In the wake of the Greek yogurt craze, yogurt remains a superfood with a significant upside, according to a recently released report from Packaged Facts, “The Yogurt Market and Yogurt Innovation: Greek Yogurt and Beyond.” Packaged Facts forecasts that U.S. retail sales of yogurt will approach $9.3 billion by 2017, up from $7.3 billion in […]
Category: National
Posted in, National, Store News
Aldi Introduces Exclusive Premium Product Line
Aldi is launching a premium brand called ”Specially Selected.” Identified by its packaging, the brand features a range of specialty products available periodically throughout the year—from German coffees and gourmet pastas to premium meats and cheeses. Aldi first launched the Specially Selected line in Europe. In the U.S., Aldi is introducing many of the Specially […]
Posted in, Albertsons, National, Organic Natural
Kay’s Naturals ‘Mini Meals’ Available At Harris Teeter, Stop & Shop
Kay’s Naturals, producer of gluten-free, diabetes-friendly, high-protein and fiber foods, has added Harris Teeter and Stop & Shop stores to its list of food, drug and mass retailers—joining Walgreens, H-E-B, Kerr Drug and Albertsons. Clara City, Minn.-based Kay’s Naturals produces a line of gluten-free snacks and cereals so nutrition dense that Kay’s calls them “Mini […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Doritos Locos Tacos Tortilla Chips Hit The Snack Aisle
The Doritos brand is launching the next phase of its successful collaboration with Taco Bell by introducing Doritos Locos Tacos (DLT) Tortilla Chips. Doritos, one of the flagship brands from PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, will bring the crunch and flavors of Taco Bell’s DLT to the chip aisle for a limited time with two varieties—one that […]
Posted in, National
Safeway Board Says CEO Burd Is Underpaid At $11.4M
Retiring Safeway CEO Steven Burd is not paid as well as his peers in the retail industry, even though he took home $11.4 million in 2012 and $11.5 million in 2011, according to the Pleasanton, Calif.-based company’s executive compensation committee. The San Francisco Business Times reports that Safeway’s audit committee—the members of the board of […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National
KCBS, Under New Ownership, Becomes BeaconUnited Cincinnati
Former KCBS CEO and owner Sarsgard has left the company Co-Sales Co. of Arizona and Carlin O’Brien of Illinois, along with John Rutherford and John Schipper of Cincinnati, have completed the acquisition of KCBS, a Cincinnati-based sales and marketing agency. “We are pleased to announce new ownership for KCBS, which will now be called BeaconUnited […]
Posted in, National, Organic Natural
Eight In 10 U.S. Parents Report They Purchase Organic Products
U.S. families are increasingly embracing organic products in a wide range of categories, with 81 percent now reporting they purchase organic at least sometimes. This finding is one of many contained in the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) newly released 2013 U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes and Beliefs Study, conducted Jan. 18-24. “More and more parents choose organic […]
Posted in, Ellerbee Buzz, National
Walmart Got Above Its Raising
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor Walmart is always making headlines. Always. Recent ones have focused on its struggle to keep fresh items in stock. I would argue that the problem stretches into center store, too. General merchandise aisles seem to be fine, since there’s no shortage of boxers, Barbie dolls or bullets—well, maybe bullets. What is […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Blue Bell Brings Contest Winner Caramel Turtle Cheesecake To Freezer
Blue Bell fans overwhelmingly voted to bring back Caramel Turtle Cheesecake Ice Cream in last year’s Crankin’ Back the Clock Flavor Contest, and it will arrive in stores this month. Caramel Turtle Cheesecake is a cheesecake ice cream filled with chocolate-coated caramel turtles, roasted pecans and cheesecake pieces with a chocolate cookie crust all surrounded […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
Survey: Coupon Use Still Prevalent Among American Consumers
A recent survey conducted by Linkable Networks, a leader in card-linked technology reaching more than 200 million U.S. consumers each month, reveals that 95 percent of Americans use coupons when shopping and 73 percent admit to using coupons at least a couple times a month. The research was conducted to reveal trends in consumer shopping […]
Posted in, C-Store News, National
Yoolotto Debuts Application In Texas In Partnership With 7-Eleven
Version one of YooLotto’s free lottery-management application is now available for download for both iOS and Android devices. YooLotto is the first and only application that stores and tracks individual lottery ticket information, notifying players of their personal lottery results within minutes of the drawings. Created by co-founders Eric Yoo and Elmer Cha, YooLotto makes […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Magnum Partners With Designer Zac Posen For U.S. Launch Of ‘Gold?!’
