What happened in 2010? We should all know the significance of this year. It is the year that Americans started spending more on food away from home than at home, according to the USDA. In recorded American history, and probably human history, society started letting others cook for us more often than we cooked for […]
Category: National
Posted inAssociation News, National
Woodard Wins NGA Foundation’s Diversity In Leadership Scholarship
A 29-year employee and role model for diversity at Brookshire Grocery Co. has been selected to receive this year’s PepsiCo Diversity in Leadership Endowment scholarship from the National Grocers Association Foundation. Latasha Woodard, VP and district manager at the Texas-based supermarket chain, was selected to attend the foundation’s annual Executive Leadership Development Program June 5-9 […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
Sprinkle, McShane Receive NGA Spirit Of America Award
Greg Ferrara, National Grocers Association’s president and CEO, presented NGA’s Spirit of America Award to Ray Sprinkle, president and CEO of URM Foods, and Mike McShane, URM’s VP of procurement and profit centers. The award was presented at the Washington Food Industry Association’s Connect! meeting in Tacoma, Washington. NGA’s Spirit of America Award has been […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Amazon Fresh, National, Whole Foods
Major Grocery Retailers Named On Axios-Harris Poll 100
Grocery stores are riding reputational highs two years after the start of COVID-19 – with regional chains in particular being recognized for weathering the supply-chain storm. At the same time, the pandemic-era halo many industries enjoyed are beginning to normalize. Those are among the insights of the Axios-Harris Poll 100, an annual ranking of the […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
NGA Promotes Matzen, Anderegg To Director Positions
The NGA Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association, has announced two staff promotions. Chelsea Matzen will be assuming the role of director of the NGA Foundation, overseeing all department programs, including scholarships, industry promotion, leadership development, diversity and inclusion and student programs. After four years with the National Farmers Union, Matzen joined […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National
Sweets & Snacks Expo Releases Most Innovative New Product Winners
The Most Innovative New Product Awards have kicked off the 25th annual Sweets & Snacks Expo by recognizing the most innovative confectionery and snack products and the companies that created them. These products have been developed over the last year and are available on store shelves. “Innovation puts the candy and snack categories in the […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, National
Fire Up The Grill For This Summer’s Three Hottest Consumer Categories
by Michael Uetz/ Managing Principal, Midan Marketing, strategic meat marketing, research and creative communications agency. As temperatures warm up, consumers have started planning for grilling season. For this summer’s backyard barbecues, we expect there will be three distinct consumer mindsets at the meat case: the cost-conscious consumer who is feeling the effects of inflation but […]
Posted inProduce News, National
Pure Flavor Unveils First Commercial Greenhouse Grown Melon
Leamington, Ontario-based Pure Flavor has launched the produce industry’s first greenhouse grown melons, which will be branded under the Solara name. Jamie Moracci, president, said the melons are the result of many years of research and development. While many varieties have undergone product testing since the development process began in 2014, the company honed in […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National
Mondelēz International Shares Update On Long-Term Growth Strategy
Mondelēz International has shared its strategy to accelerate growth and focus its portfolio to generate sustainable shareholder value. As a result, the company is updating its long-term algorithm to 3-5 percent organic net revenue growth, up from previous guidance of 3 percent. “Our competitive advantages in the marketplace and focused strategy on global snacking leadership […]
Posted inAssociation News, Albertsons, National
WAFC Appoints New Directors, Elects 2022-23 Leadership
The Western Association of Food Chains has appointed six directors to its WAFC board and has released the lineup of newly elected board leadership. “We are incredibly honored to have this group of extraordinary industry leaders join the WAFC Board of Directors,” said Scott Drew, president of Smart & Final and president of WAFC. “They […]
Posted inFrozen Food, National
IRI Reports Frozen Retail Demand Strengthened In April
To document the ever-changing nature of the marketplace, IRI, 210 Analytics and AFFI have partnered to bring the latest trends and analysis relative to the frozen food department. Frozen food prices rose in 2020 and 2021, but less so than total food and beverages. In April 2022, the price per unit for frozen foods increased […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Launches General Merchandise, Health and Beauty Care Initiative
FMI – The Food Industry Association has announced a new general merchandise, health and beauty care initiative that extends its total store collaboration concept in grocery. This new portfolio will be led by consumer goods and retail industry veteran Tom Duffy and embraces a community of professionals from grocery retailers to suppliers for high-impact industry dialog […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, National
IRI Report Shows Strong Easter Meat Sales
To document the changing nature of the marketplace, IRI, 210 Analytics and Marriner Marketing have teamed up to continue to bring the latest trends and analysis relative to meat department sales, including fresh and processed items. Easter is typically a big selling season for meat and was the most disrupted of the major holidays in 2020, […]
Posted inAssociation News, National
FMI Calls On FDA To Assure Abbott Nutrition Follows Safety Regulations
FMI – The Food Industry Association has welcomed the Biden administration’s announcement that an agreement has been reached with Abbott Nutrition to reopen its infant formula production facility in Sturgis, Michigan, following more than two months of suspended production and product recall. However, FMI insists that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should also assure the […]
Posted inPackaging News, Beverage News, National
BMC Reports Increased Consumer Demand For Bottled Water
Bottled water made history in 2021 by becoming the largest beverage category (by volume), according to new data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC). Bottled water’s total volume in 2021, 15.7 billion gallons, surpassed carbonated soft drinks’ all-time peak of 15.3 billion gallons, which was reached in 2004. Bottled water outsold soft drinks for the first […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
IRI Partners With TikTok To Provide Custom Marketing For Advertisers
IRI has partnered with TikTok to deliver custom marketing and media mix effectiveness insights to consumer retailers and manufacturers that advertise on the platform. Through this partnership, IRI will incorporate TikTok’s aggregated, privacy-centric advertising reports into its marketing effectiveness solution, IRI Marketing Mix. Optimized for marketing mix models, the reports will help provide retail marketers […]
Posted inPackaging News, National, Sustainability News
Mondelēz International Publishes ‘Snacking Made Right’ Report
Mondelēz International Inc. has published its 2021 “Snacking Made Right” report, demonstrating progress against its short and long-term ESG goals. The company said it remains focused on leading in areas where it can help deliver more positive impact, including helping to build a thriving cocoa sector and reducing packaging waste and environmental footprint. The 2021 “Snacking […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National
Farmstead, Dematic Partner For ‘Warehouse In A Box’ Solution
Burlingame, California-based Farmstead and Atlanta, Georgia-based Dematic have partnered to help grocers drive operational efficiencies through software and automation. Farmstead built its Grocery OS software to run the company’s grocery business, later licensing the solution to help others start and manage their own grocery e-commerce operations. Grocery OS is a full-stack solution that provides everything […]
Posted inDairy News, National
IRI; Easter Delivered Big Results For Dairy, Deli, Bakery Industry
In its Easter 2022 overview, the National Retail Federation found that consumer engagement was nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, with 80 percent celebrating. Average per person spending on all holiday-related purchases was $170 – a three-year low. Amid 40-year high inflation, consumers expected to spend more on food, but pulled back on spending in all […]
Posted inNational, Corporate Store News
Cencosud To Acquire 67% Of The Fresh Market, Partners With Apollo
Cencosud, a South American retailer, has entered into an agreement with funds managed by an affiliate of Apollo Global Management Inc. to acquire 67 percent of The Fresh Market Holdings Inc. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, The Fresh Market supermarket chain has 160 leased stores across 22 states, with an average […]