The Fresh Produce & Floral Council (FPFC) hosted its annual charity auction and luncheon at the Sheraton Cerritos in Cerritos, Calif., on Wednesday. Actor, singer and entrepreneur Frankie Avalon served as the event’s special guest as well as the celebrity auction host. Lorelei DiSogra, United Fresh, spoke about the great success of the “Let’s Move […]
Tag: California
Posted in, Independent Store News, West
El Rancho Marketplace Opens Store With Help From Calif. FreshWorks Fund
More than 50,000 residents of a California community have increased access to healthy foods and 140 jobs closer to home, as $1.7 million in unique financing allows a new business to invest in San Luis Obispo County. One of the first loans disbursed by California FreshWorks Fund LLC provides El Rancho Marketplace the means to […]
Posted in, National
Advantage Sales & Marketing To Purchase Action West Group
Advantage Sales & Marketing LLC (ASM) plans to launch a new division focused on retail meat, seafood, deli and bakery clients and customers. The move will be fueled by ASM’s planned acquisition of six companies that currently form a working alliance under the name of Action West Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. […]
Posted in, National, Store News
Safeway Offers Baking Items, Virtual Cupcake Decorator For Holidays
According to a recent Safeway survey, 78 percent of shoppers plan to make baking cookies a family activity during the holiday season, with 82 percent planning to serve or gift homemade baked goods. Whether baking from scratch or looking for the perfect ready-to-go dessert to take to a party, Safeway is the destination for everything […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Executive News, West
Former Supervalu Execs Join Unified Grocers
Unified Grocers has appointed Susan M. Klug as SVP and CMO and Leon G. Bergmann as SVP of sales, a new position at Unified. The announcement was made jointly on Dec. 3 by Unified Grocers CEO by Al Plamann and President Bob Ling. Both Klug and Bergmann previously worked for Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Supervalu. Klug, […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Walgreens Debuts Los Angeles Flagship Store At Sunset and Vine
Walgreens on Saturday welcomed the public to the official opening of its 8,000th store nationwide and its first flagship store on the West Coast, located in Los Angeles at the corner of Sunset and Vine. The store features an extensive collection of innovative offerings, products and services—perhaps unexpected from a drugstore. “We are thrilled to […]
Posted in, National, West
Bristol Farms’ Kevin Davis Elected CGA Board Chair
Kevin Davis, president and CEO of Bristol Farms, was elected as the 2012-13 board chairman for the California Grocers Association (CGA) during the group’s annual meeting Friday. As chairman, Davis will lead the association’s strategy over the numerous legislative, educational and industry-related programs. CGA is comprised of more than 400 retail companies operating more than […]
Posted in, National
Frieda Caplan To Receive United Fresh Lifetime Achievement Award
The United Fresh Produce Association will honor Frieda Rapoport Caplan with its Lifetime Achievement Award during its 2013 Winter Leadership Meetings in January in Tucson, Ariz. The award recognizes individuals for a lifetime of achievement and for lasting contributions to the fresh produce industry. In 1962, Frieda Caplan established Frieda’s Finest/Produce Specialties Inc. on the […]
Posted in, National
Annual Leadership Symposium To Be Held Jan. 16-18 In San Diego
Senior executives from all segments of the global supply chain who want to recharge their batteries for the new year, strengthen leadership capabilities and stretch their thinking beyond business as usual are invited to participate in the 2013 Leadership Symposium on Jan. 16-18 in San Diego, Calif. This annual event is sponsored by Produce Marketing […]
Posted in, Beverage News, National, New Products
Samuel Adams, TCHO Create Holiday Chocolate Box For Craft Beer Lovers
Samuel Adams and San Francisco-based craft chocolate maker TCHO have teamed up to introduce the Samuel Adams Beer Lover’s Chocolate Box. The Brewers at Samuel Adams worked closely with TCHO’s Chief Chocolate Maker Brad Kintzer to design the gift box so that each premium chocolate pairs with a Samuel Adams brew from the Samuel Adams […]
Posted in, National
Two Grocers Make Annual ‘Nice’ List
Consumer Reports has released its annual “Naughty & Nice” list, and two grocers made the list. Earning “nice” accolades is Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix and Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway. “Fewer supermarkets, it seems, follow the old practice of giving customers the item for free if it scans incorrectly at the checkout,” Consumer Reports says of Publix. “Fewer […]
Posted in, West
Paramount Citrus Cuts Ribbon On World’s Largest Citrus Packinghouse
Delano, Calif.-based Paramount Citrus celebrated Friday the grand opening of its new citrus packinghouse, which will be home to the company’s sweet, seedless, E-Z peel Cuties California Mandarins. The facility is more than 640,000 s.f.—the equivalent of 11 football fields under roof—making it the world’s largest citrus packinghouse. “This new Cuties Plant gives us a […]
Posted in, National, West
Greater Phoenix Expands ‘California 50’ Program
One week after the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) launched the California 50 program, the organization is expanding the program—which aims to fly 50 Golden State CEOs to the Phoenix metro region for an opportunity to tour and explore the market—to 100 California-based CEOs due to high demand. “The response to the California 50 program […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Raley’s And Nob Hill Reach Agreement With Union
Negotiators with Raley’s Family of Fine Stores and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) reached an agreement today, ending the nine-day-old grocery strike. “This is very exciting because this contract provides us with the cost savings we need to fund our vision and the initiatives to make us more competitive in the 21st century,” […]
Posted in, Suppliers, West
House Foods America Acquires El Burrito Mexican Food Products
House Foods America Corp., subsidiary of House Foods Corp. Japan, has completed its acquisition of El Burrito Mexican Food Products Inc., a leading healthy Mexican food brand based in City of Industry, Calif. The transaction includes substantially all of the assets of the company, which will be renamed El Burrito Mexican Foods Products Corp., and […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Raley’s, Union Returning To Contract Negotiations
After a week of a strike and picketing at Raley’s and Nob Hill stores, the grocery chain and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union have announced a return to contract negotiations, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. In a Sunday announcement, West Sacramento, Calif.-based Raley’s said both sides have agreed not to talk about […]
Posted in, West
Frieda’s Hosts Produce Retailers From India
Retailers from India recently made a stop at Frieda’s Inc. to get an insider perspective on the operation side of a wholesale specialty produce company. The tour consisted of 10 retailers who represented Walmart, Tesco and Metro Markets in India. They were in town for their first experience of PMA Fresh Summit, held late last […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Safeway Reaches Tentative Agreement With NorCal UFCW Locals
Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway Inc. has reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year labor agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Locals 5, 8 and 648 representing the company’s employees in Northern California. The new agreement will be recommended for ratification by the local unions to their members. “This new agreement provides our […]
Posted in, Store News, West
Lazy Acres Hosts Big Grand Opening For New Long Beach Store
More than 300 customers waited in a line that wrapped around the newest Lazy Acres store in Long Beach, Calif., on Wednesday in anticipation of the grocer’s grand opening. “We’re real excited about the turnout that we’ve had for the grand opening,” Kevin Davis, president and CEO of Bristol Farms, which owns the Lazy Acres […]
Posted in, National, West
Prop 37 Defeated: California Voters Say No To GMO Labeling Proposal
Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of genetically modified foods, was soundly defeated Tuesday in California, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The measure trailed 53 percent to 47 percent with nearly 90 percent of the vote counted at 3:30 a.m. (PT) Proposition 37 advocates relied on social media and a strong grass-roots campaign […]