Buoyed in part by low fuel prices, the U.S. convenience store industry had record in-store sales of $214.9 billion in 2014, higher than overall industry sales in 1998, according to figures released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Overall industry sales for 2014 reached $697.5 billion. The industry’s 2014 numbers were announced April […]
Tag: business
Posted in, Northeast
Quick-Service Workers Protest For $15 Per Hour Hourly Wage, And More…
Food Service News In Brief Quick-service workers protested outside many McDonald locations and other restaurants around the country April 15 as part of an effort by labor groups pushing for a $15 hourly wage. The protests were organized by Fight for $15, a group backed by the Service Employees International Union pushing for the $15 […]
Posted in, Industry News, Midwest, Store News
Meijer Piloting Curbside Service Program In Grand Rapids
Meijer has launched what it calls a new convenient way to shop. Meijer Curbside is a new shopping service that allows customers to shop for their items online and enjoy the convenience of picking up their groceries curbside without leaving the car. Currently being piloted at the Knapp’s Corner store at 1997 East Beltline Road […]
Posted in, Northeast
Roche Bros. Sets Opening For Downtown Crossing’s First Market
Roche Bros. has set Wednesday, April 29, as opening day for its Boston flagship Downtown Crossing supermarket in the newly restored Burnham Building. Roche Bros. is the first large-scale grocery store to be built in Downtown Crossing. The store will offer fresh food, favorite national grocery brands, local artisan finds, New England flavors and a wide […]
Posted in, Northeast
Matt O’Hare Promoted To JOH SVP Of Corporate Development
Matt O’Hare has been promoted to SVP of corporate development at JOH in Billerica, Massachusetts. His new primary responsibilities include JOH corporate business development with an emphasis on building new business, mergers and acquisitions, and information systems and technology. “This well-deserved promotion reflects Matt’s increasing role at JOH,” said Chip O’Hare, JOH CEO and chairman. “In […]
Posted in, Northeast
Giant/Martin’s Sets Starting Wage At $9 Per Hour, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets is setting its starting associate wage at $9 per hour beginning June 15 as part of the company’s commitment to providing competitive wages. Giant/Martin’s also will increase the hourly wage for current associates to a minimum of $9 an hour in June. This change […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Midwest, Store News
Marsh To Close Four Indiana Stores
Marsh Supermarkets said Thursday that it will close four of its stores within the next few weeks. “After extensive review, it has been determined these stores do not meet our business requirements regarding sales or future growth potential going forward,” the company said. “While it is a difficult decision, the Marsh management team is committed […]
Posted in, Northeast
Friendly’s Lands Site At Boston’s Logan Airport
Friendly’s Ice Cream, the operator of Friendly’s restaurants and a manufacturer of ice cream products distributed in more than 8,000 retail outlets, has opened a new restaurant located across from Gate 19 in Terminal A at Boston’s Logan International Airport. Boston Food Concepts, which operates more than 50 full-service and quick-service restaurants in transit locations […]
Posted in, Northeast
Record-Breaking Year For Seafood Expo North America, And More…
New Channels In Brief Diversified Communications, producers of Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America, announced that the 35th edition of the exposition had a record-breaking year with more than 20,680 seafood professionals participating in the three-day event, held March 15-17 in Boston. More than 1,200 exhibiting companies from 51 countries—surpassing last year’s […]
Posted in, Northeast
Lottery Sales At The Pump Is A Possibility In Pennsylvania
If the Pennsylvania Lottery Commission has its way, the state may soon follow in the footsteps of other states like California and Minnesota in launching pumpside lottery ticket sales throughout the state. Pennsylvania Lottery officials recently told a State Senate committee in Harrisburg that they have begun exploring play-at-the-pump lottery ticket availability. The Lottery Commission also […]
Posted in, Northeast
Sam’s Club Expands Generic Prescription Savings, And More…
New Channels News In Brief Sam’s Club is expanding its prescription savings program enabling its Plus and Business Plus members to receive certain generic prescriptions at no charge or for $4 or $10. Five generic prescriptions used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and men’s and women’s health issues are free in specified quantities in 35 […]
Posted in, Northeast
Wakefern General Counsel Is An Award Finalist, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief Wakefern Food Corp. General Counsel Allison Berger is a finalist in the 2015 NJBIZ General Counsel of the Year Program. The awards program is produced by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s business news publication. The program honors New Jersey’s general counsels and chief legal officers for the role they play in making their […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National, Online Grocery Technology, The Independent Perspective
Technology Is Revolutionizing Shopping
The NGA Show concluded in February, but I still find myself thinking about how new technology innovations are changing the fundamental nature of grocery shopping. The impact of consumer-facing technology was a huge topic among show attendees. Several breakout sessions presented fascinating updates on the latest tech ideas that are driving rapid change throughout the […]
Posted in, Northeast
Groups Develop FoodKeeper For Food Waste Practices
To help consumers be better stewards of their food resources, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has joined with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Cornell University’s Department of Food Science to create the FoodKeeper—a publication and online database providing information about the shelf life of food products. This year, the partners made that information even more […]
Posted in, Northeast
Walmart Asks Suppliers To Redirect Efforts To Cut Prices, And More…
New Channels News In Brief… Walmart is asking suppliers to forego their marketing investments with the retailer and instead focus on cutting costs on products so it can better compete against other retailers… President Obama vetoed a measure passed by a Republican-run Congress, which blocked the National Labor Relations Board from streamlining the process for […]
Posted in, Northeast
Ferrara Plans To Increase Candy Production For Walmart, And More….
Convenience Store News In Brief… Confectioner manufacturer Ferrara Candy Co. plans to increase manufacturing capacity as it plans to expand the number of products it supplies to Walmart… According to Beverage Marketing Corp., a market research company, the U.S. market for beverages grew in 2014 after sales were basically flat in 2013. One of the […]
Posted in, Northeast
McDonald’s Pledges To Raise Minimum Wage Pay, And More…
Food Service News In Brief McDonald’s announced that it will raise wages at the roughly 1,500 restaurants it owns in the U.S. beginning July 1. The new policy, which guarantees that the company will pay at least $1 an hour more than the local minimum wage, only applies to company-owned locations, not franchises. The pay […]
Posted in, Northeast
U.S. Commission Files Wheat Price Fixing Charges, And More…
Supermarket News In Brief The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission last week filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court against Kraft Foods Group and Mondelez International charging the manufacturers with “manipulation and attempted manipulation of the prices of cash wheat and wheat futures.” Neither Kraft or Mondelez has yet issued any comment on the […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Southwest, Suppliers
Anheuser-Busch Tour Center At Houston Brewery Debuts To Public On April 10
The Tour Center at the Anheuser-Busch Houston Brewery will open its doors to the public Friday, April 10, giving guests a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into brewing some of America’s favorite beers. “Anheuser-Busch has been part of the Houston brewing community for nearly 50 years. And, with the Bayou City’s burgeoning beer scene, it’s the […]
Posted in, Midwest, Store News
Meijer Spending $50M To Remodel Four Ohio Stores
Meijer says it will invest nearly $50 million in extensive remodel projects for four supercenters located in Kettering, Miami Township, Englewood and Beavercreek, Ohio. Work on the four Dayton-area stores begins this month and will be completed in multiple phases so the stores can remain open during the construction process. The project is slated to […]