A new 47,800-s.f. Whole Foods Market store will open Nov. 4 at 10th and Gilman streets in Berkeley, Calif. The store will be Whole Foods’ second location in Berkeley and the 41st in the Northern California region. The Austin, Texas-based grocer has named Jen Monaco as the Berkeley store’s team leader. In this role, Monaco is […]
Tag: California
Posted in, National, West
CGA Educational Foundation Receives Landmark Donation
The California Grocers Association Educational Foundation has received a record donation from the California Independent Grocers Association (CIGA) that will significantly expand the funding of college scholarships, tuition reimbursement and industry educational opportunities for independent grocer members of CGA and their dependents. The $403,000 gift was the result of the recent merger between CIGA and […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, New Products
Zola Releases Coconut Water Lemonade
Zola Fruits of the World, maker of coconut waters and acaí juices in the U.S., has rolled out Coconut Water Lemonade, available nationwide. This new flavor innovation combines naturally hydrating coconut water with the refreshment of lemonade for a taste that is a perfect balance of tart and sweet, according to Zola, which also is […]
Posted in, Albertsons, National, West
Memorial Service For Albertsons’ Dave Simonson To Be Held In September
A celebration of life for Mr. Dave Simonson, former president of Albertsons Southern California region, will be held in September. Mr. Simonson died in late June following a battle with dementia. He was in his mid-60s. “Dave fought a very tough fight,” his wife Cathie says, “waking up each day with a smile on his […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, West
Bristol Farms Golf Tourney Raises $55K For City Of Hope
More than 270 golfers took to the links at Pacific Palms Golf Resort in the City of Industry last month to support the “2014 Friends of Bristol Farms Golf Tournament” and the City of Hope. This year’s event marked the 20th anniversary of the tournament and the 10th year of City of Hope being the […]
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Hormel Foods Buying Maker Of Muscle Milk
Hormel Foods Corp. plans to acquire CytoSport, one of the largest sports nutrition companies in the U.S. and the maker of Muscle Milk. As a leading provider of premium protein products in the sports nutrition category, CytoSport says its brands align with Hormel Foods’ focus on protein while further diversifying Hormel’s portfolio and broadening the […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Corporate Store News, West
Former Albertsons SoCal Division President Passes Away
Mr. Dave Simonson, former president of Albertsons Southern California region, died this week. He was in his mid-60s. His obituary was unavailable at the time of this report. “I really enjoyed calling on Dave back in the day…what a fine gentleman,” Willie Crocker of Bimbo Bakeries said in an email. Cheryl Kennick of City of […]
Posted in, National, West
Klugs Get Good News About CF Clinical Trials
Unified Grocers’ Sue Klug and her teenage daughter Shelby, who suffers with cystic fibrosis, have been longtime supporters of the CF community. Their family has helped host countless fundraisers and raise generous funds for the Southern California chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (read more about their efforts here). The Klugs and other Cystic Fibrosis […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, National
Safeway Receives National Animal Welfare Award
Safeway received the Henry Spira Humane Corporate Progress Award from The Humane Society of the United States. The grocery chain—the second largest in the country—earned the award for its work in 2013 to end the extreme confinement of pigs in its supply chain. In the pork industry, most breeding pigs are confined for virtually their […]
Posted in, Executive News, West
La Tortilla Factory Appoints Jeff Ahlers President, CEO
La Tortilla Factory is shifting its top management roles, hiring Jeff Ahlers as president and CEO after a lengthy search process led by the Tamayo family and the Santa Rosa, Calif.-based company’s board of directors. Sam Tamayo, who has been La Tortilla Factory’s CEO for two years, has been promoted to vice chairman and chief […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Fresh & Easy Reintroduces Itself To Customers With Marketing Campaign
Fresh & Easy this week launched a full-scale marketing campaign inviting customers to discover an all-new Fresh & Easy. Since transferring to new ownership in November, the company says it has reinvigorated the brand and its stores with the aim of being the anytime, anyway, anywhere solution for getting healthy, convenient and affordable food. The […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Stater Bros.’ Riverside Replacement Store Opens Next Week
Stater Bros. will open its Riverside, Calif., replacement store Wednesday, June 25. The new 44,000-s.f. store is 80 percent larger than the current Riverside store, which will close June 24. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 8:15 a.m. and the supermarket will open for business at 9 a.m. The new store at 2841 Mary St. […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, West
Vallarta In Fresno Hosting MDA Check Presentation Today
California’s Vallarta Supermarkets will present a check to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) at 11 a.m. Pacific time today at the Vallarta store at 4831 Butler Ave. in Fresno. Each year, the Vallarta chain dedicates one full month to allow customers and visitors to make donations to the MDA; cashiers invite customers to donate at […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, West
Visionary Leadership Plays Big Part In Superior Grocers’ Success
Superior Grocers had a big night in early May, as the Southern California grocery chain was the featured retailer at an Illuminators networking dinner in Fullerton. It was an important evening for the grocer, marking the first time it had presented its company to CPG companies. Mimi Song, Superior’s chair and CEO, credits her chain’s […]
Posted in, Grocery News, Northeast
Boyajian Oils Awarded Gold, Silver Medals At International Competition
Boyajian Inc. has been awarded a gold medal for its Scallion Infused Olive Oil and a silver medal for its Chipotle Infused Olive Oil at the recent 2014 Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition. This year the competition celebrated its 14th anniversary. Oils are tasted by a team of judges and the competition […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Store News, West
Stater Bros. Plans New SoCal Stores In Covina, Menifee Communities
Plans are under way to open two new state-of-the-art “Blue Ribbon” Stater Bros. Supermarkets in the communities of Covina (Los Angeles County) and Menifee (Riverside County). These new supermarkets will create more than 250 new store-level jobs and approximately 300 local construction jobs, according to the San Bernardino, Calif.-based grocer. “These two stores are a […]
Posted in, National, West
Memorial Service For Jax’s Bill MacAloney To Be Held Sunday
A memorial service for Mr. Bill MacAloney, who died May 21 following a battle with cancer, will be held at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary’s Historic Mausoleum/Rose Window Chapel in Santa Ana. He will be cremated. Mr. MacAloney was the president and CEO of California’s Jax Markets. “…Bill was […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Store News, West
60K SoCal Grocery Workers Reach Tentative Agreement With UFCW
A tentative agreement has been reached between grocery workers in Southern California, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442, and Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons. The agreement covers more than 60,000 grocery workers throughout the region. The agreement this week comes after a final marathon session […]
Posted in, National, West
Unified Grocers Hosting Annual Expo In Long Beach Next Month
Unified Grocers is hosting its largest-ever annual expo for the company’s members, customers and vendor community at the Long Beach Convention Center on June 18–19. Unified President and CEO Bob Ling recently celebrated his first anniversary leading the company. He and other members of the wholesaler’s senior team will be on hand. Unified says this […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Stater Bros. To Participate In Moment Of Remembrance On Memorial Day
On Memorial Day next week, all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets will participate in the “National Moment of Remembrance.” At 3 p.m. Monday, May 26, every Stater Bros. store manager will make an announcement asking all the customers and employees who are inside the supermarket at that time to pause for 60 seconds to honor those Americans […]