IGA USA International Retailer of the Year Finalist Perspective

Event Marketing Brings the Community Together

A message to the Alliance from...
2011 IGA USA International Retailer of the Year Finalist
Shayne Hamilton
Washington IGA
Washington, IN
LDC: Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. - Nashville Division

IGA will announce the 2011 IGA USA International Retailers of the Year this January. Look to The Independent View over the next week to learn more about each of the seven Finalists in the running for this coveted award. Today, Shayne Hamilton of Washington IGA shares the "best practices" that set his IGA store apart from the competition and help him connect to his customers and his community.

Our town had an IGA for more than 30 years, and everyone here knew it as their hometown grocery store. I can still remember shopping at the store with my grandmother as a kid, and what I remember most about it is that everyone who worked there knew you by name when you walked in the door. The store closed down in 2001, and Washington was without an IGA until our store opened 2008. From my very first day at Washington IGA, those memories of shopping with my grandmother have guided me—they helped me recognize that our store had a reputation to live up to and it was my job to make sure the people of Washington feel that this store is really at the center of the community.

The one thing that helps us connect most to customers is our focus on IGA's Community Marketing events. We really go all out here for the events, which is easy to do to because every team member in the store gets involved. Even though IGA makes it possible to run these events with very little effort, my team gets so excited that they start planning literally months ahead of time. Whether the theme is health and wellness or just celebrating with kids, my team works together to involve every department in the store. We do sampling, create games and offer prizes, host theme-related parking lot events, and build displays that are so impressive that we have people from the community coming in just to take photos.

The best part is that the IGA Community Marketing events gave us a blueprint for how we can stand out from the competition. Once we got a few of those IGA-themed events under our belt, we were able to start adding in our own events throughout the year. Now there's rarely a week that goes by that we don't have something going on in the store to bring our community together, and everyone in town looks forward to that experience.

Thanks,

Shayne Hamilton

Retail News

Wakefern Food Corp. opened a 90,000-sq. ft. extension to its existing warehouse facility in Keasbey, NJ, reported NJ Today. The Southern Perishables warehouse now measures more than 450,000-sq. ft. Full Story

Warner Home Video and NCR Corporation reached a new distribution agreement making Warner Home Video theatrical new release titles available in NCR's Blockbuster Express-branded DVD rental kiosks after a 28-day window. The new arrangement also provides NCR with lower acquisition costs, a direct relationship with the studio and access to theatrical new release product four weeks after the street date. Full Story

Manufacturer News

General Mills will raise prices on refrigerated baked goods, frozen vegetables and hot snacks such as pizza rolls to overcome input cost increases, which the company predicts to rise 4% to 5% for its current fiscal year. General Mills saw cost run-ups in wheat, cocoa, dairy products, packaging and fuel, stated John Church, supply chain SVP, reported The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

New Product News: PepsiCo, Inc. is testing a portable kids snack, Tropicana Products, Inc.'s Tropolis, a squeezable fruit snack. Full Story ... Tyson Foodservice introduced Signature Ready Bone-in chicken wings and Red Label Boneless chicken wings. Full Story

Keurig, Incorporated introduced a new corporate identity through new packaging and an emphasis on the brand's Choose. Brew. Enjoy. tagline. Full Story

The global market for organic food & drink expanded by 5% in 2009, according to Organic Monitor's The Global Market for Organic Food & Drink: Business Opportunities & Future Outlook report. Healthy growth is continuing in the North American market, which has overtaken the European market to become the world's largest. The fresh produce category comprises most organic food & drink sales. Full Story

The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded five grants of $10,000 each to local Atlanta human service organizations working to help those in need this holiday season. The donations were part of its annual "Donations in Lieu of Decorations Initiative," and were made to the Atlanta Children's Shelter, City of Refuge, CredAbility, Families First and Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. Full Story

Executives on the Move: Pilgrim's Pride Corporation appointed William W. Lovette president and CEO of the company effective Jan. 3. Mr. Lovette succeeds Don Jackson, who is resigning from the company effective Jan. 2 in order to assume the position of president and CEO of JBS USA. Full Story ... The Kroger Co. named Sukanya R. Madlinger president of Kroger's Cincinnati/Dayton Division. Full Story

Foodservice News

Shane's Rib Shack created franchise agreements totaling more than 50 units, including 25 stores in Alabama and 20 stores in Central Florida. In 2011, the company expects to open approximately 12 units. Full Story

Starbucks finished replacing nearly all of its incandescent and halogen lighting with LED lighting during a two-year roll-out, reported Trading Markets. Full Story

Dawson Holdings, LP increased its equity stake in Tootie Pie Company, Inc. from 15% to 25%. Full Story

United Airlines will be rolling out Poppie's cookies and scones for first class meals on all North American flights, reported Chicago Sun-Times. Full Story

Health News

Drinking three glasses of milk per day may lead to an 18% decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, a review by U.S. and Dutch researchers found. Researchers found no link between the consumption of regular or low-fat dairy and any increased risk of heart disease, stroke or total mortality, reported UPI. Full Story

Washington News

U.S. officials outlined a series of initiatives to keep Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes. The programs would include new barricades to block Asian carp and making sure bait shops do not sell Asian carp minnows. Meanwhile, attorneys general from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania appealed a federal judge's ruling that turned down their request for a preliminary injunction to immediately close locks and take other steps to seal off the Mississippi River basin from the Great Lakes, reported Reuters. Full Story

