The Kroger Co.’s record 52 consecutive quarters of positive identical supermarket sales, excluding fuel, has ended as, on Thursday, the Cincinnati-based grocery chain reported that ID sales, without fuel, were down 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, which ended Jan. 28. The company reported net earnings of $0.53 per diluted share for the […]
Category: National
Décorworx Aims To Help Independents Differentiate
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor–Midwest and Southwest Utah-based Décorworx creates beautiful shopping environments, and it has done so for humongous grocery and mass merchandise stores. But the whole dynamic of the company changed when a conscious decision was made to turn its focus to independent grocers, Jeff Dansie, president and owner, tells The Shelby Report. “We […]
CVS Removing Artificial Trans Fats From Store Brand Products
CVS Pharmacy claims it is the first national retail pharmacy chain to announce the removal of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, from all of its exclusive store brand food products. The retailer says it offers more than 600 exclusive snack and grocery options that are free […]
Online Grocery And Jet.com Help Fuel Walmart’s E-Commerce Jump
Online grocery helped Walmart U.S. record a big jump in its e-commerce business during the fiscal 2017 fourth quarter. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant posted its financial results for the quarter Tuesday and reported strong e-commerce growth as sales and gross merchandise volume increased 29.0 and 36.1 percent, respectively—including Jet.com and online grocery. Walmart purchased […]
Shoppers Show Increasing Preference For Digital Coupons
Analysis by Inmar Inc. of 2016 coupon activity reveals an ongoing “promotional transposition,” with paperless, digital coupons beginning to overtake traditional paper coupons in popularity. Inmar’s analysis shows that, among the more than 2.2 billion coupons redeemed by shoppers last year, the share of redemption captured by offers that shoppers load directly to their retailer […]
Larkin Outlines Top 3 Hot Topics Among NGA Show Attendees
The Shelby Report’s Editor-in-Chief Lorrie Griffith sat down with National Grocers Association (NGA) President and CEO Peter Larkin at the NGA Show in Las Vegas in earlier this month, which turned out to be the show’s seventh consecutive year of record-breaking attendance—more than 3,400—including a record level of retailer and wholesaler participants. The Expo floor […]
The Opportunity For Fresh Prepared
by Anne-Marie Roerink/Principal, 210 Analytics Prior to the recession, a popular expression was “time-starved consumers.” But the economic downturn and its aftermath had shoppers shifting their attention from convenience to a host of money-saving measures. Many retailers shifted their advertising and merchandising focus to the needs of the penny-pinching consumer in response. Now, the ever-improving […]
Modern Pod Co. Rolls Out Hummus Pods
The Modern Pod Co. has launched Hummus Pods, a new hummus “snacketizer.” Hummus Pods are hummus encased in a crispy, chewy multigrain shell. They are portable and made with natural, real ingredients, according to the company. The pods also are vegan and plant-based. A single serving of three pods is 160 calories. They are pre-baked, fresh […]
The Multicultural Influence Across Grocery’s Perimeter Categories
With the rapid growth of multicultural households in America and their unparalleled influence on the marketplace, there is a strong need for retailers to revise their in-store strategies to include a wider range of fresh food products and flavor profiles that cater to the multicultural consumer set. That’s according to Nielsen, which has released a […]
Mondelēz International Launches One Of The First Sponsored SmartLabel Apps
Mondelēz International has launched one of the first sponsored SmartLabel apps, making in-store, on-the-spot access to detailed product information for many of its U.S. snacking products possible from smartphones. More than 1,100 products across the U.S. snack product portfolio—biscuits, crackers, cookies, chocolate, gum and candy—now are searchable through the new “SmartLabel Sponsored by Mondelēz International” […]
Study: Gap Between Shoppers Using Social Media And Connecting With Their Supermarkets Remains Wide
The Retail Feedback Group (RFG) has released the “U.S. Supermarket Shopper Digital Update,” a new report focusing specifically on the digital aspects of shopper engagement with supermarkets. The report is an offshoot from RFG’s annual report of supermarket shopper satisfaction, the “U.S. Supermarket Experience Study.” Social media gap remains an opportunity While 87 percent of supermarket […]
Rosie Will Serve As First Online Grocery Platform For Independents To Accept SNAP Payments
Participants in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will soon have a new, convenient way to shop and pay for their groceries. At The NGA Show, happening now in Las Vegas, Rosie announced that independent grocers using its e-commerce app can now offer customers the ability to shop online and pay for SNAP-eligible items at-store using […]
IGA Announces Its New Cause Marketing Partner
by Lorrie Griffith/editor-in-chief IGA USA revealed its new cause marketing partner at its 2017 Global Rally, Feb. 10-12 in Las Vegas. The new partner is Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, an organization that is summed up best by its tagline, according to President and CEO Marcia Lee Taylor: Where families find answers. The organization offers support […]
Product Of The Year USA 2017 Winners Announced
Product of the Year, the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, has announced the winners of its 2017 Product of the Year Awards. A national representative survey of 40,000 consumers conducted by Kantar TNS, a global leader in consumer research, helps determine the Product of the Year winners each year so that Americans can best […]
Supervalu Aids Hunger Relief With $1M In Donations
Supervalu says that its Supervalu Foundation will donate $1 million to 34 nonprofits that provide hunger and food-related relief to those in need in local communities across the country. The $1 million in donations will benefit local communities in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Recipient organizations include local food bank affiliates of Feeding […]
Kellogg Co. Doing Away With DSD Model For U.S. Snacks Biz, Will Close DCs
Kellogg Co. will begin to exit its Direct Store Delivery (DSD) network in the second quarter, transitioning the DSD-distributed portion of the company’s U.S. Snacks business to the warehouse model already used by Pringles and the rest of the company’s North American business. Kellogg says the new model will be “transformational for Kellogg, reducing complexity […]
Whole Foods Closing Nine Stores In Five Regions
Whole Foods Market said during its earnings call Wednesday that it will close nine stores in the second quarter. According to John Mackey, co-founder and CEO, the company has been moderating its lease signings and capital expenditures over the last two years. “We are also continually evaluating stores on a case-by-case basis, balancing the age, […]
Who Are Natural/Organic Shoppers, And What Motivates Them?
In recent years, the natural and organics category has seen significant growth, but the profiles and motives of today’s natural/organics shoppers are drastically different than they were less than a decade ago. That’s according to Acosta, whose latest Hot Topic Report, “Back to Our Roots: The Rise of the Natural/Organic Shopper,” explores modern-day natural/organic consumers, including what they’re […]
Aldi Rolling Out $1.6B Store Remodel Program
Aldi plans to remodel more than 1,300 U.S. stores by 2020, costing the retailer an estimated $1.6 billion, the company said Wednesday. The grocery chain says the upgraded stores will deliver “on its customers’ desire for a modern and convenient shopping experience with a focus on fresh items, including more robust produce, dairy and bakery […]
Merchant Groups To Capitol Hill: Debit Swipe-Fee Reform Vital To Main Street, American Consumers
More than 60 representatives from retailers, grocers, convenience stores and restaurants are gathering in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with lawmakers. The groups say they will discuss the importance of upholding hard-fought debit swipe-fee reforms as Congress readies legislation to repeal it. In 2010, debit swipe-fee reforms introduced competition and transparency into a market […]
