Greencastle, Pennsylvania-based Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce, has promoted Matthew Gideon to director of sales. Gideon has been with Keystone since 2009, playing a key role in supporting the division’s growth and strengthening its year-round sweet onion program. In his new role, Gideon will be responsible for all aspects of sales for […]
Category: Industry News
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Beverage News, National, News
Swiftly, ExtraMile Launch Digital Alcohol Cashback Across 1.1K Stores
Swiftly is working with ExtraMile Convenience Stores to integrate the tech firm’s Alcohol Cashback program into the ExtraMile, Chevron and Texaco mobile apps and combined rewards program. The launch introduces a digital savings experience on beer, wine and spirits for rewards members across more than 1,100 ExtraMile locations nationwide. The collaboration comes as value-driven incentives […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Finance News, News, Southeast
ECRS Launches AI-Powered Chat Tool For Retail Data Analysis
ECRS has released Chat with Cognition, an artificial intelligence-driven insight and summarization tool built into its CATAPULT Cognition cloud-based platform. The new capability allows retailers to converse with their operational data, receive automated insights and streamline decision-making without requiring specialized analytics expertise. Designed for independent grocers, natural and organic retailers, food co-ops and convenience operators, […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Grocery Research, National, News
Online Grocery Sales Surge 32% To Record $12.7B In December
U.S. online grocery sales surged 32 percent year over year in December to a record $12.7 billion, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey. The record performance reflects higher order frequency, increased spending rates and a larger user base than December 2024. Online share of total grocery spending reached 19 percent, the […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, National, News
Swish Wins Fifth Annual FMItech Pitch Competition
Swish was crowned the winner of the fifth annual FMItech Pitch Competition Jan. 22 during the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference in Chula Vista, California. The technology company powers targeted, automated programmatic sampling by placing full-size products into consumers’ online orders. Twenty-two contestants submitted nominations, which were evaluated by a panel of judges from the food […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Finance News, National, News, UNFI
UNFI Adds 50 Private Label Products Focused On Wellness, Snacking Trends
UNFI is launching nearly 50 new private brand products this month at its Spring and Summer Selling Shows in Long Beach, California, and Orlando Florida, targeting emerging consumer preferences around wellness, snacking and value. The products span the company’s Brands+ portfolio, which includes eight core brands and more than 4,400 SKUs. The launches come as […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Finance News, Gelson's, News, West
Gelson’s To Open Small-Format Store In Toluca Lake, CA
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 […]
Posted inAssociation News, Finance News, Market Profile, News, West
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 […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Association News, Merchandising News, News, Northeast
MRA: Pricing Ban Would Raise Costs For Maryland Shoppers
The Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) is opposing legislation that would prohibit “surveillance pricing,” calling it based on misconceptions about how pricing actually works in grocery stores and retail more broadly. Retailers do not set prices based on consumer personal data, identity or purchasing history, the trade association said Jan. 22. Grocery shelf prices are the […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Finance News, National, News
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 […]
Posted inMeat/Seafood/Poultry, Finance News, National, News
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 […]
Posted inGrocery Research, Finance News, National, News
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 […]
Posted inNews, Finance News, Northeast, Wakefern
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, […]
Posted inExecutive News, Finance News, Marketing News, National, News
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 […]
Posted inCenter Store, Finance News, National, News
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 […]
Posted inMarketing News, National, News
Acosta Group Forms Alliance With CommerceIQ
Acosta Group’s Connected Commerce team has formed an alliance with CommerceIQ, integrating the artificial intelligence-driven retail platform into its agency services to provide automated decision-making capabilities for consumer brands. The alliance positions Acosta Group Connected Commerce as one of the industry’s first AI-driven agency teams, combining omnichannel execution expertise with CommerceIQ’s automation platform that analyzes […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Association News, Finance News, National, News
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. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, Home Page Slider, International Foods, News, Retailers, West
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 […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Merchandising News, National, News
ROFDA Rolls Out National Merchandising Program
Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates has launched Aggregated National Merchandising Scale Events, a new capability designed to provide manufacturers with coordinated access to the independent grocery channel through ROFDA’s nine member wholesalers. Beginning this year, ROFDA will execute three coordinated, national-scale merchandising programs across key seasonal windows during summer and fall. The programs will […]
Posted inExecutive News, Finance News, Harps Food Stores, Independent Store News, News, Southwest
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 […]