SEG Gives 1.5 Million Meals During Hunger Action Month
Winn Dixie sponsored Mobile Pantry handout at the Goodwill in New Orleans on July 26, 2021.
Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, is donating more than 1 million meals to Feeding America and an additional 500,000 meals between five of its network food banks in the Southeast to help alleviate hunger in underserved communities during Hunger Action Month.
The grocer also launched its in-store community donation program to benefit the American Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts to support people affected by disasters, big and small. The community donation program will run during peak hurricane season and following the devastating impact from Hurricane Idalia throughout the Southeast.
Raymond Rhee, chief people officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, “As a grocer serving five coastal states, we have witnessed firsthand how a natural disaster’s impact can amplify the struggles faced by millions of families across the Southeast, many of whom already carry the burden of food insecurity.
“Today and every day, we are dedicated to supporting our neighbors to ensure no one faces these hardships alone. Through our ongoing partnerships with Feeding America and the American Red Cross, we turn compassion into action by nourishing and rebuilding our communities when they need us most.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to fight hunger, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation will provide $100,000 to Feeding America, plus $50,000 in additional monetary contributions to five Feeding America food banks within the grocer’s footprint. SEG will also host five mobile food pantry events during Hunger Action Month with the following local Feeding America network food banks to provide more than 76,000 pounds of fresh produce and shelf-stable products to thousands of families and individuals who face hunger daily:
- Feeding Northeast Florida
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
- Feeding Tampa Bay
- Feeding South Florida
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana
Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month is held annually each September to raise awareness of the hunger crisis nationwide. According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 people across the United States relied on charitable food assistance at least once in 2022.
SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation remain steadfast in their commitment to help ease the burden for those struggling to put food on the table. The grocer recently donated $160,000 to eight Southeast food banks to help combat food insecurity among families during the summer months. SEG donated more than $700,000 and 14 million pounds of food to help alleviate hunger across its five-state footprint last year.
Additionally, the grocer is launching an in-store community donation program to benefit the American Red Cross in support of its mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies. Customers can help equip the nonprofit by donating $1, $5 or simply rounding up their grocery bill while shopping their local Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores now through Sept. 26.
Every dollar donated through SEG’s community donation program will help support Red Cross Disaster Relief, which provides essential aid to those affected by disasters across the country, including food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance.
Last year, SEG, together with the SEG Gives Foundation and generous customers, donated more than $600,000 to support disaster relief efforts. The grocer was also recently recognized by the Northeast Florida Chapter of the Red Cross as their Community Partner of the Year. The recognition followed SEG’s vital aid response to destructive flooding in Fort Lauderdale earlier this year where local associates distributed meals and water to residents to support the community during recovery efforts.
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New Crops of Organic Potatoes Hitting Retailers
Courtesy of Organic Produce Network
Several states are digging and shipping new crops of organic potatoes, and there is potential for promotions, especially with organic russets, according to a report from the Organic Produce Network.
“We have just started to harvest field-run organic russet potatoes, and we will continue to run out of the field until the first or second week of October,” said Lonnie Gillespie, chief organic officer for Farm Fresh Direct of America in Monte Vista, Colorado. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that by then we will be able to start shipping organic potatoes from storage. You never know what mother nature is going to do.”
Gillespie noted that while harvest is underway, potatoes can withstand normal weather patterns, but it is out-of-the-ordinary conditions that cause issues. “Extreme anything is a problem,” she said, speaking of either heat or cold. “At this time of the year, we don’t want it to be extremely cold or wet.”
But for the time being, Gillespie said the crop looks good, and Farm Fresh Direct could support some retail promotions featuring field-run organic russets. The company has a full line of organic yellows, reds, and russets available, but the yellows and reds are currently coming from the Pacific Northwest and are in lighter supply. She also noted that Farm Fresh will be offering some organic russets from Minnesota shortly.
“In the spring and early summer, we had some shortages and higher prices on all potatoes, but there is no shortage right now, and this new crop does look like it’s going to be more of an average crop,” Gillespie said.
Courtesy of Organic Produce Network
Most of the current chatter about the new crop of conventional Idaho and Eastern Oregon potatoes currently being harvested points to a larger crop and a return to more normal FOB prices, Gilliespie said, rather than the higher prices that have been part of the landscape for the past couple of years.
Nate Jones of King’s Crown Organic Farm in King Hill, Idaho, said Idaho had excellent growing weather throughout the spring, which has led to an organic potato crop that is larger than the last two years.
“We grow four different varieties,” he said, adding that their organic acreage includes russets, yellows, reds, and purples. “The Norkotah (a russet variety) produced an awesome crop of good-sized potatoes, and the yellow crop is also very good. We are getting good yields on both of those potato varieties. The reds and purples didn’t size as well, and the yields are a little bit below average.”
While the conventional acreage of potatoes across the country is up a few percentage points, Jones does not believe that there has been an uptick in organic acreage. “Organic potatoes are not a crop that you go in and out of,” he said. “There are only a handful of us that grow organics (in Idaho), and our acreage is pretty steady.”
Because of this, he said the good market for organic potatoes that has been prevalent the last two years is not going to see much of a dip. “It might come down a little bit, but organic potatoes have maintained the market pretty well into the new season.”
Eric Beck, director of marketing for Wada Farms in Pingree, Idaho, agreed that this season should offer more normal pricing, especially on conventionally grown potatoes.
“We will also have more organics, but demand for organics remains fairly strong,” he said, adding that organic potatoes don’t tend to be promoted very often. “But there could be some opportunities for promotable pricing during the year.”
