A bill that would ban single-use plastic bags and place a 10-cent charge on recyclable paper bags passed the California Assembly Appropriations Committee with resounding support last week and now heads to the Assembly floor for consideration. Senate Bill 270, authored by Sen. Alex Padilla, Sen. Kevin de Leon and Sen. Ricardo Lara, is supported […]
Category: National
Posted in, Corporate Store News, National
Dollar General Outbids Dollar Tree For Family Dollar
Dollar General has made a proposal to acquire Family Dollar Stores in a transaction valued at $9.7 billion. Dollar General’s all-cash proposal of $78.50 per share is higher than the $74.50 per share in cash and stock that Dollar Tree offered July 28 in its bid to merge with Family Dollar. Dollar General said the […]
Posted in, National
BPIA Registration Workshop To Be Held Next Month
The 2014 Biopesticide Industry Alliance (BPIA) Registration Workshop will be held in Arlington, Va., Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Developed in association with the TSGE Forum, members of the BPIA regulatory committee and TSGE Forum say they are working to put together an excellent program about understanding the requirements involved in registering a biopesticide. The workshop at […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, Suppliers
Coca-Cola, Monster ‘Swapping’ Some Brands
The Coca-Cola Co. and Monster Beverage Corp. have entered into definitive agreements for a long-term strategic partnership that is expected to accelerate growth for both companies in the fast-growing, global energy drink category. The deal involves the companies “swapping,” or transferring, some brands. The companies say the new, innovative partnership leverages the respective strengths of […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, New Products
Uncle Si Of ‘Duck Dynasty’ Rolls Out Iced Tea Line At Retail
Four flavors of Uncle Si’s Iced Tea are now available at retail in more than 18 states across the country. Consumers can choose from all-natural Sweet, Un-Sweet, Peach and Half & Half (half iced tea/half lemonade) flavors of the beverage made popular by “Uncle” Si Robertson of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” fame. Developed and produced by […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
Fleet Advantage Marks Clean Diesel Initiative Milestone
Fleet Advantage, a leading innovator in truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and lifecycle management, reports that its clean diesel initiative that began in 2011 has reached a new milestone. With multiple new clients, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company’s equipment orders for Class 8 tractors for the six-month period ending June 2014 exceeded 1,500 tractors, […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Progresso Rolls Out Six New Soup Flavors
Progresso Soup is introducing six new varieties, bringing the entire Progresso ready-to-eat soup line to include more than 90 flavors. “Families are looking for more options to add to their menus that are fast, fulfilling and flavorful,” said Valerie Mastroianna, associate marketing manager for Progresso Soup. “Our soups are made with high-quality ingredients and crafted […]
Posted in, National, West
Unified Grocers Reports Sales Growth, Operating Income Improvement
Unified Grocers this week reported improved sales and operating income for its third quarter of fiscal year 2014 ended June 28 and for the year to date. The Commerce, Calif.-based wholesaler reported gross billings of $2.882 billion for the year, compared to gross billings of $2.778 billion for the same period last year (a 3.7 […]
Posted in, National, Southeast
Three-Day ‘Supermarket Sense’ Program Coming To Atlanta Next Month
The Hillphoenix Learning Center in Conyers, Ga., will host “Supermarket Sense” next month. The three-day workshop conference near Atlanta, Sept. 23-25, will provide insight to industry professionals for moving merchandise off their shelves and improving store operations. The interactive training sessions will be presented by Hillphoenix, Harold Lloyd Presents, Pactiv, Datassential and RJ & Associates. […]
Posted in, National, Store News
Big Lots Expands Food Lineup To Include More Name Brands
There’s more competition for the traditional grocer. Big Lots this week not only rolled out a new look for its food department but also expanded its food selection in all of its 1,491 stores across the country. The department features more brand name products, improved product arrangement and well-designed signage to make shopping even easier, […]
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Cutrale, Safra Groups Propose To Acquire Chiquita For $625M In Cash
The Cutrale Group, an agribusiness and juice company, and investment firm Safra Group have proposed to acquire 100 percent of the outstanding stock of Chiquita Brands Inc. for $13 per share, or approximately $625 million, in cash. This proposal represents a premium of 29 percent to Chiquita’s closing share price of $10.06 as of Aug. […]
Posted in, National
Sunset Taking Produce On Cross-Country Flavor Tour
Sunset has taken off on its first Flavor Tour to bring its flavor to American consumers coast to coast. The Sunset Flavor Crew will stop at a number of retailers, concerts and community events from Massachusetts to California over the next three months, culminating in Anaheim, Calif., for the Produce Marketing Association’s 2014 Fresh Summit Oct. […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, National, New Products, Whole Foods
Jell-O Kicks Off College Football Season With New University Mold Kits
Just in time for football season, Jell-O is launching 16 new Jell-O University Mold Kits that celebrate college teams around the country. Available this month, each kit contains two trays of school logo or mascot molds, along with boxes of Jell-O gelatin in team colors. Building on the popularity of its 2013 launch featuring four […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Hillshire Farm Brand Adds Premium Products To Lunchmeat Lineup
Hillshire Farm has launched the Hillshire Farm Naturals line of lunchmeat. The new line is slow roasted and has no artificial ingredients or preservatives. Hillshire Farm Naturals is available in four varieties, including Slow Roasted Turkey Breast, Hardwood Smoked Turkey Breast, Honey Roasted Ham and Black Forest Ham. Hillshire Farm Naturals also contain no artificial […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Executive News, National
Kadison Named MilkPEP CEO
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) board of directors has appointed Julia Kadison CEO. Kadison previously held the position of interim CEO/VP of marketing for MilkPEP. “The dairy industry is in a state of transition, and I’m thrilled that we have Julia Kadison to lead MilkPEP through this evolution,” said Jay Bryant, CEO of the […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National
Schwan’s Kicks Off Home Tailgating Season With Sponsorship And Website
Schwan’s Consumer Brands and the Red Baron, Freschetta and Tony’s pizza brands have introduced TailgateAtYourPlace.com, a new college football online platform. The new website is designed to be a one-stop shop for all things tailgating this fall football season, including entertainment tips for hosting game-day tailgate festivities, unique college football content and trivia, recipes, contests […]
Posted in, National, Suppliers
‘Gluten-Free’ Labeling Rule Now In Effect
In August 2013, the Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule that defined what characteristics a food has to have to bear a label that proclaims it “gluten free.” The rule also holds foods labeled “without gluten,” “free of gluten” and “no gluten” to the same standard. Manufacturers had one year to bring their […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Mettler Toledo Provides Retailers Support To Comply With Upheld COOL Ruling
The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld last week the mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) ruling for meat and meat products that currently is in place. The decision denies a request for a preliminary injunction to block the implementation of the meat labeling rules. Mettler Toledo is offering a meat labeling webinar to help ensure retailers are […]
Posted in, Center Store, National
La Costeña Acquires Faribault Foods
La Costeña group, a privately held global leader in a wide range of packaged foods categories, has completed the acquisition of Faribault Foods, a privately held manufacturer of canned beans and vegetables based in Minneapolis. Faribault Foods will be combined with La Costeña’s U.S. affiliate, Arizona Canning, based in Tucson, Ariz. The combined companies will […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
Hussman Introduces Narrow Reach-In Case For Small Formats
Hussmann is introducing its new Freedom Line Narrow Footprint Reach-In Case designed specifically to answer the needs of small-format stores. Available for both low (model RFLNS) and medium temperature (model RFMNS) applications, the new narrow footprint case fits easily through a standard 80″ x 36″ doorway for fast loading and installation. The reach-in offers low-energy […]