According to the National Confectioners Association (NCA), confectionery is growing faster than 184 other categories. Over the 52 weeks through Nov. 1, 2015, confectionery kept in lockstep with the total store growth of 3.2 percent, with dollar sales growth of 3 percent for combined chocolate and non-chocolate. Some of the sales trends that drove the market […]
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
NYACS: Proposed Minimum Wage Is ‘Small Business Torpedo’
The $15-an-hour statewide minimum wage pushed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo would backfire in the form of fewer jobs, reduced hours and benefits for remaining workers, higher prices for consumers, and severe financial stress for family-run convenience stores. That was the New York Association of Convenience Stores’ (NYACS) message to the New York State Senate […]
Posted in, Northeast
Campbell Soup Pushes For National And Mandatory GMO Labeling Standard
Campbell Soup Co. is supporting the enactment of federal legislation to establish a single, mandatory labeling standard for foods derived from genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Campbell says it believes it is necessary for the federal government to provide a national standard for labeling requirements to better inform consumers about this issue. The company will advocate […]
Posted in, Northeast
New Foodtown Opens In Queens, N.Y., And More…
Supermarket News In Brief… Allegiance Retail Services’ newest member, Fahmi Shehadeh, recently hosted a grand opening for the Foodtown of Howard Beach in Queens, New York. The store offers above and underground parking for shoppers, a high-quality butcher shop, a store-prepared sushi department, a vast daily selection of hot and cold prepared foods, plus a […]
Posted in, Northeast
Sheetz To Invest More Than $15M To Increase Employee Wages, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Sheetz will invest more than $15 million to raise the wages of store employees across the company without cutting back on hours for full-time employees, the company says. “While other businesses in the industry might have to cut back on employee hours or new hires as a result of wage […]
Posted in, Northeast
Panera Bread To Offer ‘Clean Soup Menu,’ And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Panera Bread’s entire U.S. bakery-cafe soup menu no longer contains artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. Common commercial soup ingredients—such as hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, maltodextrin and sodium phosphate—no longer appear in any of the company’s bakery-cafe soups. Panera says its chefs also took the opportunity to focus on improving […]
Posted in, Northeast
Wegmans Begins Installing Hearing Loops To Aid Customers, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Wegmans Food Markets has begun to install induction hearing loop stations in its stores at pharmacy counters, customer service desks and designated checkout lanes. Sixteen Wegmans stores currently have these hearing assistance systems—at least one store in each of the six states where Wegmans operates. More will be added in […]
Posted in, Northeast
Burtons Grill & Bar To Open Seven New Locations
Burtons Grill & Bar, a Massachusetts-based company dating back to 2005, has now grown into a hospitality destination with 10 full-service restaurant locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Virginia. Burtons currently has aggressive growth plans, with seven more locations set to open in the next two years, including in three additional states. Burtons […]
Posted in, Northeast, Snacks Brands
General Mills Acquires Epic Meat Snacks Company
General Mills has acquired Epic Provisions, a premium natural meat snacks company based in Austin, Texas. It will operate under General Mills’ Annie’s business, which itself has experienced strong sales growth since General Mills acquired the company more than a year ago, according to General Mills. “The acquisition of Epic positions General Mills for exciting […]
Posted in, Northeast
Roche Bros. To Close Sudbury Farms Store Jan. 16, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief… As previously announced, Roche Bros.’ will close Sudbury Farms store at 300 North Main Street in Randolph, Massachusetts, by no later than Jan. 16. Beginning Jan. 8, all existing store inventory is 20 percent off with the exclusion of lottery tickets and cigarettes. Randolph store associates have been offered positions in […]
Posted in, Northeast
CST Brands Plans Real Estate Venture To Aid Expansion, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… CST Brands of San Antonio, Texas, owner of Nice N Easy convenience stores in New York and one of the largest independent retailers of motor fuels and convenience merchandise in North America, says its board of directors has authorized management to pursue a potential real estate venture. Through sale/leaseback leverage, […]
Posted in, Northeast
Government Probes Chipotle Norovirus Case At California Location, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… The federal government has launched an investigation into an outbreak of foodborne illness linked to one Chipotle Mexican Grill in Simi Valley, California, in which 80 customers and 18 workers fell ill. The FDA and Department of Justice have launched a joint investigation into the outbreak at the location… Cosi Inc. […]
Posted in, Northeast
New Dietary Guidelines Stress Less Sugar And Salt In Diet, And More…
News Channels News In Brief… The USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2015-2020 nutritional guidelines, which recommended that no more than 10 percent of a person’s daily calories should be attributable to added sugar and that adults consume no more than 2,300mg of sodium daily… United Natural Foods […]
Posted in, Northeast
Giant Food Stores To Acquire Nell’s Shurfine In Carlisle From C&S
Giant Food Stores has entered into an agreement with C&S Wholesale Grocers to acquire the Nell’s Shurfine Market at 951 Walnut Bottom Road in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The acquisition, expected to be completed by the beginning of March, will mark the second Giant location in Carlisle. The 51,800-s.f. store plans to close temporarily Feb. 28 for […]
Posted in, Northeast
Robust Sales Forecasted For First Quarter Of 2016
Convenience store retailers expect the robust sales in 2015 to continue into the first quarter of 2016, according to the results of a survey released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Retailers said that overall sales in 2015 were strong, with more than three in four (78 percent) reporting an increase in foodservice […]
Posted in, Northeast
Wegmans Removes HBW Products That Contain Microbeads From Stores
Tiny plastic microbeads are causing big environmental concerns in waterways, prompting Wegmans Food Markets to remove all personal care products containing this ingredient from store shelves by mid-February. Microbeads are found in some face washes, body scrubs and toothpaste formulas. These synthetic plastic particles, smaller than pin heads, pass through drains, slipping through wastewater treatment […]
Posted in, Northeast
Mars Chocolate, Wrigley Partner On Super Bowl Store Promotions, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Wrigley and Mars have rolled out their first-ever joint, in-store promotion for the Super Bowl. The program includes in-store displays and consumer promotions designed to help retailers drive sales around the Super Bowl, the year’s biggest snacking occasion behind Thanksgiving… Greg Levitan has joined the National Association Of Convenience Stores […]
Posted in, Northeast
Fast Food Chains Compete In Value Meals, And More…
Foodservice News In Brief… Burger King and Pizza Hut are the latest fast food chains to unveil meal deals. Burger King has unveiled a new, five-item meal for $4. The fast-food chain is competing to catch up with McDonald’s McPick 2 and Wendy’s 4 for $4 deals. Burger King’s promotion provides small fries, a small drink, […]
Posted in, Northeast
Washington, D.C., Foam Ban Takes Effect, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… On Jan. 1, the nation’s capital no longer allowed restaurants and other foodservice establishments to package food or beverages in polystyrene containers. The city council approved of the styrofoam ban in 2014 in a package of environmental proposals aimed at helping the Anacostia River recover its health. Nearby Montgomery County, […]
Posted in, Northeast
Big Y Completes Two Market Renovations
Big Y Foods of Springfield, Massachusetts, recently completed two supermarket renovations in East Longmeadow and Worcester, Massachusetts. In East Longmeadow, the $2.3 million project began in August and included major renovations in all areas of the 59,473-s.f. store. This store originally opened in 1968 and was last updated in 2001. The $2 million Worcester project […]