Retail & FoodService

Quirch Foods is introducing the best Angus beef to its customers. The international distributor will offer the Certified Angus Beef ® brand with 10 specifications ensuring its selections are a cut above USDA Prime, Choice and Select beef. …

Safeway on Thursday downplayed recent investor speculation it was prepping for a merger or private-equity buyout. In a conference call, Safeway CEO Steve Burd said those company actions "were not in preparation for another event." …

During a tour of the store last week, the president of the regional supermarket chain pointed out that the salad bar and the nearby fried-chicken case are two of Farm Fresh’s most popular features. It recently spruced up those areas in many of its 43 stores, adding options such as healthier baked birds, as part of upgrades to enhance its appeal with shoppers. …

The number of consumers using private label food and beverage products continues to rise, but U.S. consumers are losing their enthusiasm for these value-oriented options, according to a recently released report by The NPD Group, a leading market research company. NPD’s food and beverage market research report finds that private label’s share of household servings was 18 percent in 2000 and reached 27 percent in 2011. In contrast to steadily increasing usage, the satisfaction with private label foods meeting consumers’ needs has dipped from 32 percent in 2009 to 24 percent in 2012.
…

Raley's unionized workforce Tuesday began preparing for a possible strike against the West Sacramento supermarket chain. The United Food and Commercial Workers announced early Tuesday that Raley's refused to extend its contracts and was preparing to give workers its "last, best and final offer."

…