While other grocers have closed stores, cut jobs and left shoppers with fewer choices, select assortment discount grocer, ALDI, will open its first 11 Texas stores throughout the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area on March 18, offering a smarter alternative for shoppers looking to save without compromising on quality.

ALDI will open a total of 27 North Texas stores this spring.  Following the first 11 stores opening in March, another 9 stores will open in April, and an additional seven in May.  

"There's no better time than now for great prices, good jobs and a lasting community investment," said Scott Huska, ALDI Denton division vice president. "Whether shoppers need to stretch a budget or simply choose to have more money to spend on other things, North Texans can count on us for high quality select brands at prices no one else can touch."  

ALDI will have invested more than $150 million in capital expenditures in the Texas market.  The grocer's regional investment includes its approximately $50 million, 500,000-square-foot Denton distribution center that employs about 75 local residents.

In addition to partnering with local Texas suppliers, ALDI has brought more than 400 new jobs to the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area in the last year, offering benefits and compensation well above the industry standard.  ALDI employees who work at least 20 hours weekly receive full benefits (including medical, dental and vision insurance, plus 401k).

Known for offering high quality fresh produce, fresh meats and grocery items at significant savings compared to the competition, the grocer's streamlined approach allows ALDI to offer unbeatable prices on more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased items, without the hassle of clipping coupons or buying in bulk.  Customers can expect high quality ALDI select brands at prices an average of 15 percent to 20 percent less than big box discounters and 30 percent to 40 percent less than traditional supermarkets.  

To ensure its ALDI select brands meet or exceed the taste and quality of the national name brands, ALDI carefully monitors and tests each product regularly throughout the year at its test kitchen in Batavia, Ill.  

ALDI launches its first Texas stores during a time of high consumer demand that has driven significant growth for the grocer, including a total of 100 new U.S. stores this year.

ALDI stores opening March 18 include:

1. 3632 Frankford Road, Dallas
2. 700 Alta Mere, Ft. Worth
3. 6951 Preston Road, Frisco
4. 1628 Precinct Line Road, Hurst
5. 1601 W. Northwest Highway, Garland
6. 3635 Gus Thomasson Road, Mesquite
7. 7440 McCart Ave., Ft. Worth
8. 5728 N. Tarrant Parkway, Ft. Worth
9. 5617 S. Hulen Street, Ft. Worth
10. 8034 Chrysalis Drive, Dallas
11. 2417 W. Park Row Blvd., Pantego

A retailer that has grown without merger or acquisition, the expansion into Texas marks 31 states which ALDI currently serves.

About ALDI Inc.

A leader in the grocery retailing industry since 1976, ALDI has more than 1,000 U.S. stores located in 31 states primarily from Kansas to the East Coast serving more than 20 million customers each month.  A select assortment discount grocer featuring its own ALDI select brands, ALDI applies smart and efficient operational and business practices to save customers up to 50 percent on their grocery bill.  ALDI, named 2009 Retailer of the Year by PL Buyer, sells more than 1,400 of the most frequently purchased grocery and household items in manageable, non-bulk packaging.  For more information about ALDI, go to www.aldi.us.

SOURCE ALDI Inc.

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.aldi.us

Jazzman's Cafe and Bakery, the largest and most-popular restaurant concept from Sodexo's retail restaurant development team, Retail Brand Group, has been named a "Top 25 Bakery Cafe Chain" by Technomic Information Services. Jazzman's ranking is ninth in the overall listing of top chains and third in the total number of cafe units in the United States.

Jazzman's was evaluated by Technomic based on total sales and total units in 2008. With more than 200 locations nationwide, Jazzman's Cafe has become a daily part of life at college campuses, hospitals and corporate environments. The brand, which is currently celebrating its ten-year anniversary, is also a past winner of the Nation's Restaurant News "Hot Concepts!" Award.

"Having just celebrated our 10-year anniversary, this designation from Technomic is the 'icing on our birthday cake,'" says Husein Kitabwalla, president, Retail Brand Group. "It's a culmination of perfecting Jazzman's core values of fresh baked goods, sustainable specialty coffee, freshly-prepared food, and above all connecting with our guests to build lasting relationships."

Jazzman's Cafe and Bakery's year-long anniversary celebration includes the introduction of the Jazzman's Perks card, a guest appreciation program, and a special 10th anniversary coffee roast, sourced responsibly from Ethiopia. System-wide sales at Jazzman's are up 10%, and the chain has posted double digit unit growth this year.

