Year in Review: PG's Top 20 Stories of 2015
As yet another tumultuous year in the grocery industry comes to a close, 2015 saw some retailers struggle to hold their footing, while others thrived in what further evolves into a fragmented and often unpredictable retail environment.
As Pacific Northwest retailer Haggen and Montvale, N.J.-based A&P wrote their final chapters, still others expanded their footprint through mergers and acquisitions, most notably the coming together of Kroger and Roundy's, two heavy hitters that will no doubt benefit from the vast list of strengths of the other.
As we herald the coming of a new year, PG rounds up its top 20 stories featured on progressivegrocer.com, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 5, 2015:
#1
Combined company to operate 2,774 supermarkets
#2
Larree Renda, Diane Dietz and Peter Bocian to leave after Albertsons merger
#3
H-E-B Launches Online Store Offering National Brands, Private Label
50,000 products now available on HEB.com
#4
Harris Teeter’s Carolina Charm Program Touts Regional Brands
Contest grand prize is Pinehurst Resort golf package
#5
Walmart Realigns Grocery Leadership Team
EVP Jack Sinclair to retire on March 20
#6
Offering listed at $100M
#7
Acme Markets to Buy 76 A&P Stores
Will grow footprint both within, outside core geo turf
#8
Job cuts follow failure of Canadian expanion
#9
PG Presents 2015 Top Women in Grocery
Honorees include 75 Senior-level Execs, 184 Rising Stars, 41 Store Managers
#10
Trader Joe's Leads Market Force Ranking of Favorite Grocers
Aldi leads in value; ShopRite offers best promotions, survey says
#11
Haggen Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Owes Unified Grocers $14.8 million
#12
Family Dollar, Dollar Tree Merger Leads to 300-Plus Store Closings
FTC is nearing end of merger review process
#13
A&P to Declare Bankruptcy: Report
Filing could come as soon as this week
#14
H.J. Heinz, Kraft Foods Merge To Form The Kraft Heinz Co.
Deal will create N.A.'s 3rd largest food & bev company
#15
Albertsons Names Bob Miller CEO Amid Executive Restructuring
Denningam, Dye, Sampson round out office of the CEO team
#16
Sprouts Farmers Market Welcomes New Execs
Shawn Gensch named CMO; Dan Sanders new EVP
#17
Kroger to Split its Southwest Division
Grocer to create Dallas and Houston divisions to operate stores in Texas and Louisiana
#18
Haggen Files Sale of $12M in Assets Back to Albertsons-Safeway
Includes $3.57M in inventory, $8.9M in 'records and goodwill'
#19
Brookshire Grocery Co. Exploring Sale: Report
Company could fetch as much as $1 billion
#20
Albertsons, Safeway to Divest 168 Stores in Advance of Merger
Haggen gains lion's share