FMI – The Food Industry Association has appointed Jennifer Shawgo senior director, technology strategy and programs, a new role designed to accelerate responsible digital transformation across the food retail sector. Shawgo, who brings two decades of cross-sector experience spanning distribution, software startups and association leadership, will lead programs, partnerships and member engagement connecting technology and […]
Category: Industry News
Posted inCorporate Store News, Finance News, Food Lion, News, Southeast
Food Lion Plans 4 Store Openings Across The Carolinas
Food Lion will open four stores across North and South Carolina in the first quarter, extending the Ahold Delhaize banner’s footprint in its core Southeast market. The Salisbury, North Carolina-based grocer announced the expansion Jan. 15, with the first location opening six days later in Pontiac, South Carolina. The openings mark continued growth for the […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Finance News, News, Stater Bros. Markets, West
Stater Bros. Expands Partnership With Afresh
Stater Bros. Markets is scaling its partnership with Afresh Technologies, extending AI-driven inventory management beyond produce into additional fresh departments while implementing distribution center (DC) forecasting. The expansion follows strong results from the 171-store California chain’s recent produce deployment, which it said reduced shrink and improved product availability. The combined system connects real store demand […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Feature, News, West
Local Express Showcases Unified Commerce Platform
Local Express, an artificial intelligence-native unified commerce platform, highlighted its comprehensive technology solutions for grocery retailers during Grocery Shop in Las Vegas, emphasizing how the company has evolved from serving small-format stores to providing enterprise-level capabilities for retailers of all sizes. Maria Gallegos, chief marketing officer for Glendale, California-based Local Express, said the company is […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Finance News, Grocery Store Equipment, National, News
Simbe Introduces Improved Tally 4.0 Shelf-Scanning Robot
Simbe has launched Tally 4.0, the fourth generation of its autonomous shelf-scanning robot, featuring up to 12 hours of runtime and enhanced computer vision capabilities powered by NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure. The San Francisco-based company announced the release Jan. 12, with units available to customers starting mid-2026. The new platform builds on a decade of deployments […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Finance News, News, Walmart, West
Walmart Opens New Supercenter In Eastvale, CA
Walmart has opened its first supercenter in Eastvale, California, marking the retailer’s entry into one of the state’s fastest-growing communities. The 170,000-square-foot store at 14100 Limonite Ave. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 14 before welcoming customers at 8 a.m. The store created about 300 jobs in the Inland Empire city, which has […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Grocery Store Layout, Midwest, News, Schnucks
Schnucks Begins Store Remodel In St. Charles, MO
Schnucks has begun renovating its Lindenwood store in St. Charles, Missouri, with completion expected by late summer. The remodel will update the 71,000-square-foot location with expanded departments and improved amenities. The project includes expanding the dairy, frozen foods and deli kitchen departments, along with adding a new floral section. The store will receive updated fixtures […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Finance News, National, News
SPINS Acquires MikMak To Expand Shopper Engagement
SPINS has acquired MikMak, a move the company said will expand its capabilities in shopper engagement, commerce intelligence and omnichannel activation across physical, digital and emerging agentic commerce environments. According to SPINS, the acquisition accelerates its ability to enable and measure shopper engagement throughout increasingly complex buying journeys. As consumers move between social media, digital […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Association News, National, News
FMI, NGA Back Reintroduced Credit Card Competition Act
Grocery industry trade associations are renewing calls for credit card swipe fee reform following the reintroduction of the Credit Card Competition Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing competition in the marketplace and reducing costs for merchants and consumers. The National Grocers Association (NGA) and FMI – The Food Industry Association voiced support for the bill’s […]
Posted inGrocery Research, National, News, The Kroger Co.
