Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart has completed more than one million drone deliveries to hundreds of thousands of customers, a milestone the retailer announced May 29. What started as a pilot program a few years ago has expanded to 66 stores in four states serving five metro markets. Walmart said the service is designed for everyday “uh‑oh” […]
Category: Industry News
Posted inGrocery Research, National, News
EIA Finds Affordability Not A Barrier To Top Marks In Supermarket Scorecard
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has released its 2026 Climate‑Friendly Supermarkets Scorecard, tracking major U.S. food retailer efforts to address hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), superpollutant refrigerants used across the food retail sector. The release comes one week after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled back requirements on refrigerant use in a move condemned by environmental and industry […]
Expert Article
Non-Food For Thought: Home Field Advantage
By Naomi Sleeper, President, Imperial Distributors Inc. Non-Food for Thought is back. After a few-year hiatus, we are relaunching this column as a forum for sharing perspective on the trends, opportunities and challenges shaping non-food merchandising in the grocery channel. There may not be a more relevant time to renew these discussions than Summer 2026 […]
Expert Article
Know Your Numbers: The Financial Habits Behind Independent Grocery’s Top Performers
Jon Cline knows the grocery business from the ground up. He started bagging groceries at Safeway in high school, managed a 7-Eleven while earning his accounting degree at the University of Oklahoma, and went on to build a career spanning some of the industry’s biggest names: Arthur Andersen, Scrivner, Fleming and Supervalu. At FMS Solutions, […]
Expert Article
Independent Grocers Don’t Need More Technology, They Need Better Integration
With more than 50 years of combined experience in grocery POS and retail technology, Farrell McKenna and Ed Sepelak have worked closely with independent grocers, navigating everything from changing consumer expectations to rapidly evolving store technology. With decades of hands-on experience supporting independent grocery retailers, they share a practical perspective on why integration, operational simplicity, […]
Posted inFinance News, Association News, Featured News, National, News
NGA Opposes OCC Rule Allowing Banks To Set Swipe Fees Via Third Parties
The National Grocers Association (NGA) has submitted comments to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) opposing an interim final rule that would permit national banks to establish interchange (swipe) fees through third‑party arrangements rather than through bank‑to‑bank competition. The rule revises 12 C.F.R. § 7.4002 and relates to the Illinois Interchange Fee […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Health & Wellness, National, News
Fresh Connect Expands Produce Card To Four Tailored Grocery Options
Fresh Connect has expanded its offering from a single produce card to four specialized medically supportive grocery cards, paired with a new companion app that gives cardholders clarity on what is approved under their program. Since its launch in 2020, Fresh Connect has helped health plans, healthcare providers and community partners deliver access to $12.3 […]
Posted inFinance News, Featured News, Guest Contributors, National, News
Crossroads: Beyond The Store – Financial Balance In Independent Grocery
By Grant Fossum, AIF, RFC | ProWealth Financial Independent grocers understand diversification better than those in most other industries. Inside the store, balance is built into daily operations – meat and produce drive traffic, center store drives volume, service departments drive margin and the front end shapes the customer experience. Outside the store, that […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National, News
DoorDash, Dollar Tree Partner For On‑Demand Delivery From 9K Stores
DoorDash and Dollar Tree have formed a partnership to offer on‑demand delivery from the discount retailer’s full U.S. store footprint, giving shoppers access to more than 10,000 products from 9,000 stores in 48 states. The partnership allows customers to order essentials, pantry staples, household supplies, party décor, balloons, craft items,and seasonal merchandise through the DoorDash […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Featured News, Food City, News, Southeast
Food City Parent K-VA-T Selects Homesome For Digital Commerce Platform
K‑VA‑T Food Stores Inc., parent company of Food City, has selected Homesome to power its digital commerce transformation. K‑VA‑T will deploy Homesome’s full platform suite across its 140 Food City locations, delivering a retailer‑branded, end‑to‑end digital experience to customers across Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Homesome’s enterprise, fulfillment and AI platforms give Food City […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Executive News, Featured News, National, News
