Gourmet News

Mark Irby Joins Publix Board of Directors

Published April 13, 2022

During Publix’s annual stockholders’ meeting, Mark Irby, retired Publix vice president of marketing, was elected to the company’s board of directors.

Irby began his Publix career in 1973 in the sign shop in Lakeland, Florida. After working in various capacities within that department, in 1983, he transferred into the advertising department as a marketing and research manager. In 1988, he was promoted to director of marketing and advertising, then to vice president of marketing in 1989. He retired earlier this year.

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the United States with more than 230,000 associates, operates 1,296 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 25 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work.

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Gas, Groceries, Dining Out Top List for Rising Costs

Published April 13, 2022

Gasoline, groceries, and dining out top a list of the 12 most acute inflation pain points for consumers today, according to First Insight’s latest study detailing the impacts of inflation on consumer spending.

“Soaring gas and food prices are just the tip of the iceberg for consumers today,” said Greg Petro, CEO. “Record high prices on essential items will negatively impact both consumers’ confidence and their spending power. Some categories, such as apparel, footwear, accessories, travel and entertainment may struggle as consumers cut back on discretionary spending. It will be critically important for companies to remain close to their customer base to predict how they are going to respond to all the changes out there.”

The top 12 categories affecting consumers’ daily lives the most include:

Gas
Groceries
Dining
Vehicle Prices
Household Goods
Rent/Mortgage
Apparel, Footwear & Accessories
Entertainment & Recreation
Healthcare
Education
Travel, Hotels, Flights, Vacations
Childcare

This study is the first in a series of reports which will reveal the influence inflation is having on various consumer groups and demographic segments such as people who are returning to the office. The reports also present deep dives into specific concerns by generation, regions and other demographic groupings.

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Wiley Wallaby Kicks Off Tour on National Licorice Day (April 12)

Published April 11, 2022

Wiley Wallaby, a popular soft-and-chewy licorice, is celebrating National Licorice Day by hosting the inaugural stop of its 29-city mobile marketing tour Apr. 12 in New York City. The five-month tour will cover more than 10,000 miles and distribute more than 500,000 samples of delicious Wiley Wallaby licorice in 17 flavors.

“We take care to create licorice that everyone will love. Snacking always brings people together, and our mobile marketing experience will celebrate not just the quality of our product, but the moments it helps create,” said Jadi Anderson, director of marketing & product development. “We invite everyone to look for our colorful, red Wiley Wallaby van at their favorite events this summer, stop by, say hi, and share a snackable moment with us.”

The Wiley Wallaby Mobile Tour kicks off April 12 in New York City at 8 a.m. The experience – located in Midtown Manhattan at West 49th St between 5th and 6th Avenues – will contain various engagement elements, including moments designed to surprise and delight consumers.

The tour features:

Sampling opportunities for select flavors
Photo opportunities and social media engagements
Custom charm bracelets
Facts and learnings about licorice and the Wiley Wallaby story

Wiley Wallaby Licorice is available for purchase at wileywallaby.com, Amazon, Target, Walmart, Hy-Vee, 7-11, Circle K, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Whole Foods Market, HEB, Giant, Cub Foods, Coborns, Schnucks and Meijer.

Click here to track the tour.

Want to find out where the Wiley Wallaby Mobile Tour is headed next? Visit WileyWallaby.com to track the tour and make plans to meet us on the road.

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