ORTUNE
Natural Specialty Bakery
Newsletter Fall Edition 2015 September, October, November Updates
Company Announcement ORTUNE Natural
Specialty
Bakery
Fall Edition 2015 Inside This Issue Announcements 2-5 Breaking News 6-7 Distributor News
Dear Client & Customer Partners, In this Fall Edition of the C.A. Fortune Newsletter, we are very excited to provide a number of recent company updates in addition to an overview of industry news from the months of September, October, and November. One of the top resources we have at C.A. Fortune is our people and they are an integral part of the services that we offer. Recently we’ve added 10 new members to our Natural/Specialty & Bakery divisions and have created new opportunities for a couple of our existing team members.
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Also, we are thrilled to finally reveal the updated C.A. Fortune website at CAFortune.com.
Industry News 11-13 Retailer News 14-18 Shows & Events 19
Offices Headquarter Central Region 141 Covington Drive Bloomingdale, IL 60108 630.539.3100 East Region 2 Van Riper Rd Montvale, NJ 07645 201.307.9100 South Region 801 Stadium Dr. Ste. 107 Arlington, TX 76011 817.522.3200
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As we continue to grow, we are always looking to add highly capable and driven individuals along with further evolving our resources to continue to provide the high quality service. Sincerely,
Liz Borys Marketing Manager
Company Announcement Current Employee Updates Mitzi Harrison – Regional Sales Manager, South Region
Mitzi, who has been with C.A. Fortune for 12 years (formerly Enterprise), worked in the Southern Region office as a Senior Business Support Specialist, and recently been promoted to a Regional Sales Manager. Effectively immediately, she will continue to be based out of our Dallas office, however will now have sole responsibility for Central Market in Texas. In her new role, she will report directly to Rick Chambers, Co-Director of Sales in the South. Please join us in congratulating Mitzi on her promotion!
Emily Schlesak – Corporate Executive Support
As many of you have already been made aware, Emily Schlesak, formerly our Lead Category Analyst, has shifted her responsibility within the organization. She has moved from our analytics department, into a newly created position, Corporate Executive Support. As a result of the move, her core responsibilities will revolve around being the executive lead support, in addition to playing a key role within our current Accounts Receivable team. Emily has been with C.A. Fortune for four years, and been extremely instrumental in the continued evolution of the business. She will report directly to Tyler Lowell in her new role.
New Employees Natural/Specialty Division Francisco Armendariz - Senior Business Insights Analyst
In September, to properly back-fill Emily, we gladly welcomed Francisco Armendariz, formerly of Crossmark Sales & Marketing. During his two years at Crossmark, Francisco spent his entire time within their Business Insights department, working with Nielsen, POG technology, loyalty platforms, etc. To say the least, he comes to us with a wealth of knowledge. With a degree from Monterrey Institute in Monterrey, Mexico, he will serve as our Senior Business Insight Analyst across all of C.A. Fortune. Over the last 4-5 weeks, Emily has fully transitioned her desk to Francisco…as he’s “up and running.” In his new role, Francisco will report directly to Mark Metzger, our Senior Director of Business Insights & Marketing.
Jon L’Heureux – Regional Sales Manager, East Region
Jon is currently living in Alpharetta, Georgia and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing from University of Phoenix. He previously worked at Natural Specialty Sales (Acosta) in the Los Angeles market as a Regional Sales Manager, managing Sprouts, Whole Foods, and various independent accounts. Jon comes on board as our new Regional Sales Manager for the Florida market, where he will have responsibility for Publix, Winn Dixie/ BI-LO, Whole Foods, Sedona’s, and other independents across the Florida territory. Jon will report directly to J.D. Anastasi, Vice President, East Region.
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Company Announcement New Employees Natural/Specialty Division Stephanie Shelton - Regional Sales Manager, South Region
Stephanie is our new Regional Sales Manager, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As part of our South Region RSM team, she will be accountable for Homeland, Buy for Less, and Crest Stores. Prior to joining C.A. Fortune, Stephanie was a Merchandiser for Capital Distributing, working crossfunctional in sales as well. She will report to Rick Chambers.
