Amazon and Mill Industries Inc. are partnering to bring food waste conversion technology to Whole Foods Market stores, marking the grocery industry’s first on-site solution of its kind. Starting in 2027, fruit and vegetable scraps from back-of-house operations will be processed by Mill Commercial, the company’s automated, high-capacity food recycling infrastructure, and converted into a […]
Category: Store News
Posted inIndependent Store News, Affiliated Foods, Corporate Store News, National, News
Food Industry Accelerates Traceability Ahead Of FSMA 204 Deadline
The push for traceability is being driven by market forces rather than federal timelines, according to ReposiTrak. During a recent MorningNewsBeat interview, ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO Randy Fields and Affiliated Foods Inc. Amarillo President and CEO Randy Arceneaux discussed how retailers and wholesalers are accelerating traceability implementation well ahead of the FDA’s FSMA 204 enforcement date, which […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Midwest, News, SpartanNash
SpartanNash Foundation Donates $780K To Local Food Pantries
SpartanNash and the SpartanNash Foundation have provided a $780,000 donation to more than 100 local food pantries across the Michigan-based company’s retail footprint, helping provide meals to families facing food insecurity this holiday season. The funds were raised during the foundation’s fifth annual in-store fundraiser of 2025, which ran from Oct. 24-Nov. 26 in participating […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Finance News, Midwest, News, Special Section
Busch’s Fresh Food Market Honors Its Roots – Quality, Partners, Community
As Busch’s Fresh Food Market enters its next 50 years, the family-owned Michigan grocer is strengthening its foundation through strategic investment in people, technology and community. The company’s mission remains clear: deliver an exceptional fresh food experience while staying true to the neighborhood-focused culture that has defined Busch’s for generations. The momentum at Busch’s is […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, News, Northeast
Survey: Americans Would Choose Beef Over Turkey, Ham For Christmas Dinner
According to new survey data from The Harris Poll conducted on behalf of Redner’s Markets, more than half of Americans who don’t typically serve beef for Christmas dinner (54 percent) say they would consider it, suggesting the dish could be gaining momentum. Already, two out of five Americans (43 percent) serve beef as a main […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Hy-Vee, Midwest, News
Hy-Vee Opens Food Pantry At Iowa Elementary School
Students at Olmsted Elementary School in Urbandale, Iowa, have easier access to nutrition with the opening of a food pantry at their school through a partnership between Hy-Vee and the Food Bank of Iowa. Leaders from the retailer, food bank and the Urbandale Community School District celebrated the opening Dec. 8 with a ribbon-cutting, all-school […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Corporate Store News, Market Profile, Midwest, News
Grocery Industry Navigates Expansion, Rural Challenges Across Kansas
The grocery landscape across Kansas tells two stories: one of aggressive growth in metropolitan corridors where national chains are planting flags and another of persistent struggle in rural communities where the independent store remains threatened by economics and changing demographics. Kansas State University’s Rural Grocery Initiative shared a post from KCUR News of an independent […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Natural Grocers, News, Southwest
Natural Grocers Shares Top Consumer Trends For 2026
Natural Grocers has released its annual Top Trends for Living Well in 2026, offering a forecast of emerging consumer behaviors and product interests that are expected to influence health, wellness, food and sustainability in the year ahead. The outlook reflects insights from the company’s Nutrition Education team along with its marketing and analytics professionals. Now […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Corporate Store News, Finance News, National, News
Acosta Group Releases 4 Consumer Predictions For 2026
Acosta Group has released its consumer predictions for 2026, highlighting the growing importance of personalization, transparency and innovation for brands, retailers and foodservice operators. The predictions are based on research conducted with the Jacksonville, Florida-based sales and marketing agency’s 40,000-member proprietary shopper community. “Technology and evolving consumer lifestyles continue to reshape the shopping experience, as […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Brookshire Grocery Co., News, Southeast
Brookshire Grocery Co. Donates $80K To Food Bank Of Northwest Louisiana
Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) donated more than $80,000 in food to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana on Dec. 11, a gift that included nearly 2,000 hams and a truckload of fresh produce. The hams are part of a partnership with Hormel Foods Corp. to donate 9,000 Hormel Cure 81 hams ($100,000 worth) to the FBNL […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Fareway, Midwest, News
