Industry Intelligence

Call it a real Cinderella story: Kevin Mackie, longtime dairy manager at a Philadelphia ShopRite operated by Westville, N.J.-based Brown’s Super Stores, achieved the dream of a lifetime by winning a Grammy last Sunday night at the 54th Grammy Awards ceremony. In addition to working at the ShopRite of Cheltenham for more than 16 years, Mackie is a performer and songwriter who often draws inspiration from his supermarket experiences in addressing such themes as healthy food and challenges affecting children.

Mackie’s CD “All About Bullies … Big and Small,” produced with Steve Pullara, Jim Cravero, Gloria Domina and Pat Roberson and featuring 37 tracks from various artists in a unique mix of poems and songs, won the Grammy for Best Children’s Album. It was created to help children deal with the emotions related to bullying. All profits from the proceeds of the album go to the Bloomington, Minn.-based PACER Center's "Kids Against Bullying" program. The same production team was nominated for a Grammy last year for the CD “Healthy Food For Thought.”

Founded in 1988 by President and CEO Jeffrey Brown, family-owned and -operated Brown’s Super Stores runs 10 Philadelphia-area ShopRite supermarkets. ShopRite is the banner under which the 47 members of Keasbey, N.J.-based retailer-owned cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. operate their stores. With more than 240 ShopRite supermarkets throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than 5 million customers each week.