Houchens Food Group recently unveiled a new program, the Store Manager Appreciation Awards, to recognize the work of its grocery store leadership, whom it considers its “unsung heroes.” Consisting of 18 lunch banquets divided by region and banner, the events include individual recognition of store managers as well as a selection of other awards. In […]
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 Names Wiktorowski To Lead Retail Customer Sales
Flowers Foods Inc. has named Meredith Wiktorowski as SVP and chief customer officer. Reporting to Chief Growth Officer Terry Thomas, Wiktorowski is responsible for sales strategy and growing Flowers Foods’ revenue, market share, profitability and reputation with retail customers nationwide. “Meredith brings extensive experience catering to retail grocers of all sizes, robust strategic sales acumen […]
Posted inBeverage News, Southeast
Milo’s Names Backstrom As CFO To Lead Financial Strategy
Milo’s Tea Company Inc., an Alabama-based family-owned business, has named Emily Backstrom as its new CFO, driving financial strategy to position the company for ongoing long-term success. “Emily’s impressive financial planning and corporate strategy experience, along with her strong leadership skills, are a great fit for Milo’s during a period of exponential growth as we […]
Posted inFood Lion, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Retailer of the Year, Southeast
Food Lion Focuses On ‘Easy, Fresh And Affordable’ Experience
Food Lion, a grocery store chain with 1,109 stores across 10 states in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S., remains focused on providing an “easy, fresh and affordable” shopping experience for its customers. Key initiatives include store remodels, technology upgrades and community engagement through the company’s Food Lion Feeds program. The company has been named The […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Southeast
Louisiana Grocers Grapple With Rising Costs, Challenges From New Players
Experts tracking the supermarket industry agree that the past year has been a challenging one for Louisiana grocers. The rising cost of food and other essentials is squeezing their profit margins and consumers’ budgets. Responding to this, Louisiana grocery stores are working hard to absorb some of these cost increases to keep prices affordable. “Many […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Rouses Market, Southeast
Rouses Markets Shares Executive Promotions, New Hires
Rouses Markets has shared several key executive promotions and new hires, reinforcing its commitment to leadership excellence and continued growth across Louisiana. James Breuhl has been promoted to the newly created position of SVP of merchandising at Rouses. Breuhl has a long history with the company, having started as a market manager in 2006. He […]
Posted inPackaging News, Feature, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, Southeast
Focused On Togetherness, Butterball Rolls Out New-Look Packaging For Portfolio
Butterball, a provider of turkey products, recently unveiled a comprehensive redesign of its retail packaging, aiming to enhance brand visibility, consumer engagement and overall shopping experience. Rebecca Welch, director of retail marketing at Butterball, talked to The Shelby Report about what was behind the strategy. She noted that Butterball’s last retail portfolio redesign took place […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, Southeast, The Kroger Co.
Home Of Cash Saver, Castle Retail Group Aims To Be Memphis’ Low-Price Leader
Castle Retail Group operates five grocery stores, all within the city limits of Memphis. Three of the locations operate under the Cash Saver banner. Ranging in size from 30,000 to 69,000 square feet, they operate as a cost plus-10-percent deep-discount price format. CRG also owns two smaller footprint neighborhood stores. High Point Grocery, which opened in […]
Posted inProduce News, Executive News, Southeast
Alcocer Retiring From Duda Farm Fresh Foods
Duda Farm Fresh Foods SVP of Sales and Marketing Rick Alcocer is retiring after a 40-plus year career in the produce industry. Alcocer began his career in the fresh produce industry following graduation from the University of Southern California in 1980, when he joined Dole Fresh Vegetables (known then as Bud Antle Inc.) as a […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, Southeast
TGCSA’s Ikard Recaps State Legislative Session, Leading With Swipe Fees Fight
The Shelby Report of the Southeast recently visited with Rob Ikard, president and CEO of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association (TGCSA), to learn more about the legislation and public policy updates impacting retailers in the Volunteer State. Calling the 2024 legislative session “quite busy,” Ikard said TGCSA spent many long hours advancing the […]
Posted inPublix Super Markets, Independent Store News, Southeast
