Dollar Tree has completed the acquisition of Family Dollar Stores, a leading national discount retailer offering name brands and private brand merchandise. The new combined company creates a combined organization with sales exceeding $19 billion annually with more than 13,600 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces. The new company intends to retain and to […]
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
Vermont Soda Tax Takes Effect, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Beginning July 1, Vermont residents began paying more when they get the urge to snack, with the introduction of a new 6 percent sales tax on soft drinks and a 9 percent meals tax on vending machine items. The taxes are part of a $30 million package of tax increases […]
Posted in, Northeast
Ahold’s Fresh Formats Leader Resigns, And More…
Supermarket News In Briefs… Ahold USA’s Bhavdeep Singh, EVP of fresh formats, has resigned. Since 2011, Singh led the human resources, operations and fresh formats teams. Scott Miller, SVP of operations, will oversee the fresh formats team on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is announced… The Massachusetts Cheese Guild is partnering with The […]
Posted in, Northeast
N.Y. Mayor Plans New Recycling Rules For Large Scale Food Companies, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has proposed requiring large-scale commercial food establishments to separate organic waste. The city laid out a plan to send zero waste to landfills and reduce waste disposal by 90 percent relative to 2005 levels, by 2030. The proposal would impact all food service […]
Posted in, Northeast
Pennsylvania Moves Closer To Privatized Liquor Sales
For the first time in its history, the Pennsylvania General Assembly has approved legislation to privatize the state liquor system. While the Pennsylvania House has twice passed a similar bill, this is the first time the Senate also has approved it, by a 27-22 vote. Under the bill, state liquor stores would be phased out […]
Posted in, Northeast
Whole Foods Admits To NYC Weighing Errors
Whole Foods has acknowledged that the company made inadvertent weighing and measuring errors at its New York City stores. The company has detailed a plan to correct the errors. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) for weights and measures recently audited the stores. According to Whole Foods, “any errors were unintentional and […]
Posted in, Northeast
Bay State Proposes 210 Percent Tax On Flavored Tobacco, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… The Massachusetts Senate is looking to increase the tax on flavored cigars, flavored smoking tobacco and flavored “blunt wraps” from 40 to 210 percent in an attempt to reduce use of the products by young adults. Unflavored and tobacco-flavored cigars would remain taxed at 40 percent. If the tax hike becomes […]
Posted in, Northeast
Peapod Rolls Out Farm-Fresh Produce Program
Peapod has launched a new Peapod Local Farm Box for its customers. Throughout the summer, Peapod customers in New York City, New Jersey, eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin will have the option of adding a box of produce from local farms to their virtual grocery cart. At […]
Posted in, Northeast
C-Stores Grow Sales, Add More Fresh Foods In First Half Of 2015
Expanded fresh food offerings and continued lower gas prices drove strong convenience store sales in the second quarter of 2015 and these factors, along with the warm weather, are expected to continue to grow sales in the upcoming quarter, according to the results of a retailer sentiment survey released by the National Association of Convenience […]
Posted in, Northeast
NRA To Continue To Push For Healthcare Law Changes
Although the Supreme Court has upheld the federal Affordable Care Act, the National Restaurant Association believes Congress must make common-sense changes to the law. Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision on King vs. Burwell: “While (this) decision by the Supreme Court is one […]
Posted in, Northeast
Federal Rule Could Make More Salaried Workers Eligible For Overtime Pay
President Obama is expected to formally announce a new rule from the Department of Labor (DOL), raising the salary threshold under which employees must be paid overtime rates for hours worked. Currently, that salary threshold is $455 per week, or $23,660 per year. The proposed DOL rule would dramatically increase that amount to a number […]
Posted in, Northeast
IGA Launches New Wellness Initiative, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief… IGA has rolled out IGA Better Choices, a new health and wellness program designed to provide IGA shoppers with information to make informed and balanced decisions about their health and wellness needs and IGA retailers with insights into topics. The Better Choices program, which includes informational components for both IGA shoppers […]
Posted in, Northeast
Cambridge Petroleum Corp. Readies Eight Sites For Bid, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Cambridge Petroleum Corp. (CPC) plans to sell the leasehold rights title and interest in seven gasoline service stations (along with commission contracts with the existing lessees) and the fuel supply on one location through a sealed bid sale to be coordinated by The Energy Exchange of Chicago. The sealed bid […]
Posted in, Northeast
Vermont Farm Is Big Winner At Summer Fancy Food Show, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Raspberry Rhubarb Goat Milk Caramels from Fat Toad Farm in Vermont is the winner of the sofi Award for outstanding new product of 2015. The confection is one of 33 winners in the annual competition that honors excellence across all specialty food categories, from appetizers to pastas to vinegar. The […]
Posted in, Northeast
Arbor Investments Purchases Massachusetts-Based Concord Foods
Concord Foods LLC of Brockton, Massachusetts, a supplier of retail food products and custom ingredients to nationally recognized supermarkets, food service operators and manufacturers, recently was purchased by Arbor Investments, a Chicago private equity firm. Concord’s four divisions—Concord Foods, Oringer, Red-E-Made and Tempo—serve retailers, food manufacturers and food service establishments across the country. Concord’s retail division […]
Posted in, Northeast
U.S. Senators File Bill To End Online Lotteries
Several U.S. senators have filed a bill that would end online lotteries. These senators include Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Dan Coats (R-Indiana) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina). The senators noted that, in December 2011, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published an opinion […]
Posted in, Northeast
Sysco Terminates Merger Agreement With US Foods
Sysco Corp. has terminated its merger agreement with US Foods, days after the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., granted the Federal Trade Commission’s request for a preliminary injunction to block the proposed Sysco-US Foods merger. This action also terminates an agreement with Performance Food Group (PFG) to purchase US Foods facilities in 11 markets. […]
Posted in, Northeast
N.Y. Consumer Affairs Probes Whole Foods For Alleged Overcharging Of Prepackaged Foods
The New York Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is investigating Whole Foods after allegedly finding that the company’s New York City stores overstated the weights of its pre-packaged products—including meats, dairy and baked goods—resulting in customer overcharges. DCA says it tested packages of 80 different types of pre-packaged products and found all of the products had packages […]
Posted in, Northeast
Cumberland Farms Scholarship Program Surpasses $1M Mark, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Cumberland Farms has awarded 130 high school seniors from nine states “Believe and Achieve Scholarships” to help them attend college this fall. Since the program began nine years ago, the company has provided more than $1 million in financial assistance to more than 1,000 people. This year, Cumberland Farms also […]
Posted in, Northeast
Brinker International Acquires 103 Franchised Chili’s Restaurants, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… Brinker International has acquired Pepper Dining Holding Corp., a franchisee of 103 Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurants primarily located in the Northeast and Southeast for $106.5 million. Overall, Brinker owns, operates or franchises 1,629 restaurants under Chili’s Grill & Bar (1,580 restaurants) and Maggiano’s Little Italy (49 restaurants)… Rhode Island […]