According to a new economic impact analysis released today by the National Grocers Association, independent supermarket operators generate $557.5 billion in total annual economic activity, representing nearly 2 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. The report, conducted by Arizona State University using store-level retail sales data from NielsenIQ’s TDLinx platform, found that independent grocers account […]
Category: Featured News
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, West
Market of Choice Completes Basics Market Acquisition, Plans Store Refresh
Market of Choice has completed its acquisition of Basics Market in Portland’s Hillsdale neighborhood, adding a fifth location in the metro area and bringing the company’s total statewide footprint to 13 stores. The transition to Market of Choice is expected to take place June 23, with no store closure planned. The deal, announced in January, […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, Giant Food, News, Northeast
Annual Giant Barbecue Battle Returns June 27-28 To Washington, D.C.
The 34th Annual Giant Barbecue Battle will take place June 27-28 between 3rd and 7th streets on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., featuring world-class barbecue, international flavors, celebrity chefs, live music and activities for all ages. Recognized by the U.S. Congress as the Official National Barbecue Championship, the event ranks as one of the country’s […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Feature, Featured News, News, Southeast
PWADC Food Show To Feature New Products, Education Sessions
Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. (PWADC) is heading into its May food show and aims to build on recent gains in show performance, private label, fresh and digital participation. Tod Seiling, who joined PWADC as chief merchandising officer in October 2025 after executive roles with Lidl US and Save A Lot, said the co-op has […]
Posted inGrocery Research, Costco Wholesale, Featured News, National, News
5WPR Index Finds Costco Tops AI Citation Rankings, Walmart Trails
Costco emerged atop 5WPR’s 2026 U.S. Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index, the first to rank U.S. grocers by how frequently they are cited inside artificial intelligence-generated answers. The warehouse club retailer was cited most often when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries. Trader Joe’s ranked second, […]
Posted inFinance News, Featured News, Grocery Research, National, News
Upside Report Reveals A Growing Income Divide In Consumer Spending
Upside’s new report “The Income Divide” reveals that high- and low-income consumers are making fundamentally different decisions about where and how much to spend. The findings, drawn from more than 10 billion transactions and surveys of 3,500-plus shoppers, show consumer behavior splits sharply at $75,000 in household income. Above that threshold, consumers report increased spending […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, News, West
Sprouts To Open New Market In Santa Maria, CA
Sprouts Farmers Market will open a new store May 15 at 2170 S. Bradley Road in Santa Maria, California. “The city of Santa Maria is excited for the opening of Sprouts as it is a business that many of our residents look forward to having within our community,” said Mayor Alice Patino. “Sprouts is a wonderful […]
Posted inOrganic Natural, Featured News, National, News
Independent Natural Food Co-op INFRA Tops 400 Members
The Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA) has surpassed 400 member stores in more than 650 communities nationwide. In addition, the association reached $3.4 billion in representative sales in 2025 and continues to lead the natural channel in dollar sales growth, at 8 percent year over year from 2024-25. Pat Sheridan, INFRA president and CEO, […]