Retail & FoodService

More Americans than ever are choosing natural and/or organic foods according to the fifth annual Whole Foods Market® Food Shopping Trend Tracker Survey. The research revealed that nearly three out of four Americans (73 percent) don’t want to compromise on the quality of the food they buy regardless of current food prices and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) describe themselves as “value seekers” when it comes to grocery shopping. …

SUPERVALU INC. announced the appointment of Kathy Persian as senior vice president and chief information officer. Persian, 45, joined the company in February 2010 in the role of group vice president of retail and merchandising systems, and later moved to group vice president of corporate planning, analysis and business process. Persian was named to the CIO post following the decision by Wayne Shurts to accept a position with another company. Shurts joined SUPERVALU in April 2010. …

The new Winn-Dixie specialty supermarket, which recently opened at 6600 Hypoluxo Road, joins the trend of organic and healthy food markets like Wegmans, (a regional market), Whole Foods and Publix Greenwise markets. …

Raley's Inc. has launched a customer loyalty program that provides personalized offers based on customer preferences and past purchases. …

The Kroger Co. Family of Stores today announced nationwide availability of its new Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic brands. Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic products are free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients that some customers have said they do not want in their foods. Simple Truth Organic products are certified organic by the USDA. In addition, the Simple Truth brand offers several USDA-certified natural products, including meat, chicken and eggs. …