Whole Foods Market says its Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP) has reached the initial goal of funding $10 million in low-interest loans to local and independent food businesses, and has now committed up to $25 million in funding. The LPLP has provided 184 loans to 155 companies since its inception in 2007. In providing easier […]
Category: National
Posted in, Marketing News, National
Michigan Family Wins Eckrich’s Ultimate Tailgate Contest
Eckrich, a part of the John Morrell Food Group, a division of Smithfield Foods, has announced the winner of its Ultimate Tailgate sweepstakes that includes a chance to meet college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, participate in a VIP tailgate experience and attend the college title game in Pasadena, Calif. William McGrath of Charlotte, Mich., is […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, Suppliers
Reily Foods Buys New England Tea & Coffee Co.
Reily Foods Co. has acquired New England Tea & Coffee Co., one of the country’s largest independent coffee roasters. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This transaction is not expected to change the day-to-day operations of Malden, Mass.-based New England Tea & Coffee, which will operate as New England Tea & Coffee Co. LLC, […]
Posted in, National, Store News
Target’s Investigation Into Breach Continues, Encrypted PIN Data Confirmed Stolen
Target says it continues its investigation into a data breach that compromised approximately 40 million customers’ debit and credit card information. “While we are still in the early stages of this criminal and forensic investigation, we continue to be committed to sharing the facts as they are confirmed,” Target says in a statement posted on […]
Posted in, National
Stores Should Optimize Health Offering To Overcome External, Internal Challenges
Consumer confidence is up in our economy, but it’s still somewhat tenuous. The housing market is doing well and prices are rising, but there’s still some volatility. Unemployment is falling in the labor markets and it’s driving down income. If we continue to see income fall as it has been, businesses will struggle more because […]
Posted in, National, The Independent Perspective
A Congressional Year In Review And A Look To Future Action
Similar to 2012, this past year’s themes encompassed those of partisan gridlock and legislative uncertainty, making it another challenging year for our industry. While the so-called “fiscal cliff” was averted in the very early hours of 2013, Americans experienced a partial government shutdown for the first time in more than a decade. Many issues, including […]
Posted in, National, New Products
Quaker Oats Launching New Breakfast Products For 2014
The Quaker Oats Co., a subsidiary of PepsiCo Inc., says it is introducing a range of innovative products for the New Year. Three new oat-based innovations include Quaker Warm & Crunchy Granola, Quaker Instant Oatmeal Cups and Quaker Real Medleys Cereal. • Quaker Warm & Crunchy Granola, a first-of-its-kind hot cereal that delivers both Quaker […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Chicken Council Responds To Report About Poultry Bacteria
The National Chicken Council is responding to a Consumer Reports article, “The High Cost of Cheap Chicken,” released last week and featured in the February 2014 issue of the magazine and online at consumerreports.org. Americans eat about 160 million servings of chicken each day, and 99.99 percent of those servings are consumed safely, according to […]