Matthew Webb - Account Manager, Central Region
Matt currently residing in Hanover Park, IL comes aboard one of the fastest growing departments within our company, our Account Manager team. In his new capacity, Matt will be responsible for working closely with Whole Foods (reset participation & store by store sell), in addition to numerous Natural independents in the IL market. Matt will report into Jim Tyska and Allison Pilcher, our two IL Regional Sales Managers.
Alexandra Gutierrez - Client Service Specialist
Alexandra, finishing up her Associates degree at Triton College in River Grove, comes to C.A. Fortune as the newest Client Services Representative. In her new position, and within our Client Services department, she will predominantly focus her time on order entry/deduction management. Alex will report directly to Rose Baumgart, our Director of Client Services.
Bakery Division Rich Luzzi - Director of Bakery, East Region
Rich, our new Director of Bakery for the East region, brings over 20 years of knowledge and experience in the supermarket industry, majority of which was focused on in-store bakery. During a 23 year tenure with A&P, Rich held various positions including Category Manager of Bakery, Senior Category Manager of Bakery & Deli and finally, Director of Deli. Prior to his corporate roles, Rich learned the business from the ground up in store management positions. He enhanced his analytical and financial skills in his first headquarters role as a Pricing Manager for Bakery. Now joining the CAF team, Rich will be responsible for our East Region’s bakery operation. Based in New Jersey, Rich will report directly to J.D. Anastasi, Vice President, East Region.
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Company Announcement New Employees Bakery Division Jessica Martin - Business Insights Analyst (Bakery Division)
We are very excited to welcome Jessica, from Minneapolis, MN to our bakery team. A Marketing BSB graduate from the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Management, joins C.A. Fortune as our newly created position, Business Insights Analyst, Bakery Division. Prior to joining CAF, Jessica was with Target Corporation where she was a Merchandise Planning Analyst. Her expertise resides in inventory and POG planning, POS analytics, sales forecasting, and vendor relationship management. Jessica will report to Mark Metzger, Senior Director of Business Insights & Marketing.
Charles Smith - Bakery Technician, East Region
Charles has over 25 years of experience within the bakery industry. From bread, to bagels, to cakes, to cookies, Charles has spent time within each segment of the category. He joins CAF as part of Rich’s East Region team, specifically dedicating his time as a Bakery Technician. In his new role, he will report directly to Rich Luzzi, Director of Bakery, East Region.
Danielle Barok - Bakery Technician, East Region
Joining Charles on the newly formed East region Technician team will be Danielle Barok, a Burlington County College (New Jersey) graduate in baking and pastry. She started working at a well-known family owned bakery while attending college to gain experience with the fundamentals of decorating. Shortly before graduating, she obtained a job with Shoprite Supermarket as a cake decorator, where she spent several years sharpening her skills and learning new techniques. She also worked for Juniors Cheesecake, which entailed manufacturing large quantities of product on assembly lines. Danielle will report to Rich Luzzi.
Joe Cardello - Bakery Technician, East Region
The third newly hired member of our East Region tech team, Joe Cardello, currently resides in Woodbridge, New Jersey and has a Bachelor’s degree from Kean University. Prior to joining CAF, Joe was a cake decorator at A&P Supermarkets since 2007. Joe will report to Rich Luzzi.
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Breaking Industry News Roundy’s To Come Into The Kroger Fold Released 11/11/15
The Kroger Co. and Roundy’s Inc. this morning announced a definitive merger agreement under which Kroger will purchase all outstanding shares of Roundy’s for $3.60 per share in cash—a premium of approximately 65 percent to the Roundy’s closing share price yesterday. Terms of the agreement were unanimously approved by the boards of both companies; it is a deal valued at about $800 million, including debt. Roundy’s brings to Kroger an expanded footprint, adding 151 stores and 101 pharmacies in new geographies including Milwaukee, Madison and northern Wisconsin, which are served under the Pick ’n Save, Copps and Metro Market banners. The merger also expands Kroger’s presence with an innovative store format in the Chicagoland area—Mariano’s, a 34-unit upscale store group.
