Associated Wholesale Grocers has named the winners of several Excellence Awards as part of its 2024 AWG Innovation Showcase and Annual Shareholders Meeting. Top Excellence Awards recipients were Lou Fox Community Service Award winners John McKeever family of McKeever Enterprises Inc.; Jim and Barbara Queen family of Queen Enterprises L.L.C.; and Store Manager of the […]
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 inWholesaler/Distributor News, Feature, Midwest
Russ Davis Wholesale Celebrates ‘Full Circle Partnership’
Russ Davis Wholesale held its annual Customer Appreciation and Vendor Showcase Event on Feb. 28 at Mystic Lake Casino. The Minnesota-based company has been hosting the gathering for more than 35 years. Russ Davis Wholesale is a wholesaler, manufacturer and distributor of fresh produce. Crazy Fresh is the company’s brand of value-added cut fruit and […]
Posted inAssociation News, Midwest
MGA Celebrates Grocery Industry At Champions Luncheon
The Minnesota Grocers Association’s (MGA) Champions Luncheon on April 16 at the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel in Eagan showcased the impact of the state’s food industry and the accomplishments of those involved in it. The 2024 MGA Industry Ambassador Award, which recognizes someone who goes above and beyond to elevate the grocery industry, went to […]
Posted inMeijer, Independent Store News, Midwest
Meijer, WK Kellogg Donate $50K To Battle Creek Public Schools
Through Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Mission Tiger, WK Kellogg Co. and Meijer donated $50,000 to Battle Creek Public Schools in Michigan, supporting more than 350 middle school students who play sports. A check presentation and celebratory event was held at Battle Creek’s Springfield Middle School on April 18, where company representatives from WK Kellogg Co. and Meijer, Tony the Tiger and school […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Midwest, SpartanNash, Sustainability News
SpartanNash Expands Plastic Bag Recycling For Earth Day
SpartanNash is joining forces with Home Repair Services and Trex Co. to transform recycled plastic grocery bags from its stores into five accessible home ramps for local veterans with disabilities in honor of Earth Day. “The upcycling of plastic bags into accessible ramps for veterans with disabilities is a ‘People First’ program that gives our nation’s heroes the gift of […]
Posted inFresh Thyme, Bakery News, Midwest
Fresh Thyme Searches For Best ‘Better-For-You’ Birthday Cake
Fresh Thyme Market is giving local bakeries the chance to win $10,000 in celebration of its 10th birthday. The grocer, a specialty natural foods and grocery retailer with 70 stores in 10 states throughout the Midwest, is inviting bakeries to submit fresh, better-for-you cake recipes for a chance to be named the brand’s official 10th birthday […]
Posted inMeijer, Midwest
Meijer Donates $250K To Industrial Sewing, Innovation Center
Meijer has donated $250,000 to the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), a Detroit-based, national nonprofit organization. ISAIC focuses on training the next generation of textile and apparel manufacturing industry talent through an innovative curriculum that combines technical skills, soft skills and digital literacy. Its work, in partnership with local employers, creates pathways to sustainable careers […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Midwest, SpartanNash
SpartanNash Concludes Special Olympics In-Store Fundraiser
SpartanNash’s annual in-store foundation for Special Olympics, which ran March 20-April 6, collected $240,000 from community members and the SpartanNash Foundation. Donations support Special Olympics athletes in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Funds raised in each state go to the corresponding local Special Olympics affiliate. “We are proud […]
Posted inMeijer, Independent Store News, Midwest
Meijer Expands Great Lakes Partnership With $250K Donation
Meijer is continuing its commitment to Great Lakes stewardship with a $250,000 donation to the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) Foundation to launch a set of litter capture and clean-up technologies – the BeBot and PixieDrone – in Wisconsin, following a successful year of cleaning up Midwest beaches and waterways. The first retailer to support this beach and […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Midwest
Fareway To Add 66 Bitcoin Depot Kiosks In Midwest Stores
Fareway Stores has begun a partnership with Bitcoin Depot to deploy its Bitcoin Depot Kiosks in 66 Fareway locations, beginning in the second quarter of the year. The kiosks will be located in stores throughout Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas and Missouri. “We’re thrilled to work with a growing grocery store brand like […]
