The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) has announced Max Lugavere will be the keynote speaker at its upcoming 2024 Viva Fresh Produce Expo in Houston. A health and science journalist, filmmaker and author, Lugavere will share insights about nutrition, brain health and well-being. Lugavere gained recognition in 2018 for his New York Times bestseller, “Genius […]
Category: Southwest
The Shelby Report of the Southwest covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Southwest
Shopkick Turns Grocery Shopping ‘Into A Scavenger Hunt’
Getting the attention of customers has always been one of the biggest challenges for retailers. As technology improves, they are having to find new ways to put eyes on their stores. Historically, retailers have been able to accomplish this through coupons, rebates, promotions and rewards, according to Brad Godwin, SVP head of CPG/retail partnerships at […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Southwest
Mercatus Introduces New AisleOne Solution
Mercatus, a Houston-based provider of grocery e-commerce solutions, has launched AisleOne. The intelligent targeting and enhanced personalization solution uses the customer engagement technology from its parent company, Relationshop, to provide regional grocers and independents with a competitive advantage over national chains, mass merchants and discounters. AisleOne enables grocery retailers to activate data insights to deliver […]
Posted inHarps Food Stores, Independent Store News, Retailer of the Year, Southwest
Harps’ Culture Sparks Further Growth With Recent Acquisitions
Harps Food Stores had “a bunch of irons in the fire in 2023,” according to Chairman and CEO Kim Eskew. Those “irons” are among the reasons the Springdale, Arkansas-based company has been named The Shelby Report of the Southwest’s 2023 Retailer of the Year. Harps added 34 net new locations and moved into two additional […]
Posted inNatural Grocers, Southwest, Sustainability News
Free Nutrition Education Tops Natural Grocers’ ESG Report
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. has released its environmental, social and governance (ESG) report for fiscal year 2023. In its third annual ESG report, the specialty retailer emphasizes its support for practices that promote environmental sustainability, human health and community well-being, including new product standards. Founded in 1955, the retailer said it believes that […]
Posted inHarps Food Stores, Independent Store News, Southwest
Harps Food Stores Elevates Creek, Taylor To VP Roles
Harps Food Stores has appointed Debbie Creek as VP of finance and John Taylor as VP of information systems, moves that follow the retirement of Jim Antz, who had served as the SVP of finance and CFO for 37 years. Creek joined Harps in 2006 as controller and played a role in overseeing day-to-day financial […]
Posted inThe Kroger Co., Online Grocery Technology, Southwest
Bonton Farms, Kroger Address South Dallas Food Deserts
Grocery Connect, a new initiative from Bonton Farms, is offering fee-free delivery of groceries ordered online for pickup at designated, staffed centers in food desert communities of South Dallas. Powered by Kroger Delivery, the first of three Bonton Farms’ Grocery Connect ordering and pickup points in the community has opened in the South Dallas Fair […]
Posted inWalmart, Corporate Store News, Southwest
Walmart To Add New Stores, Jobs By 2029
Shared in a statement on the company’s website, Walmart has announced plans to build or convert more than 150 stores, while continuing to remodel existing stores. These efforts represent millions of dollars in capital investment of labor, supplies and tax revenue, which benefit their respective communities. During the next 12 months, Walmart plans to remodel […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Southwest
Standard Meat Co. Finalizes Plans For New Fort Worth Plant
Standard Meat Co. has begun construction of its fifth protein processing plant at 1101 NE 23rd St. in Fort Worth, Texas. This 166,000-square-foot plant will occupy a renovated, historic 1955 meat processing facility in Fort Worth’s northside, a short distance from the Standard Meat Co. headquarters at the Fort Worth Stockyards. With the new plant, […]
Posted inNatural Grocers, Corporate Store News, Southwest
Natural Grocers’ 46th Colorado Store To Open In Gunnison
Natural Grocers will open its 46th store in Colorado on Jan. 31 at 1000 N. Main St. in Gunnison. The community is invited to celebrate the occasion with giveaways, savings, a prize wheel and samples. Natural Grocers’ good4u crew will begin the celebration at 8:15 a.m. with a $2,500 donation presentation to the Gunnison Country […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Brookshire Grocery Co., Southwest
