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BJ’s Wholesale Club to Open Up to 30 Clubs in 2 Years

BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to open 25-30 clubs over the next two fiscal years, including several clubs set for the Dallas-Fort Worth area starting in early 2026.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is a membership-based retailer that has been delivering unbeatable value and convenience to smart-saving families for over 40 years. BJ’s offers a large assortment of fresh produce, bakery goods, meat and dairy items as well as household essentials, consumer electronics, toys and apparel – a true one-stop shop. Many members do their weekly grocery shopping at BJ’s, saving up to 25% off grocery store prices every day and save even more by filling up at BJ’s Gas.

“We are eager to continue our expansion by bringing unbeatable value, convenience and assortment to the Dallas-Fort Worth community,” said Bob Eddy, Chairman and CEO, BJ’s Wholesale Club. “Economic expansion and a growing population make Texas a great fit for us. We believe our unique club model, which delivers savings of up to 25% off grocery store prices every day, will resonate with the families in this area. We look forward to living our purpose of ‘taking care of the families who depend on us’ in Texas.”

BJ’s has a longstanding commitment to the communities where its members and team members live and work. Established in 2004, the BJ’s Charitable Foundation provides essential needs to families through local and national non-profit partnerships. The Foundation focuses its giving efforts on three main pillars: hunger relief, education and health and wellness.

BJ’s is proud to partner with Feeding America and its network of food banks to help end hunger in the communities where it operates. For over 15 years, the partnership has provided more than 125 million meals for those in need. Once open, each new club in Texas will support a local food bank with weekly donations of produce, meat and dairy products.

BJ’s also announced several new locations set to open in 2025, including:

  • Delray Beach, Fla.
  • Warner Robins, Ga.
  • Sevierville, Tenn.
  • Casselberry, Fla,

The location in Delray Beach will be a BJ’s market – the second of the company’s concept clubs. BJ’s market provides a convenient, expedited grocery shopping experience that will feature top-selling fresh foods, produce, sundries and seasonal products for members, with all the value and convenience that BJ’s members have come to know and love from the club.

“Our newest BJ’s market will deliver an innovative approach to grocery shopping to the Delray Beach community,” said Bill Werner, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development, BJ’s Wholesale Club. “Members will be able to get unbeatable value on fresh food and weekly grocery needs in a quick and efficient shopping experience.”

The company’s plans for 25-30 clubs include previously announced club openings in early fiscal 2025:

  • Brooksville, Fla. (opened February)
  • Myrtle Beach, S.C. (opened February)
  • Southern Pines, N. C. (opening March 7)
  • Whippany, N.J.
  • Staten Island, N.Y.

BJ’s offers members several time-saving options whether online or in-club. Curbside pick-up, in-club pickupsame-day delivery and standard delivery are available on BJs.com, while members shopping in-club can use ExpressPay through the mobile app to scan products as they shop and skip the checkout line.

Each new club location is expected to create between 100-150 jobs in its community. Team member development and training are a central focus. Those interested in becoming a team member can visit BJs.com/careers for information on available opportunities.

Amcor Receives 2 Silver Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards

Amcor has received two Silver Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards in the category of Sustainability.

The awards were presented during the Achievement Awards Breakfast, held in conjunction with the Flexible Packaging Association 2025 Annual Meeting, in Aventura, Fla.

“We are honored to be recognized by the FPA for innovations that are making a difference for our customers and the environment,” said Brian Carvill, vice president of research and development at Amcor Flexibles North America. “Amcor’s winning packaging and equipment demonstrate how we apply our capabilities in material science and packaging technology to unlock growth for our customers and deliver more sustainable solutions.”

The FPA Achievement Awards have showcased packaging industry innovation since 1956. This year, there were 226 entries, with 20 ultimately honored, including:

The Amcor Moda vacuum packaging solution is a streamlined tubular rollstock and on-demand bag-making system for fresh meat processors. Used for U.S. beef exports, the solution reduces material costs up to 30%, lowers packaging inventory requirements, and reduces packaging SKUs by printing on the tubing as it runs.

When switching to the Amcor Moda solution, producers significantly reduce the use of corrugated shrink bag boxes. Instead of being packed in boxes, rolls of Amcor tubestock are shipped on pallets. A pallet of tubestock can produce 40% more bags than a typical pallet of traditional shrink bags, reducing the transportation and inventory space requirements by 40%. The versatile tubestock also accommodates many sizes and cuts of bone-in and boneless meat, reducing packaging SKUs. The package dimensions and graphics can be changed with the touch of a button.

Manually inserted export cards are eliminated with a high-resolution thermal transfer printer that prints logos and variable information such as dates and time codes directly on the package, reducing packaging materials.

