Hello everyone. I hope this finds you all healthy and well and preparing to get back to normal as it looks like the vaccination process is successfully under way and spring seems to finally have arrived!
Well, Allegiance Retail Services, LLC, had a busy month as they announced one new addition and three remodels to their stable. The new store added to the roster was a Green Way Market located in Ridgewood, New Jersey at the site of the former 13,000 sq ft Kings on North Maple Avenue.
This is the cooperative’s second supermarket to fly the Green Way Markets banner, with the initial Green Way in the Westchester county town of Cross River. The innovative store is owned and operated by the Estevez family (John, Billy and Robin) and provides the customer with a curated shop, which aligns perfectly with the Green Way slogan … “A Better Shopping Experience.” Green Way Markets offers a premium selection of prepared foods, produce, deli and fresh meats including Rancher’s Legend brand beef. The store is also proud to feature hundreds of private label, earth friendly Green Way products, which are “good for you and good for your family” at an affordable price. I had the opportunity to walk the store just a week after the opening. While the unit needs and will be undergoing extensive renovations, the one thing that immediately stood out was the amount of merchandising work that the Allegiance team had already accomplished. Keeping in mind that the Estevez family took ownership of the store just a week before opening, it was a Herculean task to cut-in the more than 250 Greenway-specific branded items, as well as identify and apply the Hundreds of “Shelf Tag Savings” on the shelves to alert customers to the savings that could be had compared to the previous store’s pricing. All of the facelifts and renovations should be completed in about 90-120 days and I’m looking forward to going back and taking it all in.
Allegiance Retail Services also celebrated the grand re-opening of three newly remodeled stores. Jack Shakoor’s North Arlington, NJ Foodtown has been fully remodeled and offers a larger product variety, enhanced services and increased on-trend merchandise. And PSK Supermarkets, owned by Daniel and Noah Katz, also celebrated grand re-openings. Both stores, their Foodtown in Hollis, Queens and the Freshtown Marketplace in Amenia, NY, (northwest of Poughkeepsie) have been fully remodeled and offer a large selection of prepared foods, deli specials, quality produce, fresh meat and local favorites to meet the needs of today’s customers. “It is exciting for us to celebrate the opening of our second Green Way Market and expand our customer base. We are also thrilled to celebrate the remodels of three existing stores that offer enhanced services to current shoppers. We would like to congratulate all three Allegiance members for their new and ongoing commitment to their store communities” said John T. Derderian, president and COO of Allegiance Retail Services, LLC.
Some other store news – two of the Long Island stores that Lidl acquired from Best Markets but opted to shutter permanently were recently relaunched as Best Farms units. Beatriz Fraschilla and her three adults sons – Richard Jr., Michael and Patrick – opened the Best Farms stores at the site of former Best Markets in Hicksville and West Islip. They opened the West Islip store in February and opened the Hicksville in September 2019. The family had purchased the stores’ inventory, equipment and leases and were able to re-open the stores one day after they had ceased operating as Best Markets. The family has plans to renovate both stores, including installing new flooring, lighting, signs and refrigerators. They will also bring back the fish department. The family kept about half of the Best Market employees from the closed stores and now employ about 60 people between the two stores. Best of luck to the Fraschilla family!
And good news came to the olive oil industry as a joint statement from the European Union and the United States agreed on the mutual suspension for four months of the tariffs related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) aircraft disputes. The suspension will cover all tariffs both on aircraft as well as on non-aircraft products, which includes the 25 percent tariff imposed by the United States on olive oils and Spanish and French green table olives as well as wine and cheeses. The tariffs, which had been imposed in connection with Airbus/Boeing trade disputes, were dropped after President Joe Biden spoke with European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen. The news has been eagerly welcomed throughout the Spanish olive oil sector, which recently reported an 80 percent decrease in bottled olive oil sales to the U.S. A previous report from the Spanish Association of Table Olive Exporters and Producers (Asemesa) found that table olive exports from Spain to the U.S. had fallen by 30 percent in the first half of 2020, compared with 2019. This act will allow the E.U. and the U.S. to ease the burden on their industries and workers and focus efforts towards resolving these long-running disputes at the WTO. These steps signal the determination of both sides to embark on a fresh start in the relationship. This is welcome news not only to the olive oil industry, but also to the restaurant sector, already devastated by the pandemic, on which the tariffs on olive oils and other food and beverages added insult to injury. This is only a suspension of the tariffs, of course, but hopefully, it will allow the parties to reach a universal and lasting compromise to end the dispute once and for all.
