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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2018 www.gourmetnews.com News & Notes NEWS & NOTES 5 BRIEFS Albertsons Companies Appoints Jim Donald President and Chief Operating Officer Albertsons Companies has appointed Jim Donald, former president and chief execu- tive officer of Starbucks, as its President and Chief Operating Officer of Albertsons Companies. Donald is an experienced retail operator with extensive knowledge of Al- bertsons Companies, having previously held senior leadership roles at both Albert- son's, Inc. and Safeway, Inc. Donald also served as a member of the board of direc- tors of Rite Aid from 2008 to 2013. As President and Chief Operating Offi- cer, Donald has responsibility for the oper- ations of the retailers' 2,300+ store portfolio and will be helping with the acceleration of the company's growing omnichannel plat- form. Donald replaces Wayne Denning- ham, who retired earlier this year. Susan Morris, who was named Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer in January 2018, is continuing in her role. "Jim Donald has built an exceptional ca- reer in retail. His knowledge of our com- pany and industry is unmatched, and I know his contributions will be invaluable as we enter the next chapter of Albertsons Companies," said Bob Miller, Albertsons Companies Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to tapping his expertise in leading large consumer brands as we work every day to meet our cus- tomers' needs, both in-store and online." Most recently, Donald served as chief ex- ecutive officer of Extended Stay America, a large U.S.-based hotel chain, from 2012 to 2015. From 2009 to 2011, Donald served as president and chief executive officer of food and pharmacy retailer Haggen, Inc. Prior to that, he spent six years at Star- bucks, leading the company through a pe- riod of strong growth and performance, working his way up from president of its North America division to president and chief executive officer of Starbucks Corpo- ration. Earlier in his career, Donald led Pathmark Stores, Inc. and held a variety of senior management positions with Albert- son's, Inc., Safeway, Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Said Donald, "Having first worked at Al- bertsons 42 years ago, I have watched as an insider and from afar how their keen focus on customer service maintained a solid foundation for their team through the years. Their acquisitive nature combined with their recent innovation efforts and strong Own Brands portfolio have helped them to build an even stronger company today. I look forward to being a part of the team that takes this great company into the future and continues to serve the food, health, and wellness needs of today's busy customers." GN Quince & Apple Acquires Treat Bake Shop Quince & Apple, the Madison, Wisconsin- based producer of fruit preserves and syrups, has acquired Treat Bake Shop, which makes spiced and candied nuts. Pro- duction of the Treat Bake Shop products moved to Quince & Apple's Madison kitchen in mid-March. "We have long admired the company and brand that Sarah has built," said co- Founder Matt Stoner Fehsenfeld. "We've had the pleasure of working together many times and are very excited to be bringing the Treat Bake Shop brand and products into the Quince & Apple family." "Treat and Quince & Apple are really a perfect fit," said co-Founder Clare Stoner Fehsenfeld. "There are just so many simi- larities in the way we manage our brands, the care we show our customers and, most importantly, the fact that we've both stayed true to small-batch artisan production methods as we've grown." "I am incredibly proud of the Treat brand I have built and very excited for Quince and Apple's ability to extend its reach even further," said Treat Bake Shop Founder Sarah Marx Feldner. "I have a ton of respect for Matt and Clare, and I couldn't think of a better place for Treat to flourish." Quince & Apple, which was founded by the Stoner Fehsenfelds in 2009, has ex- panded beyond its Midwest base to grow its national profile and sales over the past sev- eral years by patiently building a trusted net- work of distributors, brokers and accounts that value high-end, artisan products. "We are excited to be able to use the re- sources we've built to introduce Treat Bake Shop's spiced and candied nuts to a wider na- tional audience," said Matt Stoner Fehsenfeld. This represents the first acquisition by Quince & Apple in its nine-year history, but Clare Stoner Fehsenfeld says she hopes it's just the first of many. "There are so few options for owners of small, artisan food businesses if they want to sell," said Clare Stoner Fehsenfeld. "They make great products and build great brands that have tremendous value, but their com- panies are often too small to attract the in- terest