Magnum Ice Cream has introduced its “Magnum Gold?!” golden ice cream bar in the U.S. Magnum Gold?! features vanilla bean ice cream swirled with sea salt caramel and dipped in a golden coating made with Belgian milk chocolate. In celebration of the launch, American fashion designer Zac Posen created a one-of-a-kind, 24-karat gold dress inspired […]
Posted in, National, The Independent Perspective
Retailer Need Drives NGA’s Leaps In Technology
More than 2,700 retailers, wholesalers and suppliers recently joined us for the 2013 NGA Show in Las Vegas. As I said in my February column, our goal was to offer new and innovative resources to the industry, particularly in the area of technology. The show opened with a conversation I had with Joe Sheridan, president […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Thought For Food & Son Designs New Retail Packaging For Cape Cod Select
Thought For Food & Son, a communications boutique that specializes in the food industry, has completed a new packaging design project for Cape Cod Select located in Carver, Mass. Cape Cod Select is the retail brand of the company’s family-owned and -operated cranberry farm Edgewood Bogs. Thought For Food & Son was retained a second […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
Goldfish Brand Introduces New ‘Goldfish My Way’ E-Commerce Site
Providing a custom way to snack in an increasingly digital world, the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish brand is launching www.GoldfishMyWay.com. This e-commerce site allows consumers of the snack crackers to create a customized snacking experience. To coincide with the Goldfish brand’s 50 birthday, the new Goldfish My Way e-commerce site allows users to celebrate their own […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, Southwest
Budweiser Clydesdale Farm Opens Today For 2013 Season
Today marks “opening day” of the Budweiser Clydesdales’ Warm Springs Ranch in mid-Missouri. The farm, where more than 35 baby Clydesdales are expected to be born this year, is open for public tours. Jeff Knapper, GM for Clydesdale operations for Anheuser-Busch, said that, through March 27, 17 baby Clydesdales had been born at Anheuser-Busch’s state-of-the-art […]
Posted in, Center Store, National
Pinnacle Foods Celebrates First Day On NYSE
Parsippany, N.J.-based Pinnacle Foods Inc., manufacturer and distributor of major food brands such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Vlasic and Mrs. Butterworth’s, opened for trading on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol “PF” after its initial public offering (IPO). “We’re excited to welcome Pinnacle Foods and its family of […]
Posted in, Midwest, National
Straniero: WMU Food Marketing Conference Specializes In Opportunities For Students
The 2013 Food Marketing Conference, hosted by Western Michigan University (WMU), took place March 25-26 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo, Mich. The conference included executives from companies like Kroger, Meijer and Sam’s Club. In an interview, Phil Straniero, executive in residence in food and CPG marketing at Western Michigan University, said this year’s […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Dale Jr. Foods Formed By NASCAR Racer, KLN
KLN Family Brands has teamed up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to form Dale Jr. Foods. The partnership that was formed in January has launched four flavors of potato chips in three sizes. The flavors are Crispy Original, Zesty Jalapeno, Creole & Green Onion and Carolina Barbeque. “At KLN Family Brands, we always put family and […]
Posted in, National
Forecast: Top 10 Industry Trends
Trends compiled from an annual consumer panel conducted by Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert have been released. The top 10 industry trends were presented by National Grocers Association (NGA) President and CEO Peter Larkin, filling in for Lempert, during the 48th Annual Food Marketing Conference earlier this week in Kalamazoo, Mich. “I think (if Phil were […]