Harvest Health Foods, a family-owned grocery chain in Michigan, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize inventory management and online shopping experiences, according to Bill Reiffer, the company’s VP of purchasing. Prior to becoming an ECRS customer in 2015, Harvest Health Foods employees were pricing each item individually. “It was our first point of sale,” […]
Category: Midwest
The Shelby Report of the Midwest covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Posted inDairy News, Midwest
Prairie Farms Receives Top Honors At Cheese Competition
Edwardsville, Illinois-based Prairie Farms received top finishes June 3-7 at The American Cheese Society Judging and Competition. The event is one of the largest cheese judging events for American-made cheeses. Medals for the 41st anniversary of the competition were announced from among more than 1,400 cheeses competing in 120 categories and evaluated by a panel of […]
Posted inProduce News, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Midwest, Private Label Brands, Snacks Brands, Wholesaler/Distributor News
AWG Brands Expands Best Choice Produce Snacks
AWG Brands, the private brands portfolio of Kansas City, Kansas-based Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., has launched its new Best Choice produce snack program. Designed to merchandise in grocers’ produce departments, the program offers a curated selection of 15 natural snacks. “We’re continuing to see growth in the category based on analytics from the AWG Partner Gateway […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Cosentino's Food Stores, Midwest, Retailer of the Year
Cosentino’s Cultivating Community Through Giving, Local Partnerships
Being a part of the community is one of the core missions at Cosentino’s. From schools and sports teams to town holiday events, the Cosentino Charity Foundation helps support many groups and causes. The company also is a key supporter of local businesses, featuring many of their products in-store. As most philanthropic groups tend to […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Aldi, Meijer, Midwest, SpartanNash
Via ‘Infrastructure For Innovation,’ Michigan Leaders Plan To Foster Economic Growth
Michigan’s economy is expected to grow by 1.8 percent in 2024 – slightly higher than 2023 but lower than the national economy – according to Comerica Bank. But state leaders are not sitting still; growth plans are in place. On May 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, delivering the keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference, announced […]
Posted inAssociation News, Midwest
MGA Foundation Awards $50K In Scholarships
The Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation awarded $50,000 in scholarships to employees or their dependents from MGA member companies for the 2024-25 school year. This program helps students related to Minnesota’s food industry by supporting their educational growth. Using funds raised from an annual golf event and silent auction, the MGAF is able to award scholarships […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Fareway, Midwest
Fareway Holds Ribbon Cutting For Site In Hull, IA
Fareway Stores Inc. held a ribbon cutting ceremony July 17 for a new store at at Highway 18 and Division Street in Hull, Iowa. The 10,600-square-foot store provides a full-service butcher counter and a large grocery selection with fresh-cut produce, healthy varieties and locally-sourced items. A variety of craft beer, fine wines and top-shelf spirits also […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Corporate Store News, Midwest
Walgreens Expands Private Label Brand, Establishes ‘Nice! For You’
Walgreens is launching “Nice! For You,” a new tier of its private label grocery brand, “Nice!,” to help customers find food choices that help support their journey to a healthier lifestyle. “Nice!” launched in 2011 and offers a range of everyday food and beverage products at a low cost. While all “Nice!” products meet national brand standards […]
Posted inMeijer, Independent Store News, Midwest, Online Grocery Technology
Meijer Introducing School Supply List Technology Through App
Meijer is introducing a new feature to help families get school supplies requested by their teachers through a digital “School Supply List” technology on its app and website. The feature allows parents to enter their zip codes, search for schools and add the necessary items to carts. This technology can be accessed through a QR code […]
Posted inRetailer of the Year, Cosentino's Food Stores, Independent Store News, Midwest
Relationships, Customer Service Remain Cosentino’s Hallmarks
The first Cosentino’s Market was on the east side of Kansas City. Brothers Jerry and Jim Cosentino had recently returned to Kansas City from serving their country during World War II and were trying to determine what to do next. They took a gamble and bought a small grocery store in Blue Ridge. With no […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Midwest
