Lowes Foods is celebrating 70 years in the grocery business this year. It began with a small grocery store in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, operated by Jim Lowe, who was part of the family that founded a separate business under the same name selling home improvement products. The focus at Jim Lowe’s grocery store was on […]
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.
Posted inBakery News, Southeast
Flowers Foods To Aquire Simple Mills
Thomasville, Georgia-based Flowers Foods has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Simple Mills for $795 million in cash. The addition of Simple Mills expands Flowers’ exposure to better-for-you and attractive snacking segments, as well as enhances the company’s growth and margin prospects. Founded in 2012 by Katlin Smith, Simple Mills is a natural brand offering better-for-you […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Lowes Foods, Southeast
Lowes Foods’ In-Store Atmosphere Offers Sense Of Community
The Community Table is the heart of a Lowes Foods store. Constructed of reclaimed wood from local barns, the table is designed to bring the community together through events like food pairings, tea parties and floral arranging classes. Private events ranging from birthday parties for kids to beer and wine pairings for adults (Beer & […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Executive News, Piggly Wiggly, Southeast
Piggly Wiggly Alabama President To Retire, Successor Named
Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. President and CEO Jerry McCann is retiring and will be succeeded this month by grocery industry veteran Christopher Brown. McCann has served the Bessemer, Alabama-based wholesaler for more than 36 years in many capacities, including the last three-and-a-half years as president. According to the PWADC Board of Directors, Brown brings […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, Southeast
Employee-Owned Food Giant Serves Rural MS By Focusing On Price, Quality
Location, customer service, price and quality are just a few of the attributes that help Food Giant stores in northern Mississippi stand out. The Shelby Report of the Southeast recently visited with David Holcomb, division manager, to learn more about the company’s competitive strategy. How long has Food Giant been operating in Mississippi? Kenneth Storey, […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Food Lion, Southeast
Food Lion Feeds’ Holidays Without Hunger Program Sets Record Donation
Food Lion Feeds and its customers have helped provide the equivalent of more than 29 million meals this holiday season. This set a record, quadrupling the previous highest Holidays Without Hunger meal count in 2021, which was equal to more than 6.6 million meals. The initiative benefits Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southeast
ECRS Marks Milestone With Gateway EDI Solution
ECRS has reached 100 supplier integrations for Gateway, its electronic data interchange (EDI) solution, a module within the comprehensive retail management software suite, CATAPULT Retail POS. Among these 100 supplier integrations, some of the most notable partners include UNFI, KeHE, Associated Wholesale Grocers, McKesson, Phillip & King and Southern Glazers. These EDI partnerships empower independent retailers to further streamline their supply […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Food Lion, Southeast
Food Lion Feeds Awards $3.2M In Disaster Relief Grants
The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation has awarded more than $3.2 million in disaster relief grants to support 120 organizations and their communities. The organizations were affected by Hurricane Helene’s devastation and destruction in September. The grants provide financial assistance to community feeding partners that have played a vital role in helping those impacted by the storm. […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Harris Teeter, Southeast
Harris Teeter Recognized By Newsweek For Workplace Diversity
Harris Teeter has been recognized by Newsweek as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity” for 2025. “We are honored to be recognized by Newsweek for our workplace culture, which emphasizes inclusion and belonging,” said Lauren Furr, the grocer’s director of learning and development and diversity, equity and inclusion. “Fostering a sense of belonging among our […]
Posted inAssociation News, Southeast
CFIC Donates $50K To Manna FoodBank In Asheville, NC
The Carolinas Food Industry Council (CFIC) has donated $50,000 to Manna FoodBank in Asheville, North Carolina. This donation comes at a crucial time as Western North Carolina continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Lindsey Kueffner, CFIC’s executive director, presented the check to Manna FoodBank CEO Claire Neal and Chief Development Officer Mary […]
