According to a new survey from the National Confectioners Association (NCA), 95 percent of Americans plan to celebrate the winter holidays with chocolate and candy, reflecting the category’s continued strength as a holiday staple. The “big four” seasonal moments – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and the winter holidays – remain key for the $54 billion […]
Category: National
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
Dynamics Of Grocery Leadership Rooted In Fast-Paced, People-Driven Environment
by Paulo Goelzer For over three decades, I have lived and breathed the dynamic world of grocery retail – an industry where leadership is forged not in corner offices, but in backrooms, front ends and produce aisles. In those 30 years, I have had the opportunity to work with store management that navigated chaos on […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, National
Mars, Hershey Roll Out Seasonal Candy Lineups With New Innovations, Returning Favorites
Mars and Hershey release 2025 holiday candy lineups featuring new seasonal items including M&M’S Winter Blend, TWIX Snowmen and Hershey’s Kisses Snickerdoodle Cookie.
Posted inGuest Contributors, National, News
Honoring Uncle’s Legacy Of Leadership, Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude, reflection and intentional recognition of the people who have shaped our lives. As families gather around tables filled with food and laughter, we pause to remember not just for what – but whom – we are thankful. This year, my heart turns to one man whose life embodies leadership, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Guest Contributors, National, News
There IS A Future For Independent Grocery
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part series of articles intended to provide a view of the path to a brighter future for independent grocery as a whole and to independent grocers. Independent grocery is not in decline – it is in transition. The future will not belong solely to the largest players […]
Posted inPackaging News, Beverage News, National, News
Vitaminwater Debuts Packaging Redesign, New Flavors
Vitaminwater has debuted a revitalized packaging design and introduced two new flavors to help the brand stand out in the increasingly crowded enhanced water category. The updated packaging, which started rolling out in March, features a cleaner, bolder label design with flavor-forward colors, an enlarged and stacked logo with modernized typography, and flavor descriptions channeling […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, National, News, Private Label Brands, Stop & Shop
Survey: 55% Of Americans Prefer Canned Cranberry Sauce
Stop & Shop released survey results revealing that 55 percent of Americans prefer canned cranberry sauce with ridges at Thanksgiving, compared to 31 percent who favor homemade versions. The Quincy, Massachusetts-based retailer surveyed adults ages 18 and older across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey to gauge cranberry sauce preferences. The survey […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, KeHE Distributors, National, News
KeHE Identifies Five Macro Trends Shaping 2026 Food, Beverage Market
KeHE Distributors released its 2026 macro trends forecast, highlighting five emerging market dynamics that reflect evolving consumer values and purchasing priorities across the natural and organic, specialty and fresh products sectors. The Naperville, Illinois-based distributor identified authenticity, protein innovation, global flavors, personalized wellness and data-driven shopping as the dominant forces reshaping how consumers will make […]