A 100-percent employee-owned company, Bowling Green, Kentucky-based Houchens Food Group (HFG) operates in the grocery, convenience, hardware and restaurant industries. It has more than 400 locations across 15 states, including Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Alabama. HFG is a subsidiary of Houchens Industries Inc., one of the largest and most diversified wholly-owned S Corp employee […]
Tag: market profile
Posted inAssociation News, Market Profile, News, Southeast
SNAP, HDCPs, EPR Among Top Issues In Tennessee’s 2025 Legislative Session
The 2025 state legislative session in Tennessee involved some heated battles to try and protect the interests of grocery and convenience stores. Some battles were won; others were lost. Rob Ikard, president and CEO of the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association, provided a roundup from the 114th Tennessee General Assembly that ended April 22, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, West
3-Store Acquisition Strengthens Stokes Markets’ Position In Mountain West
John Stokes and his brother, Steve, are fourth-generation grocers who have spent their lives immersed in the family business, Stokes Markets. Their work ethic and dedication to excellence are a direct result of their upbringing in the industry and the influence of those who worked alongside them. Stokes credits their customers with pushing them to […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Northeast
Minier’s Unlikely Mix – Meat Destination With ‘Pottery Barn’ Feel In Big Flats, NY
Minier’s has a long, rich history, stretching back to the 1870s when Henry Minier opened a general store in Big Flats, New York, in the state’s Southern Tier. That store was about half a mile from where Minier’s full-service supermarket sits today at 84 Canal St. The family-owned store, known as Minier’s Neighborhood Meat Store […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Rouses Market, Southeast
Fast-Growing Lafayette Leading Way As Rouses Expanding In Louisiana
For this month’s Market Profile, The Shelby Report of the Southeast visited with Donny Rouse, the third-generation CEO of Rouses Markets, to talk about the company’s newest location in Lafayette and its strategic expansion in its home state of Louisiana, where it has 53 stores. What can you tell us about your newest store […]
Posted inAssociation News, Market Profile, Midwest, News
Michigan Retailers Face Economic Uncertainty Amid Tariffs, Inflation, Dip In Tourists
Michigan retailers are facing a challenging economic environment marked by inflation, tariff-related disruptions and fluctuating consumer behavior, according to Vic Veda, VP of communications with the Michigan Retailers Association. “The best specific data that I have on this topic here really does talk about the impacts of tariffs,” Veda said. “We did a member survey […]
Posted inAssociation News, Market Profile, News, Northeast
Orange May Not Have Lock On Future Shelf Tag Color In Massachusetts
In late May, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced she was eliminating outdated regulations to save businesses and business owners time and money. The change that affects grocers in the commonwealth was the overhaul of unit price disclosure requirements that had not been adjusted since the 1990s. Brian Houghton, SVP of government affairs and communications at […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, Midwest, News
Mackinaw Family Market Thrives As Community Hub In Bustling Tourist Town
At the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the independent Mackinaw Family Market stands as a cornerstone of Mackinaw City – both during the bustling summer tourism season and the quiet winter months. The village of 847 residents is a resort community located on the shores of the Straits of Mackinac. For Mackinaw Family Market […]
Posted inMarket Profile, News, West
Favorable Job Market Intensifying Employer Competition For Talent In WA
Anneliese Vance-Sherman, chief labor economist with the Washington Employment Security Department, recently spoke with The Shelby Report about the workforce challenges retailers are facing in the state. How would you summarize the retail workforce situation in Washington state? The overall job market, while showing a slight slowdown after recovering from COVID-19 pandemic job losses, […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Market Profile, News, West
ASMI Helps Build Trust, Loyalty In Alaska’s Sustainably Caught Seafood
The Shelby Report recently caught up with Amy Dukes, head of retail marketing for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, to discuss Alaska’s seafood and how grocers can build sales in the category. What key trends should grocers be aware of with Alaska seafood? According to Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s Retail Consumer Research Report, 80 […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, Northeast
Cape Cod’s Ring Bros. Marketplace Staying Fresh In Offerings, Branding
Ring Bros. Marketplace got its start 100 years ago, when teenager Stephen Ring Sr. and his older brother, Edmund, sold produce from a horse-drawn wagon on the streets of Boston. Later, Stephen Sr. would take his sons, Ed and Stephen Jr., along to help. The sons eventually made the business their life’s work, like their […]
Posted inMarket Profile, News, Southwest
Grocers Large, Small Serving Shoppers In ‘Strong And Growing’ South Texas
While H-E-B and Walmart garner a large portion of grocery dollars in the South Texas market, independent grocers play a vital role as well, especially in the large number of smaller towns that dot the landscape. For chains and independents alike, South Texas has a number of upsides. Grocery stores provide good, steady jobs in […]
Posted inMarket Profile, News, Southeast
Specialty Retailers Find Opportunity With North Florida’s Growing Asian Population
Driven by strong retail investments, North Florida’s grocery market is experiencing considerable change. In a reflection of the region’s robust economy and appeal to business, areas such as Jacksonville and the state capital of Tallahassee in the Panhandle are outperforming many parts of the country. A cost of living just below the national average and […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, News, West
Collaboration With Residents Results In New Store For Remote Kotzebue, AK
In November, the Alaska Commercial Co. (AC) unveiled a new 26,000-square-foot grocery and general merchandise store in Kotzebue, Alaska, which lies about 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the northwestern corner of the state. The store plays a vital role in providing essential food and supplies to the residents of the town and […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, News, West
Grocers Bracing For Impact Of Largest Tax Hike In WA’s History
Washington is considered one of the most expensive states in the nation when it comes to the cost of gas, housing and healthcare. It has the fourth highest average grocery prices in the country, and 55 percent of residents face food insecurity. And officials from the Washington Food Industry Association note that grocers and consumers […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Independent Store News, News, Northeast
Marty’s 1st Stop On Cusp Of Major Expansion In Danville, VT
Sometimes a career change comes when one sees the handwriting on the wall. For Marty Beattie, this happened in 1989. Vermont farms were going out of business, and he was working for a grain company. He had invested 15 years in that industry, but he knew he needed to pivot to something with a brighter […]
Posted inMarket Profile, News, Southeast
Still Much Work To Do As Western NC Continues Helene Recovery
In the last weeks of April, roughly seven months after Hurricane Helene ripped through Western North Carolina, new federal and state grant programs were rolled out to help the area continue on the path toward recovery. On April 25, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had […]
Posted inMarket Profile, News, Southeast
New Potential Shoppers Continue To Pour Into North Carolina
North Carolina grocers have great incentive to keep their stores and product offerings at the top of their game – new customers coming into the state who have no pre-existing loyalty. Lindsey Kueffner, executive director of the Carolinas Food Industry Council, which covers both North Carolina and South Carolina, said that North Carolina’s population has […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Market Profile, Midwest, News
Growing GF Buche Co. Remains Passionate About Helping Those In Need
Fourth-generation South Dakota grocer RF Buche has a passion for retail but an even greater passion for helping people. That sentiment stems from a lesson he learned at age 7 from his father. While helping out in the store, he saw his dad quietly slip some cash to a mother in the checkout line who […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Association News, News, Northeast
Connecticut Shoppers Adapt Grocery Habits Amid Economic Shifts
Come September, Wayne Pesce will have led the Connecticut Food Association as president for 10 years. In the conversation below, he discusses with The Griffin Report of the Northeast what’s happening in the state’s grocery industry, including some of the keys to success in today’s grocery industry. How is Connecticut’s economy faring? Connecticut’s economy […]