The Albertsons Southern California Division has reached 1,000 graduates of the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC) Retail Management Certification (RMC) program, marking a decade-plus milestone in associate education for one of the country’s largest grocery divisions. The free program, designed to provide accessible career development for retail associates, has grown into a division-wide initiative […]
Category: Featured News
Posted inIndependent Store News, Executive News, Featured News, Finance News, News, West
HGG Appoints Hinojosa CEO Following National Search
Ontario, California-based Heritage Grocers Group (HGG) appointed David Hinojosa as CEO following a board-led national search. Hinojosa, a 30-year retail veteran with experience across the U.S., Australia and Asia, will lead the 115-store ethnic grocery operator’s next phase of growth. He most recently served as COO at Vallarta Supermarkets, which he joined in 2023. His career includes […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, West
Harmons Gives Local Businesses $5K Grants
Harmons Neighborhood Grocer named four Utah-based businesses as recipients of its 2026 Local Supplier Development Grants, each receiving $5,000 to fund equipment purchases, technology upgrades and community initiatives. It was the first time Harmons has awarded four grants, up from three in previous years. The beneficiaries are Happy Trowels Farm, Heber Valley Cheese, Salsa Del […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, National, News, Whole Foods
Whole Foods Market To Double UK Presence With 6 New Stores
Whole Foods Market will open six new stores across London between April and June, doubling its U.K. store count to 12. The expansion marks the international debut of the grocer’s Daily Shop format, a compact store design launched in 2024 in New York City that fits high-quality product selection into locations under 14,000 square feet. […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, Food Lion, News, Southeast
Food Lion, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Team Up For Hunger Relief
Food Lion Feeds, the nonprofit arm of Food Lion, and the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are launching a season-long partnership that will convert runs scored during the 2026 minor league baseball season into meals for food-insecure families. For every home plate crossed this season, Food Lion Feeds will donate 100 meals to Second Harvest Food Bank […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, Publix Super Markets, Southeast
Publix Opens 55,000-Square-Foot Store In St. Petersburg, FL
Publix opened a new 55,454-square-foot supermarket March 12 at 6605 38th Ave. in St. Petersburg, adding a full-format location with an indoor seating area and an adjacent Publix Liquors to the city’s northwest side. Lindsey Willis, Publix’s media relations manager, said the store was designed with comfort and convenience in mind. “This store brings together […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Featured News, Midwest, News
AWG Brands Adds 63 New Products In Q1 2026
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is rolling out 63 new private brand items across its Best Choice, Superior Selections by Best Choice, Tippy Toes, TopCare and Simply Done lines in the first quarter of 2026, with products hitting shelves throughout the quarter. The expansion spans food, wellness and household categories, with a notable debut: four Tippy […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, Executive News, Featured News, National, News
AFFI Names Van Doren Chief Of Government Affairs
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) has hired Lisa Van Doren as chief of government affairs, effective March 16. Van Doren will lead the association’s legislative and regulatory strategy on behalf of the frozen food industry. In the role, Van Doren also will manage congressional and federal agency engagement, oversee coalitions and political activities and […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Big Y Foods, Featured News, News, Northeast
Big Y Plans 6 New MA Stores For 90th Anniversary
Big Y hosted a media event March 10 at its future location in Saugus, Massachusetts, to announce six new store openings across the state and celebrate 90 years in business. Gov. Maura Healey addressed the gathering, calling the expansion a win for jobs and food access across the state. The event, held at 357 Broadway, […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, Featured News, News, Northeast
NFRA Names 8 Finalists For 2026 Penguin Pitch Emerging Brand Contest
The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has named eight finalists for its 2026 Penguin Pitch: Emerging Brand Contest, spotlighting innovation across frozen and refrigerated categories ahead of the organization’s convention. The grand-prize winner will receive a featured showcasing opportunity at Café NFRA during the 2026 NFRA Convention, set for Oct. 17-20 in National […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Fareway, Featured News, Midwest, News