Roundy’s also operates two distribution centers in Oconomowoc and Mazomanie, Wisconsin, and a commissary in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Roundy’s had revenues of nearly $4.0 billion for fiscal year 2014. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Kroger will commence a tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Roundy’s common stock. Any shares of Roundy’s common stock not acquired in the tender offer will be acquired by Kroger in a subsequent merger. The transaction is subject to Roundy’s stockholders tendering at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Roundy’s common stock in the tender offer, certain regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions. Willis Stein & Partners and its affiliates, holders of approximately 7 percent of the outstanding shares of Roundy’s common stock, have agreed to tender their shares. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the 2015 calendar year. “We are delighted to welcome Roundy’s to the Kroger family,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “With a team of 22,000 talented associates, outstanding store locations, and a shared commitment to putting customers first, we are excited about Roundy’s future growth. “Mergers for Kroger always involve both parties bringing something to the table,” McMullen added. “We admire what Bob Mariano has done with the Mariano’s banner in Chicago, where he has created an urban format that is resonating with customers and we expect to apply Roundy’s experience to our stores in urban areas around the country. Kroger’s scale and strong financial continues on next page...
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Breaking Industry News Roundy’s To Come Into The Kroger Fold continued... position will enable Roundy’s to reinvest in its home state of Wisconsin while continuing to grow in Chicago. Together, we are committed to investing in Roundy’s people, communities, stores and merchandising to deliver a fantastic customer experience that will create opportunities for associates, grow customer loyalty and revenue, and create value for shareholders.” Together, Kroger and Roundy’s will operate 2,774 supermarkets and employ more than 422,000 associates across 35 states and the District of Columbia. Following closing, Roundy’s will continue to operate its stores as a subsidiary of The Kroger Co. and will continue to be led by key members of Roundy’s senior management team. There are no plans to close stores, and associates will have employment opportunities with both companies. Roundy’s headquarters will remain in Milwaukee. Robert A. Mariano, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Roundy’s, said, “We are excited about becoming part of The Kroger Co. Kroger’s scale, knowledge and experience allows us to
accelerate the strategic initiatives we have invested in and makes us a more formidable competitor in the marketplace. This is a great win for our customers, communities, employees and our shareholders, and I personally look forward to continue to exceed customer and employee expectations. “ Kroger plans to finance the transaction with debt, and refinance Roundy’s existing debt of $646 million based on market conditions. Consistent with the company’s long-term commitment to returning cash to shareholders, Kroger intends to continue its quarterly dividend and share repurchase program while managing free cash flow to reduce the leverage taken on from this merger. Although the company’s net debt to EBITDA ratio will increase at the time the merger closes, Kroger expects the ratio to remain in the 2.00-2.20 range upon closing of the merger. Kroger expects the merger to be slightly accretive to earnings in the first full year after closing, excluding merger-related expenses. The transaction will have no effect on Kroger’s current long-term net earnings per diluted share growth rate of 8-11 percent, plus a growing dividend. While Kroger expects to realize cost savings of approximately $40 million over time, the company plans to reinvest those cost savings to grow the business. Roundy’s will join the Kroger stable of banners, which includes Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. Kroger also operates 781 convenience stores, 327 fine jewelry stores, 1,350 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S.
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Distributor News KeHE Launches Ordering App KeHE Distributors [launched] the KeHEConnect:Order app on Sept. 17 in the Apple App Store. The free app aims to streamline and simplify the ordering process for retailers. It’s built on the KeHEConnect platform, which allows suppliers, brokers and retailers to transact with the Naperville, Ill.-based distributor via web, tablet and mobile. KeHEConnect increases efficiency of the supply chain by allowing customers and suppliers immediate access, the company said. “Technology is just one of the ways that KeHE helps our retail partners to succeed,” said Scott Cousins, KeHE’s chief information officer. “The app provides a modern user interface and an intuitive user experience. Ultimately our goal is to foster a more strategic partnership with retailers; we believe the KeHEConnect:OrderTM app gets us closer to that goal.”