Brookshire Rolls Out Logile’s Workforce Management Solutions
Brookshire Grocery Co. has installed Logile’s retail labor planning and workforce management solutions at its 209 retail locations across five banners in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, as well as its corporate offices. Distribution centers and warehouses are in the process of being implemented. Store execution management will be the final phase. Facing end-of-life concerns […]
Posted inExecutive News, Dairy News, Southwest
Blue Bell Creameries Names Lawhorn As President
Blue Bell Creameries has named Jimmy Lawhorn as the company’s incoming president, effective immediately. Lawhorn has worked for Blue Bell Creameries for 26 years, most recently as the VP of sales and marketing, where he oversaw the planning and implementation of sales and marketing programs as well advertising and public relations. He also played a key […]
Posted inH-E-B, Independent Store News, Southwest
H-E-B Begins Store Construction In Melissa, TX
H-E-B has begun construction on its 131,000-square-foot store in Melissa, a city north of Dallas in Collin County, Texas. The store is expected to open in 2025. The Melissa H-E-B store will be located at the corner of U.S. 75 and Highway 121. It will include a full-service pharmacy with a drive-thru and a True […]
Posted inPackaging News, Dairy News, Southwest
Happy Egg Introduces 18-Count Carton Size
Happy Egg Co. is expanding its offerings to include an 18-count of its certified organic and original free range eggs. Ideal for families and consumers who regularly purchase eggs, the larger cartons feature the company’s premium, American Humane Certified eggs, sunrise yolks and deliver 6 grams of protein with vitamins and minerals in every serving. Raised […]
Posted inPackaging News, Southwest
Accredo Packaging, Fresh-Lock Collaborate On Stand-Up Pouch
The API Group and its subsidiary Accredo Packaging have collaborated with the Fresh-Lock team at Presto Products, a business of Reynolds Consumer Products, to introduce a flexible stand-up pouch utilizing more than 50 percent post-consumer recycled content fit for food packaging throughout the package. Coupling Fresh-Lock’s Child-Guard slider technology and the AccredoFlex range of recycled content films results in […]
Posted inFrozen Food, International Foods, Southwest
Ruiz Foods Promotes Carroll To President, CEO
Ruiz Food Products Inc., a frozen Mexican food manufacturer, has announced a series of executive leadership and board changes designed to position the company for its next great growth period. The board of directors selected the company’s current chief operating officer, Kimberli Carroll, as president and CEO. She will also serve on the board of directors. […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Albertsons, Southwest
United Family’s 28-Day Challenge Promotes Wellness
The United Family has launched 28-Day Challenge, a month of savings and prizes for shoppers beginning their wellness journeys in 2024. Through an interactive list linked to Rewards! accounts, the grocer’s health and wellness team wants to help customers set realistic goals, prioritize self-care and cultivate positive habits. “This 28-Day Challenge is all about giving […]
Posted inDairy News, Southwest
Vital Farms Celebrated As ‘Cultural Force’ On Fast Co.’s List Of Brands That Matter
Austin, Texas-based Vital Farms was named for a third consecutive year to Fast Company’s list of Brands That Matter. The annual list from the business media company recognizes brands that communicate and demonstrate purpose. Vital Farms attracts and builds trust with its consumers for the long-term through creative and compelling storytelling rooted in the company’s […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Albertsons, Southwest
Food Bank Receives $10K From United Supermarkets, Mondelez
United Supermarkets and Mondelez donated $10,000 to the South Plains Food Bank on Dec. 27, with the money going to help fight hunger and food insecurity across the region. Throughout the year, United had the opportunity to work with vendor partners such as Mondelez to make donations through sales initiatives in its stores. “We are […]
Posted inHarps Food Stores, Independent Store News, Southwest
Opening Nears For Harps Foods Store In Brookland, AR
Harps Food Stores will hold a grand opening Jan. 17 for its new store at 8107 U.S. Highway 49 in Brookland, Arkansas. The 32,000-square-foot location will feature a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with Harps’ Black Angus beef, all natural pork and poultry, deli and signature bakery products, as well as grocery, health […]