Grocery Industry News: Retail & Supply Chain Updates
Posted inSupply Chain News, Finance News, National, News

Registrar Corp. Acquires TechniCAL, Expands Safety Capabilities

Registrar Corp has acquired TechniCAL, an independent process authority for low-acid and acidified foods. The acquisition combines Registrar Corp’s global regulatory compliance expertise with TechniCAL’s thermal processing validation and testing capabilities. Together, the companies provide complete regulatory and safety support for producers of shelf-stable packaged foods and beverages. Market drivers Consumer demand for convenience and […]

Posted inProduce News, Finance News, National, News

Shore Capital Forms Produce One Through Partnership, Acquisition

Shore Capital Partners has formed Produce One, a specialty produce distribution platform, through a partnership with Premier ProduceOne and the acquisition of Native Maine Produce. The platform combines Premier ProduceOne’s statewide distribution coverage across Ohio with Native Maine’s Northeast-focused distribution network across Maine, Connecticut and New York. Shore Capital plans to partner with additional produce […]

Posted inExecutive News, Featured News, Finance News, Independent Store News, Midwest, News, Southeast, Southwest

Second Annual HFG Awards Program Honors 15 Store Managers From 6 States

Houchens Food Group continued its Store Manager Appreciation Awards for the second year, culminating with the announcement of the 2025 HFG Store Manager of the Year. The company recently hosted 15 lunch banquets divided by region and banner. The events included individual recognition of store managers, as well as a selection of other awards. In […]

Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, Marketing News, National, News

NGA Supports SNAP Modernization, EBT Fee Ban In House Farm Bill

The National Grocers Association announced that it supports provisions in the House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill text to modernize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, strengthen its integrity and expand food access. The legislation includes a five-year ban on EBT transaction fees, improvements to the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, permanent nationwide SNAP online purchasing and […]

Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National, News

Forage, Adyen Partner To Enable SNAP EBT Payments For Retailers

San Francisco-based Forage has partnered with Adyen to power EBT payments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the retailer’s merchants in the United States. The collaboration enables retailers to accept SNAP benefits from the 42 million Americans who rely on them. The integration provides grocery, convenience and restaurant meal program merchants with a streamlined, compliant […]

Posted inBeverage News, Marketing News, News, Southeast

Coke Florida Surpasses $1M In Black History Month Investments

Coca-Cola Beverages Florida has invested more than $1 million to support technology access programs across Florida since launching its efforts in 2018, the Tampa-based bottler announced Feb. 11. As one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the United States, Coke Florida marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month by continuing investments in education, technology […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, Market Profile, Midwest, News

Independent Grocers Face Pricing Pressures, Rural Store Closures In ND

Independent grocers across North Dakota face mounting pressure from several directions, according to John “Jiggs” Dyste, president of the North Dakota Grocers Association. “Independent grocers are being squeezed by big-box stores and food manufacturers,” Dyste said. “Unfair pricing is the main problem driving consumers to big-box stores.” The challenges come as North Dakota’s economy undergoes […]

Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Albertsons, News, West

Albertsons Joins OpenAI Advertising Pilot To Test ChatGPT Ad Formats

Albertsons Companies will be participating in the OpenAI Ad Pilot Program, testing how new advertising formats in ChatGPT can create personalized experiences for consumers ahead of Valentine’s Day. The Boise, Idaho-based grocer will explore how relevant ads unlock value for users and brands in conversational experiences as an early pilot partner for the program, which […]

Posted inExecutive News, Center Store, Finance News, National, News

J.M. Smucker Eliminates COO Role, Expands CFO, Supply Chain Leadership

The J.M. Smucker Company has announced a leadership restructuring that eliminates the chief operating officer position and expands responsibilities for its chief financial officer and newly created chief product supply officer. The Orrville, Ohio-based food manufacturer said the changes, effective Feb. 9, are designed to advance long-term growth strategy, further momentum among its brand portfolio […]

Posted inGrocery Research, National, News

Tastepoint Identifies 10 Flavor Trends Expected To Shape 2026 Market

Philadelphia-based Tastepoint by IFF has identified 10 flavors expected to trend in the North American retail and foodservice throughout 2026, based on data-driven market analysis, menu tracking, social listening and changes in consumer behavior. “To continue delivering product development solutions that meet consumers’ unique and changing needs, we stay attuned to industry and market trends, keeping […]

Posted inAssociation News, Finance News, National, News

NRF Reports Retail Sales Post Fourth Monthly Gain

Retail sales showed moderate monthly growth and strong year-over-year gains in January, marking the fourth consecutive month of increases, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released by the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, were up 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted month over month and up 5.72 percent unadjusted year […]

Posted inSupply Chain News, Finance News, Lipari Foods, Midwest, News

Lipari Foods Selects RELEX Solutions For Supply Chain Planning

Lipari Foods has selected RELEX Solutions to transform its supply chain planning and improve replenishment operations across its distribution center. The Midwest distributor will use RELEX’s artificial intelligencer-driven platform and Advanced Diagnostics to manage more than 23,000 SKUs across grocery, deli, bakery, natural and specialty categories. Lipari Foods supplies thousands of retailers with fresh, natural, […]

Posted inCenter Store, Finance News, National, News

Kraft Heinz Pauses Company Split, Commits $600M To Turnaround Plan

The Kraft Heinz Company announced Feb. 11 it is pausing work on its planned separation into two independent companies, instead committing $600 million to accelerate growth efforts as the food manufacturer reported a 15 percent decline in full-year 2025 adjusted earnings. CEO Steve Cahillane, who joined the Pittsburgh and Chicago-based company Jan. 1, said its […]

Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Finance News, National, News

Swiftly Converts Static Circulars Into Interactive Digital Format

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. […]

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 inOnline Grocery Technology, National, News

Bill To Make SNAP Online Purchasing Permanent Introduced In U.S. House

Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN) and Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA) introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 10 to permanently authorize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to buy groceries online, converting a pilot program launched in 2019 into a permanent feature of the federal nutrition assistance program. The SNAP Online Access Act would […]

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 inOnline Grocery Technology, News, West

Upside Expands Footprint With Save Mart Partnership

Upside has launched across nearly 200 Save Mart Companies stores in California and Nevada, expanding the digital marketplace’s West Coast grocery footprint to stores under the Save Mart, Lucky and FoodMaxx banners. Upside’s platform connects more than 35 million consumers with personalized cash back offers at over 100,000 grocery, restaurant and fuel locations nationwide, delivering […]

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 […]