Grocery News In Brief… Five branches of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with Stop & Shop New England on April 9. The previous contract expired in late February. If approved, the agreement covers Stop & Shop stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The tentative […]
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
Violette Named President Of AG New England
The board of directors of Associated Grocers of New England has named Mike Violette its new president. Violette has been acting COO and will continue in that role, reporting to Michael Bourgoine. Bourgoine will continue his duties as CEO until his retirement in early July. Violette has more than 30 years of experience in the food […]
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Chipotle, Panera Bread Lead Fast-Casual Growth
Fast-casual restaurant chains continue to be on a winning streak, growing both in units and customer visits, according to The NPD Group, a national research and information company. The number of fast-casual chain restaurants rose by 5 percent to 19,043 total units, based on NPD’s fall 2015 restaurant census, which includes restaurants open as of […]
Posted in, Northeast
Bay Valley Foods To Close Ayer, Massachusetts, Facility, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… Bay Valley Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TreeHouse Foods, intends to close its Ayer, Massachusetts, facility. Production is expected to cease in the first quarter of 2017 with full closure of the facility expected in the third quarter of 2017. The Ayer facility has approximately 100 employees and primarily produces regionally […]
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Subway To Include Calories On All U.S. Menu Boards, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Subway says it will include calorie listings on menu boards across all U.S. restaurant locations in April, more than a year before the FDA enforces national menu-calorie labeling requirements. The new menu panels will be on display in all U.S. sandwich shops beginning April 11… The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has […]
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Manchester Food Co-op To Open Inside AG New England Store
Manchester Food Cooperative (MFC), a member-owned local food cooperative, plans to open its food cooperative at the Harvest Market store in Bedford, currently owned by Associated Grocers of New England, also a cooperative. MFC, founded in 2010, currently has 1,067 member owners and has been working for the past three years to secure and operate […]
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New York Governor Signs $15 Minimum Wage Bill, 12-Week Paid Family Leave Plan
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on April 4 enacting a statewide $15 minimum wage plan and a 12-week paid family leave policy. The state budget includes a historic increase in the minimum wage, ultimately reaching $15 an hour for all workers in all industries across the state. For workers in New York City […]
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Not Your Average Joe’s Creates New Mobile Guest Experience
Not Your Average Joe’s (NYAJ), an East Coast casual dining restaurant chain featuring chef-prepared, made-from-scratch food with local ingredients, has partnered with MyCheck, a mobile payment technology platform, to develop its first branded mobile payment app to further elevate customer convenience and engagement. “Not Your Average Joe’s has created a special dining experience —casual, but with […]
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Hannaford Bag Sales To Generate Support For Local Organizations, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… A Hannaford Supermarkets program designed to help the environment and local people in need has surpassed two significant milestones. Hannaford has reported more than 500,000 meals provided to fight hunger and $100,000 raised to support local community groups. In recognition of these accomplishments, Hannaford will donate $2 to a local charity […]
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Boston C-Store Retailers Protest Flavored Tobacco Ban, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Members of the Boston Convenience Store Owners Association (BCSOA) recently rallied outside Boston City Hall to protest a citywide ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. The protest followed a Boston Public Health Commission vote to raise the minimum age for buying tobacco to 21 years old and restricting sweet […]
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Report: Cigarette Sales Decline, Smokeless Tobacco Sales On The Rise
The number of cigarettes sold by the largest cigarette companies in the U.S. to wholesalers and retailers across the nation declined from 267.7 billion in 2012 to 256.7 billion in 2013, according to the latest Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report. The amount spent on cigarette advertising and promotion decreased from $9.17 billion in 2012 to $8.95 […]
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Price Chopper/Market 32 Stores Recognized For Energy Management Practices
The Golub Corp., parent company of Price Chopper Supermarkets, Market Bistro and Market 32, has been recognized by several different organizations for its efforts to build and maintain energy efficient and environmentally friendly stores. Two recently constructed Price Chopper stores were certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Delays Menu Labeling Again, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… According to the National Association of Convenience Stores, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has pushed enforcement of its menu-labeling regulations until 2017. As part of the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, the rules mandate that restaurants and retailers selling prepared foods in 20 or more U.S. locations place […]
Posted in, Northeast
Five Restaurants To Raise Funds For No Kid Hungry Drive, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… On April 11, five Massachusetts restaurants will participate in Massachusetts Restaurant Day for No Kid Hungry. Tremont 647 of Boston, One Eleven Chop House of Worcester, The Quarterdeck Restaurant of Falmouth, East Bay Grille of Plymouth and Cobblestones of Lowell have agreed to prepare a multi-course meal for patrons with all […]
Posted in, Northeast
California Expected To Raise Minimum Wage To $15, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… California is on its way to becoming the first state to boost its minimum wage rate to $15 per hour. Gov. Jerry Brown, labor unions and state lawmakers this week reached a deal to incrementally raise California’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022. The current rate is $10 […]
Posted in, Northeast
C&S To Acquire Hawaii-Based Foodservice Company
In one of its first foodservice purchases, C&S Wholesale Grocers, through its subsidiary Hawaiian Housewares Ltd., has signed an agreement to acquire the operations of Edsung Foodservice Co. of Honolulu, Hawaii. The sale is expected to close in late April, at which point the Edsung business will be consolidated into the Hansen Distribution Group, a division of […]
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Wawa Expects To Add More Than 5K New Jobs In Three Months
Wawa plans to hire more than 5,000 new associates during the next three months to cover its more than 700 stores across its six-state operating area. Dave Filano, manager of talent acquisition at Wawa, said, “As we continue to expand and grow, we’re excited to fill these 5,000-plus positions with people who will quickly become […]
Posted in, Northeast
Keurig Green Mountain Names New CEO, And More…
Grocery News In Brief… Keurig Green Mountain of Waterbury, Vermont, has appointed Robert Gamgort CEO, effective May 2. Gamgort is now serving as CEO of Pinnacle Foods. He will replace Brian Kelley, who will continue to serve as vice chairman of the board. Keurig was acquired by JAB Holding Co. earlier this year. Gamgort joined […]
Posted in, Northeast
Coca-Cola To Shed U.S. In-House Distribution Ops, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… According to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), The Coca-Cola Co. has decided to sell its U.S. distribution operations within a year to focus on its concentrate-making business. Coke believes having smaller U.S. partners will help with distribution. “The marriage of national with local is the best of both […]
Posted in, Northeast
OSHA, Public Safety Crews Look Into Fatal Ammonia Leak At Stavis, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… The Boston fire and police departments as well as officials from OSHA are investigating the cause of an ammonia leak at a Stavis Seafoods processing plant that killed a worker on March 23. Ammonia fumes first pushed fire crews back. Stavis has pledged full cooperation with authorities in their investigation… […]