introduces New Flavors For Snickers, Twix And Dove Brands
Mars Chocolate North America has launched several new flavor extensions to its chocolate brands, such as Snickers Hazelnut, Twix White Chocolate Cookie Bars, Dove Sorbet Bars, Dove Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Promises as well as a wide range of seasonal offerings for these brands plus the M&M’s, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers brands. Mars […]
Coborn’s And Foodtown Deploy Birdzi’s Shopper Engagement Platform
Minnesota-based Coborn’s and New Jersey-based Foodtown, have selected the Birdzi (sounds like bird’s eye) platform to provide personalized digital savings for their shoppers and increase customer engagement. The independent chains selected Birdzi for its ability to create personalized offers and drive loyalty at home, in store and on the go. The Birdzi platform allows retailers to […]
Federal Bill Aims To Make Food Expiration Dates Less Confusing, Reduce Waste
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate and House Wednesday would make expiration date labeling on food less confusing, helping to eliminate a key cause of consumer food waste in the U.S. Forty percent of food in America goes uneaten, and consumers are responsible for more of that waste than grocery stores, restaurants or any […]
Earth Fare Opens Fourth Ohio Store
Earth Fare opened its fourth Ohio location yesterday in The Venue at Belden, located at 3939 Everhard Road in North Canton. Every item in the new 24,000-s.f. store is free of artificial fats, trans-fats, colors, preservatives and sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup, as well as bleached or bromated flour. Its meat, seafood and poultry […]
