New York holds the highest cigarette smuggling rate, and smuggling in Illinois has dramatically increased, according to a recent report from the Tax Foundation. Using the latest data from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, the report details each state’s total inflow or outflow of smuggled cigarettes in 2013. The key findings include: Smuggled cigarettes make […]
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
New England Ice Cream Purchases Bliss Bros. Dairy
New England Ice Cream Co. of Taunton, Massachusetts, has purchased Bliss Bros. Dairy of Attleboro, Massachusetts. Bliss Bros. has been a family-owned company since 1929, although the family has owned a dairy farm dating back to the 1600s. Bliss Bros. owns its own restaurant in addition to distributing ice cream to about 400 other restaurants. […]
Posted in, Northeast
Big Heart Pet Brands Sold To Smucker’s, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… The J. M. Smucker Co. has completed the acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands, valued at nearly $6 billion. Big Heart Pet Brands, with nearly 2,500 employees, is a producer, distributor and marketer of branded pet food and pet snacks in the U.S. Its portfolio of brands includes Meow Mix, […]
Posted in, Northeast
R.I. Legislature Reviews Tobacco Purchase Age Bill, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Rhode Island legislators are reviewing a bill that would make the state the first in the nation to raise the legal age to buy tobacco to 21 years old. The bill would apply to all forms of tobacco… The Asian American Trade Associations Council (AATAC) has partnered with CAF Environmental […]
Posted in, Northeast
Lemon-X Sold To Texas Firm, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… Highlander Partners LP of Dallas, Texas, acquired the Lemon-X Corp., a manufacturer and supplier of 100 percent juices, juice blends, lemonades, teas and cocktail mixes. These come in various food service pack sizes, including bag-in-box, bottles, jugs and cartons. Lemon-X’s production facilities are located in Huntington Station, New York, which […]
Posted in, Northeast
Northeast James Beard Foundation Awards Announced
Nominees for the 2015 James Beard Foundation Awards were announced earlier this week. The final awards will be announced May 4. Best Chef in the Northeast nominees are: Karen Akunowicz of Myers & Chang of Boston; Barry Maiden of Hungry Mother of Cambridge and Cassie Piuma of Sarma of Somerville, Massachusetts; and Masa Miyake of Miyake […]
Posted in, Northeast
New Jersey Closer To Approving Home Delivery Of Lottery Tickets
The New Jersey State Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee voted 5-0 in favor of a bill allowing the operation of lottery courier services, which could deliver tickets to customers at home. “Ticket delivery will make lottery products more accessible for players who are homebound or find it inconvenient to get to a retailer,” said […]
Posted in, Northeast
GMA Praises Introduction Of National Food Labeling Bill
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) had praise for The Safe & Accurate Food Labeling Act filed this week by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kansas) and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-North Carolina.) The bill would establish a federal labeling standard for food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs). Pamela Bailey, president and CEO […]
Posted in, Northeast
MRA, Harpoon Brewery Fighting Hunger, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… The Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) and Harpoon Brewery have rescheduled their fundraising event to end childhood hunger. It will be held March 30 from 7-10 p.m. at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston… Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, promoted Jack Clare to chief information […]
Posted in, Northeast
VERC Enters Business Hall Of Fame, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… VERC Enterprises, a convenience store and Mobile-Gulf gasoline operator with locations throughout eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire, has been given the 2015 Best of Plymouth Award in the Convenience Stores category, qualifying the company for inclusion in the Plymouth Business Hall of Fame… Herr’s Snacks of Nottingham, Pennsylvania, is partnering […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Northeast, Whole Foods
Energizer Holdings To Split, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Energizer Holdings Inc. will split into two new companies, with a target date of July 1. The Personal Care Division will be named Edgewell Personal Care and will become an independent company. The Household Product Division will retain the Energizer Holdings Inc. name and logo… Amazon.com plans to expand its […]
Posted in, Northeast
FDA Provides Updated Guidance On Menu-Labeling Rules
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a “Small Entity Compliance Guide” to assist restaurants and “similar retail food establishments” (including many convenience stores) in understanding the recently updated menu-labeling standards. The FDA describes the guide, which can be accessed online as a plain language summary of the rule. However, during a congressional hearing […]
Posted in, Northeast
GACS’ Jim Tudor Recognized By Georgia House, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief… Jim Tudor, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores (GACS) and monthly columnist for The Griffin Report, was recognized last week by the Georgia House of Representatives for his accomplishments and years of service to the convenience store industry. Tudor, who is a well-respected member of the National Association […]
Posted in, Northeast
TryAngle Foods Mourns Loss Of James Gamba
Supermarket News In Brief… Members of the food industry and in particular TryAngle Foods are mourning the loss of James Gamba, 65, of Cranston, Rhode Island, who died March 15 following heart surgery complications. He worked for 28 years for the former Almacs Supermarkets as VP of meat and deli and was IT director for […]
Posted in, Northeast
Support For Whole Grain Sampling Day, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Restaurants, manufacturers, supermarkets, schools and other companies and organizations are invited to participate in Whole Grain Sampling Day on Wednesday, April 1. It’s a day that puts the focus on whole grains and celebrates those that offer these healthy foods to their customers. Organized by Boston-based nonprofit Oldways and The […]
Posted in, Northeast
Rally To Save Tipped Wage In Rhode Island Draws More Than 200 People
More than 200 people, including restaurant operators, managers and servers, rallied at the Rhode Island State House on March 19 to testify against a bill that would eliminate the tipped wage. Organized by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association (RIHA), association members told the Rhode Island Committee on Labor that passage of this bill would negatively […]
Posted in, Northeast
Chick-fil-A, Papa John’s Lauded, And More…
Food Service News In Brief… Chick-fil-A and Papa John’s deliver the best customer experience in the fast food industry, according to the 2015 Temkin Experience Ratings, an annual ranking of companies based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers. Chick-fil-A took the top spot for the fourth year in a row, earning a rating of […]
Posted in, Northeast
Gulf Oil Customers Can Earn Gas And Electricity Credits
Gulf Oil LP, a Framingham Massachusetts-based branded marketer of energy products, has launched a customer loyalty program to reduce its consumers’ Gulf Electricity bills and allow the shoppers to earn free gasoline at Gulf stations. Gulf enlisted Billaway as its loyalty platform provider to enable Gulf Electricity customers to convert qualified spending on everyday purchases to […]
Posted in, Northeast
Several New England Distributors Hosting Trade Shows, And More…
C-Store Report News In Brief Several New England distributors will be hosting annual trade show in the next few weeks. The Pine State Trading Co. Expo will be held Tuesday, March 24, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine, and Thursday, March 26, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. Coremark New England will […]
Posted in, Northeast
Seafood Expo Excellence Awards Announced
The 2015 Seafood Excellence Awards winners were announced earlier this week at Seafood Expo North America held in Boston. Yihe Corp. won the “Best New Retail” award for its Alaskan Jack’s, and High Liner Foods won the “Best New Food Service” award for its Pulled BBQ Salmon. The Seafood Excellence Awards recognize product leaders in […]