Latest news with #ItalianMarket
Business Journals
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Shuttered Italian grocer's property finds familiar buyer
The Hill storefront of Italian grocer John Viviano & Sons, which closed Saturday, has been acquired by nearby DiGregorio's Italian Market.
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Immigrants, business owners who built South Philadelphia's Italian Market honored in new murals
South Philadelphia's 9th Street Market is getting ready to host its annual Italian Market Festival next month. And with it comes some new displays of public art. The festival is coming up on May 17, but this weekend, three murals will be unveiled on South 9th Street. They depict some of the market's founders who helped shape it since the very beginning, like Elizabeth "Betty Ann "Mongelluzzo, who worked as a florist in the Italian Market for 30 years. "On the street, she was everybody's Aunt Betty Ann, or 'Aunt Bet,'" said Cookie Ciliberti, Mongelluzzo's niece. "Didn't matter if you were related to her, she was Aunt Betty Ann." A mural in Philadelphia's South 9th Street Market depicts the late Elizabeth "Betty Ann "Mongelluzzo, who was a florist in the market for 30 years. CBS News Philadelphia Mongelluzzo passed away in 2019. She was known for weaving palms on Palm Sunday. "I'm just happy that she's not forgotten—she lives in us, but she's not forgotten," said Ciliberti. A mural depicting Mongelluzzo is one of the three new murals on South 9th Street painted by the Our Market Project. The group was founded in 2019 by Michelle Angela Ortiz. The goal is to tell the stories of the market's immigrant families through public art. "It's really important to utilize art as a way of representing these community stories, specifically the contributions of immigrant and migrant communities," Ortiz said. Ortiz was born and raised in the market and is the daughter of immigrants. Murals are also dedicated to Joe and Danny DiBruno, who founded DiBruno Brothers Specialty Foods in 1939, and to Carl Redel, the founder of Carl's Vineland Farm Eggs. Redel was Jewish and was one of two family members who survived the Holocaust. "It's just beautiful for the market, it shows the history of how many generations it took to build up this market," said Steve Redel, the grandson of Carl and current manager of the business. In addition to the murals, Ortiz is also working to revitalize the famous produce stands. She's swapping out wooden stands with weather-resistant ones and replacing worn-out awnings with hand-painted ones. She says her job is to maintain the market's 100-year history as it continues to evolve. "It's utilizing my skills as an artist, as a community arts educator, as a filmmaker, as somebody who uses the art as a way to promote positive social change, to invest back into my community," Ortiz said. The official unveiling is set for Saturday. That's also when the group will restart their walking tours of the market. Ortiz also says she is working with other vendors to revitalize additional produce stands.
Forbes
15-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Curiosity, Healthy Friction Fuel Loyalty: Forrester Exec Shares Views
MIAMI - MAY 20: Alain Filiz shows off some of his credit cards as he pays for items at Lorenzo's ... More Italian Market on May 20, 2009 in Miami, Florida. Members of Congress today passed a bill placing new restrictions on companies that issues credit. The vote follows the Senate passage of the bill, which now heads for President Obama's promised signature. The bill will curb sudden interest rate increases and hidden fees, requiring card companies to tell customers of rate increases 45 days in advance. It will also make it harder for people aged below 21 to be issued credit cards. (Photo by) In the loyalty industry, change is the only constant—and we may be standing at the edge of the biggest transformation yet. Loyalty programs are no longer just about points and perks. According to John Pedini, Principal Analyst at Forrester, they're becoming one of the most powerful platforms for emotional connection, data strategy, and long-term competitive advantage. In a recent conversation, Pedini and I unpacked what's changing in the loyalty landscape and why brands that lead with empathy, curiosity, and trust are best positioned to win in the years ahead. 'Loyalty is, at its core, a relationship-building platform,' Pedini said. 'It's always been the most efficient way to get consumers to raise their hand and say, 'Yes, I want a deeper connection with your brand.'' But as he explained, the traditional model—built on transactional incentives—is no longer enough. 'The old playbook was simple: get someone to spend more and reward them just enough to keep them engaged. But now? That's table stakes. The brands that are winning are engineering emotional loyalty into their programs.' This evolution is urgent. Consumers aren't loyal to brands anymore—they're loyal to value. And value, increasingly, means relevance, convenience, and experience. Pedini sees a clear gap between brands that show curiosity about their customers and those that don't. 'I sign up for programs every week,' he said. 