Burger King operator Duke and King Acquisition Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company operated 92 Midwestern Burger King locations and already closed five stores, reported Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Full Story (Subscription Required)

FDA inspectors found no positive test results for Salmonella Enteritidis in Maine's major commercial egg farms. Full Story

USDA made available the final environmental impact statement that evaluates the potential environmental effects of deregulating alfalfa genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, known commercially as Roundup. Full Story

Global News

Costa Rica imports over 47% of its agricultural needs from the U.S. Top U.S. exports include wheat, rice, soybeans and corn. However, consumer-ready products show greatest potential for expanded export growth, though current values are small compared to bulk commodities. Greatest potential is seen in fresh fruits, pork, poultry, nuts, sauces, juices, frozen potatoes, cheeses, fresh vegetables, dried fruits and beans, noted FAS. FAS Report

Cuba will spend a projected $1.6 billion on food imports in 2011, according to Economic and Planning Minister Marino Murillo, reported Reuters. Full Story

The General Court of the EU ruled that certain chocolate figures can not be trademarked, as they are devoid of any distinctive character that would make them worthy of trademark protection. Lindt & Spruengli AG and Germany's August Storck AG sought a trademark on the figures. Full Story

While Italy has one of the highest per capita coffee consumption rates in Europe, there are few opportunities for U.S. sales in this market, noted FAS. Italians consume coffee as Espresso, Cappuccino, Macchiato and Marocchino. Some coffee bars and restaurants serve American style coffee but this is not common. There are limited opportunities for organic espresso coffee and decaffeinated espresso coffee. FAS Report

Toronto-based Sprott Resource Corp. will invest $30 million in its One Earth Farms Corp subsidiary. Sprott plans to increase its ownership interest to 80% from 66.7%. Full Story

Japan bought 19,520 metric tons of food wheat and 28,940 tons of food barley through a tender system introduced to loosen government grain-import controls, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries stated. Of the total amount of wheat purchased, 18,240 tons were from Canada and 1,200 tons were from Australia and 80 tons from the U.S. Of the total barley, 26,940 tons were from Canada and 2,000 tons were from Australia, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story

South Africa's Pioneer Foods reduced the price of bread by approximately $.30 a loaf as part of its fine for being part of a price-fixing cartel, reported Business Report. Full Story

Market News

In the coming year, area of vegetables used for processing is expected to decline, led by tomatoes, noted FAS. After 2010's smaller but still sizeable crop, smaller world supplies and favorable export demand, tomato processors are expected to contract for increased area in 2011. With input prices again rising, higher prices for alternative field crops, and upward pressure on wholesale tomato product prices, it appears likely that contract prices for tomatoes may also be under upward pressure in 2011 after registering a 19% decline in 2010. ERS Report

Prices for Florida vegetables escalated sharply as growers assessed damages caused by multiple nights of freezing temperatures, and shippers are warning buyers to expect supply gaps through late winter on green beans, sweet corn and tomatoes. "As far as Belle Glade goes, we lost all of our beans and 99% of our corn" stated Bryan Biederman, assistant sales manager for Pioneer Growers Co-op, reported The Packer Online. Full Story (Subscription Required)

Florida processors produce about 12 million gallons of tangerine juice, all of which goes into blended products or orange juice. Wm. G. Roe & Sons' citrus juice processing subsidiary Noble Juice produced 100,000 gallons of tangerine juice in 1996, and last year produced six million gallons of tangerine, grapefruit and orange juices and blended products. The company has an organic line, and also uses an environmentally friendly plastic bottle that degrades naturally in a compost pile within 100 days, reported The Lakeland Ledger. Full Story

Argentine fresh citrus production in 2010/11 is expected to increase, with the exception of grapefruit, noted FAS. Production is estimated to increase to 1.25 million metric tons (MT) for lemons, 900,000 MT (for oranges) and 400,000 MT (for tangerines) as a result of favorable weather conditions. Fresh grapefruit production is projected to decrease to 130,000 MT due to a decrease in area planted to grapefruit. Domestic consumption in 2010/11 is forecast to increase for lemons, oranges, and tangerines, as a result of larger fruit supply, and it is expected to decrease for grapefruit due to smaller production. FAS Report

Over the past two decades, Peru emerged as a significant fruit and vegetable exporter, according to ERS. The U.S. is one of its most important markets. This rise in exports was driven by advantages in climate, low production costs and preferential trading arrangements with major countries. But because many of the same products exported by Peru are grown in the U.S., increased Peruvian exports will continue to affect U.S. growers as well as consumers. ERS Report

Packaged greenhouse vegetables continue to take market share away from bulk, according to shippers and importers. One of the big greenhouse vegetable packaging trends of the past two years is sustainable packaging, according to Aaron Quon, greenhouse vegetable category manager for The Oppenheimer Group. In general more of Oppenheimer's greenhouse customers are requesting vegetables in packaging as opposed to bulk, Mr. Quon stated, reported The Packer Online. Full Story (Subscription Required)

AMS is proposing to revise the Federal Seed Act regulations to amend the list of prohibited noxious-weed seeds to reflect the recent addition of four species, deletion of two species and nomenclature change of four species listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act (FNWA). The changes would also update the seed labeling regulations, seed testing regulations, noxious-weed seed tolerances, seed certification regulations and correct several minor errors. Full Notice