Albrecht’s Delafield Market Selects ReposiTrak For Food Traceability
Albrecht’s Delafield Market, a family-owned and operated supermarket in Delafield, Wisconsin, has selected the ReposiTrak Traceability Network to automate the exchange of traceability data with its suppliers. The FDA’s FSMA 204 food traceability law requires the exchange of information between supply chain operators to documents a product’s path through the supply chain from its point of […]
Posted inRetailer of the Year, Cosentino's Food Stores, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Midwest
Generations Strong, Cosentino’s Food Stores Building Success On Old-Time Values
Many retailers believe that to succeed in business they need to focus on future-forward goals and distance themselves from the old ways of doing things. For family-run Cosentino’s Food Stores, The Shelby Report of the Midwest’s 2024 Retailer of the Year, leveraging how business was done in the past has played a central role in […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Meijer, Midwest
Meijer Grocery Concept Store Welcomed In Noblesville, IN
Meijer opened a new 90,000-square-foot Meijer Grocery concept store July 11 at 5956 Promenade Shops Blvd. in Noblesville, Indiana. The store’s condensed footprint offers a food-focused shopping experience, as well as all the categories for a quick trip or weekly restock, including produce, dry grocery, fresh meat cut daily, bakery equipped with in-store cake decorators, full-service deli, […]
Posted inExecutive News, Association News, Midwest
MGA Names Garofalo As Incoming President, Succeeding Pfuhl
The Minnesota Grocers Association has selected Patrick Garofalo as its new president. He will join MGA on July 15, transitioning to full responsibilities of the position on Aug. 30. He succeeds Jamie Pfuhl, who is retiring after 27 years with the organization. Garofalo served Minnesota as a state representative for the past 20 years. He […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Hy-Vee, Midwest
Hy-Vee Implements VusionGroup’s Digital Solutions
Hy-Vee has implemented a series of digital solutions from VusionGroup to help streamline the shopping experience for its customers. Hy-Vee is using the VusionGroup platform to digitalize more than 230 of its stores, which will be able to update product prices and data automatically, rather than the labor-intensive process of printing and hanging paper price tags. […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Midwest
US Foods Begins Partnership With Military Family Advisory Network
US Foods Holding Corp., a foodservice distributor based in Rosemont, Illinois, has begun a national partnership with the Military Family Advisory Network with a $250,000 monetary contribution. The collaboration is part of the company’s “Helping Communities Make It” program, which seeks to empower communities in need through hunger-relief, culinary education and disaster relief. This is […]
Posted inHy-Vee, Independent Store News, Midwest, Online Grocery Technology
Hy-Vee Adds PayPal Express Checkout, Venmo To Aisles Online
Beginning July 8, PayPal and Venmo payment options will be available to Hy-Vee customers using its Aisles Online platform for grocery pickup and delivery orders. “Our Aisles Online platform has continued to evolve alongside our customers’ needs since we launched this service,” said Jody Gosch, chief technology officer and EVP at Hy-Vee. “With this new […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Independent Store News, Midwest
New Niemann Harvest Market Offers Guests A Shopping Destination
Shoppers in Carmel, Indiana, have a new destination for their grocery needs. Niemann Harvest Market opened May 15, the first in the state for the Niemann Foods banner. According to Store Director Sean Olson, what makes the store different is “everything that we do starts with partnerships with local producers and makers.” He clarified that […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Midwest
Smithfield Foods To Close Facility In Altoona, IA
Smithfield Foods will close its Altoona, Iowa, ham boning facility and consolidate production volume at other locations to improve the efficiency of its manufacturing platform. Smithfield will provide transition assistance to 314 employees at the facility who will be affected by the closure. The company will meet with employees to provide additional details about the […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Midwest
Indiana ‘Beset’ With Same Economic Problems As Rest Of U.S.
Indiana’s economy is experiencing a period of sustained growth. According to IBISWorld, the Hoosier state’s gross domestic product reached $353.9 billion in 2023, with a 20.3 percent increase over the past five years. Manufacturing remains a significant driver, with sectors like motor vehicles, metals and electronics leading the way. However, the recent “Feeding the Economy” […]