'And I'm often surprised by the lack of curiosity. Brands ask for your name, email, birthday—and then that's it. They rely solely on inferred behavior to personalize the experience.' The better approach? Ask smart, intentional questions upfront. Brands that build customer profiles through active engagement—not passive data collection—are better equipped to deliver personalized experiences that feel like a service, not a sales pitch. 'Relevance is everything,' Pedini noted. 'It's the bridge between data and emotional connection.' When brands get it right, emotional loyalty pays off in spades. As Pedini explained, 'There's a difference between a transactional scan-and-go program and one that builds a sense of belonging. When you can tap into emotion, that's when a customer might drive past a competitor or pay a little more—because the relationship feels worth it.' Soft benefits—like early access, exclusive content, or even recognition—can create opportunity cost, making it harder for consumers to walk away. 'A well-run loyalty program builds healthy friction into the experience,' he said. 'You want just enough urgency and exclusivity that people stay engaged, but not so much that it feels manipulative.' While airlines often get credit for engineering loyalty through soft benefits like boarding priority and lounge access, Pedini pointed to Chick-fil-A as a less obvious—but highly effective—example. 'They've built a program that's simple, seamless, and highly intentional,' he said. 'There's clarity in the benefits and a focus on making the customer feel understood.' Contrast that with brands that offer vague or open-ended rewards. 'When there's no urgency, and the customer can't clearly see what they're earning or why it matters, the program becomes forgettable. That's not loyalty—that's data collection.' I asked Pedini if brands like Apple or Ben & Jerry's—those with cult-like followings—need a formal loyalty program. His answer: not necessarily, but they absolutely think in terms of loyalty. 'Apple's packaging tells you everything,' he said. 'You've already paid. They don't have to impress you. But the moment you open the box, the care they put into it proves how much they value the customer experience.' That, Pedini argues, is loyalty. It may not involve points or tiers, but it's a commitment to deepening a relationship at every touchpoint. 'Not every brand needs a programmatic approach. But every brand needs a strategy for building emotional connection.' With AI accelerating the personalization frontier, loyalty is becoming a more powerful tool than ever. Pedini believes the future lies in programs that adapt in real time—serving offers, content, and experiences that reflect each customer's intent and behavior. 'AI lets us move from generic blasts to one-to-one interactions,' he said. 'But only if the brand has done the work to understand the customer. That starts with a loyalty strategy grounded in curiosity, trust, and respect.' The next generation of loyalty leaders will think beyond rewards. They'll design relationships—ones that are reciprocal, relevant, and rooted in the customer's world, not the brands.
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland grocers are dealing with unknown impacts of tariffs on produce, imported items
Maryland grocers say they are bracing for the unknown impact of the Trump administration's tariffs on produce , coffee, and other imported items. Joseph DiPasquale, owner of DiPasquale's Italian Market in Brewers Hill, says there is too much uncertainty to predict how it will impact business. "We're anticipating it, but we have to operate and we have to make adjustments," DiPasquale told WJZ. As of Tuesday, it was still business as usual at DiPasquale's, which has been in business for 110 years in Baltimore's Highlandtown and Brewers Hill neighborhoods. Right now, the store is bracing for price hikes from vendors, but says it is committed to bringing customers items they can afford. "The produce is an instant purchase," DiPasquale said. "It's almost twice a day purchasing, so it's the first thing that's going to be affected. You can't wait on produce." Experts warn produce could be one of the first items to increase in price. According to the USDA , 60% of agricultural imports come from Mexico, Canada and the European Union. All of these nations have been slapped with tariffs in the last week. DiPasquale's relies on imported goods, which comprise 75% of the products on the shelves. The eggplants were grown in Mexico, while some of the tomatoes were grown in Canada. Some of the shelf products come straight from Europe, including Italy and Spain. DiPasquale says if the tariffs begin to impact the bottom line, he may purchase more products from the United States. "We will adapt," DiPasquale said. "We will seek out the right-priced items, so they can either substitute so they have an alternative. We'll do our work on our end." Meanwhile, the market was packed at lunch hour on Tuesday, selling both grocery items and meals made in the store. Brooke Kaine, a customer, says he hasn't felt the impact of the tariffs yet, but he is concerned for neighbors on fixed incomes. "It's hard to think that things aren't going to go up," Kaine said. "I think it's particularly scary for someone that's in our age cohort, Baby Boomers, who are on fixed incomes. It is a very scary place where you don't know with all the cuts and all the tariffs and all the uncertainty. I think it's a bad spot right now."
