Save A Lot Bags for a Brighter Holiday Nets 130K Bags of Food
With the help and generosity of its customers, Save A Lot, one of the largest discount grocery chains in the United States, has donated more than 130,000 bags of much-needed, high-quality food to local charities fighting hunger as part of its Bags for a Brighter Holiday effort. Throughout November and December, Save A Lot customers across the country supported their local communities by purchasing pre-assembled bags of food that were donated to local food charities and pantries, such as Feeding Tampa Bay, the Father Fred Foundation and numerous local and regional food banks and pantries.
To further amplify the program’s impact, Save A Lot matched donation efforts for more than 120 top selling stores with a financial contribution to each store’s partner charity. The company also supported No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America, by providing a matching $6 donation for every bag purchased on Giving Tuesday (Nov. 30) to No Kid Hungry. Together these additional tactics generated an additional combined $88,000 in charitable contributions to 116 local charities as well as to No Kid Hungry.
In total, more than $780,000 worth of food will feed families in need this season. Each bag was stocked with private label and brand name food items, including pasta, stuffing mix, canned beans, meats and other pantry staples from Save A Lot. A total of 566 Save A Lot stores participated in the food donation program with 16 stores selling more than 1,000 bags, including:
- Traverse City, MI (1115 S. Garfield Ave.) – 13,523 bags
- Tampa, FL (2271 E. Bearss Ave.) – 5,715 bags
- Scottsville, KY (1407 Galletin Rd.) – 2,417 bags
- Whitwell, TN. (13205 Highway 28) – 2,366 bags
- Williamsburg, KY. (1645 S. Highway 25 W.) – 2,212 bags
- Hagerstown, MD (1161 Maryland Ave.) – 2,137 bags
- Hardinsburg, KY (996 Old Hwy 60 East) – 2,129 bags
- Jamestown, TN (407 North Main St.) – 1,760 bags
- Hazard, KY (52 Grand Vue Plaza) – 1,461 bags
- Sparta, TN (179 Mose Dr.) – 1,419 bags
- Murphy, NC (1240 Andrews Rd.) – 1,252 bags
- Blairsville, GA (117 Murphy Hwy) – 1,188 bags
- Altoona, PA (3415 Pleasant Valley Blvd.) – 1,117 bags
- Mayfield, KY (1210 State Route 45 North) – 1,116 bags
- Pickens, SC (529 Hampton Ave Hwy B) – 1,109 bags
- Danville, WV (124 Mall Rd.) – 1,060 bags
“Giving back to families who are struggling to put food on the table is at the heart of our annual Bags for a Brighter Holiday program. I continue to be inspired and humbled by the incredible generosity of our customers, who make space in their own shopping budgets to help each other this time of year,” said Mark Kotcher, senior vice president of sales & marketing at Save A Lot. “Save A Lot plays an important role in many of these communities, providing families with access to fresh, high quality food options every day. Seeing each of these stores rally around this program is really special. We also appreciate our partners at No Kid Hungry, who have allowed us to expand our reach even further in working towards ending childhood hunger.”
For more information about Save A Lot or the Bags for a Brighter Holiday program, please visit www.savealot.com
Founded in 1977, Save A Lot is one of the largest discount grocery store chains in the U.S., with more than 850 stores in 32 states. Save A Lot remains true to its mission of being a hometown grocer, providing unmatched quality and value to local families. Customers enjoy significant savings compared to traditional grocery stores on great tasting, high quality private label brands, national brand products, USDA-inspected meat, farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, and other non-food items.
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Niagara Chocolates’ New Flavors Sweeten Up Valentine’s Day
Niagara Chocolates, a fastest-growing premium chocolate brand, has releases four limited-edition flavors just in time for Valentine’s Day. A recent survey confirms that while consumers from Gen Z and beyond still choose chocolate and romance as Valentine’s Day signatures, a spirit of adventure and an interest to try new, exciting experiences accompany these traditional celebration elements.
Other key findings include an overwhelming preference for bold flavors inspired by dessert favorites, popular bakery indulgences and special holiday offerings.
Niagara’s new flavors include:
Dark Chocolate Fondue – Mess-free and easy to recreate at home, our Dark Chocolate Fondue is ready in under 2 minutes and perfect for creating a fun dessert activity with a loved one or as a fun entertaining element.- Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups – Delicious notes of red velvet and cocoa complemented by the delicate tang and smoothness of cheesecake. Also available in 12-ounce gift boxes.
