Usually this column is written in Columbia, MD at home or at the editorial offices of Best-Met Publishing. However, for the first time since Food World was acquired by Best-Met Publishing–1978–it is being written on Cape Cod in Orleans, MA as Kathy and I are on an extended vacation with our grandchildren, RJ and Samuel Bestany and Kate Ireland.(Orleans is in the middle of Cape Cod with the Atlantic Ocean on both sides.)
Further down the Cape at Provincetown, MA, the bay side and ocean side come together. It is a very beautiful place and we are experiencing perfect summer weather.
DeMoulas Supermarkets, a Massachusetts-based supermarket chain, recently opened a new store on Cape Cod in the town ofBourne. We visited the new store about a week after it opened and the place was doing a very brisk business at 9:00 on a Sunday morning.
Consumer Reports has ranked DeMoulas/Market Basket as the number seven supermarket in its 2012 Survey. It is, as most of our readers know, a growing chain with 69 stores from Central New Hampshire toSoutheastern MA. Market Basket’s main competitors are Hanaford, Shaws, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Markets.
While at the new store we had the opportunity to spend some time with an old friend from our New Englanddays, Joe Rockwell, vice president of grocery sales/merchandising for Market Basket. Joe wanted to be remembered to his many friends in the Mid-Atlantic who have at one point in their careers called on Market Basket.
We reminisced a bit about “the good old days” and recalled the many good times we had. If you’re ever in the area and have never been to a Market Basket, pay them a visit. You will like what you see.
The grocery industry, as big as it is, is still a small business where everyone knows everyone. However, it’s changing rapidly.
Also while on the Cape, Stop & Shop, the sister company to Giant/Landover and Giant/Carlisle, opened a new store inHyannis. Store officials said that this new store is 65,000 square feet, about 10,000 square feet larger than its former Hyannis store. Among the new offerings is an expanded selection of organic products including a showcase of the chain’s own “Nature’s Promise” items.
Retailing and branding expert Julie Gilbert Newrai, former senior vice president of Best Buy, will address the future of women and retail at the NEW Leadership Summit 2012, October 22-24 in Dallas, TX.
Gilbert Newrai, president of WOLF, a consulting firm specializing in brand building and enterprise-wide cultural transformation, will blend real-life business stories, data and actionable advice in her keynote presentation on Tuesday, October 23rd. During her 18 years as a corporate senior executive and four years heading her own firm, Gilbert Newrai has built growth for companies such as Motorola, Lifetouch, Microsoft, Major League Baseball and Target.
The NEW Leadership Summit 2012 will kick off Monday October 22, with two one-hour NEW Leadership Academy workshops. The afternoon also will offer NEW regional officers a session on best practices, member-company affinity group meetings and a networking workshop for first-time NEW Leadership Summit attendees.
More than 900 industry leaders and emerging leaders are expected to attend the NEW Leadership Summit 2012. To join the network, contact your company’s NEW Ambassador or join now for $200 as an individual member and receive 12 months of NEW benefits, including invitations to national conferences and full access to the network’s online networking and collaboration tools.
Customers at Giant/Carlisle and Martin’s once again showed their overwhelming support for local Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals through the grocers’ annual in-store paper balloon campaign. From June 24 through July 7, customers could purchase a paper CMN balloon at the checkout for a $1 donation. This year, customers raised a record $553,616 through the campaign.
“Our customers and associates’ compassion to the cause of helping the youngest members of our community is why Giant/Martin’s continues to rank among CMN’s top 10 fundraisers in the country,” said Jeff Beaulieu, vice president of sales and merchandising. “Your record-breaking donations are making a difference as thousands of kids throughout the regions we serve continue to fight for good health.”
Since 1996, Giant/Martin’s has raised more than $25 million in support of children’s hospitals in the Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Danville/Altoona, PA, Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC and Richmond, VA areas.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the alliance of premier hospitals for children, is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals across North America. Each year the 170 CMN Hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind.
Mid-Atlantic Convenience stores (MACS) of Richmond, VA has announced a new retail branding strategy that positions MACS as the exclusive developer for the Circle K brand in four regions: Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia.
MACS is currently comprised of approximately 300 company-owned and dealer-operated retail locations throughout Virginia and Maryland, which until now, have gone to market as various brands, such as Uppy’s, Tiger Mart and On the Run.
MACS will begin converting its 71 company-owned retail locations to Circle K stores, the first wave of a comprehensive Circle K brand platform that will span the entire mid-Atlantic region. This deal between MACS and Circle K will provide opportunity for independent c-store dealers in the Mid-Atlantic region who wish to become a Circle K brand franchisee.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell recently signed legislation that paves the way for online casino games such as blackjack and poker within the state. Along with online slot machine play and casino games,Delaware lottery tickets will be sold through a state-run website. The state is planning to launch online gaming in 2013 and also wants users to be able to access online betting sites via smart phones and tablets.
Our sincere sympathy is extended to the family of Henry A. Schimberg, 79, former president and chief executive of Coca-Cola Enterprises, a major independent bottler of Coca-Cola products, who died recently while traveling in Europe.
Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, called Mr. Schimberg “a legendary and extraordinarily accomplished leader in our business. Known for his unflagging professionalism and commitment to executional excellence, he was instrumental in driving CCE’s growth across North America andEurope. Henry was a truly remarkable and inspirational individual, both professionally and personally.”
Congratulations to Max Henderson on being named senior VP of customer development, at C&S Wholesale Grocers. Max recently resigned his position as president of Southern Family Markets when C&S sold the division to Belle Foods. Max previously held executive positions at Ahold-owned Giant/Carlisle and Tops Friendly markets. C&S operates 50 locations serving more than 4,000 retail stores nationally.
How about a “BaltimoreDog!” The Owings Mills market and deli, Mr. Charles Market, is offering a “Baltimore Dog,” a split and griddled all beef kosher hot dog wrapped in bologna and applewood smoked bacon, yellow mustard, topped with Mr. Charles Markets’ own made coleslaw!
Celebrating birthdays this month are: Sonia Diamond, wife of Food-A-Rama’s Paul Diamond and grandmother of Jeremy Diamond, her 90th; retired food broker Joanne Stathes; B. Green’s Benjy Green; Kathleen Ellis, wife of AWI’s (retired) Bernie Ellis.
Celebrating anniversaries this month are: Reading Consumer Products’ Ron and Terry Fish; their 51st; Best-Met Publishing Company’s treasurer Bill and Ann Speakman,, their 49th; Tootsie-Rolls’ Tom and Kathy LaRochelle, their 48th; Best-Met’s (retired) Nina and John Weiland, their 45th; and LaFamiglia’s Burt and Bernadette Quinn, their 36th.