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UNFI Supplier Community Updates Supplier Portal Launched UNFI announced that the rolling launch of their new Supplier Portal has begun and allows suppliers to: l D irectly manage your own contact and warehouse information, ensuring that everything is up to date and relevant. l A dd additional users to the Supplier Portal from your organization and appoint a broker to use the portal on your behalf. l S ubmit and track new items. Over time, UNFI will transition all new item submissions to the portal, but you can start with your next new item and experience the convenience of the portal workflow, communication, and item status tracking. l (Coming soon) Submit promotions. If you need help getting started, contact SupplierSupport@unfi.com.
New Distribution Center Opening: Gilroy, CA
The first receiving date for UNFI’s next state-of-the-art LEED certified distribution center in Gilroy, CA will be February 15. The first shipping date will be March 27, 2016.
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Consumer Trends Specialty Food Market Ripe With Growth Opportunities Opportunities for increased sales of specialty foods exist among lower income consumers and the roughly 24.5 million Americans who are familiar with specialty foods but don’t currently purchase products in the space. That’s according to the findings from Today’s Specialty Food Consumer 2015, an online survey conducted in July by Mintel on behalf of the Specialty Food Association. “The gourmet food and drink market is performing very well with the total market reaching nearly $110 billion in 2014,” said David Browne, a market research and retail consultant with Mintel, during a webinar presentation of the findings Monday. “Retail sales account for 78% of sales.” Supermarkets lead the list of places that specialty food consumers purchase these products, with 67% indicating they shop the channel, followed by natural food stores, shopped by 44%. The most popular specialty products are cheese and ice cream/frozen desserts, both purchased by 34% of specialty consumers, followed by chocolate (31%), coffee (29%) and cookies, cakes, brownies and pies (28%). While specialty food consumers tend to be affluent — with those earning $75,000 or more twice as likely as those earning $50,000 to buy specialty foods — the survey findings indicate that there are opportunities for growth with people who earn less. “People who are in a range of incomes that is less than $25,000 to $50,000, buy specialty foods in many segments across the board,” said Denise Purcell, head of content at SFA. “They range from treats to meal ingredients and part of this may be because specialty brands are becoming widely available through mass merchants and are therefore more recognizable and familiar, but the consumers are very engaged in this market. It’s not just affluent consumers.” In an effort to compare awareness of specialty foods with purchase behavior, researchers asked respondents if they’d heard the term “specialty foods,” and 70% of adults confirmed that they had. “For those who said ‘yes’ we asked to what degree they understood the term. Roughly 80% of those who heard the term said they understand it ‘pretty well’ or ‘very well’,” said Browne who related that this translates to 57% of all adults. “When asked if they purchased these products in the last six months, only 47% said they did. So the best opportunity would be to focus on the consumers who know of and understand the term but aren’t currently buying in this market. That gap translates to 24.5 million Americans, so that’s a huge opportunity.”
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Consumer Trends People Are Eating More Full-Fat Foods ... Is That a Good Thing? New research has discovered a surprising trend: After years of avoiding full-fat food products like the plague, people are suddenly buying them again. A report on fat in our diets published by the Credit-Suisse Research Institute found that sales of whole milk in the U.S. for the first half of this year grew by 11 percent, while sales of skim milk shrank by 14 percent. Egg consumption has grown by two percent in the last 12 months, with organic egg sales seeing the most growth at 21 percent. And sales of butter rose 14 percent last year and increased another six percent in the first few months of this year. The report calls this a “turning point,” and cites a growing desire for natural, unprocessed foods (and fats) as the reason for the increasing sales of full-fat products. The logic makes sense on some level — low-fat and non-fat foods may have undergone more processing; therefore, their full-fat versions should be more “natural.” But the U.S. is currently experiencing an obesity epidemic. Research published earlier this year in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that there are now more obese than overweight adults in America — and the majority of U.S. men and women are now considered overweight or obese. Obesity and excess body weight has been linked to an increased risk of developing diseases like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, which releases the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, two of the three major goals for Americans should be to “consume more of certain foods and nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products,” and “consumer fewer foods with sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats.” Currently, nutritional guidelines advise eating no more than 65 grams of fat and no more than 20 grams of saturated fat a day for a 2,000 calorie diet. One cup of whole milk makes a bit of a dent in your daily fat allowance — it has eight grams of fat (12 percent of your daily recommended intake) and 4.6 grams of saturated fat (22 percent of your daily recommended intake). So is this new trend of eating full-fat products a good or bad thing? It’s not bad — if it’s done right, registered dietitian nutritionist Beth Warren, author of Living a Real Life With Real Food tells Yahoo Health. That means continuing to watch the saturated fat content and overall calories in the foods you consume, she says. If butter, full-fat milk, and cheese still fit into your recommended daily intake, it’s fine to have them. Warren says she “fully supports” the trend. Why? “In general it is better to consume less processed foods most often,” she says.
