The Shelby Report
The Shelby Report is a privately held U.S. grocery industry trade publication founded in 1967, producing five regional monthly print and digital editions (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, Northeast), daily newsletters, award programs, and sponsored research for grocery retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, and industry associations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersGainesville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Shelby Report does
The Shelby Report, operated by Shelby Publishing Co., Inc. (a Georgia-incorporated, privately held company headquartered in Gainesville, GA), is a trade publication serving the U.S. grocery and supermarket industry since 1967. The company's core product consists of five monthly regional editions — Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, and Northeast — distributed in both print and digital formats, covering store openings, executive changes, supply chain developments, sustainability, technology, and category-specific news across grocery retail, convenience stores, independents, and wholesalers/distributors. The product portfolio is augmented by digital issues, daily email newsletters, and a content website (theshelbyreport.com) that hosts an archive of thousands of stories, original columns (Ask The Experts, Industry Leaders Speak), market profiles, and sponsored research reports.
The business model is predominantly advertising- and sponsorship-driven. Revenue is generated through display advertising, sponsored content sections (e.g., 'Ask The Experts'), award-program sponsorships, and sponsored research reports such as 'The State of AP Maturity 2026: Grocery Edition.' A secondary revenue stream comes from print and digital subscriptions and circulation. The company also operates six recurring award and recognition programs — Retailer of the Year, Sustainability in the Food Industry Award, Women of Influence, Emerging Leaders, Exceptional Independents, and Food Industry Hall of Fame — which serve both as engagement vehicles for the grocery community and as advertiser/brand-visibility channels. Distribution is multi-channel: physical regional print editions, a national digital platform, daily newsletters, and active social media presence on Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Operationally, The Shelby Report is a small organization of 11-50 employees led by Chairman and CEO Dathan L. Mitchell, with editorial content produced by a team that includes a Senior Content Creator with three decades of newspaper industry experience. The company has remained independently owned since 1967, with no disclosed parent company, funding rounds, or acquisition activity. There is no evidence of proprietary technology platforms, APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML capabilities in the source material; the business is positioned as a relationship-driven, content-led trade media franchise rather than a technology company.
The Shelby Report firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Shelby Report
- Legal name
- Shelby Publishing Co., Inc d/b/a The Shelby Report
- Website
- https://theshelbyreport.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Shelby Report is a privately held U.S. grocery industry trade publication founded in 1967, producing five regional monthly print and digital editions (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, Northeast), daily newsletters, award programs, and sponsored research for grocery retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, and industry associations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Shelby Report industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Grocery Industry Trade Publication
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Directory and Mailing List Publishers (51314)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)
Keywords
Where The Shelby Report is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gainesville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Shelby Report business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advertising and Sponsorship: The publication generates revenue through advertising placements, sponsored content sections, and branded partnership opportunities visible throughout the website and print editions. Examples include sponsored 'Ask The Experts' sections and special issue advertorials.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Shelby Report product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Shelby Report is a B2B trade publication that delivers grocery industry news, supermarket insights, and retail trends through five monthly regional print and digital editions (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, Northeast). The company distributes daily email newsletters, maintains a digital news archive, and operates multiple industry award programs. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising placements, sponsored content, and subscriptions targeting grocery retailers, wholesalers, and food industry suppliers.
Product overview
The Shelby Report is a grocery industry news publication consisting of five regional editions (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, and Northeast) distributed in both print and digital formats. The publication provides comprehensive coverage of grocery industry news, retail trends, store openings, executive changes, supply chain developments, and technology news. The company also offers digital issues, daily newsletters, and hosts several award programs including the Sustainability in the Food Industry Award, Women of Influence, Retailer of the Year, and Emerging Leaders. The portfolio is distributed through physical print editions and digital platforms, serving the retail food trade since 1967.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Shelby Report Regional Editions Five monthly regional print and digital editions (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, Northeast) of a B2B grocery industry trade publication covering store news, executive changes, acquisitions, technology trends, sustainability initiatives, category updates, and retail market insights for grocery retailers, wholesalers, and food industry suppliers across the United States.
- Digital Issues Online digital magazine format providing readers access to The Shelby Report editions with enhanced navigation and multimedia capabilities through theshelbyreport.com.