Posted inExecutive News, Southeast
Houchens Food Group Promotes Rush To President, Knies To CMO, SVP
Kentucky-based Houchens Food Group has promoted Greg Rush to president and Craig Knies as CMO and SVP of merchandising. “Greg is an industry veteran and very deserving of this promotion,” said Dion Houchins, CEO and chairman of Houchens Food Group. “I look forward to working closely with Greg and I know he will do a […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Independent Store News, Southeast
AWG Member Roberts Co. Joins Upside To Boost Loyalty
Roberts Company Inc., a grocery chain operating Corner Market and Grocery Depot locations in the Jackson/Hattiesburg, Mississippi, area, has partnered with Upside, building on the technology firm’s efforts to support Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. (AWG) members. “We are committed to delivering exceptional service, and Upside’s work to drive more customers to our Corner Market and […]
Posted inExecutive News, Food Lion, Southeast
Ahold Delhaize USA Names Next Food Lion President
Ahold Delhaize USA has announced that Greg Finchum, Food Lion’s EVP of retail operations, will become president of the North Carolina-based grocer in May, following the retirement of longtime leader Meg Ham. Finchum, who joined Food Lion in 1989, has been in his current role for more than a decade. The company described him as […]
Posted inPublix Super Markets, Independent Store News, Southeast
Publix Continues Southeast Expansion With New Stores
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Markets has continued its expansion in recent weeks by opening several new stores across the Southeast, including four in the Sunshine State and one each in Georgia and Virginia. St. Cloud, Florida Publix opened a new location Dec. 12 at 2895 N. Narcoossee Road, offering departments for grocery, dairy, frozen food, […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southeast
ECRS DemandFill 3.0 Adds Weather-Integrated Predictive AI Functionality
ECRS has added a new weather functionality for DemandFill 3.0, the third-generation forecasting solution within the CATAPULT Cognition platform. This machine learning artificial intelligence (AI) model integrates historical and forecasted weather data to analyze and anticipate shopper behavior, providing ECRS retailers with precise recommendations to meet future weather-driven demand. The VP of purchasing at a three-store […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southeast
ECRS, ShipStation Complete E-Commerce Integration
ECRS has completed a requested integration with ShipStation, a web-based shipping software from Auctane. The collaboration brings together ECRS’ native e-commerce solution, CATAPULT WebCart, with ShipStation’s shipping capabilities, creating an efficient, user-friendly platform for retailers of all sizes. The integration offers a host of features designed to simplify and optimize the way ECRS retailers can […]
Posted inPublix Super Markets, Independent Store News, Southeast
Publix Honors 12 Employees With Company’s Highest Awards
Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Markets has named the recipients of its 2024 George W. Jenkins Award and 2024 President’s Award. These retail and support leaders were recognized at this year’s annual Publix retail operations conference in Orlando, Florida. George W. Jenkins Award The George W. Jenkins Award is named after Publix’s founder. Recipients of this […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Southeast
Southeastern Grocers Distributes Gift Cards To Rewards Members
Southeastern Grocers Inc. distributed $50,000 in gift cards, as well as free private label products, at five stores in the Southeast to thank customers for participating in its rewards program. The first 100 customers who arrived at each of the designated Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie locations received a $100 gift card and reusable tote bag […]
Posted inFood Lion, Executive News, Southeast
Food Lion President Meg Ham To Retire In May
Ahold Delhaize USA has shared that Meg Ham, president of Food Lion, plans to retire May 2 after more than a decade at the helm of the North Carolina-based grocer and 35-plus years with the organization. Ahold Delhaize USA credited Ham for helping drive Food Lion’s growth, grounded in the brand’s heritage of customer service […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Southeast
The Fresh Market Celebrates New Location In Louisville, KY
The Fresh Market held a grand opening Dec. 5 for its second store in Louisville, Kentucky. The location, the fresh-food specialty retailer’s 165th overall, offers an elevated shopping environment featuring an extensive selection of fresh, local, organic and specialty items. The celebration kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m., with the first 500 customers […]