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Consumer Trends People Are Eating More Full-Fat Foods ... Is That a Good Thing? continued... Warren also notes that recent studies suggest that omega-6 fatty acids, which are commonly found in vegetable oils, are more likely than saturated fats to increase the risk of developing diseases like heart disease. But, she adds, we should be wary of eating foods that are too high in saturated fats, just like we should be cautious of eating too much of any nutrient. Of course, some people may benefit more than others by eating low-fat foods. “Many overweight people trying to lose weight need the lower-fat products,” registered dietitian Shari Portnoy tells Yahoo Health. Full-fat products “may be healthy in terms of the fact that there are no artificial ingredients but it can still be fattening,” she says. Registered dietitian nutritionist Robyn Flipse tells Yahoo Health that full-fat products can be a good source of nutrients. However, she says, the key is to keep track of how much and how often you’re eating them, as well as what else you’re eating to get your nutritional needs. Flipse says whole milk and full-fat cheese are fine (in moderation), but recommends choosing lower fat cuts of meat and watching portion sizes when you eat nuts, since they’re higher in calories and can easily lead to weight gain. Prefer full-fat products? Experts say that’s fine — just be smart about it. Says Flipse: “Even if you eat the right type and amount of fat, you still have to pay attention to everything else you eat to have a healthy diet.”
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Industry News FDA Signs Off On Food Safety Rules The Obama administration has finalized a sweeping slate of regulations meant to protect people and animals from foodborne illnesses. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Monday its final preventative control rules for animal and people food had been submitted to the Federal Register for publication. The rules, which are required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), will require food manufactures to implement preventative controls to minimize the risk of contaminating food when it’s manufactured, processed, packed or held by a facility. continues on next page...
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Industry News FDA Signs Off On Food Safety Rules continued... “Documents submitted to the Federal Register can publish several days after they are submitted, with larger documents taking longer to process and display,” FDA spokeswoman Juli Putnam said. “The FDA is committed to sharing information about the final rules and how food facilities can comply as soon as we are able to do so.” Putnam said the agency “cannot speculate” on when the final rules will be published for public review. The FDA was forced by a court order to finalize the rules by Aug. 30 after the Center for Food Safety (CFS) took legal against the agency in August 2012. The center argued that the FDA had violated the FSMA and the Administrative Procedures Act by failing to issue the required regulations by statutory deadlines. The agency [had] until Oct. 31 to issue its final standards for produce safety and a final rule to create a foreign supplier verification program, which are both regulations required by FSMA.
