The Kroger Co. has introduced OptUP, a new, data-driven app that helps customers make more informed, healthier purchase decisions. “Kroger’s new OptUP app is transformational for the food retail industry,” said Collen Lindholz, Kroger’s president of pharmacy and The Little Clinic. “The app puts nutritional information at your fingertips and makes finding and buying better-for-you products easier and simpler.” […]
Category: Industry News
Albertsons Cos. Launches O Organics Market With Instacart
Albertsons and Instacart are teaming up to combine organic products and online grocery in a one-stop digital shop. This week, the pair announced the launch of O Organics Market, a virtual store offering organic, natural and better-for-you-foods, beverages, and grocery items. “With nearly 3,800 items from O Organics, Open Nature and other organic and natural brands, O Organics Market is another […]
More Help Is Available For Kansas’ Struggling Rural Grocers
by Terrie Ellerbee/editor-Midwest Many independent grocers in Kansas’ rural communities struggle to remain open. This year alone, at least five independent grocers already have closed, according to David Procter, director of the Center for Engagement and Community Development (CECD) at Kansas State University (KSU). “We know of several stores that have closed this year, so […]
Dollar Tree Opens $110M Distribution Center In Warrensburg, Missouri
Dollar Tree Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new distribution center in Warrensburg, Missouri, July 11 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by associates and their families, management and representatives from the local community. The new DC is Dollar Tree’s 23rd such facility. “We are pleased to celebrate the grand opening of our new Warrensburg distribution […]
Heritage Meets Innovation In New Hudsonville, Michigan, Meijer
Meijer opened a new supercenter July 12 in Hudsonville, Michigan, offering shoppers a number of ways to shop through what the retailer is calling a mix of heritage and innovation. The 155,000-s.f. store features design elements that honor the retailer’s nearly 50 years in Ottawa County. It also is re-introducing baggers to help decrease time […]
Banner Wholesale Grocers Moving To A Larger Warehouse This Fall
Chicago, Illinois-based Banner Wholesale Grocers, a family-owned and -operated independent grocer specializing in American and Hispanic products, will move to a brand new 75,000-s.f. facility in the fall. Designed from the ground up, the new building gives customers the opportunity to utilize the entire warehouse during shopping hours. Banner’s current facility has housed the 92-year-old […]
Campbell Names Palmieri VP And CMO Of U.S. Meals And Beverages
Campbell Soup Co. has appointed Diego Palmieri to the role of VP and chief marketing officer, U.S. meals and beverages, effective July 18. Palmieri will report to Roberto Leopardi, president, meals and beverages. As CMO, Palmieri will be responsible for all aspects of marketing and consumer connection in the U.S. across the division’s portfolio of brands, which […]
Weis Markets Upgrading In-Store Wi-Fi At All Locations
Weis Markets is working with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, on an upgraded wireless infrastructure at its 205 stores in an effort to deliver improved efficiencies, drive sales and provide customers with a “top-notch mobile experience.” According to Jacob Koch, manager of systems administration for Weis Markets, employing a secure, high-performance wireless infrastructure is critical […]
Chex Finer Foods Completes Warehouse Expansion
Chex Finer Foods, a regional, third-generation family-owned specialty and natural foods distributor, has completed a 20,000-s.f. expansion of its warehouse and headquarters in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Company officials say the expansion will increase the breadth and diversity of the products and services Chex offers to its customers—independent markets and leading retailers in the Northeast. “Chex has […]
BJ’s Partners With PayPal For Easier Online Checkout
BJ’s Wholesale Club is hoping its union with PayPal, PayPal Credit and PayPal One Touch will make online checkout easier for its customers. The integration of PayPal and PayPal Credit allows BJ’s members to pay for their entire virtual cart securely on BJs.com without having to enter card credentials. PayPal Credit is subject to consumer […]
Fiji Water Ends Distribution Partnership With Keurig Dr Pepper
Fiji Water, a supplier of imported bottled water, is making a change to its distribution network that will result in the brand directly handling more of its own product delivery. Fiji is discontinuing its distribution partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) in favor of a new distribution model that “will ensure a focused, superior experience for […]
Plant-Based Product Claims See 62% Increase Over Five-Year Period
Growing consumer interest in health, sustainability and ethics is driving plant-derived ingredients and products to high popularity. Innova Market Insights reports that plant-based product claims increased by 62% globally from 2013-2017, with growth occurring on platforms such as plant proteins, active botanicals, sweeteners, herbs and seasonings, and coloring foodstuffs. “The dairy alternatives market has been a particular […]
FIM Program Teams Present Capstones At WAFC; First Up, Team ‘Waste To Wealth’
On Jan. 8 of this year, 32 people embarked on the 16-week Food Industry Management (FIM) Program at USC’s Marshall School of Business. The students were divided into six teams to work on capstone projects, each team tackling an industry issue or opportunity that will be important in the next five to 10 years. The […]
AI-Enabled Personalized Marketing Will Drive FMCG Forward
By Mike Bristol/VP Personalized Marketing, Symphony RetailAI Sometimes, the world seems to just turn too quickly; work projects kick into overdrive, kids’ schedules get too hectic, and even taking the time to pick out a somewhat healthy meal at the grocery store seems like a daunting task. As both consumers and busy, complex people, many […]
Walmart Highlights Diverse Suppliers With New Online Showcase
Walmart is launching a new “Supplier Inclusion Showcase” on Walmart.com to spotlight products from its community of diverse suppliers, including companies operated by minorities, women, veterans, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, and people with disabilities. The Supplier Inclusion Showcase is launching at Essence Festival in New Orleans, a multicultural event, which Walmart […]
Junior’s Super Market Readies For The Future
Junior’s Super Market is a seven-store chain based in Pharr, Texas, where it now operates three stores: one Junior’s Express and two Junior’s Super Market locations. Other locations in the Rio Grande Valley include Edinburg, San Juan, Hidalgo, Penitas and Alton. The Shelby Report’s Jan Meade caught up with owner Felix Chavez Jr. for a […]
Recommended: C&S Wholesale Laying Off 328 At Orlando Warehouse
Grocery distributor C&S Wholesale Services Inc. has told state officials it plans to lay off 328 workers at its Orlando warehouse. C&S has filed a layoff notice with the state, saying it plans to lay off the workers between Aug. 27 and Sept. 10. A representative with C&S did not respond to requests for comment. […]
Publix Acquires Winn-Dixie Lease In Gulf Shores, Alabama
Publix has acquired a lease from Winn-Dixie. The site is located at the Paradise Isle Shopping Center at 1720 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores, Alabama. “We’re excited about the growth opportunities within our operating area, and adding a second location in Gulf Shores will help us better serve this community,” said Todd Jones, president […]
Liqs Eyes Retail Shelves With New Wine-Based Cocktail Shots
Liqs, creator of individually packaged, ready-to-drink cocktail shots, is launching a new line of lower proof wine-based shots. Specifically aimed at retailers and venues that are unable to sell spirits, sales for the new, American-made product will be focused on big-box retailers, grocery chains, club stores and convenience stores, as well as on-premise accounts that […]
Litehouse Unveils Refreshed Branding For Simply Artisan Cheese Line
Litehouse Inc., an employee-owned company and producer of refrigerated salad dressings, dips, herbs and cheese, is aiming to “brighten up” its award-winning cheese line with new branding and packaging. The new look for Litehouse Simply Artisan leverages design cues from the recently refreshed core line of Litehouse dressings and dips, including modernized branding, top-down photography, eye […]
