(And why line-free mobile checkout is the future) by Will Hogben/ CEO, FutureProof Retail The first iteration of what we now call “self-checkout” in the grocery industry was launched at the Food Marketing Institute’s annual convention in 1987. The “Automatic Checkout Machine” was unveiled by a Florida company called CheckRobot, and it was received well, […]
Category: National
National Chicken Council Launches Virtual Reality Chicken Production Tour
As per capita chicken consumption breaks a new record in 2018 and consumers express a growing interest in where their food comes from, the National Chicken Council (NCC), which represents the U.S. broiler chicken industry, has developed a series of 360° virtual reality videos showing the various stages of a chicken’s life during modern, commercial production. The […]
NAMI Scholarship Foundation Establishes Ron Gustafson Scholarship
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Scholarship Foundation in late June established the Ron Gustafson Scholarship, a $5,000 award honoring Scholarship Foundation Founding President and meat industry leader Ron Gustafson. Each year, the foundation awards scholarships to eligible sophomores, juniors and seniors attending accredited four-year colleges or universities who are enrolled in an approved animal, […]
Study: Online Grocery Is The Supermarket’s Business To Lose
Online grocery spending has reached 5.5 percent of total grocery spending in the U.S., according to a new study by strategic advisory firm Brick Meets Click, based on a survey of nearly 5,000 online consumers conducted in May 2018. Most of this growth is driven by existing online grocery shoppers placing larger orders. Supermarkets are in […]
Double Up SNAP Incentives Expand To Grocery Stores In Five States
Nonprofit organization Fair Food Network has received $1.5 million in new federal support to expand the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program to grocery stores in five states, reaching nearly 1 million SNAP recipients. Produce incentives boost the value of SNAP benefits when spent on fruits and vegetables. This funding will launch Double Up at independent […]
The Real Reason Shoppers Don’t Connect With Deli
Sponsored content by Tyson Foods Inc. Shoppers say dinner is the most important meal of the day, but they also admit when the clock is ticking into the later afternoon and there’s no dinner plan, deli rarely enters into their consideration sets. Changing deli’s focus from foods to meals According to Eric LeBlanc, director of […]
Bar-S Helps Provide One Million Meals To Hungry Children
No Kid Hungry is providing one million meals to hungry children thanks to a donation by Bar-S, a brand of franks, and its “Fighting Childhood Hunger” campaign, which helps provide meals to children nationwide during the summer—often the hungriest time of the year for many children. “Summer—what should be a time of fun and relaxation […]
Western Union Expands Network To Albertsons Cos. Stores Nationwide
The Western Union Co. is strengthening its presence across the U.S. after signing a deal with Albertsons Cos. The agreement will enable consumer access to international and domestic money transfer and money order services, as well as bill payment services at Albertsons Cos. banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, […]
Bubbies Debuts New Summer Mochi Flavors At Whole Foods
Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts is introducing Strawberry Rhubarb and Meyer Lemon mochi—bite-sized ice creams wrapped in a sweetened rice dough—at select Whole Foods Market stores for a limited time. The new flavors join Bubbies’ growing line of more than 25 varieties, including fan favorites like Triple Chocolate, Blueberry, Blood Orange and Green Tea. “As demand and […]
Plant-Based Food Sales Up 20 Percent, Report Finds
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), a trade association representing 114 plant-based food companies, has released new data showing robust sales in the plant-based foods industry with dollar sales growth of 20 percent over the last year and sales topping $3.3 billion. “The plant-based foods industry has gone from being a relatively niche market to […]
Costco, Publix Named Top-Rated Workplaces By Indeed
Costco and Publix have been named among Indeed’s 2018 Top-Rated Workplaces. Out of 50 companies, Costco ranked No. 5, and Publix ranked No. 19, moving up from number 23 last year. Indeed compiled the list from ratings and reviews of the companies featured on this year’s Fortune 500 list. One review of Costco highlighted by Indeed cites […]
Johnson & Johnson Acquiring Health And Wellness Company Zarbee’s
Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Zarbee’s Inc., a privately held producer of natural healthcare products. The acquisition will include the full line of Zarbee’s Naturals products for children and adults. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Zarbee’s Naturals was founded in 2008 by Dr. Zak Zarbock, “a pediatrician who […]
Frieda’s Kicking Off Its Hatch Chile Season Next Week
Hatch Chiles are coming back in season ahead of the usual mid-August start date, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce says it is kicking off the season as early as Aug. 4 with strong supplies. Hatch Chiles are available from Frieda’s in a new Frieda’s-branded 25-lb. case and 8/2-lb. retail pouches in mild, medium and hot heat levels. The pouches help cashiers […]
Amazon, Whole Foods Now Delivering In More Florida, New York Areas
Amazon has launched grocery delivery from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach, parts of Long Island and select areas in New York City, beginning with lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Prime members in those cities can shop through Prime Now for items including fresh produce, meat and seafood, everyday staples and other […]
Former C&S Wholesale Exec Joins Acosta As President, CEO
Acosta, a full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, has appointed Alejandro Rodriguez Bas as president and CEO effective immediately. With experience at both CPG companies and retailers, Rodriguez Bas brings a “unique blend of strong strategic and operational expertise, having successfully launched new categories, refined go-to-market models and optimized sales strategies,” […]
Food Banks Essential For Low-Income Americans With Diabetes
Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization with 200 member food banks, has concluded a two-year, randomized controlled research trial to help low-income Americans better manage and control type 2 diabetes. The study, which was recently published in the American Journal of Public Health, concluded that food banks can significantly improve food security and dietary intake […]
Date Check Pro: What Makes A Grocery Store Manager Great?
By Jared Krawczyk/ Date Check Pro There are few destinations more important to the daily life of a neighborhood than the grocery store. It should therefore come as no surprise that grocery store management is a demanding role that requires a range of skill sets to ensure their stores run smoothly day-in and day-out. Take a […]
Meat Institute Unveils New Resources For The ‘Meat Denied’
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is offering new resources for those it’s calling the “meat denied”—people whose offices are restricting access to meat in the workplace—on a new web site IChooseMeat.com. Among the resources are lists like “Top Ten Ways to Sneak Meat Into the Office” and “Best Excuses to Get Out of Your Office’s […]
Retailers Overlooking Weapon In Battle Against Industry Disruption
Rather than concede general merchandise sales to new and disruptive competition, brick-and-mortar retailers are seeking creative ways to maintain their share of this critical and high-margin category. This is one of the conclusions contained in the “General Merchandise Benchmarking Report,” an annual industry report recently released by the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) in partnership with A.T. Kearney. The […]
The Key To Competing With Digital Retail Is Consumer Loyalty
The best way for food retailers to gain an advantage over digital retailers and other competitors is to have a large, loyal customer base. “To achieve this, it is critical for retailers to take a next-generation approach to customer loyalty and view it in 3D: loyalty as a strategy, loyalty as an outcome of daily […]
