Supermarket News In Brief… According to Steve Arthurs, Rhode Island Food Dealers Association president and CEO, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has announced significant changes to her proposal for tolling commercial trucks in the state. The governor wants to limit tolling to fewer categories of trucks (basically four or more axles vs. three axles), and would […]
Tag: retail
Posted in, Southwest, Store News
New San Antonio Walmart Slated To Open This Summer
Walmart plans to open a new Walmart Supercenter in San Antonio, Texas, on Aug. 26. The store will employ approximately 300 people. According to store manager Charles Martin, the store will be hiring both full- and part-time associates. “We are excited to bring a new Supercenter to this area and provide residents access to fresh […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products
DiGiorno Rolls Out Pizzeria! Thin Lineup
DiGiorno is introducing DiGiorno Pizzeria! Thin, a new crafted pizza that the company says will change perceptions about what frozen pizza should be. All four varieties of DiGiorno Pizzeria! Thin start with a crispy, preservative-free crust drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sauce made from vine-ripened tomatoes. Varieties are: • Supreme Speciale: Topped with […]
Posted in, Amazon Fresh, Corporate Store News, National, Store News, Whole Foods
Supermarkets Rank ‘Strong’ In Latest Customer Service Ratings
Supermarkets, retailers and banks, as an industry, earned average ratings of “strong” in the 2015 Temkin Customer Service Ratings, while TV service providers and internet service providers earned an average rating of “very weak.” Based on a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers, the ratings examine 278 companies across 20 industries. For the third straight year, […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Independent Store News, Southeast, Store News
Lowes Foods Recognized As A Retailer Of The Year By NCRMA
The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) recently honored four leading retail businesses, including Lowes Foods, with Retailer of the Year Awards. The awards were presented during NCRMA’s Annual Retail Refresh “lunch-and-learn” event held at the Marriott in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “We are proud of all of our retail members, who work day in and day out to provide superior value […]
Posted in, C-Store News, Southwest, Store News
Brookshire Brothers Selling 26 Polk Pick-It-Up Stores
The Brookshire Brothers grocery chain has entered into an agreement to sell 26 convenience stores in its Polk division to Partners Investors C-Stores Ltd. The Polk stores are located throughout Deep East Texas. Brookshire Brothers will keep its Polk Pick-It-Up locations in Hudson, Central Heights, Central and Wells. “We are continuously evaluating our business to ensure optimal […]
Posted in, Industry News, Marketing News, National
Five Consumer Trends Shaping The Future Of The Food Industry
Stalled sales in the center aisles at grocery stores and sluggish restaurant traffic growth are evidence that U.S. consumers’ eating behaviors are evolving. The growing influence of Hispanics, Millennials going through life stages, aging Boomers, smaller households and the need for fresh and non-processed foods are among the factors driving the shift in what and […]
Posted in, Northeast
Lay’s Allows Shoppers To Create Customized Chip Bags, And More…
Convenience Store News In Brief Lay’s is launching a program in which people can create custom chip bags by uploading a personal picture and phrase depicting their “favorite summer moment.” Lay’s will use the digital design to create real bags and ship them directly to the consumer, set to arrive near the Fourth of July […]
Posted in, Northeast
NACS: Rise In Gas Prices Causes Consumer Optimism To Wane
Nearly nine in 10 consumers (85 percent) say that gas prices affect their feelings about the economy, according to survey results released this week by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Gas prices have risen roughly 50 cents per gallon since February. On average, consumers say they will reduce how much they drive if gas […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, Suppliers
Interest In Ethnic Foods, Millennials Drive Latest Shelf Score Results
Instantly, the world’s largest audience and insights company, has released its April Shelf Score report, a monthly top 10 list of the newest CPG products ranked by consumer purchase intent. The company’s latest report shows that CPG brands are diversifying their flavor profiles as consumer interest in ethnic foods increases. Products with the highest purchase intent […]
Posted in, Northeast
Big Y Foods Opens First Gas And Convenience Location
Big Y Foods, Springfield, Massachusetts, has opened its first Big Y Express Gas & Convenience store in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, adjacent to its World Class Market there. The location contains 12 gas pumps with 87, 89 and 93 octane fuel as well as diesel at every dispenser and free air machines for tire inflation at all […]
Posted in, Northeast
Bill Filed To Raise Federal Minimum Wage To $12 Per Hour
About a quarter of American workers would get a raise under a recently introduced bill on Capitol Hill. Co-sponsored by Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), the bill would gradually increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $12 an hour over five years, and then index it to median wage growth. […]
Posted in, Midwest, Store News
Meijer Debuts New Supercenters In Manistee And Alpena, Michigan
Meijer last week opened two new supercenters in Michigan—one at 15 Caberfae Highway in Manistee in western Michigan and another at 1251 M-32 West in Alpena on the northern end of the state. Both stores are 190,000 s.f. The grocery options that Meijer offers include more than 600 varieties of farm-fresh produce and a meat […]
Posted in, Northeast
UNFI G&E Channel To Celebrate Tastes From Around The World At Upcoming ‘Customer Experience’
United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) Gourmet & Ethnic (G&E) Channel’s new “Customer Experience” at this year’s Foxwoods Tabletop Show, to be held May 13-14 at Fox Tower at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, will feature tastes from around the world. Rufus Teague will serve its award-winning barbecue sauces, Maille will create a unique mustard […]
Posted in, Northeast
NACS Joins NGA And FMI In Backing Common Sense Nutrition Labeling Bill
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has joined with the National Grocers Association and the Food Marketing Institute in backing the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015, HR 2017, a bipartisan bill reintroduced into Congress on Tuesday with the goal of addressing what the groups say is the FDA’s misinterpretation of a chain […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, Store News, West
WAFC’s Retail Management Certificate Lauded By White House
At an April 24 gathering at the White House centered on “Upskilling America,” the Western Association of Food Chains’ (WAFC) Retail Management Certificate received recognition. According to a statement from the White House’s Office of the Press Secretary, “Labor leaders such as local affiliates of SEIU and AFL-CIO, nonprofits like Goodwill and industry groups such as […]
Posted in, C-Store News, National, Perishables
Consumers Increasingly Turning To Fresh Items In C-Stores
More than one in three Americans (34 percent) say that they have purchased more snacks that are considered “healthy choices” over the past year, and they are increasingly turning to convenience stores for these healthy purchases, according to survey results released today by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). More than six in 10 […]
Posted in, Northeast
UNFI G&E Channel To Create Food Adventure At Upcoming ‘Customer Experience’
United Natural Foods (UNFI) Gourmet & Ethnic (G&E) Channel’s new “Customer Experience” at this year’s Foxwoods Tabletop Show, to be held May 13-14 at Fox Tower at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, will host an entire ballroom featuring gourmet and ethnic food brands. The Customer Experience will feature vocal artist and 2015 “Dancing With The […]
Posted in, Northeast
E-Cigarette Use By Teenagers Rises As Smoking Drops, And More…
C-Store News In Brief A new report released by the CDC shows that 13 percent of middle and high school students used electronic cigarettes in 2014—triple the number from the year before. At the same time, the share of high school students who smoked traditional cigarettes declined substantially, to 9 percent in 2014 from 16 […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, New Products
Hershey’s Caramels Making Debut In Stores
The Hershey Co. is rolling out new Hershey’s Caramels, a blend of Hershey’s chocolate with smooth, creamy caramel. Made with sea salt, molasses and fresh dairy butter, the caramel pieces are enrobed with milk or dark chocolate. Cocoa is added to the milk chocolate variety to provide a rich, deep chocolate flavor that complements the […]