Amazon Fresh News & Innovations | The Shelby Report
Posted inRecommended Reading, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Marketing News, Midwest, Shelby Content, Store News, Whole Foods

Recommended: Kroger Is Challenging Amazon And Walmart In Advertising

When Amazon entered the grocery business with the acquisition of Whole Foods this year, it was thought to be a supermarket killer. The grocery business was already facing competition from general retailers like Walmart that operate on larger scales and offer lower prices, and invading European grocers like Aldi and Lidl, before the mammoth conglomerate […]

Posted inNortheast, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods

Sheetz To Offer Voice Ordering Through Amazon’s Alexa 

Sheetz plans to use Amazon’s Alexa, which now is available using interactive voice-activated technology, to enable customers to place an order by using their voice. “We could not be more excited to bring this next generation of innovation to our customers and industry,” said Ryan Sheetz, SVP of brand strategies for Sheetz. “From the inception of […]

Posted inRetailer of the Year, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, Southeast, Whole Foods

Southeast Retailer Of The Year: Lowes Foods

Giving Customers What They Want Since 1954 Lowes Foods began in 1954 as a single store in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and, over those 63 years, has grown into a nearly 100-store chain operating in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Now based in Winston-Salem, the grocer grew rapidly during the 1960s, ’70s and early […]

Posted inNonfood Items, Amazon Fresh, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, New Products, Suppliers, Whole Foods

Hallmark Aims To Spread Cheer With New Holiday Cards, Videos

According to Hallmark research, nearly three-fourths of consumers who send holiday cards do so because they know how good it feels when they receive a holiday greeting. This holiday season, Hallmark wants to “help people celebrate by spreading cheer to those they love with new selections of intricately designed Signature cards.” The holiday collection features […]

Posted inSpecialty, Amazon Fresh, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, National, New Products, Whole Foods

Holiday Highlights: Limited-Time Products On Shelves Now

With the holiday season officially in full swing, manufacturers and retailers across the country are highlighting a smorgasbord of seasonal and limited-time offerings. Festive food and drink from PepsiCo This holiday season, PepsiCo says it is offering more limited-time products than ever before. On store shelves for a limited time this holiday season are: Pepsi […]

Posted inAssociation News, Amazon Fresh, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Store News, Whole Foods

ROFDA Fall Conference: ‘Bold Moves’ Needed In New Era Of Grocery

How does an independent grocer leverage e-commerce in this “new era” of grocery retailing? That is the question Steve Bishop, managing partner, Brick Meets Click, attempted to answer at the ROFDA Fall Conference. While e-commerce is a small percentage of sales today, it is a disproportionately important part of the business. Bishop said Amazon’s acquisition […]

Posted inEquipment & Technology, Amazon Fresh, C-Store News, Home Page Latest News, National, Store News, Whole Foods

7-Eleven Engages Customers Via Facebook Messenger Chatbot

7-Eleven launched a chatbot platform on Nov. 15 that company officials say is poised to propel the convenience retailing industry into a new era of “conversational commerce.” The 7-Eleven Bot on Messenger allows customers to engage with the brand from within Facebook. It is estimated that nearly 1.3 billion people use Messenger each month, and 7-Eleven […]

Posted inFood Industry Hall of Fame, Albertsons, Amazon Fresh, Anniversary Issues, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Store News, West, Whole Foods

Bristol Farms’ 35th Anniversary & Kevin Davis, Food Industry Hall Of Fame Inductee

Bristol Farms was founded in November 1982 by two men whose careers had been in the meat business. Irv Gronsky and Mike Burbank were moving toward retirement age and so decided to sell their high-end meat business that supplied restaurants and butcher shops. But they weren’t quite ready to stop working altogether, so they decided […]

Posted inOrganic Natural, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, Grocery News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Store News, Whole Foods

Amazon, Whole Foods Lowering Prices On Customer, Holiday Favorites

Whole Foods Market and Amazon are rolling out lower prices on additional best-selling grocery items and holiday staples at Whole Foods stores, including a new lower price on organic and no-antibiotic turkeys for all customers and a deeper discount for Prime members. According to the company, this offer is a sneak preview of the special […]

Posted inAssociation News, Amazon Fresh, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, National, Suppliers, Whole Foods

GMA Panelists Examine ‘The Future Retail Reality’

Louise Keely, global head of retail for Nielsen, Jay Nikolich, divisional VP of e-commerce at Pharmavite LLC and Jonathan Scherr, head of strategic partnerships at CircleUp, came together to discuss “The Future Retail Reality” at the Grocery Manufacturers Association Leadership Forum at The Greenbrier in West Virginia in September. Pharmavite offers vitamins, minerals and herbal […]

