Trading Partners

On the heels of news that it will dramatically expand its fresh food offerings, Walgreens has named grocery and c-store veteran Jim Jensen divisional merchandise manager for the new category.

In a joint letter to Senate leaders, 18 organizations, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) urged the quick passage of S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, at the soonest possible date.

U.S.-based store brands are benefiting big time from the current economic downturn. As consumers continue to turn to better prices and value, retailers have clearly stepped up their game by enhancing their brands’ overall product quality and by adding strong marketing muscle behind store-brand initiatives.

New Yorkers Against Unfair Taxes, a coalition formed to oppose taxes on food and beverage products, has expressed its “disappointment” regarding New York Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to place a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages of 12 cents per 12-ounce can in the 2010-2011 Executive Budget.

Supervalu banner Farm Fresh has launched “nutrition iQ,” a nutrition information program designed to help consumers make more informed food choices at the grocery store shelf, in all 45 of its stores, which are located in Hampton Roads and Richmond, Va., and Elizabeth City, N.C.

Delhaize-owned Food Lion LLC is piloting a Web-based product compliance and safety software solution developed to quickly alert key staff up and down the supply chain is a food safety issue occurs.

Sunflower Farmers Market this month launched two new consumer-friendly programs to provide shoppers a broad range of consumer content, more nutritious lifestyle tips, and extra value to their Sunflower shopping experience.

In an effort to enhance its consumer insights, Marsh Supermarkets has formed a partnership with analytic services firm Spire to leverage shopper card data and generate actionable insights from its loyalty card database.