The Food Industries Sales Managers’ Club of Los Angeles (FISMC) fittingly held its Women in the Food Industry Luncheon during March, which is Women’s History Month. Cynthia Weifenbach of CLW Consulting, chair of FISMC, emceed the event, during which Valerie Jabbar, president of Ralphs Grocery Co., and Hee-Sook Nelson, VP of team development and public […]
Tag: California
Northgate Executive: Expect Major Remodels, Expansions
Tom Herman says Northgate Gonzalez Markets has big plans. The chief experience officer for the 41-store Southern California chain reveals that the company intends to undertake “major remodels and expansions” this year. “Our strategy right now is we’re going back into some of our older facilities—either they’re smaller or older and can’t do the kind […]
Northgate To Open New Flagship Store On Wednesday
Northgate Gonzalez Market will open its latest flagship store in La Habra, California, on Wednesday. This new store commemorates an ongoing commitment to the local neighborhood, where Northgate has been serving the community for more than 30 years, according to the Latino-focused chain that operates 40 stores in Southern California. “For many years I have […]
New Seasons Market Plans First San Francisco Store
Portland, Oregon’s New Seasons Market plans to open its first San Francisco store—a 29,000-s.f unit at 555 Fulton Street between Laguna and Octavia streets. The store will be part of the Fulton Street Ventures development project; an opening date has not been set. “We are excited to come to San Francisco and join the Hayes […]
Raley’s, Nob Hill Foods Expand eCart Online Services To Bay Area Stores
Raley’s and its Nob Hills Foods banner have expanded their eCart program to many of their Bay Area stores. The enhanced system improves upon the current online order and curbside pickup solutions across all existing e-commerce-enabled locations, according to the West Sacramento, California-based grocery chain. The platform, according to Raley’s, is part of the company’s commitment to making […]
Safeway Community Markets To Open In California March 1
Safeway will introduce shoppers in the Northern California towns of Berkeley, Los Altos and San Anselmo to its new Safeway Community Markets banner on Wednesday, March 1. This banner is being used on former Andronico’s Markets stores, which Safeway purchased in early November last year. Safeway purchased five stores; four are being reopened under the […]
California Grocers Association Lauds Legislation To Help Stop Serial Theft
The California Grocers Association (CGA) is supporting and co-sponsoring a bill that would provide grocers and other retailers with relief from the recent spike in shoplifting. Assembly Bill 1326 by Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), and co-authored by assemblymembers Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) and Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima), will aggregate the dollar value of certain property crimes, […]
Raley’s Nob Hill Foods To Anchor New Luxury Apartment Development
Nob Hill Foods, a banner of Raley’s Family of Fine Stores, will anchor Monticello Apartment Homes, a new master-planned luxury apartment community in California’s Santa Clara region. The new store is slated to open in October. “We’re excited to bring the first full-service grocery store to the neighborhood,” said Dave Moore, president of Irvine Co. Retail […]
Costco Buyers Share Plans, Successes At FISMC Luncheon
Executives and associates from Costco Wholesale’s Los Angeles-area buying office were the guests of honor at the Food Industries Sales Managers’ Club of Los Angeles luncheon on Jan. 25. Sarah Wehling, VP/GM for the Los Angeles regional buying office, introduced four guest speakers for the event—buyers in different categories. Wehling herself oversees the buying of […]
DPI’s Ilharreguy To Retire This Week After 63 Years With Company
DPI Specialty Foods’ Tom “Tommy” Ilharreguy will retire Friday after 63 years of service to the California-based company. Working in and with grocery stores has been part of Ilharreguy’s life since his first after-school job during his teen years when he was a box boy for Safeway in its Sunset Boulevard store in Los Angeles. […]
WAFC Elects Four New Directors
The Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) has elected four new board members during its annual meeting, held last month in LaQuinta, California. Newly elected directors are: • Joe Falvey EVP, Unified Grocers; president, Market Centre, Livermore, California • Mike Hendry, EVP, marketing and merchandising, Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Anaheim • John Mathews, VP, sales and marketing, Cash&Carry […]
Save-A-Lot Shuttering Operations In California, Nevada
Save-A-Lot will close all of its stores in California and Nevada. The company, which Supervalu sold to an affiliate of Onex Corp. for $1.365 billion in cash in December, said in a statement Jan. 19 that the decision was made “after rigorous review and analysis.” Thirteen corporate locations, a retailer-owned store and the company’s Rancho distribution […]
Zion Market Debuts New-Concept Asian Grocery Store In Irvine
Zion Market will open its first Zion Mart store in Irvine on Wednesday with a soft opening. An official grand opening celebration will be held Feb. 16. The new store at Parkview Center will be a prototype for the family-owned and -operated Zion Market, which operates five locations in Southern California, including Buena Park and […]
Northgate Markets, Emerson Partner To Bring Food Waste Recycling System To California
Northgate Markets offers its shoppers a wide selection of fresh, healthy food like guacamoles and ceviches, but that creates a dilemma: What should be done with the food scraps? For Northgate Markets, these scraps add up quickly: Just one store in the Southern California chain uses six cases of avocados each day to prepare guacamole […]
‘Veg-centric’ Trends To Look Out For This Year
“Vegetable-centric” cooking and dining are on top of most trends lists for 2017, and retailers must be ready to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables to shoppers seeking to add more produce to their plates. That’s according to Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Vegetable-centric eating is finally mainstream, and it’s paving ways for the future of […]
Op-Ed: Will ‘Island’ Of California Drift Even Farther From The Mainland Under New Administration?
by Ron Fong/president and CEO, California Grocers Association The idea of California as an island dates back to at least the 16th century, when cartographers mapped it as sitting just off the western coast of North America—a mini paradise unto itself. As technology and cartography became more advanced, this misconception was corrected on world maps. […]
SMC Of San Francisco And NorCal Food Brokers Merging
The Sales Managers Club of San Francisco (SMC) held its last Hi-Jinks luncheon in December. The Hi-Jinks event is not going away, but will be sponsored by a new organization this year—the Northern California Food Industry Sales Association (FISA). FISA is the new organization formed by the merger of SMC and the Northern California Food […]
Barons Market’s Newest San Diego Store Opens In Former Fresh & Easy Unit
Barons Market on Thursday opened its newest store in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego in a former Fresh & Easy unit. The store marks the family-owned grocer’s seventh location and what the company calls its first urban store. “This store has been tailor-made to embody the distinct culture that makes North Park extraordinary,” says […]
Snyder’s-Lance Divests Diamond Of California Culinary Nut Business
Snyder’s-Lance Inc. plans to sell its Diamond of California culinary nut business to Blue Road Capital. “This strategic transaction will allow us to concentrate on our core business of providing our consumers and retail partners with our premium portfolio of snack brands focused on better ingredients, quality and taste,” said Carl E. Lee Jr., president […]
Final Thoughts At Jack Brown’s Memorial Service Come From The Late Leader Himself
by Bob Reeves/VP-West Leave it to Jack H. Brown to get in the final word. Even at his own memorial service. At the longtime Stater Bros. leader’s celebration of life service, held Saturday at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, a recording from 2008 found in Mr. Brown’s office desk drawer following his death […]
