Supervalu’s third quarter wholesale sales increased slightly vs. a year ago, but its retail segment continued to struggle. Total net sales within the wholesale segment increased 0.2 percent, to $1.91 billion from $1.90 billion a year ago. New business is outpacing lost business, the company said. Retail identical store sales were negative 5.7 percent, dropping […]
Category: National
Americans Trend Away From Processed Foods, Opting For Fresh Because Of Health
A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers shows that, compared to three years ago, Americans are consuming more fresh products, including fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses. The nationwide trend away from processed foods is driven by healthier diets and lifestyles, according to data gathered in December 2016 by research firm OpinionWay for Bizerba […]
‘Veg-centric’ Trends To Look Out For This Year
“Vegetable-centric” cooking and dining are on top of most trends lists for 2017, and retailers must be ready to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables to shoppers seeking to add more produce to their plates. That’s according to Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Vegetable-centric eating is finally mainstream, and it’s paving ways for the future of […]
Lloyd, Goelzer To Hold Supermarket Management Class 2.0 In May
Longtime grocery educator Harold Lloyd of Harold Lloyd Presents and Paulo Goelzer, president of the IGA Coca-Cola Institute, are teaming up to present Supermarket Management Class 2.0 in Chicago in May. Lloyd, who created the course about 15 years ago, used to hold the class in January, but saw an opportunity this year, with FMI […]
USDA Selects Seven Retailers To Test SNAP Online Ordering
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has chosen seven retailers to take part in a pilot designed to enable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online. The two-year pilot is slated to begin this summer. “Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities […]
Former Walmart, Supervalu Exec To Lead Dollar Tree’s Family Dollar Banner
Discount variety store operator Dollar Tree has made some management changes, hiring former Walmart and Supervalu executive Duncan Mac Naughton to lead its Family Dollar banner as president and COO. The company also has promoted Gary Philbin to enterprise president of Dollar Tree. Mac Naughton will report to Philbin. Mac Naughton, 54, has more than […]
Sprouts Will Open 11 New Stores In 2Q, 35 In 2017
Sprouts Farmers Market plans to open 11 new stores in the second quarter of 2017 and expects to open 35 over the course of the year. The Phoenix, Arizona-based grocer previously announced the stores it will open in the first quarter, including its first Florida and North Carolina units. At that time, Sprouts said it […]
La Huerta USA Creates, Grows Brands By Touting Company’s Care For Its Products And People
by Kristen Cloud/web editor Galen Walters met the Arteaga family in 2008 in The Woodlands, Texas. The family that in 1957 founded the vegetable and specialty foods company La Huerta—based in Aguascalientes, Mexico—came to The Woodlands to be nearer family. It didn’t take long for Walters, a 40-year veteran in business operations and retail marketing […]
Brick Meets Click: Supermarket Online Sales Are Strong
Multichannel supermarkets generated larger online orders than online-only grocers, according to a recent benchmarking study from Brick Meets Click. More than half of the banners in the study reported average online orders between $120 and $180, compared to the average order size recently reported for Fresh Direct ($105) and Amazon Fresh ($84). The study compared […]
Natural Grocers Releases Its Top 10 Nutrition Trends For 2017
Natural Grocers talked to a panel of its category managers, nutrition experts and editorial staff to find out what trends to expect in nutrition and health for the upcoming year. Here are the Colorado-based grocer’s predictions for the top 10 nutrition trends for 2017. 1. Eating healthy also means eating ethically Whether it is ethical […]
Holiday Spending Up, Surpassing Expectations
The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) this week released its Post-Holiday Shopping Survey, finding that consumers spent an average of $711 on gifts and other holiday-related items this holiday season. This represents a 16 percent increase over 2015’s post-holiday survey results ($611) and is 4 percent ($27) above holiday shoppers’ intentions as measured in […]
Pebbles Cereal Adds Cinnamon Variety
Post Consumer Brands is kicking off the New Year by unveiling Cinnamon Pebbles, a new variety that “stays true to the fun of the classic Pebbles cereal, but with a creative flavor twist,” according to the company. “We’re always looking to bring to life new and innovative flavors, and with the growing popularity and consumer […]
Unilever And CVS Pharmacy Bridge Beauty Care, Healthcare And Self-Care
Global Market Development Center’s latest Health & Wellness Best Practices whitepaper, “Retail Partnering to Serve the Beauty Shopper,” explores how Unilever and CVS Pharmacy connected beauty care, healthcare and self-care in the skin care aisle. Three good things—engaged consumers, strong sales and distinguished recognition—resulted from the collaboration. In 2014, Unilever and CVS Pharmacy worked together […]
Beef Maintains Favorable Tenderness Ratings
Favorable tenderness ratings for beef steaks, which have improved significantly since 1990, have remained steady over the past five years, recent research shows. This quality retention has occurred despite environmental and financial challenges that could have derailed its progress. The Beef Checkoff-funded 2015/2016 National Beef Tenderness Survey was conducted at Texas A&M University, which has […]
Cashen: Putting A Stop To ‘Global Whining’ One Tip At A Time
Comedic motivational speaker Christine Cashen knows that we’re all tired and busy and stressed. But we don’t have to be. According to Cashen, we all are responsible for letting ourselves feel stretched too thin, and she’s on a mission to put a stop to our tendency to complain about our stressful, busy lives without doing […]
Campbell Soup Co.’s Newest Soup Line Is ‘Clean’ And ‘Simple’
Campbell Soup Co. is introducing Well Yes!, a new ready-to-serve soup line that features clean, simple and nutritious ingredients, including wholesome grains, meats and vegetables, according to the company. “Our goal is to bring real, affordable and deliciously crafted soup to the soup aisle with the introduction of Well Yes!,” said Sophie Arsenlis, director of marketing, […]
Grocery Trends Forecast Reveals Creative Changes In 2017
More digital connections and a speedier checkout process rank among the top trends for grocery shopping in 2017. That’s according to veteran supermarket analyst John Karolefski, purveyor of GroceryStories.com. Karolefski also predicts a more diverse produce department, increased availability of meal kits and better access to product information. “The top trends for 2017 will result in […]
Americans Again Rank Fuel Savings As Their Favorite Loyalty Program Reward
For the second year in a row, American consumers have identified rewards that help them save on the everyday cost of fuel as their preferred loyalty program currency. Findings from Excentus’ new “Road to Rewards Revisited” annual survey and report also show that certain types of rewards are powerful enough to influence where, when and […]
Increase In U.S. Beef Production Leads To Lower Prices At The Meat Case
As consumers shop at the meat case into the new year, they’ll see lower retail prices on beef, including cuts like tenderloin and rib roast. November 2016 was the largest beef production month since 2010, prompting the U.S. Department of Agriculture to raise its beef production forecast for 2016 in its World Agricultural Supply and […]
IGA Names 2016 Hometown Proud Retailers
IGA has revealed its 2016 IGA Hometown Proud Retailers, representing the “best of the best from IGA’s progressive independent retailers” in the U.S. The eight Hometown Proud Retailers will be recognized at the IGA Global Rally in Las Vegas in February, where one of them will be named IGA USA International Retailer of the Year […]