Kroger Reveals Top 6 Food Trend Predictions For 2026
The Kroger Co. has shared its top six food trend predictions for 2026, forecasting emerging customer behaviors and anticipated popular products for the year ahead. Developed by Kroger’s team of food experts, the list is intended to spotlight flavors and formats likely to resonate with shoppers in the months to come. “The way our customers […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Aldi, Finance News, National, News
Aldi To Open 180 Stores In 2026, Enter Maine
Aldi U.S. plans to open more than 180 stores by the end of 2026, as the grocer begins its 50th year in the U.S. The Batavia, Illinois-based retailer also is sharing a look into its growth plans over the next five years, including entering Maine, continued growth in Southeast and West and plans to open […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Finance News, National, News
Toast Enhances Retail Capabilities With AI-Powered Insights, Tools
Toast has introduced a suite of updates designed to deliver precision insights, actionable recommendations and operational efficiency for retailers using its commerce technology, including enhanced capabilities within the Toast IQ AI assistant. The latest platform enhancements, showcased for retail operators ahead of the 2026 National Retail Federation (NRF) Show, add new AI-driven features enabling retailers to […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Grocery Store Layout, News, Southeast
Grocery Outlet To Open First VA Store In Falls Church
Grocery Outlet will enter Virginia – its 16th state – when it opens a new store Feb. 12 in Falls Church. The opening, the first in a series planned across the state, marks a milestone in the company’s long-term growth strategy and extends its presence along the East Coast. Grocery Outlet operates more than 560 […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National, News, Retail Media
Kroger Scales Generative AI Strategy With Google Cloud
The Kroger Co. has expanded its relationship with Google Cloud to support a shopping transformation using the technology company’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience solution. Under the expansion, Kroger will roll out Gemini Enterprise for CX nationwide to help make grocery planning easier through an integrated meal assistant and shopping assistant, providing faster shopping without […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, National, News
Elo To Debut Retail Solutions At NRF 2026
Elo, now part of Zebra Technologies, will introduce three new products at NRF 2026 Jan. 12-14 in booth No. 5803 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The new self-checkout, edge computing, payment and data entry solutions are designed to elevate experiences and improve efficiency across retail, hospitality and grocery workflows. […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Association News, Finance News, National, News, Organic Natural
INFRA Shares Executive Leadership Promotions To Support Growth
INFRA, a nationwide purchasing cooperative of independent natural food retailers and a leader in the natural foods industry, has shared two executive leadership promotions, reflecting the organization’s continued growth and deepened focus on serving its members. Danelle Rydel has been promoted to chief of member operations, while Jen LaValley has been promoted to CFO. “These […]
Posted inProduce News, Finance News, National, News
Avocados From Mexico Projects 2.5B Pounds For 2025-26 Season
Avocados From Mexico is projecting a record-breaking 2.5 billion pounds of Mexican avocado imports to the U.S. during the 2025-26 season, marking the highest volume Mexico has ever supplied to the U.S. market. The organization said about 280 million pounds of Mexican avocados are projected to be available for the Big Game alone, another record-setting […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, Finance News, National, News
NCR Voyix Unveils AI-Accelerated Suite Of Applications
NCR has introduced a new AI-accelerated suite of applications designed to enhance its Voyix Commerce Platform, leveraging artificial intelligence to help retailers improve customer engagement, streamline operations and drive incremental revenue. The expanded suite integrates large language models and machine learning into core commerce functions, enabling retailers to deliver more personalized experiences across digital and […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Finance News, National, News
Jackson’s Expands Retail Distribution As Better-For-You Snack Demand Grows
Jackson’s, a snack brand distributing premium avocado oil products, is entering 2026 with significant retail momentum, expanding distribution across major club, grocery, natural, convenience and e-commerce channels nationwide. The Q1 expansion is anchored by the national rollout of Jackson’s Super Veggie Straws alongside continued growth for its kettle chips and sweet potato chips. The brand […]
Posted inFrozen Food, Association News, Dairy News, Finance News, National, News
NFRA Highlights Role Of Frozen, Dairy Foods In Post-Holiday Reset
As Americans move past the holidays and return to everyday routines, frozen and dairy foods are emerging as essential staples that help consumers manage food budgets, reduce waste and simplify daily meal planning, according to a new press release from the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). With their longer shelf life and ready-when-needed […]