Landec Corp.’s entire portfolio of Eat Smart branded products now contains only 100 percent clean ingredients, including all salad dressings, toppings, sauces and dips. With the completion of this Eat Smart initiative, all products in the Landec Natural Foods (LNF) branded portfolio contain only 100 percent clean ingredients, including Eat Smart fresh packaged vegetables and salads, O Olive […]
Tag: West
‘Little Joe’s Dinner’ Continues A Longstanding SoCal Tradition
In 1957, three men—Sam Guzzo of Oroweat Baking Co., Charlie Dragna of Barbara Ann Bread Co. and John Fusano of San Fernando Valley Olive Co.—started what would become an annual Christmas party. The event was held during the holiday season and hosted at Little Joe’s Italian Restaurant in Chinatown Los Angeles. The party quickly became […]
California Perspective: Cups, Plates And Straws, Oh My
by Ronald K. Fong/president & CEO, California Grocers Association There is an expression—“get on the bus or get run over by the bus”—that rings true from time to time in politics. Every so often, when faced with huge policy shifts on the horizon, one is forced to make this very calculation. CGA did this a […]
Peet’s Coffee Acquires Majority Stake In Revive Kombucha
Peet’s Coffee has acquired a majority stake in Revive Kombucha, a craft brewery based in Petaluma, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Revive offers an array of naturally fermented, organic, non-GMO, Fair Trade certified, ethically sourced and raw bottled and on-tap Kombucha. Peet’s says its financing will help to continue to scale the Revive brand, […]
Kroger And Nuro Launch First Unmanned Delivery Service For The General Public
The Kroger Co. and Nuro have launched what they say is the first-ever unmanned delivery service available to the general public in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since August, the companies have operated a self-driving grocery delivery service in Scottsdale with an autonomous Prius fleet accompanied by vehicle operators. The autonomous vehicles have completed nearly 1,000 deliveries to the […]
Sprouts’ Sanders Speaks To NEW Southern California About Leadership
“Equipped to lead” was the theme of an Oct. 11 meeting of the NEW (Network of Executive Women) Southern California chapter and keynote speaker Dan Sanders, COO of Sprouts, came equipped with quite a leadership resume. Moderator Mike Hendry, EVP of merchandising and marketing for Northgate Gonzalez Markets, introduced Sanders as a proven leader specializing […]
Los Angeles’ Co+opportunity Market & Deli Hires New GM
Co+opportunity Market & Deli, a Los Angeles-area natural foods retailer for 45 years, has hired industry veteran Mike Bowen as its GM. Bowen was chosen after a national search led by Co+opportunity’s board of directors. Bowen has been a part of Southern California’s natural foods landscape at the operations and strategic level for 30 years, […]
Clorox Executive Leadership Changes Include Slate Of Promotions
The Clorox Co. is shaking up its executive team effective Jan. 7, 2019. Linda Rendle, 40, currently EVP–cleaning and strategy, will advance to the role of EVP–strategy and operations. In this role, Rendle will retain responsibility for corporate business strategy and will take on responsibility for the company’s five core global functions—marketing, sales, product supply, research […]
Northgate Gonzalez Markets Hosting 22nd Annual Toy Giveaway
Family-owned Northgate Gonzalez Markets gave away toys to more than 42,000 children on Dec. 13 at stores in California’s Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. Northgate Markets works with its partners and the community for the annual toy giveaway at the chain’s 40 full-service grocery stores year after year. Northgate associates dressed in festive holiday […]
Raley’s To Sell 13 Aisle 1 Fuel Stations To Anabi Oil
Raley’s plans to sell its 13 Aisle 1 fuel stations to Anabi Oil, a Southern California family business and c-store operator. Anabi Oil is prepared to assume operations of the fuel stations as of early 2019, under the name Aisle 1. The deal will make Anabi’s Aisle 1 locations and Raley’s exclusive fuel partners. The fuel stations are […]
H-Mart To Open Flagship Store At Los Angeles’ Koreatown Plaza
The Plaza Market grocery store at Koreatown Plaza—a tri-level indoor shopping mall located at 928 S. Western Avenue in Los Angeles—will be sold to H-Mart, which plans to convert the location into a flagship H-Mart grocery store. The Plaza Market’s last day of business will be Jan. 31, 2019, and H-Mart will open on Feb. 1, 2019. H-Mart, […]
DFA Opens Larger, Redesigned Cheese Store In Utah
Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national cooperative owned by family farmers, opened the doors of its newly reimagined retail store, full-service café and interactive experience, The Creamery, in Beaver, Utah, in mid-November. The 11,250-s.f. store, located midway between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Salt Lake City, Utah, along Interstate 15, is more than four times the size of the […]
Sprouts CEO Maredia Will Step Down In December
Amin Maredia, Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.’s CEO and a member of its board of directors, will “transition away from the company” on Dec. 30 to pursue other interests, says Sprouts. Jim Nielsen, Sprouts’ president and chief operating officer, and Brad Lukow, the company’s CFO, will serve as co-interim CEOs until a permanent successor is named. […]
WAFC Elects C&S Wholesale’s Winn To Board Of Directors
The Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) elected Eric Winn, SVP and GM, West Coast and Hawaii, of C&S Wholesale Grocers to its board of directors during its annual meeting in November in San Francisco, California. “I am so excited and pleased to welcome Eric to the board. He brings a lot of passion and […]
Recommended: Save Mart Is Changing Its Look And Feel, But Not Its Valley Grown Pride
The fresh face leading Modesto-based grocery giant Save Mart wants to bring fresh ideas, a fresh look and fresh experience to the Central Valley. The Save Mart Companies CEO Nicole Pesco, whose grandfather Michael Piccinini and great-granduncle Nick Tocco started the venerable valley brand in 1952, is now almost two years into her tenure at […]
Smart & Final Reports Sixth Consecutive Quarter Of Comp Sales Growth
Smart & Final Stores Inc. has released its financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended Oct. 7, 2018. Among the highlights of the report, Smart & Final reported a net sales increase of 2.8 percent to $1.497 billion; a comparable store sales increase of 0.6 percent; and gross margin increase of 8.7 percent to $232.4 million. In […]
Washington Food Industry Association Names 2018-19 Board Leaders
The Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) has selected Dave Willis, co-president of Willis Marketing Inc. in Gig Harbor, to serve as the association’s chairman of the board in 2018-19. Willis succeeds Paul Kapioski, owner of West Seattle Thriftway in Seattle, who has served in that role this past year. The association’s new first vice chair, PND Mercato’s […]
California’s St. Benoit Creamery Unveils Brand Refresh
Sonoma, California-based St. Benoit Creamery has debuted an updated look for its line of organic yogurts and milk. According to St. Benoit, the evolution of the brand includes its philosophy of “real food, real good,” reflecting the line’s key attributes: organic, pasture-raised, Jersey cow’s milk, and California-inspired. Starting this month, trade and consumers will begin seeing […]
Raley’s Moving Sugary Cereals To The Bottom Shelf
Raley’s continues to reimagine its grocery aisles with another move in the name of health and wellness. The retailer is changing the layout of its cold cereal aisles by giving prime placement to cereals with less added sugar, taking into account the amount of added sugar respective to the calorie count and serving size. Cereals […]
Honey Bee Produce Co. Store Replaced By Macey’s In Draper, Utah
A new Macey’s store opened in Draper, Utah, on Oct. 24. The Macey’s replaced the Honey Bee Produce Co. store that previously operated in the 1212 Draper Parkway location. Honey Bee Produce Co. “was a learning experience for Associated Retail Operations,” the company says. “It provided a better understanding of small format stores, their needs […]