The Moda system includes more sustainable film options. Amcor Eco-Tite recycle-ready tubestock replaces traditional shrink bag material with more sustainable, right-gauged barrier film that uses 29% less packaging. It is designed to meet the requirements of the APR Design Guide and has passed APR’s Critical Guidance Testing. For fresh bone-in beef cuts, Amcor’s high-abuse bone-in solution, CBP tubestock, replaces a typical patch bag. CBP® reduces material usage by weight more than 35%.

Once Upon a Farm CHEERCircle PE Recycle-Ready Spouted Pouch Using AmPrima Plus Film and the Vizi Cap

Once Upon a Farm – a leading childhood nutrition brand – produces refrigerated, cold-pressed blends and smoothies that offer farm-fresh nutrition from baby’s first bites to on-the-go snacking. Made with organic, non-GMO fruits and veggies with no added sugar, these products are offered in CHEERCircle PE recycle-ready spouted pouches. The pre-made spouted pouches feature Amcor’s AmPrima Plus material, which is designed to meet the APR Design® Guide for recyclability.

The Once Upon a Farm CHEERCircle PE recycle-ready spouted pouch using AmPrima Plus film topped with the Vizi cap is a breakthrough innovation for sustainability, meeting the complex packaging needs of refrigerated pasteurized dairy and non-dairy foods in the liquid pouch packaging category.

An Amcor ASSET life cycle assessment, certified by the Carbon Trust, demonstrates how the AmPrima Plus material improves performance on certain sustainability metrics compared to the previous package:

5% reduction in non-renewable energy use per pouch
22% reduction in carbon footprint per pouch
The Cheer Pack North America Vizi cap delivers even better sustainability metrics, including a 22% reduction in carbon footprint per pouch. Moving to the Vizi cap and CHEERClassic standard spout, Once Upon a Farm will reduce the amount of plastic in the cap and spout by over 30%.

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Green River Distilling Urges People to ‘Raise Your Spirits’

Green River Distilling Co., the 10th oldest licensed distillery in Kentucky, unveiled its first modern brand advertising campaign in over 100 years celebrating its steadfast, enduring history with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the past. The national campaign will be rolled out across streaming TV, digital video, social and out-of-home. At the center of the “Raise Your Spirits” campaign is an uncanny spokesperson: G.R., the Ghost of Green River. This spectral ambassador leads the platform with a mission to bring simplicity to a complicated world, embodying the distillery’s deep-rooted heritage and commitment to quality while appealing to modern bourbon enthusiasts with a dash of humor and a splash of the supernatural.

“Green River’s legacy is not just about our storied past, it’s about the spirited persistence that drives us forward,” said Pete Marino, President of Bardstown Bourbon and Green River Distilling Co. “Our industry faces new obstacles and challenges, but we’re leaning into our strong brand and products and investing in accelerating Green River’s growth. The ‘Raise Your Spirits’ brand campaign will help us do that by bringing our distillery’s premium whiskey, timeless heritage, and of course, G.R. the Ghost of Green River, to a national audience.”

The new creative, conceived by Forsman & Bodenfors, launches through an integrated marketing campaign that will reach +10 million consumers nationwide including a paid partnership with Colin Cowherd, the popular sports host and digital personality behind “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” and digital advertisements with Major League Baseball. The advertisements, will run in :30 and :15 spots. The targeted, high-impact thru-the-line rollout also includes point of sale for on- and off-premise and multi-platform social media, bringing Green River’s spirit to a broad audience across channels.

The brand’s first advertising campaign in more than 100 years is centered around the charismatic ghost G.R. who brings a century’s worth of whiskey wisdom to today’s Green River employees, championing simplicity in an overcomplicated world. G.R.’s presence in the campaign is more than just a gimmick; it’s a clever nod to the distillery’s legacy as the “everything-you-need, nothing-you-don’t bourbon.” As a ghost who has lived through so much of whiskey’s history, G.R. brings a wealth of knowledge and opinions to the table. His commitment to the craft and his playful demeanor keeps Green River employees on their toes, even eliciting the occasional eye roll, making him the perfect guide for both bourbon novices and connoisseurs alike.

With a rich history dating back to 1885, Green River Whiskey has overcome prohibition and natural disasters, was once the most advertised whiskey in the world, won Best of Show at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair Exposition and named the official (medicinal) whiskey of the U.S. Marine Hospital for 18 years due to its exceptional quality. Revived in 2022, Green River is now a part of Bardstown Bourbon Company, and is rapidly expanding, poised for distribution in 45 states this year with a range of expressions offering quality and value straight from the Kentucky Bourbon TrailTM.

For more news of interest to the food and beverage industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.