Swiftly has launched SmartCircular, an artificial intelligence-powered tool that transforms grocery retailers’ PDF circulars into interactive digital experiences with engagement tracking. The Seattle-based retail technology company’s new product uses proprietary AI to convert static weekly ads into clickable formats that allow shoppers to browse deals, zoom in on products and add items to shopping lists. […]
Category: Finance News
Market moves, funding, earnings, and financial strategy across the grocery industry.
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Finance News, News, Southeast, UNFI
UNFI Spotlights 5 Key Grocery Trends For 2026 Spring Season
United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) brought more than 3,400 retailers and suppliers together at its Spring and Summer Selling Show in Orlando, Florida, to examine five major trends reshaping grocery retail, from private label dominance to the growing emphasis on gut health. The distributor’s Feb. 10-12 event highlighted shifts in shopper behavior that grocers should […]
Posted inNational, Finance News, News, Store News
LocalDutch Brings Urban Farm Shop Model To U.S.
LocalDutch, a Netherlands-based agri-tech and food retail company, has announced plans to roll out its Urban Farm Shop concept in the United States and other markets. The model integrates on-site controlled-environment food production with direct-to-consumer retail and local delivery in a single location. The company, headquartered in The Hague, calls the concept the “LocalDutch Shop” […]
Posted inProduce News, Finance News, Independent Store News, News, Northeast
EmpowerFresh Enhances Produce Operations At Karns Quality Foods
EmpowerFresh has partnered with Karns Quality Foods, a 10-store family-owned grocer in central Pennsylvania, to enhance produce operations through artificial intelligence-powered ordering and inventory management. Founded in 1959, Karns Quality Foods has been recognized for its meat and produce departments. The partnership will leverage EmpowerFresh’s AI-driven forecasting and data analytics to help the grocer reduce […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Feature, Finance News, News, West
Instacart Executive Touts Benefits Of Storefront Pro E-Commerce Platform
The Shelby Report of the West recently visited with Merrick Rosner, Instacart’s head of revenue and solution sales, independent grocery, to learn more about the company’s e-commerce platform Storefront Pro. What is involved in training employees on how to use e-commerce platforms like Storefront Pro? Storefront Pro gives grocers of all sizes the ability to […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Finance News, Food Lion, News, Southeast
Food Lion Names Barton 2025 Store Manager Of The Year
Amelia Barton, store manager of the Food Lion at 2201 W. WT Harris Blvd. in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been named the grocer’s 2025 Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Award winner. Barton was selected from more than 1,100 store managers across the retailer’s 10-state operating area. Named after one of Food Lion’s founders, the […]
Posted inExecutive News, Finance News, Midwest, News, The Kroger Co.
Kroger Appoints Foran As CEO, Ends Interim Leadership
The Kroger Co. has appointed Greg Foran as CEO, effective immediately, ending Ron Sargent’s tenure as interim CEO that began in March 2025. Foran, who brings more than 40 years of experience leading large consumer businesses, will also join Kroger’s board of directors. The Cincinnati-based grocer made the announcement Feb. 9, following an extensive search […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Anniversary Issues, Finance News, News, Retailer of the Year, Vallarta Supermarkets, West
Vallarta Moving To Broader Appeal – ‘We’ve Got To Give Everybody Something’
In 1985, the Gonzalez family opened a small market in Van Nuys, California, called Carnicería Vallarta. The family focused on selling traditional cuts of meats popular in their native Mexico. They worked hard to build a name for themselves by offering high-quality authentic products, providing a high level of customer service and treating employees as […]