of larger, conventional food companies or investors. By bringing Treat into the business we've already built, it will give both brands some of the advantages of being a part of a larger company, while being able to retain that true artisan touch." "We've lived what it's like to build an ar- tisan food company from the ground up for nine years, so we understand that founders don't want to sell to just anyone," added Matt Stoner Fehsenfeld. "You want to make sure your buyer truly understands what you've built and how much of your heart is in it. You need to feel sure that they will care for it as it grows in a way that you feel good about. That's what we're going to doing with Treat Bake Shop and, hopefully, we'll have the chance to do the same with other brands in the future." GN Hearing Requested in Animal Welfare Lawsuit The Organic Trade Association wants its day in court. On March 7, the associa- tion requested that oral arguments be heard on its lawsuit against the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture (USDA) over the Department's failure to put into ef- fect new organic livestock standards. The request comes as the case is gaining significant momentum and as more or- ganic businesses and stakeholders take action and speak out in support of the lawsuit. Since the filing of the lawsuit, a host of organic stakeholders representing thou- sands of organic farming families, organic certifiers and organic policymakers – along with leading animal welfare and retail groups speaking out for millions of con- sumers — have joined the Organic Trade Association's challenge. "We are ready to go. We want to ad- vance this issue, and we want the court to hear our case," said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. "We've gone through all the back and forth with USDA in our court filings, and now it's time to present the organic sector's case to the judge in oral arguments. USDA has requested that this case be dismissed, but this issue won't go away. In fact, it is only picking up steam with key organic stakeholders join- ing us in our efforts." GN ACSI Scores Show Which Retailers Customers Prefer Signs of the retail apocalypse have not been exaggerated, and the latest customer satisfaction scores show just how bleak it is for brick-and- mortar retailers. The American Customer Satisfaction Index Retail Report 2017 shows the retail sector as a whole remains steady, with an ACSI ® score of 78.1, down just a hair from an all-time high of 78.3 a year ago. Supermarkets were one of the strongest retail industries in 2017, with 13 of 22 stores improving on their 2016 scores. Publix ruled the roost, surging 2 percent to a top score of 86, the highest score of any company in the retail category. Trader Joe's was right behind, at 85. Whole Foods stayed put at 81, and it's too soon to gauge the effect of its acquisition by Amazon, which only recently began rolling out Whole Foods deliveries. For the 13th consecutive year, Walmart had the lowest score among supermarkets. Registration for IFT18: A Matter of Science + Food Now Open Registration is now open for IFT18: A Matter of Science + Food in Chicago, July 15-18 at McCormick Place. Hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), IFT18 will convene food science and technology thought leaders and decision-makers from more than 90 countries representing the most prominent organizations in the global food sector. FDA Conducts Educational Campaign on Nutrition Facts Label The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced an upcoming major educational campaign for consumers surrounding the new Nutrition Facts labels for food products. The campaign will include educational videos, social media campaigns and user-friendly websites to help consumers discern the relationship between the dietary choices they make every day and the impact those choices can have on their own and their family's health in reducing the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and a variety of cancers. Study Finds Fresh Meat and Plant-Based Meat Alternatives on the Rise Eighty-one percent of Millennials, 74 percent of Gen X, 66 percent of Boomers and 50 percent of Silents said protein content is extremely or very influential when making grocery store purchases, according to Acosta, a sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, and the company's 2018 "Progressing Protein Palates" report. The study found that Millennials are purchasing more fresh meat and plant-based meat alternatives than any other generation, and that shoppers are recognizing that consuming meat isn't the only way to pack protein, with plant-based meat alternatives growing 11 percent in units year over year. Seventy-one percent of shoppers in the study who purchase plant-based meat alternatives also eat meat.

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