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Amid Consumer Confusion, Group Pushes To Define ‘Natural’ One in three consumers do not make a quality distinction between the terms “natural” and “organic” and/or government regulation for food products with such labels, according to results of a survey released Monday by the Organic and Natural Health Association, a Washington-based industry trade group. The survey, which also confirmed marketplace confusion about the word “natural,” is a first step towards the trade group’s initiative to set a standard for the term, officials said. “The overarching intent of this survey is to improve access to quality organic and truly natural food, products and services,” said Karen Howard, CEO and executive director of Organic & Natural. “Our goal is to support increased access through consumer research and education and we are now embarking on the development of a program that will create a clear, meaningful definition for natural foods, followed by a definition for natural supplements.” Common consumer misconceptions include the belief that most vitamins come from natural sources and that “natural” means no pesticides are used, the group said. And while three-fourths of consumers perceive that organic foods must be at least 95% free from synthetic additives, almost two-thirds of consumers expect the same standard from “natural” foods. Further, approximately half of the consumers surveyed believe that “natural” means the product is free of synthetic pesticides and are non-GMO, attributes that are unique characteristics of organic products.
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Industry News Amid Consumer Confusion, Group Pushes To Define ‘Natural’ continued... With 46% of consumers surveyed believing that the U.S. government regulates the term “natural,” the study concluded that the organic industry should improve education for consumers regarding the differing attributes of organic and natural in order to elevate the status of organic. Furthermore, manufacturers producing natural products need to continue to clarify the meaning of natural so the term does not become diluted and lose significance among consumers. In the study, consumers indicated that they were more likely to use “natural” than “organic” foods; in fact, 60% reported using organic less than once a week or not at all with more than a third using natural once a day or more, the group said. When it comes to meats labeled as “natural,” attributes of “no-added growth hormones” and “antibiotic-free” were of primary importance to consumers.
Organic & Natural said its definition of “natural” would be comparable to the definition of “organic,” requiring that all natural labeled food be non-GMO and not contain artificial preservatives, colors, flavoring or sweeteners, but in some cases there will be additional criteria beyond organic standards. For example, beef will be held to organic standards and must be grass-fed and pastured to earn a natural designation. The group said it would develop a voluntary regulatory compliance and certification program for the term “natural” to be released during the first half of 2016, in conjunction with a consumer education campaign supporting transparency.
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Retailer News Wakefern Food And A&P Tentatively Seal A $40 Million Deal for 12 Stores Pending no objections filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and subject to higher bids at auction, The Wall Street Journal reports that A&P and Wakefern Food Corp. have sealed a $40 million deal for 12 east coast stores. According to the report, the locations in question are 11 A&P, Pathmark, and Waldbaums stores in New York and Pennsylvania, plus one Connecticut A&P location, having gone for roughly $3.3 million each. This is the second big sale A&P has been able to slate. The retailer has recently won bankruptcy court approval to sell 95 of its stores to the Albertsons chain for $370 million, potentially preserving more than 10,750 jobs. A&P asked for the auction, the Wall Street Journal reports, in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week, in accordance with U.S. District Court Judge Robert Drain’s approval of “discrete” sales procedures for stores that weren’t part of the original stores put up for sale when A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. According to the report, A&P plans to hold an auction on October 8th for the stores in question if no other bidders come forward. Any other party that wins a bid in that auction, however, also has to pay Wakefern a breakup fee of $1.2 million in addition to the winning bid. Wakefern Food Corp. is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S., according to its website, and is the parent company of a number of banners, including ShopRite, PriceRite, and The Fresh Grocer. Source
Whole Foods Eliminating Jobs In Order To Lower Prices Whole Foods Market said Monday that, as “part of its ongoing commitment to lower prices for its customers and invest in technology upgrades while improving its cost structure,” it will eliminate approximately 1,500 positions, or 1.6 percent of its workforce, over the next eight weeks. The Austin, Texas-based grocer says it anticipates many of the reductions to be managed through natural attrition and expects a significant percentage of affected employees to find other jobs from the nearly 2,000 open positions across the company or via new jobs created from the more than 100 new stores in development. Whole Foods Market added more than 9,000 new jobs in the past year and created nearly 35,000 over the past five years. “This is a very difficult decision, and we are committed to treating affected team members in a caring and respectful manner. We have offered them several options, including transition pay, a generous severance or the opportunity to apply for other jobs. In addition, we will pay these team members in full over the next eight weeks as they decide which option to choose,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. “We believe this is an important step to evolve Whole Foods Market in a rapidly changing marketplace.”
