MMI - Services

	Plant City Sweetbay manager earns national recognition Henry Falcon, manager of the Sweetbay Supermarket in Plant City, was named a grand finalist this week in the Food Marketing Institute's 10th annual store manager awards in Dallas. Falcon won in the category for companies with 50 to 199 stores.
	Big Y Names New Director of Frozen Food and Dairy Big Y Foods, Inc. has appointed Eric A. Swensen its director of frozen food and dairy. In his new role, Swensen, who reports to VP for fresh foods Michael P. D'Amour, will oversee all aspects of these departments, from hiring and training to sales and marketing, including financials for the entire New England chain. Swensen succeeds Valentino Vivenzio, who recently retired.
	Food Lion parent to buy Bi-Lo stores for $425 million The parent company of Food Lion, Delhaize Group, has said it will buy a majority of Bi-Lo stores and assets for $425 million.
	IGA awarded Best Consumer Web-site by Ektron Inc. Ektron Inc., a technology and market leader in Web content management software, today announced the 2009 Ektron All Star Award winners. Award recipients were select for 16 different industry and regional categories.
	Food Lion, Clorox Green Works Promote Online Flyer To encourage consumers to use an online weekly sales flyer, Food Lion is running a "Go Green & Win Green" sweepstakes.
	Food Lion LLC Receives Distinguished Partner Award From EPA Food Lion is One of the First Supermarkets to Introduce GreenChill Program
	Nash Finch to go after new buying opportunities The Edina-based food wholesaler soaks up sales and looks carefully for growth opportunities amid its weakened competition.
	Move up to the head of the line Hannaford market tests managing cart traffic at the register
	Strong Sales Lift Delhaize Net 7.6% BRUSSELS -- Belgium-based supermarket operator Delhaize Group SA on Thursday posted a 7.6% rise in second-quarter net profit, helped by higher sales, the stronger U.S. dollar and cost cutting. However, the company also raised concerns about a deepening price war in the U.S.
	Nash Finch Launches Organics Brand MINNEAPOLIS - Nash Finch here has launched a new premium natural and organics brand named after the company's founding brothers. Products under the Nash Brothers Trading Company label are in their initial phase of distribution "and we're excited with the results," Alec Covington, the wholesaler's president and chief executive officer, said Tuesday.
	U.S. Surgeon General Touts 'Guiding Stars' at Weight Conference The acting Surgeon General, Rear Adm. Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., held up Hannaford Supermarkets' well-publicized "Guiding Stars" nutrition-rating system as an effective way to change consumer behavior, and as the gold standard example of how to get Americans back to healthy eating, in his opening remarks this morning at the Weight of the Nation conference taking place through July 29 in Washington.
	With Platinum LEED Store, Hannaford Excels in Town and Country Hannaford Bros. emergence as the first supermarket chain to win platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the United States Green Building Council for one of its stores, demonstrates a commitment both to industry leadership and to corporate learning.
	Wal-Mart Touts Sustainability, but Food Lion Grows Green, too While Wal-Mart prepares to launch a new sustainability initiative with suppliers, the moment might be right to consider how other retailers, such as Food Lion, continue to push an environmental agenda despite the recession.
	Food Lion caters to Latinos A year after it began testing a new store format geared toward Hispanic shoppers, Food Lion is expanding it in two more North Carolina markets and making plans to convert 10 more Triangle stores.
	C&S Taking Steps To Reduce Carbon Footprint With Environmental Initiatives C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. will significantly increase use of environmentally responsible initiatives in its operations in an effort to reduce the company's carbon footprint. "Environmental sustainability is important to us. We're gathering and interpreting data and using it to evaluate improvements in our business operations," said Scott Charlton, Executive Vice President of Operations. Charlton is responsible for the Transportation, Warehousing, Construction, Facilities and Maintenance areas at C&S.
	AWG to supply 10 additional grocery stores The Springfield distribution site of Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. will supply 10 more grocery stores after the company bought inventory and certain assets of a bankrupt Little Rock, Ark., company. The Kansas City, Kan.-based grocery co-operative bought several million dollars worth of assets, most of it food inventory, from Affiliated Foods Southwest Inc., in early May, said Steve Dillard, vice president of corporate sales development.
