Convenience Store News In Brief… Teamsters Local 830 and the American Beverage Association jointly filed a suit against Philadelphia’s plan to implement a soda tax. The suit seeks to block the tax from going forward until a court can hear arguments about the proposed tax. At the June rally, the Teamsters were joined by members […]
Category: Northeast
The Shelby Report of the Northeast covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Posted in, Northeast
Three Groups Form Political Action Committee Fundraiser, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… The Massachusetts Restaurant Association, Rhode Island Hospitality Association and National Restaurant Association will host a joint political action committee fundraiser Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus, Massachusetts. The goal is to build up a grassroots coalition for the upcoming legislative session… The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival […]
Posted in, Northeast
NACS: ‘No-Choice’ Act Draws Bipartisan Opposition
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) is not pleased with the House Financial Services Committee vote to report House Resolution 5983, the Financial Choice Act. Lyle Beckwith, NACS SVP of government relations, said, “NACS is deeply disappointed at the House Financial Services Committee’s vote to report the controversial and misnamed ‘Financial Choice Act’—which includes repeal […]
Posted in, Northeast
Drug Stores Expect To Divest More Than 500 Stores To Complete Merger
Walgreens Boots Alliance, parent company of Walgreens, says it remains actively engaged with the Federal Trade Commission regarding its review of the pending acquisition of Rite Aid. Walgreens Boots Alliance now expects that the most likely outcome will be that both companies will be required to divest more than 500 stores but fewer than 1,000. In […]
Posted in, Northeast
Big Y’s Final Hannaford Store Conversions Nearly Complete, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… The second group of four Hannaford stores being converted to Big Y will open Friday, Sept. 16. The stores are in Quincy, Norwell, Saugus and West Peabody, Massachusetts. Store teams are making minor renovations, cleaning, painting, rebranding and upgrading equipment. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, deli, prepared […]
Posted in, Northeast
Aramark Reveals Site Of New HQ In Philadelphia, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Aramark is planning a new site for its world headquarters in Philadelphia. The company plans to relocate to 2400 Market Street in fall 2018. Situated along the Schuylkill River, the existing structure, originally built as a Hudson Motor Car Co. plant in the 1920s, will be transformed into a modern, 600,000-s.f. […]
Posted in, Northeast
Heineken USA Establishes Five Points Trading Co., And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Heineken USA is creating Five Points Trading Co., a new venture aimed at incubating a range of global beers in the U.S. Under this new umbrella, Five Points Trading Co. will assume U.S. importer of record responsibility for Red Stripe, Tiger, Birra Moretti, Affligem, Murphy’s Stout, Prestige, Sagres and Mort […]
Posted in, Northeast
Food Manufacturers Must Renew FDA Registrations By Dec. 31, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Under the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act, food facilities that manufacture, process, pack or store food for distribution in the U.S. are required to renew their FDA registrations between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. Food facilities now are required to renew every even-numbered year. FDA’s registration renewal requirement applies to […]
Posted in, Northeast
Giant Launches Free Fruit For Kids Program
Giant Food of Landover, Maryland, is launching its Free Fruit for Kids program for all children age 10 and under in all 169 of its stores. Parents and caregivers have to go no farther than the produce department to find a healthy snack option for kids while they are shopping. The free fruit is offered […]
Posted in, Northeast
NACS Joins Others In Urging Congress To Protect Debit Card Reforms
A coalition of more than 400 large and small retailers, as well as the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and National Restaurant Association, have urged Congress to uphold debit card reforms. Debit swipe fee reform, also known as the Durbin Amendment, was signed into law in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. Debit reform […]
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NRA Exec Says Future Is Promising For Foodservice Industry
Hudson Riehle, SVP of research and knowledge for the National Restaurant Association, and Rachel Roginsky, principal of the Pinnacle Advisory Group, both painted a good economic picture nationally and in New England for the foodservice and lodging industries when they spoke at the Economic Outlook Breakfast, hosted by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association in Providence […]
Posted in, Northeast
Study Reveals More Americans Embracing Organic And Non-GMO Foods
More grocery shoppers are seeking out and trying “better-for-you” foods, especially dairy- and meat-free alternatives, according to a new national health food study by Earth Balance. Two thousand consumers were polled for the study, which looked at which new foods they’re trying, their top motivators and trends in healthy eating. When asked which factors are most […]
Posted in, Northeast
Tops Reformulates Nearly 1,200 Private Label Products, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… Tops Friendly Market has revamped its private label Tops line with many reformulations containing simpler ingredients and more attractive packaging. The brands include food items, household items, paper products and cleaning supplies. In other news, Tops has moved its freezer warehouse to a 200,000-s.f. facility in West Seneca, New York. The […]
Posted in, Northeast
Jimmy John’s Sells Majority Stake To Roark Capital, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Jimmy John’s Sandwiches says that an affiliate of Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm that focuses on franchise and consumer brands, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in the company. Jimmy John’s has more than 2,500 locations and $2 billion in system-wide sales. Founded in […]
Posted in, Northeast
Report: One In Five Seafood Samples Mislabeled Worldwide, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Oceana has released a report detailing the global scale of seafood fraud, finding that on average one in five of more than 25,000 samples of seafood tested worldwide was mislabeled. In the report, Oceana reviewed more than 200 published studies from 55 countries, on every continent except for Antarctica. The […]
Posted in, Northeast
Snyder’s-Lance Buys Remaining Interest In Metcalfe’s Skinny Ltd., And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Snyder’s-Lance’s Kettle Foods subsidiary has completed the acquisition of Metcalfe’s skinny Ltd., maker of a premium popcorn brand sold in the U.K. Kettle Foods initially acquired a 26 percent stake in the business from Metcalfe in January. Metcalfe was founded in 2009 by Julian Metcalfe, the co-founder of Pret A […]
Posted in, Northeast
US Foods Launches Sustainable Product Line, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… US Foods has introduced 21 new items under the “Serve Good” moniker that are responsibly sourced or contribute to waste reduction. The line features a range of products, including cage-free eggs, organic bread, non-GMO oils and sustainable seafood. “The demand for sustainable options when dining out continues to grow,” said […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Issues Ruling On Effectiveness Of Antibacterial Soaps
The FDA has issued a report establishing that over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products containing certain active ingredients can no longer be marketed. Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain […]
Posted in, Northeast
NJFC Supports Governor’s Veto Of 79 Percent Minimum Wage Increase
Linda Doherty, president of the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC), praised the decision of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to veto legislation that would dramatically increase the minimum wage in the state to $15 per hour. “We support the action by Gov. Christie in vetoing a 79 percent increase in the minimum wage that would […]
Posted in, Northeast
McLane Picks Up Two Major Distribution Accounts
Circle K’s new parent company, Alimentation Couche-Tard, has awarded distributor McLane Co. Inc. its supply-chain-services business in the eastern and midwestern U.S. McLane will begin serving 1,161 Circle K locations starting in January 2017 and an additional 982 locations in January 2018, totaling 2,143 stores. In addition, Circle K has extended a multi-year agreement with McLane Co., […]