If the buzz among nervous Farm Fresh employees is any indication, something dramatic is about to happen at the grocer, and given the region’s crowded grocery landscape, two things seem possible: stores are going to be sold or closed. Frustrated employees who endured layoffs last year have been largely kept in the dark about what […]
Category: Southeast
The Shelby Report of the Southeast covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Publix Credits Tax Act For $200M Earnings Increase In 4Q
Publix’s sales for the fourth quarter of 2017, a 13-week period, were $8.9 billion, a 2.1 percent decrease from last year’s $9.1 billion, a 14-week period. Excluding the additional week in the fourth quarter of 2016, sales for the fourth quarter of 2017 would have increased 5 percent. Comparable-store sales for the fourth quarter of […]
Recommended: Winn-Dixie Reportedly Planning To Close Almost 200 Locations
A regional supermarket chain is reportedly planning to close up to 200 shops as its parent company prepares to file for bankruptcy. Bi-Lo LLC, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, is preparing a potential bankruptcy filing as soon as next month, people with knowledge of the situation told Bloomberg. Winn-Dixie will shutter close to 200 locations […]
Foodland, Western Market Win ‘Buy Alabama’s Best’ Display Contest
The Alabama Grocers Association (AGA), the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries and the Alabama Food Manufacturers and Producers Association recently gathered for the 2018 Buy Alabama’s Best Retail Campaign Awards luncheon at The Club in Birmingham. “Buy Alabama’s Best” displays feature participating Alabama food products to help consumers identify which products are headquartered, produced […]
Alabama Market Profile: State’s Economy Is On The Upswing
by Lorrie Griffith/editor–Southeast Alabama’s economy is on the upswing, according to Ellie Taylor, president of the Alabama Grocers Association AGA), located in Birmingham. In fact, the state’s unemployment rate is now 3.5 percent—the lowest in its history. The good times look to be continuing, as two major plants were announced in January. One is a […]
Food City Opens New Tennessee Store In Sevier County
Abingdon, Virginia-based Food City opened a new store in Sevier County, Tennessee, on Jan. 31. The 48,500-plus-s.f. supermarket, located at the intersection of Newport Highway and New Center Road, is the company’s sixth location in the area. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to add a new state-of-the-art Food City in Sevier County, where we […]
Publix Opening Second Store In Decatur, Alabama, Next Week
Publix Super Markets is opening its new Point Mallard Centre store at 2934 Point Mallard Parkway SE in Decatur, Alabama, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 7:00 am. The grocer will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony before the opening featuring Mayor of Decatur Bowling and City Council President Paige Bibbee. “Publix is known for providing excellent customer service […]
Food Lion Opens New Wake Forest, North Carolina, Store
Food Lion is celebrating the grand opening of its newest North Carolina store, located at 161 Crenshaw Corners Drive, in Wake Forest, today. The new store will employ about 90 associates, creating approximately 25 new jobs in the Wake Forest community. The store opened to the public at 8:00 a.m., following a 7:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting […]
Earth Fare Opens Eighth Florida Store In Lakewood Ranch
Earth Fare, a specialty organic and natural foods grocer, opened its newest location at 11525 State Road 70 E. in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, on Saturday. The grand opening celebration began with a ribbon cutting and a $3,000 donation made to Lakewood Ranch Community Services to fund local school gardens. Throughout the day, Earth Fare offered […]
Target And Shipt Launching Same-Day Delivery In Alabama And Florida
Target, which recently acquired grocery delivery company Shipt, is preparing to roll out same-day delivery to its first markets—57 stores across Birmingham, Alabama, and South Florida. The service, offered through Shipt, will be available starting on Feb. 1. Consumers in those regions will be able to use Shipt’s online marketplace to browse participating local retailers’ aisles […]
Kroger Implements Pharmacist eCare Plan In North Carolina
Kroger and AssureCare, a privately held healthcare technology company, have achieved Level III capability from Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) for their “Pharmacist eCare Plan” initiative. Using AssureCare’s MedCompass solution, Kroger pharmacies in North Carolina can share care plans electronically, support care coordination and actively participate with CCNC and its patient-centered medical home and […]
Two Whole Foods Market Veterans Join High Road Ice Cream
High Road Ice Cream, a maker of “premium” ice cream, has made new hires after growing by 70 percent in 2017. Stephen Corradini, formerly VP of Whole Foods Market South Region, has joined the company as chief people and strategy officer, and Arthur Reynolds, formerly an associate coordinator of grocery at Whole Foods, has joined […]
Independent Grocer Manning Rethinks How Things Are Done
Danny Manning has come a long way since he started as a bagger at 15 years old at a Food Town store in Eight Mile, Alabama. He moved to stocking, found favor with the company and got a produce rack about a year later. Once he graduated from high school, Manning went on to study […]
Merchants Distributors Achieves Safe Quality Foods Certification
Merchants Distributors LLC (MDI)—a full-line grocery and perishable distributor that also offers third party logistics services such as storage—has become SQF Level 2 Certified after receiving a rating of “Excellent” during a recent audit. MDI says it is the only full-line grocery and perishable distributor in the Carolinas to receive the SQF Level 2 Certification. […]
Publix Pharmacy Launches Low-Price Prescription Drug Program
The Publix Pharmacy has introduced a new prescription drug program, “Next Best Thing to Free,” which offers up to a 90-day supply for $7.50. The company hopes the program will improve patients’ access to some of the most commonly prescribed medications. Regardless of insurance coverage, Publix Pharmacy will dispense a select list of medications for […]
Remodel Yields Amazing Returns For Southeast Georgia Independent
In 2016, Reynolds Foodliner converted its store in the southeast Georgia town of Hazlehurst to the Piggly Wiggly Country Fresh banner. As part of the Country Fresh part of the name, the store features expanded fresh departments like meat, produce and deli/bakery. “We have had a tremendous amount of success in that store,” notes Tom […]
Recommended: Wine And Liquor Sales On Sunday? Tennessee Lawmakers Are Trying To Make It Happen
Tennessee lawmakers are renewing a push to allow wine and liquor sales on Sunday, a move that could spur opposition from the state’s liquor retailers. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga, would align hours of liquor and wine sales with beer sales. Under current law, both grocery stores and liquor stores are not allowed […]
Aldi Expanding In Florida, California With Stores And New Hires
As part of its $3.4 billion investment to increase its store count to 2,500 by 2022, discount grocer Aldi is opening its first store in Orange Park, Florida, at 661 Blanding Boulevard. To celebrate the opening, Aldi will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 11, at 8:25 a.m. Following the ceremony, the store will […]
CEO Of Online-Only British Grocery Chain To Keynote FMI Midwinter
As the food retail industry navigates the “e-commerce revolution” and customers shift toward purchasing opportunities beyond in-store shopping, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has invited Tim Steiner, co-founder and CEO of Ocado: the online supermarket, to be a keynote speaker at the 2018 Midwinter Executive Conference. FMI hopes Steiner will be able to help its members better understand […]
Georgia Independent’s Own-Recipe Fried Peanut Clusters Spawn A Thriving Second Business
by Lorrie Griffith/editor–Southeast West Foods, an independent grocery store in the rural southwest Georgia town of Edison, has been making and selling fried peanuts to its customers for many years. The store’s owner, John West, who bought the store from his dad, Richard, back earlier in this decade, said the peanuts have always been a […]