Publix Named To 2024 PEOPLE’s Companies That Care List
Publix has been ranked No. 15 on PEOPLE’s Companies that Care list for 2024. The list highlights top U.S. companies that have succeeded in business while demonstrating outstanding respect, care and concern for their employees, communities and the environment. “We’re honored to be recognized as a company focused on taking care of others,” said Publix […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Lowes Foods, Southeast
Lowes Foods To Debut Concord Store, Reopens Renovated Mt. Airy Site
Lowes Foods, a Carolinas-based grocer headquartered in Winston-Salem, will open a new store Aug. 29 at 2415 Herrons Nest Place NW in Concord, North Carolina. In addition to the new Concord location, Lowes Foods celebrated a renovation of its Mt. Airy, North Carolina, site. Additions to the Mt. Airy store include Lowes Foods’ originals: The […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Aldi, Amazon Fresh, Feature, Southeast, The Kroger Co., Whole Foods
Mama Geraldine’s Snacks Returning To Grocery Shelves After Plant Burned
Following months of rebuilding after tragedy struck in September 2023, Mama Geraldine’s Cheese Straws and Bodacious Snacks is back in business. Cathy Cunningham, company founder, talked about her journey with The Shelby Report at the 2024 IDDBA Show. At a dinner last fall with some girlfriends in downtown Jasper, Georgia, Cunningham said she received a call […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Independent Store News, Rouses Market, Southeast
Focus On Local, First-To-Market Approach Sets Rouses Apart Along Gulf Coast
Louisiana-based Rouses Markets is one of the fastest-growing family-owned companies in the country. It also is one of the top privately held companies and largest employers along the Gulf Coast. Founded in 1960 by Anthony J. Rouse Sr., the company has expanded from its humble roots as a single store operator in Houma, Louisiana, to […]
Posted inFood Lion, Corporate Store News, Grocery Store Layout, Southeast
Food Lion Finishes 167 Store Remodels In Raleigh-Durham Market
With a $365 million capital investment, Food Lion has enhanced the customer shopping experience with remodeled stores in the greater Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area and Mecklenburg County, Virginia. At 7:45 a.m. Aug. 21, Food Lion will hold ribbon-cutting events at 167 stores in the Raleigh-Durham market. Afterward, the first 100 customers in line will receive […]
Posted inAssociation News, Southeast
Grocery Execs Gather For Alabama Grocers Association’s Show
The Alabama Grocers Association brought members from all aspects of the grocery industry together for its 34th annual show July 28-31 at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort in Destin, Florida. The gathering promotes the growth and success of the grocery industry in Alabama through advocacy, education, public relations and networking. The business session July […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Southeast
Southeastern Grocers Awards 25 Employee Scholarships, Hosts Summer Internship Program
Southeastern Grocers Inc. has awarded $75,000 in higher education scholarships to 25 in-store and store support center employees. It also hosted a summer internship program to provide educational support and hands-on professional development opportunities for future leaders. “Empowering our associates and nurturing the next generation of leaders is an investment in the future,” said Raymond Rhee, […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Aldi, Feature, Southeast
Aldi Gaining Steam Across Southeast
Shaun O’Keefe, Aldi regional VP based out of the company’s Jefferson, Georgia, distribution center, conducted a tour for journalists in mid-July at the company’s store on Peachtree Road in Atlanta’s Buckhead area. Aldi currently operates 81 stores in Georgia, with 50-55 of them in the Atlanta area, depending on your definition of what the Atlanta […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Feature, Southeast
Super G Mart Serves As Meeting Ground For Different Cultures
Super G Mart is the largest international supermarket in North Carolina, offering spices, produce, grocery and household items from across the globe. Paul Han, VP of operations, spoke with The Shelby Report of the Southeast about the company during the recent Carolinas Food Industry Council conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The first Super G […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Feature, Southeast
Acosta Group Execs Talk Key Trends, Challenges
As the landscape of fresh foods continues to evolve, two executives with Jacksonville, Florida-based Acosta Group shared some of their insights with The Shelby Report of the Southeast. Kathy Risch, SVP of shopper insights and thought leadership, and John DuBois, VP of fresh foods, were presenters at the recent IDDBA Show and talked about key […]