As we approach the warm weather season and our thoughts turn to getting outside, we heard from America’s first hot dog brand, Feltman’s of Coney Island. Well specifically, Joe and Michael Quinn, the two Brooklyn brothers who now own Feltman’s. The Coney Island, NY-based company has been growing by leaps and bounds since 2015 when the two brothers re-launched Feltman’s of Coney Island with the objective of bringing back the original hot dog, inspiring everyone to eat natural food, and for their own family to reunite with a passion project after losing their middle brother Jimmy on 9/11. In 1867, Charles Feltman invented the hotdog as a convenient way to enjoy a sausage on a bun without utensils. Today, Feltman’s hot dogs are inspired by Charles Feltman’s original Coney Island Frankfurter made with no artificial ingredients and smoked in a natural casing for an explosion of old-world spices with every bite. Since entering into the retail market in 2018, Feltman’s has experienced 300 percent year-over-year revenue growth, and is now the fastest-growing hot dog company in the U.S. with its products sold at more than 3,300 supermarkets nationwide and now in Albertsons stores (Acme/Shaw’s), Whole Foods and Stop & Shop as well as at FeltmansofConeyIsland.com. The company has even signed on as the official hot dog of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, its first sponsorship agreement with a national sports team. “Our motto is to inspire families to eat natural food, one hot dog at a time, and we’re thrilled that BB&T Center is now America’s first arena to exclusively serve our all-natural hot dogs to visiting families and fans,” said CEO Joe Quinn.
Heard that Brian Todd of Brian Todd & Associates, LLC has been busy and active keeping tabs on the food and beverage industry during this pandemic. Brian recently posted that eating and drinking place sales in January were off 15.8 percent from 2020, a decline of $9.5 billion, while grocery store sales rose 11.3 percent or $7.4 billion. That’s still $2.1 billion in lost sales overall for these two major food consumption categories, according to analysis of the latest retail sales figures from the Census Bureau. And retail food prices increased a mild 0.2 percent in February following a 0.3 percent increase in January according to latest government data released. That’s exactly one half of the rate a year ago prior to the pandemic run-up in prices. Brian was the longtime president at The Food Institute and has been out on his own for the last year. Any company looking for a solid consultant offering strategic advisory, economic analysis and customized research should reach out to him at [email protected].
And lastly, I learned that a big figure in the Hispanic and Dominican community passed away on February 23. Ramon Anibal Ramos could not overcome the critical condition that occurred after suffering a heart attack and died at the age of 76. Ramon was an accomplished television presenter, radio host and digital media owner and one of the more renowned broadcasters in the Latino community. Most recently he focused on his “The Ramon Anibal show” on his Youtube channel RATV. Ramon was a native of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic and has been a part of the entertainment and communication industry since 1959. I first met Ramon at an NSA event more than 20 years ago, and then as always, he was impeccably dressed and the consummate professional. He was always an advocate and voice for the NSA as well as the Dominican community and issues relating to the Dominican community. He leaves behind his five children, Daphne, Ramon Jr., Roberto, EPD Japhet and Carlos Gilberto. He is also survived by his wife Ana Aminta Cubias, who issued this statement, “With a heavy heart, but accepting the will of Almighty God in the face of the irreparable loss and physical absence of my beloved husband RamĂłn AnĂbal Ramos, I appreciate all your prayers and expressions of affection and friendship during the recent days of his illness. Strengthened in the faith that his departure is a temporary separation until the day we praise God in heaven together, I beg you to join us in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul.” May his soul rest in peace.
Well, that’s it for now. I really hope that we are entering the end of this pandemic. Fingers crossed, say a prayer, wear a mask, use good judgement, wash your hands, positive attitude and with that said I do hope to see you out there soon!
You can reach me at 201.250.2217 or [email protected].
