Nonfoods

YUBA CITY, Cal. -- Sunsweet Growers Inc., a leading marketer of dried plums, specialty dried fruit products and fruit juices, is constructing a fruit drying facility on land it has purchased in Chile. The facility will protect Sunsweet during short California crop years and provide access to low-price markets currently inaccessible with California fruit.

CHICAGO, Nov. 18, 2005 -- Traditional grocers might be in danger of losing another weapon they have against supercenters, mass merchandisers, and club stores; the element of differentiation they gain from their private label franchises, according to a recent study by marketing information company Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).

READING, Pa. -- Redner's yesterday opened a 52,000-square-foot Warehouse Market at the Whitehall Square Shopping Center in Whitehall, Pa. The new site marks the Mid-Atlantic Grocer's fourth location in Lehigh County.

NEW YORK -- Supermarkets are being overlooked by consumers who are increasingly searching for solutions online to help with home entertaining. It represents a missed opportunity for sales, according to Hitwise, a New York-based online competitive intelligence service.

FLOWER MOUND, Tex. -- Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Sprouts Farmers Market is receiving an unusual housewarming gift as it opens a store here today; The Flower Mound city council has agreed to temporarily name the busy thoroughfare near the store Sprouts FM 1171, per the retailer's request, according to local press reports.

LAUREL, Md. -- Shoppers Food & Pharmacy will open its newest store here on Dec. 4. The 67,800-square-foot location will be the grocery retailer's 15th location in Prince George's County and 62nd location in the mid-Atlantic area, as well as the grocer's second store in Laurel this year.

Roche Bros. and Wade's Market each turned to Imperial Distributors to revitalize their nonfoods departments -- to great results.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Kathy Siefken, executive director of the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association was honored by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) based here, which presented her with an award of excellence in state government affairs at the Food Industry Association Executives Annual Meeting last week.