Technomic, considered the authority on restaurant performance, trends and forecasts, provides rankings, analysis and profiles of the leading bakery cafe chain restaurants to illustrate emerging trends and players in this growing segment.  According to Technomic, U.S. systemwide sales for the bakery cafe industry increased 12% to more than $4.5 billion in 2008.

Retail Brand Group

Retail Brand Group is a comprehensive portfolio of distinctive restaurant brands, including award-winning concepts Jazzman's Cafe and Pandini's. With the experience of more than 575 locations nationwide, Retail Brand Group has branded solutions suited for virtually any venue.  From bistros and coffeehouses to upscale pizza, gourmet burgers and authentic ethnic cuisine, Retail Brand Group turns dining into a memorable event. www.retailbrandgroup.com

Sodexo, Inc.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), a member of Sodexo Group, is a leading provider of Comprehensive Service Solutions serving more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care, retirement, schools, higher education, government and remote sites. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., Sodexo, Inc. operates in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo Group (www.sodexo.com), founded in 1966, employs 380,000 people who serve 50 million people daily in 80 countries. The Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org) is an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $12.7 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.sodexoUSA.com

Next Generation Beverage LLC, the maker of Serenity Zen Beverage™ and a leader in the relaxation beverage category, has entered into a distribution agreement with one of the largest soft drink distribution groups in the United States— The Canada Dry Bottling Company of New York.  This partnership will give Serenity™ a potential distribution in over 25,000 points in the New York City/ Greater Metropolitan Area,  including the city's five boroughs, Westchester and Long Island, and nine Northern & Central New Jersey counties— Bergen, Essex, Union, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Hudson, Sussex, and Morris Counties.

With four distribution centers and over 150 beverage transports on the road each day, Canada Dry Bottling of New York's experienced sales team will be a key component to Serenity™'s ability to provide excellent service to all points of distribution in the New York City/ Greater Metropolitan Area.

About Serenity Zen Beverage™: Sip your way to tranquility—an innovative blend of vitamins, natural flavors and extracts and a relaxing and tranquil formula, Serenity™ grants your wish to relax and unwind. Relax responsibly: with a sweetly-flavored vanilla taste, Serenity™ is a non-alcoholic source of relief and recovery, boasting zero calories, sugar and carbohydrates. Serenity™ is your relaxation must-have— whether you are in need of a comforting cap to a long day's work, calmed nerves before a flight or just a sweet start to that long-awaited vacation. You may still have that 8:00AM meeting tomorrow, but for now, you have 8.4oz. of Zen.

About Next Generation Beverage, LLC: Based in Hoboken, NJ, Next Generation Beverage, LLC has in its portfolio a relaxation beverage offering—Serenity™ that is one of the fastest growing brands in the country.  In addition to Serenity™, the company's portfolio also boasts Sin™ & Sin-Free Vitality Energy™ drinks.  For store locations and further details, please visit www.drinkserenity.com, www.drinkinsin.com and www.nextgenerationbeverage.com.

SOURCE Next Generation Beverage, LLC

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.nextgenerationbeverage.com

Americans recognize things need to change in the grocery aisle, and they support Uncle Sam's efforts to overhaul what is included in their food and on the packages.  The majority also believe they are individually responsible for making the right food choices to avoid obesity, but will readily accept the government's help to be successful, according to a new survey by FoodMinds.

"In light of all the recent attention around food labeling and nutrition guidance programs, we wanted to get a sense of what the consumer actually thought," said Grant Prentice, FoodMinds' director of Strategic Insights.  "We heard clearly they believe things need to change – and that it makes sense for the government to lead that charge."

Americans Want Uncle Sam...

...Involved in Food Labels

• Eighty-six percent of consumers are interested in the government implementing objective front-of-pack labeling that calls out calories and beneficial nutrients such as vitamin D or fiber
• Seventy-seven percent of shoppers are interested in front-of-package labels designed to warn them of products with high calories, low nutrients
  • And, 64 percent said if their favorite food had a warning label on it, they would either eat less or stop buying the product entirely

...To Help Educate, Mitigate and Motivate

• Seventy-four percent favor government-sponsored nutrition education programs to help them better identify the "good" versus the "bad" foods
• Fifty-eight percent support the government banning advertising of "unhealthy" foods to children and young adults
• Half are in favor of the government allowing employers to reward healthier employees while levying higher costs or fines to punish those who engage in unhealthy behaviors

...But Not His Taxes

• Rejected by 65 percent of shoppers are proposed taxes on soft drinks and foods high in sugar and calories, but low in nutritional value

Just the (Nutrition) Facts, Ma'am

Consumers love food-related information – and want more of it, in particular basic, factual data.

