News Briefs

Market Basket’s latest location is now open in Hanover, Mass., about 20 miles southeast of Boston. The retailer held a grand opening for the store at 1775 Washington Street on March 11.

Market Basket has a strong presence and history in New England, with more than a century in business and a family-centric structure. Based in Tewskbury, Mass., the grocer’s footprint includes more than 90 locations in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The Hanover store will be open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  In addition to traditional grocery products and meat, seafood, dairy, frozen, deli and bakery departments, the new location includes a prepared food area, café and sushi station.

Market Basket was recently featured in Progressive Grocers’ list of Top 10 Regional Operators to Watch and was also ranked third in the annual dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index (RPI), behind Amazon and H-E-B.

In an effort to help feed seniors in need, Food Lion Feeds, the grocer’s hunger-relief initiative, is donating $50,000 to Meals on Wheels America. The donation will allow Meals on Wheels to offer 5,000 meals to seniors and recognizes the 50th anniversary of the federal legislation that created the program.

Food Lion’s charitable foundation is also partnering with Meals on Wheels for a 50-hour fundraising initiative that begins at 12 a.m. March 15. Food Lion Feeds will give $2 for each $1 donated through the Meals on Wheels donation website, up to $50,000.

“Fighting senior hunger is one of Food Lion Feeds’ focus areas, so we’re excited to partner with our neighbors and Meals on Wheels to make a meaningful difference in nourishing homebound seniors,” said Kevin Durkee, manager of Food Lion Feeds. “Partnering with organizations like Meals on Wheels to eliminate barriers our neighbors face to access affordable, nutritious food is critical. Additionally, the added benefit of a personal connection for homebound seniors in the towns and cities Food Lion serves is an important program component, especially during the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, and employs more than 82,000 associates. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize operating more than 2,000 stores across 23 states, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

ShopRite of Yardley will hold the grand opening of its new beer and wine department and in-store café on Saturday, March 19.

The grand opening of the newly remodeled section will be commemorated with wine and beer tastings, along with cheese pairings from the  store’s cheese department. The new department will feature nearly 200 kinds of beers and wines for shoppers to choose from, including domestic, imported and craft beers, as well as top-selling wines, wines produced by smaller and organic producers, and kosher wines.

“We look forward to offering our customers a special collection of wines and beers that have been carefully selected by our knowledgeable staff and beverage manager,” said Joe Colalillo, president of ShopRite of Hunterdon County and the owner and operator of the ShopRite of Yardley, located at 1603 Big Oak Road in Yardley, Pa.

The new department also includes an adjacent café that allows customers to enjoy a snack or meal from the store’s food offerings, along with a beer or glass of wine.

Visitors can check out the bottle shop and tasting event during the grand opening, which will take place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The largest retailer-owned grocery cooperative in the United States, Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern comprises nearly 50 members that independently own and operate 361 supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Together with its member companies, Wakefern employs nearly 80,000 people. The company is No. 23 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 listing of North America’s top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Sam’s Club has recently launched a new member rewards program called Sam’s Cash. It combines previous member rewards programs, Sam’s Club Mastercard Cash Back Rewards and Plus Cash Rewards, into one simplified platform that allows members to consolidate all of the rewards they’ve earned and are eligible to spend.

Members can spend their Sam’s Cash in the club, online or cash it out. Beginning in April, additional Sam’s Cash will be awarded to members monthly, as opposed to annually.

All Sam’s Club members can earn Sam’s Cash by:

• Shopping at Sam’s Club as a Plus member: Plus members earn 2% Sam’s Cash on purchases in club, including Curbside Pickup and Scan & Go checkout.
• Using a Sam’s Club Mastercard: Cardholders earn 5% back in Sam’s Cash on fuel, 3% on eligible purchases at Sam’s Club for Plus Members, 3% on dining, and 1% on other eligible purchases.

Sam’s Club, a division of Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart Inc., operates nearly 600 clubs in the United States and Puerto Rico. Walmart operates about 10,500 stores under 48 banners in 24 countries, and e-commerce websites. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Sam’s Club ranks ninth.

The Responsible Business Initiative for Justice is launching a program made possible by Walmart that aims to confront economic immobility at the source by offering meaningful, long-term career opportunities for young people at high risk of criminal justice involvement. In doing so, the international nonprofit organization aims to advance racial equity, prevent youth from entering the criminal justice system and help create future corporate leaders.

Rolling out at the South by Southwest festival, which runs March-20 in Austin, the Unlock Potential program calls on major U.S. employers to use hiring and other resources to give vulnerable youth and young adults economic opportunity, thereby providing more routes to help them reach their full potential.

Walmart’s support of Unlock Potential is part of the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity’s creation of national networks to kick-start criminal justice prevention initiatives across the United States. 

“We must be more intentional about creating meaningful opportunities for at-risk youth so we can break the cycle of incarceration for these groups of young people, particularly Black young adults,” explained Marvin Carr, director, Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity. “The Unlock Potential program adds to a network of community leaders, nonprofits and policymakers working together to advance criminal justice prevention initiatives, made possible by the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity.”

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores under 46 banners in 24 countries, and e-commerce websites, employing 2.3 million-plus associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Fittingly enough during National Frozen Food Month, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) announced that it has named Mary Emma Young as its VP of communications.

Young is tasked with leading AFFI’s integrated communications strategy, overseeing media relations, social media, executive communications, crisis management and online and internal communications. She takes over the role from Adrienne Seiling, who was elevated to SVP of industry affairs and member services at AFFI.

The new communications leader most recently worked for the Pet Food Institute, where she was senior director of communications and strategic planning. Young also served as director of communications and marketing at CropLife America and was a senior account executive at the TheWadeGroup, Inc.

“I am pleased to welcome Mary Emma to the AFFI team,” said Alison Bodor, president and CEO of the Arlington, Va.-based AFFI. “Sharing frozen food’s compelling story with policymakers, influencers, journalists and the entire frozen food chain is an essential part of our mission and in her new role Mary Emma will work with AFFI and its members to develop and execute an impactful communications strategy that informs and educates those key audiences about the benefits of frozen food.”

Young said she is looking forward to working in the industry at a time of reinvigoration across many frozen food categories. “In the midst of these challenging times, the frozen food industry’s role in feeding millions of consumers in the U.S. and around the world has never been more important and I look forward to being part of this unique industry sector and advancing the AFFI mission,” she remarked.