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Retailer News Construction Under Way On Rouses’ First Baton Rouge Store Construction of the new Rouses Market on Airline Highway in the Long Farm Village development in Baton Rouge is officially under way. Bulldozers have broken ground on the 55,000-s.f. store—the company’s first in Baton Rouge. “We are very, very excited about opening in Baton Rouge,” said Donald Rouse Sr., secondgeneration owner. “We’ve had hundreds of requests to build a store in the area. Baton Rouge is clearly hungry for a Rouses Market.” Donny Rouse Jr., managing partner and real estate developer for the 55-year-old-company, says a second Baton Rouge location already is under contract. “Long Farm is the kind of store a progressive city like Baton Rouge deserves,” said Rouse Jr. “It’s our most modern concept, completely interactive, with exposed kitchens and open departments that provide customers a view of how the store actually works.” Rouse Sr. added, “For years we’ve been telling people how we work with local farmers and fishermen and manufacturers. Now they can see the actual deliveries as they’re received.” Customers also can watch Rouses butchers, bakers, florists and chefs and cooks while they work. “We’re all about sharing what we do and what we make with our customers,” said Rouse Jr. Long Farm will open next summer. Rouses new store on Williams Boulevard in Kenner is scheduled to open in February. Another store in Ponchatoula will open in April. “We’re also breaking ground on a new location in our hometown of Thibodaux in early 2016,” said Rouse. “My family’s business started on the bayou, so this one has special meaning for us. We’re building a brand new store from the ground up for loyal Rouses customers who have shopped with us from the beginning.” Rouses currently operates nearly four dozen stores in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
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Retailer News Plum Market Sets Opening In Detroit Airport Plum Market said this week it plans to open a previously announced location with a curated selection in mid-November in one of the terminals at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The 3,700-square-foot store will operate under the name Plum Market Kitchen and feature prepared foods, separate wine and coffee bars, and a limited selection of grocery and nonfood items, Todd Belden, the chain’s marketing coordinator, told SN. The store — which will be the company’s sixth location — will be located in the airport’s McNamara Terminal, which primarily serves Delta Airlines, he said. Plum Market, based in Farmington Hills, Mich., also announced plans to open its second Ann Arbor, Mich., store, also in mid-November, time in an area just north of the University of Michigan campus. It already operates a store on the west side of the campus, in addition to two other Michigan locations — Bloomfield Township and West Bloomfield — and a unit in Chicago. The company focuses on natural, organic and local products at stores averaging 28,000 square feet. The North Campus location will be 25,000 square feet and will offer the company’s first wine bar — where the company said it will host weekly events — and a Growler Filling Station for craft beer. Source
Fresh Thyme Markets opening in Naperville, Crystal Lake, Chicago Tucked between conventional grocery stores and high-end specialty shops is a growing chain of farmers market-style grocers that launched in the suburbs and is opening three more stores next month. Fresh Thyme Farmers Market is expanding to Naperville, Crystal Lake and Chicago with grand openings scheduled [on] Oct. 14 at each location. The openings are part of a phase of growth for Fresh Thyme that began when the chain opened its first store in April 2014 in Mount Prospect. CEO Chris Sherrell said Fresh Thyme’s ideal customer is someone who wants to transition to a healthier lifestyle focused on natural and organic products that previously might have seemed too expensive. “Our biggest emphasis is on fresh and just bringing natural, organic produce and meat at prices of a conventional grocery store,” Sherrell said. “For too many years, the natural food industry was geared toward the upper (income) quartile. We’ve really tried to bring it to the masses.”
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Retailer News Fresh Thyme Markets opening in Naperville, Crystal Lake, Chicago continued... A large produce section stocked with Midwest products when they’re seasonally ripe takes up 25 percent of each Fresh Thyme store. A meat and seafood department that offers custom-cut meats, handmade sausages, and ready-to-cook meat entrees is another highlight. “Forty percent of our business is meat and produce,” Sherrell said. “Those two departments separate us from traditional grocery stores.” Fresh Thyme stores are roughly 30,000 square feet. Sherrell said they’re purposely a smaller size to help with efficiency while still providing dairy and grocery items, a deli, a bakery, bulk foods, vitamins, supplements, beer and wine.
