Content about Food HBC & Consumables

ROSWELL, Ga. — Scott Home Improvement Solutions will host more than 200 Menards contractors as part of the Scott 160, inviting them to act collectively as Grand Marshal at the inaugural ARCA/Menards 2013 Series Race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., Saturday, June 22. 

Kimberly-Clark and the Scott brand are partnering with ARCA series sponsor Menards to participate in the ARCA Racing series. Through the partnership, the Scott brand is an official sponsor of the ARCA series, an ARCA Rookie Challenge sponsor and race title sponsor of the Scott 160.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — BJ's Membership Club is celebrating its 200th store opening with its latest location at 5200 Red Tip Road in Fayetteville, N.C. The club will feature a fresh bakery, BJ's Cafe, deli, optical services, rotisserie chicken, tire center, gas station and Verizon Wireless Kiosk. 

IRVING, Texas — To celebrate its 40th birthday, Michaels will launch the first-ever Michaels Craft Tour this month in a specially designed 18-wheeler that features a fully stocked, 1,000-sq.-ft. craft room on the inside. 

The tour will travel throughout the U.S. from coast-to-coast, visiting store openings, outdoor festivals and other events along the way.

NEW YORK — Cosmetic brand Clinique has promoted Jean-Christophe Jourde to the newly created position of SVP and GM of North America. Jourde will be responsible for driving sales and market share growth for the brand in the region and will report to Ricardo Quintero, SVP and global GM of market development. 

Kraft foods split its grocery division into two units – meals and desserts and enhancers and snack nuts – to reduce complexity and improve focus on brand building.

According to the company, the new, standalone business units will allow for even greater focus on brand-building activities while reducing the complexity of managing a portfolio with many distinct brands and product categories.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — With Father’s Day just around the corner, Family Dollar is touting its small-store format, accessible staff and assorted product offerings to draw shoppers into its stores.

The value retailer is offering greeting cards, apparel and grills, while reminding shoppers that stores carry not only grills but also charcoal, coolers, hot dogs, hamburgers and even condiments.

DALLAS — Huggies has tapped former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera as its latest brand ambassador. Rivera will be promoting Huggies' new diapers and wipes.

"This past year has been filled with some amazing moments, like the birth of my son, Sebastian," Rivera said. "Parenting has been full of surprises — the good, the bad and the messy. That's why I rely on Huggies diapers and wipes to help us pass any test and keep Sebastian clean and dry."

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo has chosen three schools as the grand prize winners of the 2012-13 PepsiCo Dream Machine Recycle Rally, a national recycling program and contest designed to encourage students to recycle every day.  

The Canadian retail landscape shifted again late Wednesday when Safeway announced the sale of its operations there to Sobeys Inc. for $5.8 billion.

The all cash deal will result in net proceeds to Safeway of about $2 billion which will be used to pay down debt. Sobey’s is a Canadian food retailer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited. It is acquiring Safeway’s 223 store operation and 12 manufacturing facilities that last year generated sales of $6.7 billion in Canadian dollars and a $428 million operating profit.

NEW YORK — Coty has promoted Catherine Walsh to the newly created position of SVP of corporate communications. The company will look to Walsh to help strengthen its global brand-building efforts.

HAMILTON, N.J. — Bai Brands, makers of a line of all-natural, 5-calorie, antioxidant-infused beverages, has promoted Ken Kurtz to the role of president. Kurtz will be charged with leading the company's sales efforts globally.

Kurtz sits alongside COO Barak Bar-Cohen and CFO Ari Soroken, who make up the company's executive leadership team.

Retailers looking for insight into popular new products in the candy and snacks world can thank organizers of the Sweets & Snacks Expo for doing some heavy lifting.
 
A panel of experts at the 17th annual event sifted through hundreds of samples prior to the sold out trade show in Chicago and found eight worthy of the distinction of “Most Innovative New Product.”