The Food Systems for the Future Institute (FSFI), with Chef José Andrés serving as honorary co‑host, convened the 2026 Grocery Retail for All Summit on June 18 at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). More than 200 attendees representing 186 organizations and 41 states gathered to identify, elevate and accelerate solutions that strengthen grocery retail […]
Category: Midwest
Posted inIndependent Store News, Balls Foods, Midwest, News
Balls Foods Stores Chooses Afresh For Production Planning, Full-Store Ordering
Balls Foods, the independent grocery chain behind Hen House, Price Chopper, SunFresh and Payless, has selected Afresh for production planning and store ordering across the entire store. The retailer will use Afresh in produce, meat, deli and bakery, and across all fresh departments plus grocery, frozen, dairy, alcohol and general merchandise. The platform replaces handwritten […]
Posted inAssociation News, Featured News, Midwest, News
OGA Partners With MRGA For Association Management
The Ohio Grocers Association (OGA) has entered into a new management partnership with the Midwest Retail & Grocery Alliance (MRGA), a move designed to strengthen operations while maintaining its commitment to serving the state’s grocery industry. The partnership will provide OGA with additional administrative and operational support while preserving the association’s mission, priorities, advocacy efforts […]
Posted inMarket Profile, Featured News, Midwest, News
Supermarkets Lean On Agility As Weather, Gas Prices Reshape MI Retail Economy
At this time last year, tariffs dominated the conversation among Michigan retailers. This spring, the pressures look different: severe weather across the northern part of the state, gas prices pulling extra spending money to the pump and a retail index that has fallen to 43.7 from 59.4 a year ago, according to Victoria Veda, VP […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Meijer, Midwest, News
Meijer To Open New Supermarket In Livonia, MI
Meijer will open a new 75,000‑square‑foot grocery format store on Aug. 19 at 33500 Seven Mile Road in Livonia, marking the fourth Meijer Grocery location in Michigan. The new store complements the retailer’s 125 supercenters and market format stores across the state and follows the opening of a 47,000‑square‑foot Meijer Grocery in Rochester Hills in […]
Posted inPrivate Label Brands, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Featured News, Midwest, News
AWG Adds 64 Private Label Items, Targets GLP-1 Trends, Grilling Season
AWG Family of Brands is adding 64 new items to its private brand portfolio in the second quarter of 2026, expanding across Best Choice, Hello World by Best Choice, Crav’n Flavor and Wide Awake Coffee Co. brands. The new items target health-conscious trends, seasonal demand – including grilling – and consumer preference for quality at-home […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Meijer, Midwest, News
Meijer Donates $280K To Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup
Meijer has announced a $280,000 contribution to the Council of the Great Lakes Region Foundation to continue supporting the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup initiative in 2026. The investment builds on Meijer’s ongoing commitment to protect the Great Lakes and the communities that depend on them by helping bring innovative cleanup technologies to the Great Lakes […]
Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, Midwest, News, The Kroger Co.
Kroger Rewards Program Adds Points Redemption For Grocery Savings
The updates are designed to make loyalty more accessible for the more than 11 million customers the company serves daily.