When each new store opens at 7 a.m. Oct. 14, the first 250 customers will get a grocery bag stocked with $50 to $70 worth of food. Sherrell said lines begin forming as early as midnight, turning to large crowds in the hundreds by 5 or 6 a.m. The Naperville Fresh Thyme will open at 790 Royal St. George Drive; the Crystal Lake store will open at 5340 Northwest Highway; and the Chicago location is at 2500 N. Elston Ave. The new stores also will host preview parties the evening before the grand openings. At the Chicago store, TV personality Giuliana Rancic will appear for a “pink carpet” event from 5 to 5:45 p.m. to meet and greet customers during a wine and food sampling gala for invited guests. Fresh Thyme will donate between $40,000 and $50,000 in October, which is breast cancer awareness month, to FAB-U-WISH, an initiative Rancic established as a breast cancer survivor to help women undergoing treatment feel fabulous. The new Fresh Thyme stores are in addition to others in Deerfield, Downers Grove, Joliet and Fairview Heights. The chain also includes locations in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio.
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Retailer News Sprouts Slated To Unveil A Dozen New Stores Early Next Year Sprouts Farmers Market plans to add 12 locations to its roster of grocery stores in early 2016. Sprouts stores scheduled to open in next year’s first quarter include:
• Alhambra, California: 150 E. Main Street, Suite 150
• Atlanta, Georgia: 1853 Piedmont Avenue NE
• Clovis, California: 850 Herndon Avenue, Suite 103
• Colorado Springs, Colorado: 13415 Voyager Parkway
• El Paso, Texas: 2036 N. Zaragoza Road, Suite E
• Franklin, Tennessee: 1010 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 194
• Lakewood, Colorado: 98 N. Wadsworth Boulevard, Unit 112
• Lee’s Summit, Missouri: 800 NE Missouri 291 Highway
• Los Angeles, California: 915 N. La Brea Avenue
• Marietta, Georgia: 4101 Roswell Road NE, No. 700
• San Clemente, California: 550 Camino de Estrella, Unit C
• Oakland, California: 3001 Broadway
Each of these stores will bring an estimated 100 jobs to the communities in which they are opening. Grand opening dates and other details will be shared in late 2015 to early 2016, according to Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts. By the end of 2015, Sprouts will have opened a total of 27 new stores throughout the year, including three new states: Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. It operates more than 200 stores in 13 states. Sprouts says it offers consumers a complete healthy grocery store experience featuring fresh produce, bulk foods, dairy, meat and seafood, bakery, vitamins and supplements and more. Shoppers will find an abundant selection of fresh fruits and vegetables and barrels of wholesome grains, nuts and sweets. The bright, open stores showcase fresh-baked goods, eclectic beer and wine, as well as thousands of natural, organic and gluten-free groceries, the company says. Sprouts’ on-site butchers help customers with special cuts of meat or seafood or handmade burgers and sausages. The vitamin department carries thousands of top-quality vitamins, natural remedies, functional food, lifestyle support and herbal supplements.
Source
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Shows & Events
Show Fancy Food Show
Location
Date
San Francisco, CA
January 16-19, 2016
Atlanta, GA
February 1-4, 2016
Kansas City, MO
February 9-11, 2016
UNFI Orlando Tabletop
Orlando, FL
February 18-19, 2016
Expo West
Anaheim, CA
March 10-13, 2016
Affiliated TX Food Summer Show
Texas
April 14, 2016
UNFI Foxwoods Tabletop
Mashantucket, CT
May 11-12, 2016
Haddon House
Orlando, FL
May 16-19, 2016
UNFI Portland Show
Portland, OR
June 8-9, 2016
KeHE Holiday Show
Indianapolis, IN
June 12-15, 2016
Texas
August 11, 2016
Baltimore, MD
September 22-24, 2016
KeHE Summer Selling VMC Show
Affiliated TX Food Fall Show Expo East
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