Competition, the cost of providing healthcare insurance and the economy are the three major worries among independent food retailers, according to the 2012 Independent Grocers Financial Survey, released last month by FMS and the National Grocers Association (NGA). On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is highest, competition averaged 7.9 with supercenters and conventional supermarkets […]
Category: National
Posted in, National
Walmart Debuts Monthly Food Subscription Service
Walmart has launched Goodies Co., a monthly food subscription service for consumers to savor foods and discover new items. For $7 a month, including tax and shipping, subscribers receive a gift box at their doorstep filled with five to eight hand-picked taster samples ranging from healthy and organic to artisan and ethnic. The new Goodies […]
Posted in, National, New Products
First Culinary Tablet Made For The Kitchen Launches In The U.S.
French digital company Unowhy has announced the U.S. launch of “La tablette QOOQ,” the first interactive touch-screen tablet made especially for the kitchen. Already a sensation in France, the QOOQ culinary tablet transforms the process of at-home cooking through highly interactive content from leading chefs, helping to simplify meal preparation for culinary experts and novices […]
Posted in, National
Poultry Industry Continues To Improve Worker Safety Record
The incidence of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the poultry sector, which includes slaughter and processing, continues to decline, according to the 2011 Injury and Illness Report recently released by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The total recordable poultry processing illness and injury rate for 2011 was 5.8 cases per […]
Posted in, National
Wegman, Smucker To Receive 2013 GMA Achievement Awards
Daniel Wegman, CEO of Wegmans Food Markets, and Timothy Smucker, chairman of the board of The J.M. Smucker Co., have each been selected to receive 2013 Grocery Manufacturers Association Hall of Achievement Awards at the GMA Chairman’s Lecture on Jan. 19 in Arizona. The Hall of Achievement Award represents the highest honor given by the […]
Posted in, National, Northeast
Smithfield, UFCW Donate 1M-Plus Servings Of Protein To Sandy Relief
Smithfield, in partnership with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, will be donating a total of more than one million servings of protein to food banks in the Northeast tri-state area affected by Hurricane Sandy. As part of the Smithfield and UFCW Feeding the Hungry initiative, seven Smithfield trucks, each carrying more than […]
Posted in, National, Store News
Whole Foods Posts Best Earnings In Company’s History
Whole Foods Market reported last week a fourth quarter profit of $112.7 million and revenue of $2.9 billion compared with a $75.4 million profit and revenue of $2.3 billion during the same quarter last year. The Austin Business Journal reports that the Austin, Texas-based natural grocer also posted a $465.5 million profit on revenue of […]
Posted in, National, Perishables
Blue Bell Introduces Gingerbread House Ice Cream
Blue Bell is introducing Gingerbread House Ice Cream, a creamy cinnamon ice cream with flavorful gingerbread pieces, festive red and green sprinkles and miniature marshmallows—all surrounded by a vanilla icing swirl. “Building a gingerbread house and placing it as a holiday centerpiece is a yearly activity for many,” said Carl Breed, Blue Bell director of […]