The 10,000-square-foot small-format store Gelson’s will open Jan. 28 at Riverside Drive and Mariota Avenue in Toluca Lake, California, will serve as the centerpiece of a mixed-use development that includes 37 studio apartments. Toluca Lake is known for its tree-lined streets, historic homes and proximity to entertainment landmarks like Warner Bros. Studios. The area blends old Hollywood […]
Category: Finance News
Market moves, funding, earnings, and financial strategy across the grocery industry.
Hawaii Grocery Industry Adapts During Uncertain Times, Mounting Challenges
The grocery industry in Hawaii is facing mounting challenges as food insecurity remains high and transportation costs continue to climb. Approximately 30 percent of Hawaii’s residents report some level of food insecurity, according to Alexis Chapman, director of operations for the Hawaii Food Industry Association in Honolulu. The situation is even more dire in certain […]
Mars Receives Top Honors On Glassdoor’s Best Places Lists
Mars Inc. earned the top spot on Glassdoor’s inaugural Best Places to Work in Manufacturing and Energy list and ranked sixth on the job search and career community’s 2026 Best Places to Work list, the company announced Jan. 21. The awards are determined based on voluntary, anonymous feedback from employees on Glassdoor. McLean, Virginia-based Mars […]
Smithfield Foods To Acquire Nathan’s Famous For $450M
Smithfield Foods has entered into a merger agreement to acquire Nathan’s Famous Inc. for $102 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of about $450 million. The transaction will secure Smithfield’s rights to the all-beef hot dog brand into perpetuity. The company has held an exclusive license from Nathan’s Famous since March 2014 to […]
Report: Traditional Grocers Losing Shoppers As Fragmentation Accelerates
Traditional grocers are losing their most valuable shoppers in a shift that appears permanent, according to new data from AlixPartners released Jan. 21. Fewer than half of consumers in the survey — 49 percent — say they spent most of their grocery budget at traditional grocers like Kroger, Albertsons, H-E-B and Wegmans in 2025, down […]
Wakefern Supermarket Banners To Host Job Fairs Jan. 31
Wakefern Food Corp. supermarket banners ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market are holding a series of walk-in hiring fairs Jan. 31. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., participating stores across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will host in-store recruitment events for full-time, […]
Expana Appoints Harris As CEO, Succeeding Wicks
Expana has appointed Julie Harris as CEO effective Jan. 26, succeeding Spencer Wicks, who will retire Jan. 23 after more than seven years leading the agrifood-focused price reporting agency and market intelligence provider. Harris joins Expana from IWSR, the beverage-alcohol data and insight provider, where she served as CEO and led the company through major […]
B&G Foods Wins Del Monte Broth Brands For $110M In Bankruptcy Auction
B&G Foods has agreed to acquire Del Monte Foods’ broth and stock business, including the College Inn and Kitchen Basics brands, for about $110 million in cash following a competitive bankruptcy auction. The transaction emerged from Del Monte Foods Corporation II’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, where B&G Foods prevailed as the winning bidder for the […]
U.S. Private Label Sales Hit Record $282.8B In 2025
U.S. store brand sales reached a record $282.8 billion in 2025, climbing 3.3 percent compared to 1.2 percent growth for national brands, according to year-end Circana Unify+ data released Jan. 20 by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). The $9 billion increase marks store brands’ continued momentum in capturing market share across all retail channels. […]
99 Ranch Market Expanding In Vegas With Summerlin Store
99 Ranch Market plans to open its second Las Vegas location Jan. 24 in the upscale Summerlin neighborhood. The 50,000-square-foot store at Boca Park Plaza, located at 820 S. Rampart Blvd., marks the company’s 66th location nationwide, covering 11 states. According to the company, the opening comes at a strategic time for both 99 Ranch […]
Harps Food Stores Announces New Leadership Across Company
Harps Food Stores has made several leadership appointments following the retirement of Randall Harp, who served as VP of warehouse operations and grocery procurement. The promotions include Shannon Kincade to VP of center store merchandising, Josh Cleveland to director of grocery retail management, Mike J. Roberts to director of warehouse operations and Ashley Winget to […]
Okimoto Corp.’s Longstanding Values Guide Everyday Operations Of Its Stores
Hawaii grocer Okimoto Corp. celebrated 75 years in business in 2024, built on a foundation of honesty, integrity, humility and unity. Led by the third generation – Kris, Kyle and Kit Okimoto – the company operates two stores on Oahu and one on Molokai. Kit Okimoto, who in addition to his CFO duties in the […]
Yesway Hires Hampton As Chief Technology Officer
Robert Hampton has joined convenience store chain Yesway as chief technology officer. Reporting to Tom Trkla, chairman, CEO and president, Hampton will lead Yesway’s information technology strategy and oversee all aspects of enterprise technology, digital transformation, cybersecurity and innovation. With more than 20 years of executive technology leadership experience in the retail, convenience and supply […]
Hormel Foods Appoints Borrelli As EVP Of Retail
Hormel Foods Corp. has named Domenic Borrelli EVP of retail, effective Feb. 23. In this role, Borrelli will oversee the retail business unit, which includes many of the company’s most recognized consumer brands and represents one of its largest growth engines. “[Borrelli] has a proven track record of creating consumer-driven growth in well-established, legacy businesses […]
Afresh Appoints Litle Chief Revenue Officer To Scale AI Platform
Afresh has appointed Adam Litle chief revenue officer following the company’s largest year to date, with more than 70 percent year-over-year growth and usage across more than 12,000 grocery departments in North America. Litle joins a leadership team with deep experience operating enterprise software companies through periods of rapid growth. In the past year, San […]
Fresh Del Monte Named Winning Bidder To Acquire Del Monte Foods Assets
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. (NYSE: FDP) has been named the successful bidder to acquire select assets of California-based Del Monte Foods Corporation II Inc. for a purchase price of $285 million, plus assumption of certain liabilities, through a court-supervised sale under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The transaction remains subject to court […]
Key Food Partners With Swiftly To Modernize Digital Shopper Experience
Key Food Stores Co-Operative, a chain of more than 460 family-owned and -operated supermarkets across eight Northeast states, has partnered with Swiftly to transform its digital ecosystem and tap new retail media revenue streams. Through the collaboration, Key Food will leverage Swiftly’s App & Web platform with integrated Alcohol Cashback solutions to enhance shopper engagement. […]
Walmart Shares Executive Leadership Changes
Walmart Inc. (Nasdaq: WMT) has announced several executive leadership changes designed to fuel innovation and drive the new era of retail, with all appointments effective Feb. 1. The board of directors has elected new leaders to its executive council, and incoming President and CEO John Furner shared additional organizational changes. “Over my 32 years with […]
Mission Produce To Acquire Calavo Growers In $430M Deal
Mission Produce Inc. (NASDAQ: AVO) and Calavo Growers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVGW) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Mission will acquire Calavo in a cash-and-stock transaction. The transaction would give Mission entrée into the high-growth prepared food segment, complementing its avocado business with Calavo’s value-added, avocado-based prepared foods. In addition to a variety of ready-to-eat […]
2 Grocers Garner Top Employer Certification For Workplace Excellence
Lidl US and Ahold Delhaize USA have earned Top Employer certification for 2026, making them the only U.S.-based grocery retailers recognized by the Amsterdam-based Top Employers Institute for workplace excellence this year. The certifications acknowledge both companies’ human resources practices and organizational culture. The Top Employers Institute evaluates companies based on participation and results from […]