	AWG to supply 10 additional grocery stores The Springfield distribution site of Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. will supply 10 more grocery stores after the company bought inventory and certain assets of a bankrupt Little Rock, Ark., company. The Kansas City, Kan.-based grocery co-operative bought several million dollars worth of assets, most of it food inventory, from Affiliated Foods Southwest Inc., in early May, said Steve Dillard, vice president of corporate sales development.
	C&S Funds Local Health Plan I can't remember the last time I got to write about C&S Wholesale Grocers - they're what we call "uncooperative" in the trade journalism biz - but this week's announcement regarding childhood obesity is all the reason I need to talk about them.
	IGA Opens First Store in Guam IGA here said it opened its first store over the weekend in Guam - a 25,000-square-foot supermarket re-named Island Fresh IGA.
	Food Lion Offers Customers $10 in Free Groceries per Visit Last week, Food Lion customers saved nearly $150,000 during the first week of the company's Food Lion Private Brand Super Sale. Through June 23, Food Lion shoppers can earn up to $10 in free groceries every time they buy Food Lion Private Brand products.
	Dairy, Deli & Bake Seminar & Expo: The Show of Shows The IDDBA show is another main attraction with real live retail buyers and merchandisers, the best dairy, deli, bakery, cheese, foodservice products, packaging, services, and the highest-rated speakers in the business.
	The Organic Summit is set for June 3-5 in Stevenson, WA The Organic Summit is a place for complex discussion and learning for leaders in the organic industry.
	PLMA Trade Show seminars focus on economy, new products, sustainability Three key industry issues--the economy, new product development and sustainability--will be in the spotlight at PLMA's 2009 "World of Private Label" pre-show seminars, held May 25.
	Red Mango Moves HQ to Dallas Frozen yogurt chain Red Mango is moving its national headquarters to Dallas from California, the company announced Friday.
	Archer Farms Announces Three Meat Pizza Archer Farms Three Meat Pizza is a self-rising crust pizza made with Italian sausage, pepperoni and capicola ham.
	Whole Foods Market Introduces Ethical Whole Grain Cereals According to the company, Three Sisters Whole Grain Cereal is a great choice for natural, healthy eating and promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.
	General Mills Announces New Cereal, Veggie Products General Mills is rolling out new products for people who like grilling, and also for people allergic to gluten.
	FDA Failing to Meet Food-Safety Inspection Audit Goals The Food and Drug Administration is failing to meet its goals for auditing food-safety inspections that states do on its behalf, FDA data show.
	Schnuck Markets Recognized for Food Safety Schnuck Markets Inc. has received the Black Pearl Award for food safety from the International Association for Food Protection.
	Many Americans Ignore Food Recalls Only about 60 percent of Americans search their homes for foods recalled because of contamination, researchers reported on.
	Sales of Organic Products Dive with Recession Organic products -- which are often priced at a premium over non-organic products - have taken a sales hit over the last 12 months as consumers have cut back discretionary spending, according to new analysis by Nielsen's director of industry insights, Tom Pirovano.
	The Hot Spots for Organic Food The map of organic farms in the United States is clustered into a few geographic centers, a strikingly different pattern than the map of all farms, which spreads densely over many regions, breaking only for the Rockies and Western deserts.
	Organic Food Sales Grew 15.8% in 2008, Study Shows U.S. sales of organic food and nonfood products grew 17.1% to $24.6 billion in 2008 vs. the previous year, according to the 2009 Organic Industry Survey, conducted by Lieberman Research Group on behalf of the Organic Trade Association.
	Whole Foods, Safeway Store Brands Enjoy Positive Online Buzz A J.D. Power and Associates' analysis of 50,000 blog entries related to store brands over the course of a year revealed that 73% of comments made about Whole Foods private-label products were positive.
	The future While the quarter was a good one, chief executive officer Jerry Fowden warned it was helped along by one-time bumps from deferred spending, lower commodity prices and tax benefits.
	The Wal-Mart question... As of the end of 2008, Wal-Mart accounted for 35 percent of the company's North American business. The relationship hit a hurdle early this year; however, as the world's-largest retailer said it would no longer rely on Cott as its exclusive supplier in the United States.
	Cott Shares Pop Again A surge toward private-label beverages has translated into strong interest in Cott Corp. [BCB-T], with investors pumping up the company's shares by 215 per cent so far this year. It hasn't been an easy road for the beverage maker, with significant challenges still ahead.