- Snickerdoodle Cookie Clusters – Creamy milk chocolate with notes of zesty cinnamon and crunchy vanilla cookie pieces, our Snickerdoodle Clusters will surely make your heart flutter.
- Double Chocolate Frosting Cups – Enjoy our twist on a cupcake! Smooth, milk chocolate frosting flavors in rich, creamy, decadent dark chocolate will satisfy your sweet tooth any day of the week.
“For Valentine’s Day 2023, every generation declared a preference for celebrating romance – either with a loved one, boldly going on a first date or even fantasizing about a secret crush,” said Joe Annunziato, director of marketing at Delica North America, parent company of Niagara Chocolates. “No matter how they choose to celebrate, there was an overwhelming agreement that chocolates are the best gift to give and receive, and our hand crafters are excited to share their bold new flavor innovations.”
Additional Survey Findings:
- The #1 gift that consumers want to give themselves, their loved ones and receive for Valentine’s Day is chocolate.
- Over 50 percent of recipients would love to receive a Valentine’s card from their secret crush.
- Over 85 percent of respondents would be willing to go on a first date on Valentine’s Day – but 16 percent would only be interested if given a box of chocolates as an invitation.
Made with simple, non-GMO ingredients, Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, and small batch hand crafted chocolate, these limited-edition products are available on Niagarachocolates.com, Amazon, and national retailers such as Safeway Albertsons, Fresh Market, Walmart and more.
*Results from Pollfish Survey conducted January 2023
Niagara Chocolates launched nationally in 2021 and is the fastest-growing brand in premium chocolate, led by top-selling flavors such as Toasted Coconut Clusters, Sea Salt Caramel Cups, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups, and Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters, as well as the Almond Toffee Milk Chocolate, Salted Almond Dark Chocolate and Almond Butter Dark Chocolate bars.
The brand was established in 1956 with a focus on simple ingredients, a hand crafted process, and delivering indulgent products, which remain the brand pillars to this day. Niagara Chocolates has proudly invested in local communities since the brand’s inception through fundraising programs, enabling local schools and organizations to raise millions of dollars to support efforts of all types and make dreams possible. The brand is owned by Migros Group, the largest company, and retailer in Switzerland.
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SIAL America Cross-Country F&B Show Returns in March
SIAL, the cross-category food and beverage industry network, announced that SIAL America, will take place from March 28-30 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The USDA-endorsed networking and lead-generation event will provide importers, food service companies, distributors, retailers, wholesalers and restaurateurs the opportunity to network with exhibiting food companies from around the world. Attendees will explore the latest in food products and technology via SIAL Innovation, and attend educational seminars devoted to the latest food industry trends.
This extensive how floor features product categories that include Organic & Wellness, Beverages, Grocery, Sweets & Bakery, Fruits & Vegetables, Seafood, Dairy Products, Frozen Foods, Snack Foods, Meats.
Last March, SIAL America made its debut welcoming over 4,600 industry professionals worldwide, delving into cutting-edge food trends such as plant-based alternatives, animal-product traceability, and chocolate and sweets innovations. SIAL will stage six months after the SIAL Paris flagship event drew more than 7,000 exhibitors in October 2022. Domestic and international exhibitors including Real California Milk, Supreme Crab & Seafood, and Haig’s Delicacies have already signed on to participate, along with USA Rice, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Godshall’s, American Beverage Markets, Skechers, Source Logistics and more to be announced.
SIAL America will again feature matchmaking services and VIP networking spaces to connect like-minded businesses. The show will take place next to Emerald’s International Pizza Expo.
Attendee registration for SIAL America is open,
SIAL America is presented in partnership with Emerald and Comexposium. The partnership leverages the respective strengths of Emerald’s leading live events footprint in the United States and Comexposium’s preeminent SIAL global food brand and network.
SIAL Network is the world’s largest network of food and drink fairs. Its 11 regular shows (SIAL Paris, SIAL Canada Montreal, Toronto, SIAL China, SIAL Shenzhen, Food & Drinks Malaysia, SIAL India, SIAL Interfood in Jakarta, Gourmet Selection, Djazagro and The Cheese & Dairy Show ) bring together 16,000 exhibitors and 700,000 visitors from 200 countries.
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