Pear Bureau Northwest, the Portland, Ore.-based nonprofit marketing association that promotes fresh pears grown in Oregon and Washington, recently commissioned nutrition research examining fresh pear consumption and the associated nutrition and health benefits. The research, which was led by Dr. Victor Fulgoni III was presented at Experimental Biology in San Diego earlier this month and […]
Category: National
Posted in, National, West
Unified’s Sales, Earnings Improve
Unified Grocers this week announced improved sales and earnings for the 26 and 13 weeks ended March 29, the company’s second quarter of fiscal 2014. For the 26-week period, the Los Angeles-based distributor reported gross billings of $1.898 billion, compared to gross billings of $1.838 billion for the 26 weeks ended March 30, 2013, a […]
Posted in, Center Store, National
Ancient Harvest Debuts New Look, Expands Gluten-Free Offerings
Ancient Harvest, the first brand to bring quinoa to the U.S. in the 1980s, is expanding with the launch of new Mac & Cheese and Culinary Ancient Grains lines. The new product lines are supported by the debut of refreshed packaging and a revamped website, which the brand first revealed earlier this year. The new […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Blue Bell Introduces Red, White & Blue Bell Ice Cream
Blue Bell is rolling out new Red, White & Blue Bell Ice Cream, a colorful dessert featuring a strawberry ice cream loaded with strawberries, a vanilla ice cream as well as a blueberry ice cream combined with real blueberries—all packaged side by side in one carton. “We started with three basic ice cream flavors, strawberry, […]
Posted in, National, Store News
FMI 2014 Store Manager Award Finalists Revealed
The Food Marketing Institute’s 15th annual Store Manager Award finalists have been revealed. Four grand prize winners will be selected from among the 10 finalists on Wednesday, June 11, during FMI Connect, the new annual FMI Show, in Chicago. The Store Manager Award finalists are recognized for their work to achieve positive sales growth and […]
Posted in, National, Store News
Whole Foods Announces Store Openings And Moves
Whole Foods Market this week announced several store openings and moves. The Austin, Texas-based grocer has signed a lease for a new store in Richmond, Va., plans to relocate a North Wales, Pa., store and has announced openings in New Jersey and Indiana. Richmond, Va. The approximately 40,000-s.f. store will be located on Broad Street […]
Posted in, Executive News, National
Butterball Promotes Kerry Doughty To President And CEO
Butterball has named Kerry Doughty president and CEO. The appointment became effective Monday. As CEO, Doughty will be responsible for overseeing the company’s business strategy and operations and will leverage more than 30 years of experience in the food industry. “Butterball will benefit from Kerry’s leadership, vision and passion for customers and associates as he […]
Posted in, Executive News, National
Steinhafel Out As Target CEO
Target said today that, following “extensive discussions,” President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel is departing the Minneapolis-based retailer, effective immediately. Steinhafel also is no longer chairman of Target’s board of directors. The announcement follows a data breach late last year that compromised millions of customers’ personal information. Target says that “now is the right time for […]
Posted in, Industry News, National
Survey: One-Third Of U.S. Shoppers Will Pay 10 Percent Premium For Local Food
The second annual A.T. Kearney survey of U.S. shoppers’ local food buying habits finds that local food is fast becoming a necessity for attracting and retaining grocery customers. Comparing survey results to the 2013 survey, an increased number of shoppers indicate that local foods are an important factor in what they buy and where they […]
Posted in, Industry News, National
Study: America’s Household Brands Losing Ground
U.S. consumers are pushing their shopping carts past many of America’s national brands and feel little regret in doing so, according to Deloitte’s American Pantry Study of more than 375 brands across 30 product categories. Seven in 10 shoppers (71 percent) say they’re spending less on food, beverage and household goods, but don’t feel like […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
J&J Snack Foods Purchases Philly Swirl
J&J Snack Foods Corp. of New Jersey has acquired the stock of Philly’s Famous Water Ice Inc. Philly Swirl, located in Tampa, Fla., produces frozen novelty products sold to both retail and foodservice locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Philly Swirl’s product offerings include kid-friendly items as well as better-for-you products. J&J says that revenues […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Nat Geo, Live Prepared Launching Branded Line Of Emergency Preparedness Products
National Geographic, one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations, has partnered with Live Prepared, a division of Blue Chip Group and a leader in emergency preparedness, to launch a comprehensive line of high-quality preparedness products for natural disasters and unexpected events. The National Geographic collection of preparedness products by Live Prepared will […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Bellisio Foods Rolls Out Chili’s Licensed Single- And Multi-Serve Entrées
Bellisio Foods, a leading frozen foods manufacturer, is introducing new flavors to the frozen food category through its partnership with Chili’s Grill & Bar—launching a new line of licensed frozen meals under the Chili’s brand name. These Chili’s-inspired, southwestern-style dishes, available at major retailers this summer, offer a variety of meal options, according to Bellisio. […]
Posted in, National
Grocers Gather On Capitol Hill To Advocate On Industry Issues
More than 200 grocery retailers, wholesalers and food industry state association executives from across the nation convened in Washington, D.C., this week for the annual “Day in Washington” supermarket industry fly-in. Members of the National Grocers Association (NGA), Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Food Industry Association Executives (FIAE) participated in more than 210 meetings […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Farm Rich Introduces Smokehouse BBQ
Farm Rich is debuting Farm Rich Smokehouse BBQ, launching in time for National Barbecue Month, which kicks off today. The Smokehouse BBQ meals have no artificial ingredients and contain high-quality pork, beef and chicken. The five varieties include: • Pulled Pork BBQ—hand-pulled pork in a sweet and spicy sauce; • Pulled Beef Brisket—hand-pulled beef in […]
Posted in, National
Food Marketing Tactics To Be Explored At ‘Food Dialogues’ Event In Chicago
The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) says its next “Food Dialogues: Chicago. Integrity in Food Marketing” event will be held at the InterContinental Hotel from 9:30-11 a.m. (CT) June 10. As consumers ask more questions about how their food is grown and raised, food companies are increasingly telling the story behind their food from […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Al Fresco All Natural Launches New Freezer-To-Grill Products
Al Fresco All Natural is rolling out Gourmet Chicken Grillers, uncooked frozen chicken burgers. The new Grillers contain half the fat of a traditional beef patty and are the first offering from Al Fresco’s new line of freezer products, according to the Massachusetts-based company. Gourmet Chicken Grillers go directly from the freezer to the grill […]
Posted in, National
Mastronardi Produce Introduces Eco Flavor Bowl Packaging
Mastronardi Produce is rolling out its all-new packaging system: the Eco Flavor Bowl, a unique pack that uses top-seal technology to lock in fresh Sunset flavor. The bowl is made from recycled materials and is 100 percent recyclable. “A lot of research goes into our packaging designs,” said Giuseppe Rubino, director of packaging at Mastronardi […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Harris Teeter First Retailer In U.S. To Meet USDA Certified Very Tender Guidelines For Beef
Harris Teeter is the first retailer in the country to offer U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Very Tender beef. Harris Teeter is now labeling its Reserve Angus beef brand with the USDA Certified Very Tender label in its stores. The new certification guarantees consumers the highest quality tender eating experience, according to the Kroger-owned […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, National, Store News, Whole Foods
Grocery Among Industries With Highest Average Forgiveness Ratings
Based on a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers, H-E-B and USAA tied for the top spot in the 2014 Temkin Forgiveness Ratings, which rates 268 companies across 19 industries. In fact, grocery chains are among the industries with the highest average ratings. “Forgiveness is an asset that companies earn from their customers,” says Bruce Temkin, […]