	New IRI Private Label Report Uncovers Emerging Trends and Key Success Factors in Challenging Economy Private label share in the United States has risen dramatically across retail channels and product categories during the past two years as consumers continue to struggle with high food prices and other economic pressures.
	Private-Label Use Tops 97% While the recession has been fueling big gains in private-label use, a new report from NPD Group finds that store brands have been gaining steadily in popularity for the last decade: A full 97% of U.S. households routinely use some generic products.
	Associated Wholesale Grocers Buying Affiliated Foods Assets A Kansas City wholesale grocery company says it will buy many of the assets of Affiliated Foods Southwest of Little Rock.
	FMI names board members The Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute has elected four members to its board of directors and named a board chairman and four board vice chairmen.
	FMI Postpones Future Connect, MARKETECHNICS Shows Concerns about the recent hybrid influenza outbreak affecting countries around the globe prompted the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) to temporarily pull the plug on its Future Connect and MARKETECHNICS events scheduled to take place next week.
	Food Lion Helps Feed the Hungry HAMILTON COUNTY (WRCB) -- Food Lion Grocery Stores are helping feed the hungry. The Samaritan Center has received $2,000 from the Food Lion Charitable Foundation. The Center will use this money to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for people in need who come to the Center for assistance.
	Tops supplier C&S to reduce jobs The massive Lancaster warehouse that services Tops Markets LLC's 71 supermarket chain is expected to eliminate a fraction of the workers employed there.
	Harrison Named CIO at Delhaize U.S. SALISBURY, N.C. - Scott Harrison, senior vice president of technology and efficiency and chief information officer at Food Lion, has been promoted to the newly created position of CIO for Delhaize Group U.S., Food Lion's parent company.
	Big Y Invests More Than $3 Million in Store Upgrades SPRINGFIELD - Big Y Foods Inc. will be initiating its own stimulus investments over the next year primarily in four supermarkets with an eye toward increased efficiency as well as energy-resource conservation.
	Big Y Selects Revionics for Strategic Pricing Software Partner SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Big Y Foods, Inc. has selected Revionics as their partner for strategic pricing software. The selection was made following a rigorous vendor due diligence process where numerous vendors were evaluated.
	A Cooperative Culture Drives Bloom's Success In the spring of 2004, Food Lion unveiled a new supermarket concept that promised to make grocery shopping easier.
	Big Y Has Big Plans for Safeway's Eating Right Brand Big Y plans to expand the presence of Safeway's Eating Right brand in its stores, SN has learned. The health and wellness line started rolling out in December, and currently includes 64 items, including frozens, cereal, cookies, pasta and soup
	Hannaford shoppers earned $3,721 to help local schools Donations at Hannaford Supermarket earned $2,425 for Clinton Elementary School, Rick Ramseyer of Hannaford Brothers Co. said this week.
	Associated Wholesale Grocers has record results, new top exec Associated Wholesale Grocers posted record results in 2008 and announced an executive change at its annual shareholders meeting.
	Hannaford to Partner With Insurance Companies As the nation's health care costs continue to rise, Hannaford Bros.' customers may get discounts on their insurance premiums under a new initiative in the works. The retailer plans to link its new myHannaford online shopping tool to health insurance companies' customer reward initiatives, SN has learned.
	Big Y starts prescription club SPRINGFIELD - Springfield-based Big Y Foods is offering up to 90 days worth of generic prescription drugs for $9.99 to people who sign up for the chain's Prescription Savings Club.
	Ahold Sees Consumer Interest in 'Healthy Ideas' Labels Anecdotal feedback from shoppers indicates that Stop & Shop's Healthy Ideas shelf-edge nutrition program is having the most influence on purchases in the juice, cereal and soup categories, Andrea Astrachan, consumer advisor for the chain, told SN in an interview at SN's offices here yesterday.
	Food Lion Gets Romantic Valentine's Day is the theme of Food Lion's latest online game. Located on http://www.foodlion.com, the game involves using a bow and arrow to "shoot" at hearts emblazoned with the Food Lion logo.
	Big Y expands online health and wellness program Big Y Foods, Inc., recently enhanced its Living Well Eating Smart health and wellness initiative by adding online blogs, videos and audio clips to its Web site.