- Newsletter Subscriptions Daily email newsletters delivering the latest grocery industry news, retail trends, executive appointments, and market insights directly to subscribers' inboxes.
Companies that use The Shelby Report
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Shelby Report technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Shelby Report partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Food CitycoreThe Shelby Report of the Southeast named Food City its 2026 Retailer of the Year, featuring extensive coverage of the company's 164 retail outlets, growth strategy, and community initiatives across five states.
- GrubMarketminorGrubMarket received the 2025 'Sustainability in the Food Industry Award' from The Shelby Report for its environmental and social initiatives in California's food supply chain through the Sustainable California initiative.
- ecoATMminorecoATM was recognized with the Sustainability in the Food Industry Award by The Shelby Report for its electronics recycling efforts, having collected over 50 million devices in 2024.
- K-VA-T Food Stores Inc.coreParent company of Food City, featured as the subject of extensive news coverage and recipient of Retailer of the Year recognition. Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia with operations across Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.
- OttimateminorSponsored content partnership featuring 'The State of AP Maturity 2026: Grocery Edition' report on The Shelby Report website, providing research about accounts payable automation in the grocery industry.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Shelby Report competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Progressive Grocer: Long-established B2B trade publication covering the U.S. grocery retail industry with news, research, and awards — directly comparable in audience, advertiser base, and editorial focus to The Shelby Report.
- Supermarket News: Major grocery industry trade publication delivering news, analysis, and events to supermarket executives. Directly comparable to Shelby as a B2B grocery media brand serving retailers and suppliers.
- Winsight Grocery Business: B2B media brand covering grocery and convenience retail, combining digital content, events, and research. Closely comparable to Shelby's multi-channel grocery trade media model.
- Grocery Dive: Digital-first B2B news publication serving grocery industry executives. Competes with Shelby for the same advertiser and reader base, differentiated by a pure-play digital and newsletter model.
- Food Industry Executive: B2B media brand covering food manufacturing, grocery, and foodservice. Comparable to Shelby as a trade media outlet targeting food industry decision-makers with digital content.
Emerging players
- Store Brands: Trade publication focused on private label and store brand products in grocery retail. Partial overlap with Shelby's Private Label category coverage, with a more specialized buyer audience.
- The Produce News: Trade publication serving the fresh produce industry, including grocery produce buyers. Comparable to Shelby as a category-specific grocery trade media brand, narrower in scope.
- CSP Daily News (Winsight): B2B media outlet covering the convenience store industry, with overlap into grocery. Comparable to Shelby's C-Store coverage line, but more specialized in c-store retail.
Others
- Food Logistics: B2B publication covering the food supply chain, including cold chain, logistics, and distribution. Adjacent to Shelby's Supply Chain/Logistics coverage, serving a different but overlapping audience.
- Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: Trade media brand covering the refrigerated and frozen food sectors. Thematically adjacent to Shelby's Frozen and Center Store grocery coverage, serving suppliers and retailers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Shelby Report social profiles
Digital presenceThe Shelby Report financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Shelby Report leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Shelby Report funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Shelby Report M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Shelby Report
What does The Shelby Report do?
The Shelby Report is a B2B trade publication that delivers grocery industry news, supermarket insights, and retail trends through five monthly regional print and digital editions (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West, Northeast). The company distributes daily email newsletters, maintains a digital news archive, and operates multiple industry award programs. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising placements, sponsored content, and subscriptions targeting grocery retailers, wholesalers, and food industry suppliers.
Is The Shelby Report a public or private company?
The Shelby Report is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Shelby Report founded?
The Shelby Report was founded in 1967. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Shelby Report based?
The Shelby Report is headquartered in Gainesville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Shelby Report make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising and Sponsorship.
Who are The Shelby Report's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Progressive Grocer, Supermarket News, Winsight Grocery Business, Grocery Dive and Food Industry Executive. Emerging players are Store Brands, The Produce News and CSP Daily News (Winsight). Others are Food Logistics and Refrigerated & Frozen Foods.
Does The Shelby Report have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Shelby Report.
What industry is The Shelby Report in?
The Shelby Report's product category is Grocery Industry Trade Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAALAA, B2B / Industrial Market Research. Its NAICS code is 5131.