• The Nutrition Facts panel ranks first with 93 percent of shoppers saying it's a very or somewhat useful tool, followed by front-of-pack information (low fat, high in fiber, etc.) at 88 percent
• Not quite as popular are marketing-oriented claims such as "helps lose weight," "helps build strong bones," with 71 percent of shoppers finding them useful
• Three quarters of shoppers like seeing where their food comes from ("organic," "natural" and "sustainable farming practices")

Not It! Significant Minority Believes Others Responsible for Individuals' Eating Habits

• When asked who holds the primary responsibility to make sure the public makes right food choices to avoid obesity, 38 percent chose:  14 percent said food companies, 12 percent said the government, nine percent said the health care system and three percent pointed to the educational systems

About the Food Temperance Survey

Created by the FoodMinds Strategic Insights department, the Food Temperance survey was conducted through Greenfield Online's Omnibus service on January 18, 2010. The sample of 1045 adults is balanced on age, gender and region of the U.S.  Sub-samples of 869 primary grocery shoppers and 182 Opinion Leader Shoppers were screened from the overall adult sample.  The MOE is +/- 3% for primary grocery shoppers and +/- 7% for the opinion leader shoppers

About FoodMinds

FoodMinds is a food and nutrition company that harnesses science, public affairs and communications. FoodMinds applies knowledge and critical thinking to help its clients tell a better story that makes a difference. Visit www.foodminds.com to learn more.

SOURCE FoodMinds

Back to top

RELATED LINKS
http://www.foodminds.com

Celebrating 10 years of economic empowerment through its MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneurs Series (MUES), MillerCoors has awarded $1.4 million to emerging minority businesses since 1999. Throughout the years, 100 businesses have received grants from the company to either start up or further develop their business.

"Ultimately, our goal is to foster economic growth and to one day turn many of the businesses that come through the program into minority suppliers for our company," says Larry Waters, director of multicultural relations for MillerCoors. "MUES is much more than just a hand-out. We track our winners and stay in touch with them to help them grow their enterprises."

The MUES program launched in 1999 to stimulate economic growth and development in urban communities. The program continues to grow, providing additional Web-based educational resources including Webinars, blogs and business advice from national judges and past winners.  

Continuing its commitment to small business development, MillerCoors announced the winners of its 2009-2010 MUES Business Plan Competition. Rising to the top of a highly competitive field were five dynamic businesses who competed for an opportunity to win a total of $200,000 in business grants. The winners will be honored during a special reception hosted at MillerCoors' new corporate headquarters in Chicago.

"We are fully invested in helping small businesses succeed, especially given the current economic climate," explains Waters. "As an industry leader, we recognize that entrepreneurship fuels our economy and ultimately provides economic empowerment and job creation. It is a priority for us to actually provide invaluable resources to urban businesses to help them succeed and not to simply pay lip service."

"We cannot express how important a program of this type is to helping entrepreneurs get a solid foundation. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the MUES program is phenomenal and speaks volumes to the commitment of MillerCoors," said eDali Pollard, senior business consultant, Entrepreneurship Center for the Chicago Urban League.  

This year's winners continue the rich legacy of diverse and progressive companies with services ranging from energy audits, custom gaming and advertising, to a shared kitchen and catering service and electronic point-of-sale software.

To acknowledge the 10th anniversary, the top winner received a grant of $100,000, with four runners-up receiving grants of $25,000 each to contribute to either the start-up or expansion of their business. The 2009-2010 winners are:

The new season of the MUES series is set to launch May 1, and will continue its green efforts embarked upon in 2009 with an online entry and judging platform via the program's Web site.  

MillerCoors is proud to acknowledge its longtime national community partnerships with the Atlanta Business League, the Chicago Urban League, the Detroit Urban League, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Dallas, the Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas, Recycling Black Dollars of Los Angeles, the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Urban League. The MUES program has received the endorsement of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) for the second consecutive year.

About MillerCoors

Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers.  MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales.  Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment.  Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies.  MGD 64 completes the company's premium light beer portfolio, offering consumers fresh, crisp taste at just 64 calories.  MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light.  The company also imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks.  MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company.  MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI and two microbreweries, the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver.  MillerCoors vision is to create America's best beer company by driving profitable industry growth.  MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact.  MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.

SOURCE MillerCoors

Back to top