Fareway Launches Online Pickup Through Instacart Partnership
Fareway, the Iowa-based grocer with more than 140 Midwest stores, has partnered with Instacart to launch an updated e-commerce experience powered by Storefront Pro, its enterprise commerce platform. Fareway orders are available for pickup through the Instacart Marketplace with no markups and customers can shop at Shop.Fareway.com or through the Instacart app. The partnership gives […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Association News, Featured News, National, News
12 Finalists Named For 2026 Seafood Excellence Awards
Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America has named 12 finalists for its 2026 Seafood Excellence Awards, selected from 108 entries in its New Product Showcase. Winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. ET on March 15 in the Wave Makers’ Zone at the Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, followed by […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, News, Southeast
The Fresh Market Reopens Store One Year After Hurricane Helene
The Fresh Market recently reopened a store in Hendersonville, North Carolina, following more than a year of repairs and renovations after Hurricane Helene damage in 2024. The reopening included a $5,000 donation to MANNA Food Bank and a bread-breaking ceremony with the Hendersonville High School marching band. Mayor Barbara Volk and Chamber of Commerce President […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Hy-Vee, Midwest, News
Hy-Vee Opens Food Pantry At Kansas City Elementary School
Hy-Vee, Harvesters – The Community Food Network and KC Dream Center have opened a revitalized food pantry at M.E. Pearson Elementary School, marking the first on-site school food pantry in Kansas that Hy-Vee has launched with a Feeding America-affiliated food bank. The pantry is expected to serve about 150 families each month in Wyandotte County, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Corporate Store News, Featured News, Grocery Research, National, News
Study Finds 81% Of Americans Open To Switching Grocery Brands
Loyalty in the grocery aisle is softening, according to a new national study from Reach3 Insights that found 81 percent of Americans are open to trying new brands – a signal that routine, habit-driven CPG purchases are giving way to more deliberate in-store decision-making. The study, “Rethinking Routine: What’s Really Happening in the Grocery Aisle,” […]
Posted inProduce News, Association News, Featured News, National, News
IFPA Calls On Congress To Fund Produce Incentives, Expand School Programs
International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) CEO Cathy Burns testified March 11 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, urging lawmakers to expand federal produce incentives, modernize nutrition programs and increase investment in U.S. growers. Burns argued that closing America’s fruit and vegetable consumption gap is a public health and economic imperative. Nine […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Natural Grocers, News, West
Natural Grocers Plans New Store In Walla Walla, WA
Natural Grocers has begun preparations for a new store in downtown Walla Walla, Washington, marking the family-operated chain’s sixth location in the state and first in the Walla Walla Valley. Ahead of the spring opening, the company is hosting a community meet-and-greet March 24 and a two-day hiring event March 25-26 at the Courtyard by […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, Featured News, Finance News, National, News, Nonfood Items
AI Experts Urge Retailers To Move Beyond Simple Automation
Artificial intelligence (AI) can help retailers unlock hidden revenue in underperforming inventory, improve customer targeting and streamline operations — but only if companies stop treating it as a time-saving shortcut and start using it as a strategic tool. That was the message from two digital commerce experts during a keynote at The Inspired Home Show […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Association News, Featured News, National, News
NCA Launches Candy Campaign Ahead Of U.S. 250th Anniversary
The National Confectioners Association has launched Sweet Land of Liberty, a yearlong advocacy and marketing campaign timed to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that frames the U.S. chocolate and candy industry as a major American manufacturing story. The campaign features activations in Washington, D.C., and nationwide, including a presence at Sweets & […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Food City, Health & Wellness, News, Southeast
Food City Expands NationsBenefit Flex Card Access For Members
NationsBenefits has integrated its Flex Card network with Food City, allowing eligible health plan members to use prepaid benefit cards at all of the grocer’s participating locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama. Using the NationsBenefits Mastercard Prepaid Flex Card, they will be able to buy approved food as medicine items, over-the-counter (OTC) health […]