K‑VA‑T Food Stores Inc., parent company of Food City, has selected Homesome, a digital commerce platform built for regional grocery, to power its digital commerce transformation.
K‑VA‑T will deploy Homesome’s full platform suite across its 140 Food City locations, delivering a retailer‑branded, end‑to‑end digital experience to customers across Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
Online grocery represents nearly 13 percent of total U.S. grocery spending and grew more than 23 percent in 2025 alone – a pace that is outstripping the digital capabilities of many regional operators. As national platforms and third‑party marketplaces capture a disproportionate share of that growth, regional grocers face mounting pressure to establish owned digital channels that can compete on convenience without ceding the customer relationships that define their business.
K‑VA‑T selected Homesome to address that challenge with a single, integrated platform. Homesome’s enterprise, fulfillment and AI platforms give Food City a complete website and mobile app – purpose‑built to translate the Food City in‑store experience into a digital presence the retailer owns and controls, with fulfillment operations and personalization capabilities designed for high‑volume grocery.
“We looked at everything available to regional grocers today, and nothing else came close,” said Kevin Stafford, VP of center store operations for K‑VA‑T Food Stores.
“Running a banner like Food City means managing weekly ads, digital coupons, loyalty, in‑store promotions and a seamless e‑commerce experience – all of it connected, all of it on‑brand. Most platforms can handle one or two of those things. Homesome is the only one to bring all of it together, and we’re confident that will translate into a best‑in‑class experience for our customers and our associates.”
For independent grocers, Food City’s move to an owned digital commerce platform signals a strategic response to the dominance of third‑party marketplaces. Rather than surrendering customer data and relationships to Instacart or DoorDash, K‑VA‑T is investing in a branded solution that keeps the grocer in control of the digital experience. The platform integrates weekly ads, digital coupons, loyalty, and in‑store promotions – functions that many independents manage with separate, disconnected tools.
By unifying these into one system, Food City aims to reduce operational complexity while offering customers a seamless experience across channels. Other regional grocers evaluating digital investments should note that Food City prioritized an integrated, retailer‑owned solution over point solutions or marketplace dependency.
“Food City is exactly the kind of retailer that the grocery industry should be paying attention to,” said Rahul Chabukswar, CEO and founder of San Mateo, California-based Homesome.
“They’ve spent decades earning deep trust in their communities, and they understand that protecting that relationship in the digital channel requires the same intentionality it took to build it in the store. That clarity of vision is rare, and it’s exactly the kind of partnership Homesome was built for.”
Misty Deskins, senior director of marketing for K‑VA‑T Food Stores, said, “Our focus has always been on building deeper, more personalized relationships with our customers, and that requires more than fragmented point solutions. Homesome gives us a single platform to connect every customer touchpoint – from discovery to fulfillment – helping us better serve our customers while driving meaningful growth.”
About K‑VA‑T Food Stores/Food City
K‑VA‑T Food Stores Inc., Food City’s parent company, is headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, and operates 163 retail stores throughout Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
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