Walmart, Target, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are among the top 10 most beloved brands of Millennials, according to the 2015 Top 50 Millennial Brand Ranking Report released this week by Moosylvania, an independent digital advertising agency. The brand comparison study was conducted with Millennials in two separate surveys over the course of nine months. The latest […]
Tag: business
Posted in, Independent Store News, Southeast
Rouses, Associated Grocers Dispute Goes To Trial
Two Louisiana grocery giants bitterly ended a decades-old alliance in 2008 and have spent the six years since in a series of civil-suit filings at a Thibodaux courthouse. The Advocate reports that, on Monday, Thibodaux-based grocery chain Rouses Enterprises and Baton Rouge-based wholesale grocery supplier Associated Grocers-Baton Rouge turned that paper-and-ink war into a jury […]
Posted in, Southeast, Store News
Bi-Lo Identifies Stores It Plans To Close
Bi-Lo Holdings, which plans to close 23 stores in six states, has identified the Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie locations that will shutter by Nov. 19. Bi-Lo spokesman Brian Wright told the Jacksonville Daily Record by email this week that the company notified employees and local community leaders of the store closings Oct. 3. The stores are […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Market Profile, West
’14 Wyo. Profile: For Independent Operators Jim & Carmen Diehl, Biz And Community Go Hand In Hand
Jim and Carmen Diehl are true independent supermarket operators, running three stores in the northeast corner of Wyoming and helping to keep their small towns viable. Jim and Carmen each have been in the industry for more than 30 years and own Diehl’s Supermarket in Moorcroft, Joe’s Food Center in Upton and Paradise Foods in […]
Posted in, Industry News, National
Holiday Shopping Spend Forecasted To Be Down As Shoppers Remain Cautious
The 2014 holiday shopping season will be characterized by cautious spending, while economic realities bifurcate the American holiday shopper. These are two of the 10 big trends that are expected to drive the 2014 holiday shopping season, according to a new report from PwC US and Strategy&, titled “2014 Holiday Outlook: Top trends, consumer behaviors […]
Posted in, Southeast, Store News
Bi-Lo To Shutter 23 Stores By Nov. 19
Bi-Lo Holdings, the Jacksonville, Florida-based owner of the Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie supermarket chains, says it is closing 23 stores in six states. Bi-Lo spokesman Brian Wright told the Jacksonville Daily Record by email today that the company notified employees and local community leaders of the store closings Friday, with the stores expected to close by […]
Posted in, Midwest, Store News
Kroger Ratifies Agreements With UFCW Local 75 For Toledo Area Associates
The Kroger Co. Columbus Division associates working at Kroger stores in the Toledo area have ratified new labor agreements with UFCW Local 75. “We are pleased to reach agreements that are good for our associates. These agreements provide wage increases, affordable healthcare and investment in our associates’ pension fund to support their retirement,” said Bruce […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National, Produce News
Sun-Maid Raisins, Chiquita Banana Bread Mix Launch ‘Sweeter-Together’ Campaign
Sun-Maid Raisins and Concord Foods are partnering on a new promotion, Sweeter Together, for the holidays. Through December, a range of recipes featuring Sun-Maid Raisins and Chiquita Banana Bread Mix will be available to consumers online at Sweeter-Together.com. In addition, instant redeemable coupons (IRC) for $0.55 off the purchase of Sun-Maid Raisins (12-oz. or larger) […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Smart & Final Opens 200th Store
Smart & Final opened its 200th store Thursday at 644 Redondo Avenue in Long Beach, California. The opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony with local officials. The Los Angeles-based company says the milestone represents its continued growth and commitment to meeting modern consumer shopping needs, as well as its rich history and deep […]
Posted in, Midwest, National, Online Grocery Technology, Store News
Supervalu Reports Another Data Security Breach
Following a reported data breach in mid-August, Supervalu on Monday said that it has discovered what it believes to be another breach. The Minnesota-based company says it believes an intruder, between late August and early September, installed malware into the portion of its computer network that processes payment card transactions at some of its Shop […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, National
NGA Presents U.S. Senators With Champion Of Independent Grocers Award
The National Grocers Association (NGA) recently presented U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri, John Boozman of Arkansas and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky with its Champion of Independent Grocers Award. The award is given to lawmakers who have worked to advance pro-growth policies and workable solutions for independent grocers and wholesalers. “Together, independent, community-focused retailers and […]
Posted in, Center Store, National
Nielsen’s Hale Delivers ‘State Of’ Report At GMDC Conference
At the Global Market Development Center’s (GMDC) 2014 General Merchandise (GM) Marketing Conference, Todd Hale, a retail insights thought leader, presented on behalf of Nielsen the “GM State of the Industry 2014,” a business session that provided more than 400 attendees with an exclusive look into the retail landscape and its performance in GM categories. This […]
Posted in, National, West
L.A. Mayor Seeks Hourly Minimum Wage Increase
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said this week that he would be pushing a major proposal for a citywide increase in the hourly minimum wage, according to the California Grocers Association (CGA). For the past few weeks his office has been in contact with Los Angles area business groups to circulate his plan. The proposal […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
New Online Marketplace Launched To Advance Retail Industry Innovation
The Center for Advancing Retail & Technology (CART) and the National Grocers Association (NGA) today unveiled a new online platform for the supermarket industry. The CART marketplace at advancingretail.org is designed to help the supermarket sector keep pace with technology innovation that is rapidly transforming the way people shop. “Retailers and brand manufacturers are experiencing […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, National
Independent Grocers Hold Ground In Tough Fiscal Year 2013
The National Grocers Association (NGA) and FMS Solutions have released the results of their joint 2014 Independent Grocers Financial Survey, covering fiscal year 2013. Independents’ financial performance much mirrored the nation’s economy, which showed modest growth and both ups and downs in consumer, financial and market performance indicators. Some retailers managed to grow sales, margins […]
Posted in, National
Report: Shoppers Primarily Interact With Brands Via Smartphones, Tablets
Online shopping has reached a mobile tipping point. For the first time ever, according to Branding Brand’s Mobile Commerce Index report, the majority of consumers are visiting retail websites on smartphones and tablets rather than on traditional desktop and laptop computers. In August, mobile devices generated 51 percent of all online retail visits, the majority of […]
Posted in, National, Perspectives
What Makes A Business A Great Place To Work?
While the state of the U.S. economy has changed substantially since 2000, the state of the American workplace has not. Currently, 30 percent of the U.S. workforce is engaged in their work, and the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is roughly 2 to 1, meaning that the vast majority of U.S. workers (70 […]
Posted in, Suppliers
Report: CPG Companies Must Plan For A Digital Future
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies need to plan for a “1-5-10” market in the U.S. during the next five years, in which digital’s current 1 percent penetration will likely expand to 5 percent and could accelerate to as much as 10 percent in short order, according to a new report, “The Digital Future: A Game […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, National
Family Dollar Rejects Dollar General Bid
Family Dollar Stores Inc. on Thursday said its board of directors has unanimously rejected the non-binding proposal made by Dollar General Corp. on the basis of what the company calls “antitrust regulatory considerations.” In addition, the Family Dollar board unanimously reaffirmed its recommendation in support of the merger agreement with Dollar Tree Inc. Read more […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Southeast
Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo Parent Withdraws Plan To Go Public
After months of silence on its plans for an initial public offering, the parent company of the Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo supermarket chains formally withdrew its plans to go public Tuesday, the Jacksonville Daily Record reports. The Jacksonville-based company originally filed plans for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission in September 2013. It made […]