After five years of heated lobbying that pitted grocery and convenience stores against preachers, the Georgia General Assembly gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that could lead to Sunday package sales, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Governor Nathan Deal has already said he will sign Senate Bill 10, which the House approved Tuesday by a vote […]
Category: Southeast
Posted in, Beverage News, C-Store News, Center Store, Marketing News, National, Southeast
Diet Coke Passes Pepsi
As the soft drinks industry tries to recover from a long slide, Coca-Cola Co. has new bragging rights in its rivalry with PepsiCo reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sales of Coca-Cola and Diet Coke dipped by half a percentage point and one point, respectively, in 2010. But sales of Pepsi-Cola fell 4.8 percent. Beyond the sales […]
Posted in, National, Southeast
Ingles Founder Dead at 77
Robert P. “Bob” Ingle, founder and CEO of Ingles Markets, died at the age of 77 Sunday, reports the Asheville Citizen-Times. Ingle, fresh out of college, took out a mortgage on his mother’s house in 1963 and founded Ingles grocery store chain on Hendersonville Road in Asheville. The store did $8,500 in sales its first […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Southeast, Suppliers
Coca-Cola Pulls Sodas in St. Louis
The Coca-Cola Co. has pulled sodas from shelves at St. Louis stores after customers complained of a metallic taste. There was a slight surge in minerals in the water used to make the soda at the drink giant’s Maryland Heights plants, said Kevin Morris, spokesman for Atlanta-based Coca-Cola to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The recalled […]
Posted in, Southeast
Fresh Del Monte Reports Q4 Loss
Bad weather continued to pound at Fresh Del Monte Produce bottom line, reports the South Florida Business Journal. The Coral Gables-based fruit and vegetable producer said it lost $9.6 million, or 16 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, down from a profit of $28.2 million, or 44 cents a share, in the same year-ago […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Southeast, Suppliers
Coca-Cola Buys Remainder of Honest Tea
The Coca-Cola Co. has exercised its option to acquire the remaining 60 percent of Maryland-based organic bottled tea maker Honest Tea, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The companies described it Tuesday as a chance to make organic drinks more mainstream. What they didn’t say is that it also may be a chance to invigorate Coca-Cola’s tea […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Southeast
CVS Completes Union Avenue Purchase
CVS Care Corp. has officially closed on the former Union Avenue United Methodist Church building at Cooper and Union in Memphis, Tenn., clearing the way for the company to build a drug store. Operating as CVS 4992 TN LLC, Rhode-Island based CVS purchased the building for $2.25 million from St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. CVS […]
Posted in, Bonus Content, Ellerbee Buzz, Southeast
Grocers Overcome Challenges Severe Weather Brings
Even the mighty fell—sorta. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. managed to open its headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., on Feb. 9, but employees did not have to report if they couldn’t safely travel to work. A foot of snow had fallen on Northwest Arkansas. Some parts of Oklahoma saw two feet of snow. In the northeast corner of […]