by Alissa Marchat/staff writer Times are still tough and competition, as always, is a challenge for retailers in Louisiana and Mississippi, but that’s not stopping a number of national and regional chains from thriving in those states. From new locations to same-store growth, the outlook for many retailers is positive. Brandon Trosclair, GM and owner […]
Tag: economy
Posted in, Northeast
C-Store Sales Are Strong For First Half Of 2016
Convenience store sales surged over the first half of the year as lower gas prices fueled more driving and Americans embraced the continued addition of fresh and healthy food options, according to a survey of convenience retailers released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). More than two in three convenience retailers (70 percent) […]
Posted in, C-Store News, Food Service News, Home Page Latest News, Industry News, National
Convenience Store Sales Remain Strong For First Half Of 2016
Convenience store sales surged over the first half of the year as lower gas prices fueled more driving and Americans embraced the continued addition of fresh and healthy food options, according to a NACS survey. More than two in three convenience retailers (70 percent) say that in-store sales in the first half of 2016 were […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, National, Store News
‘Living Wage’ Should Vary Across Industry, Study Says
Should Walmart and Costco—two stores with differing target customers, business models and profit margins—be required to pay employees the same minimum wage? No, according to a new study from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). The analysis, authored by NCPA senior fellow Pam Villarreal and research associates Anna Shapovalova and Jacob Kohlhepp, warns that […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Central Market, Corporate Store News, Home Page Latest News, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Southwest, Store News
United’s Market Street Banner Growing Under Albertsons Umbrella
by Terrie Ellerbee/associate editor United Supermarkets adopted a strategic growth plan in 1998 that grew the company into what it is today. It was a milestone in the company’s timeline, as United Supermarkets opened its very first Market Street store in Wichita Falls. The Market Street banner is described as “where everyday meets gourmet” with […]
Posted in, Northeast
Challenges Loom Despite National Restaurant Growth
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) projects that restaurants in 2016 will post sales of $782.7 billion and employ 14.4 million people in more than one million locations. The 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast reveals that the U.S. restaurant industry will remain the nation’s second-largest, private-sector employer—providing career opportunities for one in 10 working Americans. “Though the […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Market Profile, Shelby Content, Shelby Signature Content, Store News, West
Food Industry Vet Lamprecht Makes Wyoming’s Valley Foods A Unique Destination For Locals, Tourists Alike
by Kristen Cloud/staff writer Tim Lamprecht has more experience in the food industry that most. This year, in fact, marks his 50th year in the business. His career has spanned from “carryout boy” to supplier representative to today being the owner and GM of Valley Foods and Liquor in Saratoga—located about 7,000 feet in elevation […]
Posted in, Independent Store News, Southeast, Store News
Independent Spotlight: Piggly Wiggly Of Tarboro, North Carolina
Kenneth “Kenny” Honeycutt, along with his wife Brenda, owns and operates the Piggly Wiggly store in Tarboro, North Carolina, which is home to about 10,000 residents. He is involved in all aspects of store operations, including ordering, scheduling, advertising, personnel, government regulation compliance, store conditions and customer service. Honeycutt’s Piggly Wiggly store, located at 2030 […]
Posted in, National
Study: There’s Wide Disparity In Food Costs Throughout The Nation
Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2015 study finds many low-income communities that are home to a significant number of food-insecure households have higher-than-average food costs. “In other words, many of the people we serve not only struggle to make ends meet, but they are also forced to spend more of their meager dollars to […]
Posted in, Northeast
Candy Industry Adds To U.S. Economy
Candy making fuels the American economy to great effect, according to a new National Confectioners Association (NCA) report. The confectionery industry directly employs 55,000 people in the United States, and more than 400,000 jobs in agriculture, retail, transportation and other industries rely in part on the sale of confections for their livelihood. For every job that […]
Posted in, Northeast
Food Service And Lodging Numbers Continue To Rise
Two noted food service and lodging analysts recently had good numbers to report to guests and members of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association (RIHA), with the most promising numbers for the Rhode Island lodging market. Hudson Riehle, SVP of research and knowledge for the National Restaurant Association, and Rachel Roginsky were guest speakers at the […]
Posted in, National
New Study Details Grocery Shopping Habits Of Low-Income Consumers
A new National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS), “Where Do Americans Usually Shop for Food and How Do They Travel To Get There?,” jointly sponsored by the Economic Research Service (ERS) and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, has collected comprehensive data about food purchases, both from grocery stores and other food retailers and […]
Posted in, Northeast
National Restaurant Performance Dips For Second Straight Month
The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined in June for the second consecutive month. The RPI—a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry—stood at 102.0 in June, down 0.4 percent from May and its lowest level in nine months. Despite the decline, June represented the 28th […]
Posted in, Northeast
Bay State Bid To Win Olympic Games Relies On Expanded Boston Convention Center Use
A Massachusetts bid to win the summer 2024 Olympic games for Boston relies in part on the expanded use of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC). A preliminary bid book identifies an expanded BCEC as a key venue for many Olympic events such as rhythmic gymnastics, indoor volleyball, Taekwondo, judo, wrestling and table tennis. The bid […]
Posted in, C-Store News, National
NACS: Consumer Optimism Strengthens As Gas Prices Remain Low
A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about the economy and low gas prices are driving the optimism. Overall, 52 percent of Americans are optimistic about the economy, an eight-point jump from March. Those most optimistic are younger consumers age 18-34 (58 percent) and those in the West (58 percent), according to survey results […]
Posted in, Northeast
Walgreens To Close 200 Stores
Walgreens plans to close about 200 U.S. stores, part of the drugstore chain’s $1 billion cost-reduction plan announced last fall. The national chain made the announcement as part of a larger corporate reorganization plan, including streamlining its information technology and other in-house functions. The company expects that the changes will result in a cost savings […]
Posted in, Midwest, Store News
Hy-Vee To Close Mainstreet Store In Lincoln, Nebraska, Next Month
Hy-Vee will close its Mainstreet store at 2345 N. 48th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, next month, citing too many of its own stores in a small geographical area. After Hy-Vee Mainstreet closes Feb. 1, its 76 full- and part-time employees will transition to positions at the other Hy-Vee stores in Lincoln. The two nearest stores—the […]
Posted in, Market Profile, Southeast
Georgia Profile: Foothills A 2015 IGA Finalist, New Store Activity Afoot Across State
There are thousands of IGA stores around the world, yet one of Georgia’s own is among six stores in the U.S. that is a 2015 IGA USA International Retailer of the Year finalist. Moreover, it’s not the first time the 25,000-s.f. store has been a finalist. Foothills IGA in Marble Hill, owned by Jeff and […]
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 […]