Posted inHy-Vee, Independent Store News, Midwest
Hy-Vee To Acquire Strack & Van Til Food Market Chain
Hy-Vee has announced plans to acquire the Strack & Van Til Food Market chain (also known as Indiana Grocery Group), which has store locations throughout Northwest Indiana. The acquisition will add 22 stores to Hy-Vee’s more than 550 retail business units, which include grocery stores, drugstores, pharmacies, restaurants and convenience stores that focus on meal […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Aldi, Grocery Store Equipment, Midwest
Aldi Debuts Checkout-Free Shopping At Chicago-Area Store
Grabango has launched ALDIgo checkout-free shopping at a Chicago-area Aldi store, making the German discount retailer the first major U.S. grocer to deploy the technology in a full-size location. Will Glaser, CEO of Grabango, described the launch of ALDIgo in the store at 2275 West Galena Blvd. in Aurora, Illinois, a “pivotal moment for the […]
Posted inExecutive News, Midwest, Wholesaler/Distributor News
SpartanNash Taps Taylor For VP, Associate General Counsel
John Taylor is joining SpartanNash’s legal team as VP and associate general counsel as the company seeks new market opportunities and advances toward its long-term growth goals. “John has earned the trust of his peers and clients for his strategic counsel and practical and innovative approach to conflict resolution in a dynamic operating environment,” said […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Midwest
Tony’s Fresh Market Celebrates 45th Anniversary
Heritage Grocers Group has shared that its banner company, Tony’s Fresh Market, is marking its 45th anniversary with a year-long celebration featuring special sales, promotions, employee spotlights and increased philanthropic support. “From our humble beginnings in 1979, Tony’s has steadily grown into a thriving Chicagoland mainstay known for providing the most authentic offerings and freshest […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Metcalfe’s, Midwest, SpartanNash
SpartanNash Acquires Wisconsin-Based Metcalfe’s Market
SpartanNash has acquired Metcalfe’s Market, a three-store grocery chain in Wisconsin, expanding its footprint in the state to seven stores. Upon close of the sale, the Madison and Wauwatosa locations will be continuing employment for all employees. The Metcalfe’s Market storefront, branding and core shopper experience will remain in place. Founded in 1917 by Henry […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Midwest
Schnucks Markets Donates $125K To Support The Urban League
Schnuck Markets has donated $125,000 to support the Urban League through the fourth annual “Round Up at the Register” campaign that celebrated Black History Month, held from Feb. 7-20. Customers donated $112,615 and Schnucks provided an additional $12,385. Shoppers had the option at checkout to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, with 100 percent […]
Posted inMeijer, Independent Store News, Midwest
Meijer Opening Three Supercenters In Two States May 14
May 14 is shaping up as a big day for Meijer after the retailer announced it will open three new 159,000-square-foot supercenters in two states – Alliance and North Canton, Ohio, and Hillsdale, Michigan. The Meijer supercenters will feature traditional grocery staples, such as fresh produce, bakery, meat and deli, as well as a floral […]
Posted inMeijer, Independent Store News, Midwest
Tickets Available For Meijer LPGA Classic
The 10th annual Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will tee off June 13-16 at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The previous nine tournaments have generated more than $10 million to feed families across the Midwest through the retailer’s Simply Give program. “Since 2014, we’ve remained committed to keeping our general admission tickets affordable so families can […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Midwest
Independents Impacted By Warm Winter In North Dakota
Weather can greatly influence shopper behavior and that was the case in North Dakota this winter. The state, which is normally cold and snowy from November through March, has been exactly opposite of what its 780,000 residents typically experience. John “Jiggs” Dyste, president of the North Dakota Grocers Association, pointed out that the change in […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Midwest
Willy Street Co-op Deploys eGrowcery To Improve Experience
Willy Street Co-op, a group of cooperative supermarkets in Wisconsin, has deployed digital ordering and fulfillment solutions from eGrowcery, a retail food industry e-commerce platform for grocers. Willy Street Co-op is offering online shopping of nearly its entire product range for customer pick up or delivery. “Our primary stakeholders – the cooperative’s members and employees – […]