AWG CFO Koch Joins Breez AI Board; Stukus Named VP Sales
Breez AI has added Gary Koch, CEO of Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), to its board of directors and named David Stukus as VP of sales and customer success. The leadership additions come as Breez AI accelerates growth across retailers, prepares to deploy its next‑generation artificial intelligence platform and unlocks new monetization capabilities for independent grocers. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Grocery Store Layout, News, Northeast, Tops Friendly Markets
Tops Completes $2M Store Remodel In Tonawanda, NY
Tops Friendly Markets has completed a $2 million remodel of its 67,279‑square‑foot store at 150 Niagara St. in Tonawanda, New York, marking the company’s 51st major renovation in six years. The effort was part of Tops’ capital improvement project, which has included more than $100 million invested in its three‑state footprint. The renovation included a […]
Posted inGrocery Research, Featured News, National, News
Report: 19 States To Restrict SNAP Soda, Candy Purchases By End Of 2026
By the end of 2026, 19 states will have Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food restriction waivers in place, affecting about one‑third of program participants and putting up to $830 million in soda, candy and energy drink sales at risk, according to a new report from Numerator, a consumer data and technology company. The report, […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, News, Southwest, Supply Chain News, Walmart
Walmart Revamps First‑Mile Supply Chain To Speed Inbound Shipments
Walmart is overhauling its first‑mile logistics with a new Prepaid Consolidation Program, designed to get products onto store shelves faster while reducing complexity for suppliers. The program allows vendors to send products under a single national purchase order to one location. From there, Walmart combines the inventory and distributes it to 42 regional distribution centers […]
Posted inExecutive News, Featured News, Merchandising News, National, News, The Kroger Co.
Kroger SVP Jabbar Retires After 38 Years
The Kroger Co. has announced that Valerie Jabbar, SVP of retail divisions, retired in May after 38 years of service. Jabbar began her career with Kroger’s Fry’s division in 1987 as a clerk. Over the decades, she held a range of leadership roles, including assistant store director, category manager, drug/general manager coordinator, general office seasonal […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Association News, National, News
FMI, NGA Applaud Trump Administration’s Rollback Of Refrigeration Rules
President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced revisions to two commercial refrigeration rules May 21, drawing praise from FMI – The Food Industry Association and the National Grocers Association (NGA), which said the changes will spare grocery retailers – especially independent operators – from an estimated $144 billion in compliance costs. The final EPA […]
Posted inFinance News, Corporate Store News, Featured News, News, Southwest, Walmart
Walmart U.S. 1Q Comps Up 4.1%, E-Comm 26%
Walmart characterized the first quarter of fiscal 2027 for its U.S. division as one of “strong sales, with broad-based share gains, reflecting accelerated customer transactions led by e-commerce growth.” Reporting results May 21 for the quarter ended April 30, Walmart said its U.S. comparable store sales increased by 4.1 percent, excluding fuel. U.S. net sales […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Featured News, Grocery Research, National, News
State Of Treating 2026: What’s Driving Confectionery Consumers
Nearly every American household still reaches for chocolate, candy, gum or mints at some point in the year — but how, where and why they buy is shifting in ways independent grocers can lean into. That was the core message from Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, who presented the National Confectioners Association’s seventh annual […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, H-E-B, News, Southwest, Supply Chain News
H-E-B Planning $700M Supply Chain Expansion Over Next Decade
H-E-B plans to invest $700 million to expand its supply chain operations, a project expected to create 720 jobs by 2028 and more than 1,200 new full-time positions over the next decade. While not yet finalized, the retailer has identified its Foster Road campus on San Antonio’s east side as a potential location for the […]
Posted inGrocery Research, Association News, Featured News, National, News
FMI Report Finds Shoppers Visit More Than 5 Grocery Banners Per Month
FMI – The Food Industry Association has released the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2026 report, outlining elements of the evolving physical grocery shopping experience that build consumer loyalty and repeat visits. “In an effort to fulfill their unique definitions of value, consumers visit more than five separate grocery store banners on average per month despite growing […]