Fareway, Iowa Farm Bureau Partner On Protein Donation To Food Banks
Fareway and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation have donated a truckload of protein to Iowa’s six Feeding America food banks as part of their annual Meat the Need partnership. The donation, delivered to the Food Bank of Iowa, includes 23 pallets totaling 25,000 pounds of protein – the equivalent of 100,000 servings. Dos Rios taco […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Corporate Store News, Finance News, Midwest, News, West
Uber Eats Expands Regional Grocery, Alcohol Selection With New Retailers
Uber Eats has expanded regional grocery and alcohol offerings with the addition of three retailer partners – Stater Bros. Markets, Kowalski’s Markets and Big Red Liquors – broadening access to grocery and beverage delivery in key U.S. markets. The new partnerships mark continued growth for Uber’s retail and grocery business in 2025, a year in […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Food City, News, Southeast
Food City Courtesy Clerk Bowling Named Kentucky’s Best Bagger
Gabe Bowling, courtesy clerk at the Food City in Louisa, Kentucky, recently won the Kentucky Best Bagger competition, receiving a $250 cash prize along with an all-expenses paid trip in February to Las Vegas, where he will compete for the national title during The NGA Show. An 18-year-old senior at Lawerence County High School, Bowling […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Midwest, News, The Kroger Co.
The Kroger Co. Named To List Of Best Places To Work In IT
The Kroger Co. has been named to Foundry’s Computerworld 2026 Best Places to Work in IT. This year’s recognition marks the eighth consecutive year Kroger’s employees have been recognized by Computerworld for its workplace culture. Kroger ranks No. 45 among large organizations on the Best Places to Work in IT list. “Each and every day, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Vallarta Supermarkets, West
Vallarta Supermarkets Commemorates 40th Anniversary
Vallarta Supermarkets is celebrating its 40th anniversary and evolution from 1985 as a single carnicería in Van Nuys, California, into a large independent grocer with 63 locations across the state. For four decades, Vallarta has been more than a grocery store – it has been a cultural hub for generations of families seeking authentic ingredients […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Beverage News, National, News
Thrive Market Launches Non-Alcoholic Category
Ahead of the popular “Dry January” period and in response to growing member demand, online grocer Thrive Market is exiting alcohol and launching a new non-alcoholic beverage category with more than 100 SKUs. Thrive Market cited shifting consumer drinking habits and research that challenges traditional views on alcohol consumption as part of the rationale behind […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, News, Northeast, Wegmans
Wegmans Customers Raise Nearly $3.1M For Hunger Relief
Wegmans Food Markets customers donated nearly $3.1 million during the company’s fall 2025 Check Out Hunger scanning campaign, the third highest amount in the program’s history. The campaign ran from Oct. 22-Nov. 29 at the company’s 114 stores, with all proceeds going to each location’s local Feeding America food bank partner. Companywide, customers donated $570,000 […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Midwest, News, Northeast
The Fresh Market Opens Stores in Chicago, Lexington, KY
The Fresh Market opened two new stores Dec. 11 – in Lexington, Kentucky, and Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. The openings unveiled stores offering high-quality meats and seafood, fresh produce, local products and international items. To mark the occasion, the Fresh Market donated $2,000 to God’s Pantry Food Bank and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Grand-opening […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, News, Organic Natural, Southwest, Whole Foods
Whole Foods Market Opens Relocated Store In Lakewood, CO
Whole Foods Market has relocated its Lakewood, Colorado, store into a larger 49,500-square-foot space that features more than 800 products from 200-plus local suppliers that meet the company’s strict standards. The site at 14225 W. Colfax Ave. is down the street from the one it replaced at 14357 W. Colfax, which was shuttered after more […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Midwest, News, SpartanNash
Family Fare Penny Event Encourages Shoppers To Swap Coins For Rewards
SpartanNash, a member of the C&S Wholesale Grocers family of companies, has shared that all 57 Family Fare locations in Michigan will be participating in “Small Coins, BIG IMPACT,” a one-day event Dec. 13 that encourages customers to bring in spare pennies for double rewards. There is a minimum of 50 cents in pennies exchanged […]