Grocery Retailers Honored for Excellence in Premium Beef Sales and Marketing

At its annual virtual conference, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) recognized leading retailers for their outstanding product quality, marketing, and sales performance. Massachusetts-based DeMoulas Market Basket was awarded Retailer of the Year, thanks to its comprehensive promotional efforts that included weekly flyers, social media engagement, a summer promotion, television advertising, and easy meal solutions. Market Basket also received the Top Retail Average Volume Per Store award for more than 10 stores.

With the rise in home meal preparation, CAB highlighted how these retailers effectively engaged shoppers through social media, weekly product features, time-saving meal options, in-store promotions, and online engagement. According to David O’Diam, CAB’s vice president of retail, these strategies help retailers showcase their premium beef offerings while providing new meal ideas for customers.

Other Notable Retail Honors:

• ShopRite (Edison, N.J.) earned Retail Brand Extension Marketer of the Year, celebrating 25 years of promoting Certified Angus Beef Prime. ShopRite elevated customer interest through weekly ads and social media efforts.
• Giant Eagle (Pittsburgh) was named Retail Value-added Products Marketer of the Year for offering a range of easy meal options, including sausages, frankfurters, gourmet burgers, and marinated steaks, along with a dedicated cooler to showcase these products.
• MDI/Merchant Distributors (Hickory, N.C.) was recognized as Retail Distributor Marketer of the Year for supporting independent stores with beef offerings, staff training, and food shows.
• Longo’s (Ontario, Canada) received the Retail E-commerce Marketer of the Year award for offering a full selection of Certified Angus Beef cuts in-store and online, resulting in the Top Sales Volume Small Chain Retailer honor.
• Southeastern Grocers (Jacksonville, Fla.) was awarded Retail Rising Star–Large Chain for its impactful advertising, social media presence, and meat department training across Harvey’s, Fresco Y Más, and Winn-Dixie stores.
• Adams Hometown Markets (Cheshire, Conn.) was named Retail Rising Star–Small Chain for its engaging social media posts, weekly product promotions, and staff training initiatives.
• Fresh Thyme Market (Downers Grove, Ill.) won Retail Rookie of the Year for its comprehensive marketing strategy, including custom point-of-sale materials, Steakholder Rewards, and an e-commerce approach.
• Jumbo Foods (Enid, Okla.) was honored as Independent Retail Marketer of the Year for its frequent social media engagement and custom point-of-sale materials.
• Roche Brothers (Mansfield, Mass.) was recognized as Retail Marketer of the Year–Small Chain, with its Steakholder Rewards loyalty program, holiday roast promotions, and training initiatives that amplified advertising for its Prime and Natural cuts.
• New York Butcher Shoppe (Greenville, S.C.) earned the Specialty Store Marketer of the Year award for offering Certified Angus Beef Prime cuts and ready-made meals at its southeastern locations, enhanced by social media promotions and customer engagement.

Top Retailers and Distributors for Sales:

• Meijer (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – Top Sales Volume Large Chain Retailer
• Amigos Meat (Decatur, Ga.) – Top Sales Volume Single Store Retailer
• El Rancho Market (Phoenix, Ariz.) – Top Retail Average Volume Per Store (Less than 10 stores)
• Amigos Meat (Chicago) – Top Sales Volume Retail Distributor
• Topco Associates (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) – Top Sales Volume Cooperative

Certified Angus Beef continues to recognize and reward those who go above and beyond to promote premium beef offerings while engaging customers in creative and effective ways. These retailers and distributors have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in their beef marketing efforts.