	Ending the Year With a Bang... Like rival Ahold, Delhaize Group's (Belgium) stock price soared after the Company reported solid results. With sales for the full year up 15.8% to €5.42 billion, beating many analysts' projections, shares increased 7.2% ($4.23 per share) to close at $62.66 last Friday.
	SN Presents Awards for Marketing, Diversity, Community Service Supermarket News presented its 2009 Marketer of the Year Award to Joe Sheridan, executive vice president, Wakefern Food Corp., at a banquet on the first day of FMI's Midwinter Executive Conference.
	Food Lion Introduces New Internet Game Food Lion has launched yet another Internet game to encourage interaction with its stores and brands.
	Nash Finch to Purchase 3 Military DCs Nash Finch Co. said it has agreed to purchase three distribution centers serving military commissaries and exchanges from GSC Enterprises for $80 million in cash. The deal will allow Nash Finch to expand its military distribution network particularly in the Southern and Midwest states, officials said.
	C&S Wholesale Grocers will purchase Penn Traffic's wholesale business C&S Wholesale Grocers will purchase Penn Traffic's wholesale business for $43 million. The wholesale operation supplies over 120 independent supermarkets in New York and Pennsylvania, accounting for about one-fifth of Penn Traffic's revenues.
	Hannaford to Roll Out Black Elk 'Wines of the World' Program Hannaford Supermarkets will feature KDM Global Partners, LLC's line of Black Elk wines at its stores as part of a "Wines of the World" program in January 2009, according to KDM, a Philadelphia-based importer and producer of private label wine brands.
	Sweetbay Says It's Dispelling The High-Priced Store Image When Kash n' Karry started transforming into Sweetbay Supermarket, it not only developed a fresher, more lively atmosphere, it picked up a high-price image, too.
	Food Lion Offers Store-Brand Holiday Meal Deal Food Lion is encouraging shoppers to plan their holiday meals around its On The Go Bistro store-brand offerings. An interactive tool on its websites grants access to a meal deal coupon for $3 off when you buy one Bone-In Turkey Breast, two side items, one pack of rolls or bread and one 8-inch pie.
	C&S Improves Scheduling Productivity at Warehouses by 50% C&S Wholesale Grocers has improved scheduling productivity as a result of deploying the Retalix Dock Scheduling system at all 34 of its distribution centers across the U.S. this year, Retalix, Dallas, announced.
	Hannaford Introduces Community-based Pharmacy Benefits Plan Hannaford Supermarkets is rolling out a community-based pharmacy benefits plan for employers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York, in partnership with Greenwood Village, Colo.-based health care management solutions company HealthTrans.
	Nash Finch 'Feeds Kids Imaginations' with Major Book Donation As part of its Feeding Imagination educational program, Nash Finch Co.'s charitable giving organization demonstrated its commitment to literacy by donating reading books for children to 12 Twin Cities organizations.
	Leshko Succeeds Fleeman at Bloom Bloom Supermarkets said it has promoted Troy Leshko vice president of retail operations, succeeding JJ Fleeman, who is joining parent company Food Lion.
	Guiding Stars to Appear in Schools, on Product Packaging Hannaford Bros.' highly regarded Guiding Stars nutritional system will soon be piloted in a Maine school district and will appear on product packaging. The Topsham school district will rate prepared meals, as well as grab-and-go items in its middle schools and high schools
	Grocers use ethnic products to appeal to all customers Sam's Club, Nash Finch, Food Lion and United Supermarkets are all either testing or expanding their ethnic specialty store concepts. Mainstream retailers are recognizing that ethnic products and marketing can help draw in both ethnic and non-ethnic customers.
	Bloom Store to Offer Shopping Cart System A Bloom store will implement a touchscreen shopping cart system called Concierge beginning in 2009, according to Springboard Retail Networks, Toronto, provider of the system.
	Private Label, Pricing Drive Delhaize in Q3 An emphasis on pricing and private-label goods boosted quarterly sales momentum despite reduced volumes at Food Lion and Hannaford Bros. stores, Delhaize Group, said in a review of third-quarter financial results Thursday.
	News Archive >
	©2001 - 2008 Marketing Management Inc. All Rights Reserved.