While there will be more organic supplies total, Beck said there might not be enough to carry throughout the entire storage season. That good demand, he said, will create some supply challenges toward the end of the season.
Beck said the organic potato consumer is a bit different than the shoppers who mostly buy conventional potatoes and will increase their purchase when the price is lower and the value is greater. The organic buyer is typically buying the category for philosophical reasons and is not driven as much by the value proposition that potatoes typically offer.
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Giant Eagle Retains Artman as CEO
Giant Eagle, Inc., one of the nation’s leading regional food, fuel, and pharmacy retailers, has appointed Bill Artman as chief executive officer after having been named interim CEO in March.
During his nearly 40-year tenure with the company, Artman has served in various executive leadership roles, including president of supermarkets, executive vice president and senior vice president retail operations. As a result, he has developed a deep and unique understanding of Giant Eagle’s multifaceted business and has built strong and trusting relationships with Giant Eagle Team Members, customers, vendors, and numerous business and community partners.
“Bill already has made a tremendous impact in his interim role, giving the board confidence that he is the right leader to take Giant Eagle to new heights. We are pleased to officially welcome him as CEO,” said Bart Friedman, chair of the company’s board of directors. “Over the past five months Bill has established a new business strategy and assembled a strong executive leadership team comprised of an accomplished group of professionals with decades of relevant experience who have both a keen understanding of the company’s unique standing as a multi-format retailer and a strong vision for its future.
“Combined with Bill’s unique understanding of the history and heritage of the business and markets in which it operates, we are confident this leadership team will carry the company into many new chapters of success.”
“I’m humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead the company that I’ve been a part of almost four decades, while working alongside thousands of exceptional and talented Team Members,” said Artman. “My focus is, and always has been, on delivering for our customers and neighborhoods in which we operate, while providing the support our Team Members need so they can deliver the best experience possible for our customers no matter how they choose to shop with us.”
Over the past five months, Artman has focused on putting the customer at the center of the company’s efforts. For Artman, this starts with a deep care for Giant Eagle’s Team Members and its neighborhoods.
Recent and ongoing efforts include moving quickly to return a revamped weekly circular to mailboxes in Pittsburgh and Cleveland; the reintroduction of the Price Lock promotion to lock prices on more than 1,000 seasonally relevant products; Free Coffee Monday at GetGo; seasonally impactful fuel discounts; new and expanded personalized savings through the company’s myPerks loyalty platform; and the rollout of a new Team Member perks and discount program that is currently in pilot. These efforts represent the company’s pursuit and commitment to provide reliable value and unparalleled quality and service to its customers every day.
Artman has assembled his leadership team through the appointment of several executive leaders with decades of industry experience and a keen understanding of the company’s unique standing as a multi-format retailer.
Terri Micklin has been promoted to executive vice president, president of GetGo. With more than two decades of retail, fuel and convenience industry expertise, Micklin brings a wealth of knowledge to this role, having recently served as senior vice president of development & strategy for GetGo.
Her career includes experience with ExxonMobil Corporation and more than 20 years with Wawa, Inc. where she spearheaded numerous construction initiatives, including new stores, remodels, and other significant projects. Micklin will lead GetGo’s ongoing growth and expansion, while prioritizing its food-first approach and guest-obsessed culture.
Jim Tsipakis, RPh., has been promoted to executive vice president, president of supermarkets and pharmacy. Most recently Tsipakis was executive vice president and president of Giant Eagle Pharmacy. In his new role, he will now oversee both the Supermarket and Pharmacy businesses for Giant Eagle.
His expanded responsibilities will enable him to drive transformative strategies to create an exceptional and differentiated in-store experience for customers and continue to position Giant Eagle Pharmacy as a leading healthcare resource and destination. Tsipakis will lead several vital areas of the business including retail and pharmacy operations, supermarket merchandising, and the evolution of the supermarket service culture.
Dave Burnworth has been promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer. Most recently, Burnworth was senior vice president and chief accounting officer of the company.
Burnworth’s outstanding financial acumen, coupled with his strategic vision, will further strengthen the company’s financial foundation and ensure its sustained growth in an ever-evolving market. In this role, Burnworth will play a pivotal role in driving financial performance and supporting strategic decision-making across the organization.
Graham Watkins has been promoted to executive vice president, chief information and supply chain officer. Most recently, Watkins was EVP, supply chain transformation & operations.
Watkins will maintain responsibility for the company’s supply chain and warehouse operations, while also leading its information technology teams to advance the company’s numerous IT and technology initiatives that are underway.
Justin Weinstein has been promoted to EVP, chief strategy and marketing officer. Most recently, Weinstein was SVP and CSO. In this role, Weinstein will play a leading role in defining Giant Eagle’s corporate and go-to-market strategy.
He will continue to lead the organization’s strategic planning, analytics, digital and partnerships functions, while serving as chief of staff to the CEO. In his expanded role, he also will oversee the company’s enterprise marketing, retail media network, and eCommerce strategy teams.
“Terri, Jim, Dave, Graham, and Justin have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep commitment to our customers,” said Artman. “Their expanded roles within the organization will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to deliver meaningful everyday value and an exceptional omnichannel shopping experience for our customers in an environment that recognizes and rewards our Team Members.”
Completing the Giant Eagle, Inc. executive leadership team are Greg Baker, executive vice president, general counsel, and Janis Leigh, executive vice president, chief people officer.
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