Buoyed in part by low fuel prices, the U.S. convenience store industry had record in-store sales of $214.9 billion in 2014, higher than overall industry sales in 1998, according to figures released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Overall industry sales for 2014 reached $697.5 billion. The industry’s 2014 numbers were announced April […]
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
Sorkin Recognized With NGA Association Leadership Award
Stan Sorkin, president of the Connecticut Food Association (CFA), has been presented the National Grocers Association (NGA) Association Leadership Award for his dedication and longstanding service to the independent supermarket industry. Sorkin’s career has spanned nearly 50 years, working in numerous senior level merchandising and management positions with Pathmark Stores before joining Alpha I Marketing, […]
Posted in, Northeast
OTA Reports Organic Sales Jump 11 Percent From Previous Year, And More…
New Channels News In Brief According to the Organic Trade Association, sales of organic food and non-food products in the U.S. broke through another record in 2014, totaling $39.1 billion, up 11.3 percent from the previous year… Ocean State Job Lot of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, will make a $1.44 million food donation this year […]
Posted in, Northeast
Quick-Service Workers Protest For $15 Per Hour Hourly Wage, And More…
Food Service News In Brief Quick-service workers protested outside many McDonald locations and other restaurants around the country April 15 as part of an effort by labor groups pushing for a $15 hourly wage. The protests were organized by Fight for $15, a group backed by the Service Employees International Union pushing for the $15 […]
Posted in, Northeast
NATO, Massachusetts Groups Unite To Stop Minors’ Access To Tobacco, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) and three retail groups in Massachusetts have launched the Coalition For Responsible Retailing to tackle the issue of youth access to tobacco. Joining NATO are the New England Convenience Store Association, New England Service Station & Auto Repair Association and the Retailers Association […]
Posted in, Northeast
Roche Bros. Sets Opening For Downtown Crossing’s First Market
Roche Bros. has set Wednesday, April 29, as opening day for its Boston flagship Downtown Crossing supermarket in the newly restored Burnham Building. Roche Bros. is the first large-scale grocery store to be built in Downtown Crossing. The store will offer fresh food, favorite national grocery brands, local artisan finds, New England flavors and a wide […]
Posted in, Northeast
Matt O’Hare Promoted To JOH SVP Of Corporate Development
Matt O’Hare has been promoted to SVP of corporate development at JOH in Billerica, Massachusetts. His new primary responsibilities include JOH corporate business development with an emphasis on building new business, mergers and acquisitions, and information systems and technology. “This well-deserved promotion reflects Matt’s increasing role at JOH,” said Chip O’Hare, JOH CEO and chairman. “In […]
Posted in, Northeast
StarChefs.com Announces Greater Boston Chefs Rising Stars
StarChefs.com, a restaurant industry trends magazine, announced its 2015 Boston Rising Stars Awards, honoring up-and-coming chefs and other culinary professionals in the Boston area. Over the course of six months, the StarChefs.com team visited more than 100 chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, sommeliers and artisans in Greater Boston. “The Boston dining and drinking scene is expanding beyond […]
Posted in, Northeast
Preferred Freezer Services To Open Eighth Facility In New Jersey
Preferred Freezer Services (PFS) is set to open its newest facility in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. PFS is an expanding company in the cold storage, warehousing and logistics industry; the Woodbridge Township facility is the company’s eighth cold storage facility in New Jersey and its 35th worldwide. The freezer at the new facility will occupy […]
Posted in, Northeast
Giant/Martin’s Sets Starting Wage At $9 Per Hour, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets is setting its starting associate wage at $9 per hour beginning June 15 as part of the company’s commitment to providing competitive wages. Giant/Martin’s also will increase the hourly wage for current associates to a minimum of $9 an hour in June. This change […]
Posted in, Northeast
Getty Realty To Sell 33 Properties In The Northeast, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief Getty Realty Corp. of Jericho, New York, is selling six operating and non-operating stations and 27 commercial properties in seven Northeast states—six in Connecticut, four in Maine, six in Massachusetts, two in New Hampshire, nine in New York, and three in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. NRC Realty is coordinating the […]
Posted in, Northeast
Boston Beer Summit Convenes April 17-18, And More…
Food Service News In Brief The best beers from 60 different breweries will be displayed at The Boston Beer Summit at the Park Plaza Caste on Columbus Avenue in Boston April 17-18. Sessions are April 17 from 6-9:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 18, from 12:30-4 p.m. and 5:30-9 p.m… On Wednesday evening, April 8, more […]
Posted in, Northeast
Target To Reposition Food With Dament Hire, And More…
New Channels News In Brief Target has appointed Anne Dament to SVP of merchandising, responsible for leading the repositioning of Target’s food business. She has worked at Pet Smart, ConAgra Foods, Otis Spunkmeyer, Safeway and Supervalu… The United Natural Foods Gourmet & Ethnic (G&E) Channel’s “Customer Experience” will be a new feature at this year’s […]
Posted in, Northeast
Walgreens To Close 200 Stores
Walgreens plans to close about 200 U.S. stores, part of the drugstore chain’s $1 billion cost-reduction plan announced last fall. The national chain made the announcement as part of a larger corporate reorganization plan, including streamlining its information technology and other in-house functions. The company expects that the changes will result in a cost savings […]
Posted in, Northeast
Friendly’s Lands Site At Boston’s Logan Airport
Friendly’s Ice Cream, the operator of Friendly’s restaurants and a manufacturer of ice cream products distributed in more than 8,000 retail outlets, has opened a new restaurant located across from Gate 19 in Terminal A at Boston’s Logan International Airport. Boston Food Concepts, which operates more than 50 full-service and quick-service restaurants in transit locations […]
Posted in, Northeast
Weis Markets Announces Board Change
Weis Markets, Sunbury, Pennsylvania, last week announced that Robert Weis will not stand for re-election to its board of directors at the company’s annual meeting of shareholders April 23. Weis is chairman of the board and he indicated that his decision not to stand for re-election was motivated by his desire to focus on his health. […]
Posted in, Northeast
Record-Breaking Year For Seafood Expo North America, And More…
New Channels In Brief Diversified Communications, producers of Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America, announced that the 35th edition of the exposition had a record-breaking year with more than 20,680 seafood professionals participating in the three-day event, held March 15-17 in Boston. More than 1,200 exhibiting companies from 51 countries—surpassing last year’s […]
Posted in, Northeast
Dunkin’ Donuts Adds Google Wallet As New Mobile Payment Option, And More…
Food Service News In Brief Dunkin’ Donuts has unveiled a new mobile payment option, announcing that U.S. customers with Android devices can now purchase and reload virtual Dunkin’ Donuts Cards using Google Wallet. This new digital payment option provides guests with a new way to load and reload their virtual Dunkin’ Donuts Cards within the […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Tobacco Director To Speak At NATO Show, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief Mitch Zeller, director of the Federal Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products, will be the guest speaker of the 2015 National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) Show, April 22-23 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. He will update attendees on the pending regulations on all tobacco […]
Posted in, Northeast
McGowan To Return To Stop & Shop New England As President
Mark McGowan, former Stop & Shop president and currently EVP of merchandising for Ahold USA, will assume dual duties as president of Stop & Shop’s New England division and EVP of operations following Ahold’s appointment of a chief merchant officer to succeed him. Don Sussman, president of the Stop & Shop Metro division, is New […]