Posted inSupply Chain News, Amazon Fresh, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, Online Grocery Technology, Southwest, Suppliers, Sustainability News, Whole Foods, Wholesaler/Distributor News

FoodMaven Online Marketplace Aims To Reduce Food Waste

About 40 percent of food produced by U.S. agriculture gets lost in a complex distribution system and is never used, contributing to the 133 billion pounds of food that’s hauled to U.S. landfills each year. “This is not only a social and environmental nightmare; it represents an estimated $200 billion per year in lost revenue,” […]

Posted inEquipment & Technology, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Whole Foods

Meal Planning Service eMeals Debuts Vegan Plan

Meal planning service eMeals has launched a new Vegan Meal Plan that it says solves the “What’s for dinner?” dilemma with creative, plant-based, animal-free dinner menus that change on a weekly basis while also costing an average of $3.50 per serving—half the price of typical meal kits. Read more: eMeals Expands Online Ordering Fulfillment Options With […]

Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Executive News, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, National, Whole Foods

New IGA President/CEO Sees Three Trends Driving Retail’s Future

On John Ross’ first day as president and CEO of IGA USA in Chicago on Oct. 17, he and his predecessor Mark Batenic took time to field some questions from Shelby Report Editor-in-Chief Lorrie Griffith. Ross already had met with members of the 38-person team at IGA headquarters before the 9 a.m. Central interview. Asked […]

Posted inAssociation News, Amazon Fresh, Equipment & Technology, Home Page Latest News, Independent Store News, Industry News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Whole Foods, Wholesaler/Distributor News

ROFDA And Rosie To Bring Online Shopping To 2,000 Independents

Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates (ROFDA) and Rosie, an e-commerce company, have entered into a new partnership, announced at the National Grocers Association’s Fall Leadership Meetings, that will bring Rosie’s online shopping platform to 2,000 independent grocery stores across the U.S. over the next two years. “The partnership will provide omni-channel online shopping programs, […]

Posted inFood Service News, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, National, Whole Foods

C-Store Operators Cite Foodservice Programs As Reason For Optimism

Convenience store retailers say that in-store sales have performed strong so far this year, and they are optimistic about their business prospects for the remainder of 2017, largely because of the growth in food sales, according to a survey of U.S. retailers released today by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Three in five […]

Posted inGuest Contributors, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Whole Foods

Will Someone Win The Price Vs. Service Battle, Or Is There Room For Both?

by Art Patch/a retired retail executive & regular columnist for The Shelby Report For years, the successful retail business model featured a strong commitment to customer service. Customer service does cover a broad area but was often listed in surveys as the primary reason a customer chose a store. It was not uncommon for employees […]

Posted inOrganic Natural, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, National, Specialty, Whole Foods

Walmart, Trader Joe’s Lose Customers To Whole Foods After Price Cuts

Thasos Group, a data intelligence firm, has published a new research report, “Competitive Impact of Lower Prices at Whole Foods,” analyzing the number, composition and behavior of new customers at Whole Foods stores following significant price reductions in the wake of the chain’s acquisition by Amazon in August. Key findings of the report include: Foot […]

Posted inEquipment & Technology, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Whole Foods

Study Finds Reviews Are Key For Online And In-Store Grocery Shoppers

PowerReviews, a consumer feedback technology company serving more than 1,000 global brands and retailers, has released a new research paper exploring the results of a survey on American consumers’ grocery shopping habits. “Beyond the Supermarket Shelves: How consumers are navigating the grocery shopping experience online and in-store” examines the changing landscape for grocery retailers and provides […]

Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National, Online Grocery Technology, Whole Foods

Study: Amazon, Walmart Outscore Food Retailers On Online Satisfaction

The Retail Feedback Group (RFG), a provider of actionable stakeholder feedback, has released its 2017 U.S. Online Grocery Shopper Study. This new research found about half of online shoppers plan to purchase grocery items more often in the coming year and rate their overall satisfaction ordering food and grocery items online highest with Amazon (4.63 […]

Posted inWoman Executive of the Year, Amazon Fresh, Home Page Latest News, Midwest, Shelby Content, Shelby Honorees, Shelby Signature Content, Whole Foods, Wholesaler/Distributor News, Women In The News

Tandy Harvey Is Shelby’s Midwest Woman Executive Of The Year

Providence Brought Tandy Harvey to Supervalu by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Tandy S. Harvey will tell you she loves Supervalu, a company she has spent more than three decades serving. Her first job was a part-time summer gig in a warehouse in Champaign, Illinois, in the mid-1980s. She was in college earning a mechanical engineering technology degree […]