The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected seven retailers to participate in a new project designed to enable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online. The two-year pilot is slated to begin this summer, with many of the chosen retailers based in the Northeast. “Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for […]
Tag: Supermarkets
‘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 […]
Kroger Atlanta Raises Nearly $1M To Support Food Banks Across Southeast
Kroger’s Atlanta Division, which includes Georgia, eastern Alabama and South Carolina, contributed nearly $752,000 in six weeks to Kroger’s 2016 Can Hunger campaign and more than $192,200 during a second initiative. All proceeds, raised by Kroger customers and associates, will benefit local food banks. From Nov. 13-Dec. 24, Kroger customers supported the annual Can Hunger […]
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. […]
USDA Selects Seven Retailers To Test SNAP Online Ordering
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has chosen seven retailers to take part in a pilot designed to enable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to purchase their groceries online. The two-year pilot is slated to begin this summer. “Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities […]
Sprouts Will Open 11 New Stores In 2Q, 35 In 2017
Sprouts Farmers Market plans to open 11 new stores in the second quarter of 2017 and expects to open 35 over the course of the year. The Phoenix, Arizona-based grocer previously announced the stores it will open in the first quarter, including its first Florida and North Carolina units. At that time, Sprouts said it […]
Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie Mark Anniversary Of ‘Down Down’ Pricing Promotion
Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie stores are celebrating the first birthday of “Down Down,” the grocers’ “pricing promise to not only lower prices, but keep them down for at least six months,” according to parent company Southeastern Grocers. Ian McLeod, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said, “We know grocery prices are important to our customers, and […]
Brookshire Grocery Co. Names New Division, District Managers For Super 1 Foods
Tyler, Texas-based Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) has promoted two of its leaders to division and district manager roles. Ronny Hurst will serve as division manager for the company’s 34 Super 1 Foods stores, and Jay Holmes is now district manager for Super 1 Foods stores in central and south Louisiana. Hurst is a 38-year employee […]
Brick Meets Click: Supermarket Online Sales Are Strong
Multichannel supermarkets generated larger online orders than online-only grocers, according to a recent benchmarking study from Brick Meets Click. More than half of the banners in the study reported average online orders between $120 and $180, compared to the average order size recently reported for Fresh Direct ($105) and Amazon Fresh ($84). The study compared […]
Natural Grocers Releases Its Top 10 Nutrition Trends For 2017
Natural Grocers talked to a panel of its category managers, nutrition experts and editorial staff to find out what trends to expect in nutrition and health for the upcoming year. Here are the Colorado-based grocer’s predictions for the top 10 nutrition trends for 2017. 1. Eating healthy also means eating ethically Whether it is ethical […]
Publix To Open Florida, Alabama Stores This Month
Publix is slated to open two new stores this month—one in Lake Placid, Florida, and another in Troy, Alabama. The chain’s new Lake Placid unit will be 45,000 s.f. and located at 586 US 27 North in the South Highlands Shopping Center. It will open Jan. 12. The 45,600-s.f. Park Place Publix in Troy will open […]
ShopRite Debuts ‘Wholesome Pantry’ Organic Private Label Line
ShopRite has launched “Wholesome Pantry,” a private label line of free-from and organic products—available exclusively at the chain’s more than 270 stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The new brand, marketed as Wholesome Pantry and Wholesome Pantry Organic, is designed as an alternative for customers seeking cleaner ingredients and simpler labeling, […]
Grocer Delivers Fire Station Meals, Donates $10K Following Neighborhood Blaze
A few days before Christmas, Burns’ Family Fresh Grocer delivered holiday meals to firefighters throughout the West Philadelphia district. The retailer also donated $10,000 in gift cards to the American Red Cross for families affected by a recent fire in the city’s Cobbs Creek neighborhood. “At The Fresh Grocer, we believe in community, supporting our neighbors […]
Maine Food Opportunities Are Growing, But Group Director Concerned Over Lack Of High-Paying Jobs
There is some optimism surrounding the food industry in Maine, but Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association Executive Director Shelley Doak still maintains a wait-and-see attitude. Doak reports more economic opportunities for food manufacturers, with more new startups for full-service independent markets. She is excited about a “Fork Food Lab” connecting food manufacturers with food lovers […]
Beef Maintains Favorable Tenderness Ratings
Favorable tenderness ratings for beef steaks, which have improved significantly since 1990, have remained steady over the past five years, recent research shows. This quality retention has occurred despite environmental and financial challenges that could have derailed its progress. The Beef Checkoff-funded 2015/2016 National Beef Tenderness Survey was conducted at Texas A&M University, which has […]
Lidl Could Be Coming To Texas, So Here’s What You Need To Know
Lidl has established its U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and it is building warehouses in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The new-to-the-U.S. retailer has said it will begin opening stores in 2018, but it is possible some could debut in late 2017. Lidl has about 80 store locations (some say as many as 150) picked […]
Cashen: Putting A Stop To ‘Global Whining’ One Tip At A Time
Comedic motivational speaker Christine Cashen knows that we’re all tired and busy and stressed. But we don’t have to be. According to Cashen, we all are responsible for letting ourselves feel stretched too thin, and she’s on a mission to put a stop to our tendency to complain about our stressful, busy lives without doing […]
Weis Markets Launches Redesigned Website And App
Weis Markets has launched a newly redesigned website and mobile app that company officials say is easier to navigate and offers customers a more value-added experience. The website, weismarkets.com, and the upgraded Weis app contain a larger, easier-to-read weekly circular; thousands of new recipes; an improved MyWeis account section that makes it easier for customers […]
Brookshire Grocery Co. Promotes Massey
Brookshire Grocery Co.’s (BGC) board of directors has named Christopher Massey VP–corporate counsel and secretary. In this role, Massey will oversee the corporate legal affairs for the Tyler, Texas-based regional grocery retailer and serve as secretary for its board of directors. Promoted to senior corporate counsel earlier this year, Massey joined BGC in 2010 as […]
Lidl Moves Forward On U.S. Entry With Hiring Events
German retailer Lidl hosted hiring events in the Southeast last week—in North Carolina and Virginia—and has acquired a industrial building in Philadelphia. The company also recently opened a regional headquarters distribution center in Cecil County, Maryland, with others in Virginia and North Carolina. The retailer, which sells mostly private brand products and often is compared […]
