Arnott Duncan, founder of Duncan Family Farms, received the Grower of the Year award during the recent 2025 Organic Grower Summit in Monterey, California. The John Deere-sponsored recognition honors Duncan’s three-decade transformation from small-scale agritourism operator to organic farming innovator managing 3,850 acres across three states. Duncan’s path to organic leadership began with an accidental […]
Category: West
The Shelby Report of the West covers grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Follow the latest store openings, remodels, leadership changes and market news from the region.
Smart & Final To Debut New Store Dec. 10 In San Diego, CA
Smart & Final will open a 25,000-square-foot location Dec. 10 at 3705 Rosecrans St. in San Diego’s Midway District, a neighborhood that is transforming into a walkable entertainment, retail and residential hub. The Los Angeles-based retailer specializes in delivering value to household and business customers through a hybrid model that combines everyday grocery sizes with […]
Strictly From Scratch Marks 30 Years, Eyes Growth In 2026
Strictly From Scratch, a Phoenix-based commercial bakery specializing in sweet and savory breads and pastries for wholesale distribution, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025. The company is now positioning itself for expanded capacity and new product categories heading into 2026. The bakery, founded in 1995 by Rudy DePaola, has grown into the largest niche commercial […]
Albertsons Cos. Introduces AI Assistant For Faster, Personalized Experience
Albertsons Cos. reports that it has reached a milestone in its digital transformation journey with the launch of the Albertsons AI shopping assistant, a web browser experience designed to make grocery shopping faster and more personalized. The Boise, Idaho-based retailer aims to reduce shopping time from an average of 46 minutes to four minutes. As […]
New Japanese Specialty Market To Debut Dec. 12 In Foster City, CA
Osaka Marketplace will hold a grand opening Dec. 12 at 919 Edgewater Blvd. in Foster City, California, bringing its Japanese grocery experience to the East Bay area. Located inside the Edgewater Place Shopping Center, the store is taking over the former Lucky Supermarket space. It will offer the extensive assortment, quality and service that have […]
AFS, Lee’s Marketplace Open Bella’s Market In Vineyard, UT
Bella’s Market drew more than 1,000 people to its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 17 at 875 N. Main St. in Vineyard, Utah, where it was welcomed as the first grocery store in the 700-acre mixed-use master-planned community on the eastern shore of Utah Lake. Vendors including Kodiak Cakes, Café Ibis, Certified Angus Beef […]
Divert, General Produce Partner On Food Waste-to-Energy Plan
Divert Inc. and General Produce have formed a partnership that will convert unsold and non-donatable food into renewable energy and soil amendment for communities in Northern California. General Produce will send unused food from its Sacramento distribution center to Divert’s Integrated Diversion & Energy Facility in Turlock, California. There, the material will move through depackaging […]
T&T Supermarket Plans For Third Bay Area Store In Millbrae, CA
T&T Supermarket will open a 52,000-square-foot location in Millbrae this winter, marking its third Bay Area store. The store will serve communities across the San Francisco Peninsula, including Millbrae, Palo Alto, San Bruno and San Mateo. It will create 350 jobs, with the company hiring for office and in-store positions across California. “Finding large retail […]
Vallarta Supermarkets To Open New Store In Azusa, CA
Vallarta Supermarkets will open a new 39,295-square-foot store Dec. 10 at 273 E. Gladstone St. in Azusa, California, marking the family-owned chain’s continued expansion in the San Gabriel Valley. The first 300 customers at the grand opening will receive reusable grocery bags filled with food. Vallarta also is donating $7,500 to five local schools and […]
The Save Mart Companies Reopens Maxx Value Store In Modesto, CA
The Save Mart Companies celebrated the grand reopening of its Maxx Value store Nov. 19 at 415 Paradise Road in Modesto. The retailer is bringing the same warehouse-style value and affordability as the company’s FoodMaxx banner in a smaller footprint, without requiring a membership. The company has served families and neighborhoods in the Modesto market […]
Davis Food Co-op Uses ECRS’ CATAPULT To Battle Food Insecurity
Davis Food Co-op is using ECRS’ CATAPULT solutions to empower and elevate its community impact initiatives by fighting food insecurity in Yolo County, California. On Nov. 3, the co-op launched an initiative designed to deliver relief and sustainable support for those most impacted by rising food insecurity. “It is during these times of hardship that we pull together […]
GVH Distribution Conference Unites Grocery Leaders To Drive Innovation
Lubbock, Texas-based GVH Distribution recently welcomed wholesalers, retailers and vendors from across grocery to its annual conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Over four days, the industry partners combined business strategies with networking and social activities designed to strengthen relationships and spark innovation across the supply chain. “The GVH Customer and Vendor Conference is about much […]
True Salt Expands Private Label Offerings To Meet Growing Demand
True Salt, a provider of all-natural sea salt products, has expanded its private label program in response to increasing demand from grocery chains and foodservice distributors for premium, store-brand sea salt products. The Phoenix-based company manufactures private label salt products for five of the 10 largest foodservice distributors in the U.S. True Salt is scaling […]
Northgate González Market Marks Milestone With New Store in Lynwood, CA
Northgate González Market opened a new store Nov. 12 in Lynwood, California, marking a milestone for the family-owned Hispanic grocer after years of planning, environmental cleanup and community anticipation. The 36,974-square-foot market was unveiled during a celebration featuring mariachi music and appearances by local and state dignitaries, who highlighted the store’s role in expanding food […]
WAFC Adds 2 Executives To Board Of Directors
The Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) has appointed Alice Chen, CEO of 99 Ranch Market, and Mike Molinar, president and CEO of PAQ Inc., to its board of directors. Chen has led Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market since 2018, following a decade as its CFO. Under her leadership, the company has evolved into a […]
Grocery Outlet, Feeding America To Provide 3M Meals For Hunger Relief
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. is partnering with Feeding America to provide three million meals to those facing hunger this holiday season. Customers can donate at the register when checking out. Store operators will choose which local food bank or community organization to support, and Grocery Outlet will match the total amount of in-store donations up […]
Miguel Gonzalez: Transitions To Advisory Role, Confident In Northgate’s Next Chapter
It’s just been a few months since Miguel González stepped away from day-to-day operations at Northgate González Market, with his brother, Jesús, succeeding him as co-president. “Jesús is smart, and he is a very hard worker and knows a lot about the business,” Miguel said. “It was my recommendation to approve Jesús as the new […]
Albertsons Cos. Adds Free Uber One Perks For Loyalty Members
Albertsons Companies Inc. is collaborating with Uber, becoming the first major grocer to offer Uber One perks to all free and paid loyalty members. As the company continues to invest in its loyalty program, members of the free for U and paid FreshPass programs can receive extended free trials of Uber One. “At Albertsons Cos., […]
Northgate At 45 – Focused On Family, Faith, Fresh Opportunity
When Jesús González reflects on the story of Northgate González Market, he doesn’t talk first about sales figures or square footage. He talks about family and faith. “Two things have always guided us,” he said. “From my father, we learned hard work. From my mother, we learned faith and unity. Those are still the values […]
AFS Expands Instacart Solutions To Member Retailers, Banners
Utah-based Associated Food Stores (AFS) is bringing Instacart’s white-label e-commerce solutions Storefront and Storefront Pro to its owned and operated banners, including Fresh Market, Lin’s and Macey’s, and independent member stores, including Broulim’s, Davis Food & Drug, Kent’s and Lee’s, providing them with e-commerce and retail media capabilities “We’re excited to partner with AFS to […]
