Retail sales grew for the seventh straight month in April despite rising gas prices and persistent inflation, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released May 13 by the National Retail Federation. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, rose 0.34 percent month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis and 5.73 percent year […]
Category: National
Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, National, Natural Grocers, News
23 Natural Grocers Stores In 12 States Marking 10th Anniversary
Natural Grocers is celebrating the 1oth anniversary of 23 stores in 12 states across the country with exclusive discounts and in-store festivities. From May 17-23, customers can join the celebration with special {N}power member-only deals. Since opening the stores in 2016, Natural Grocers has become a source of high-quality affordable organic and natural groceries, supplements […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Executive News, Featured News, National, News
Gopal Joins Ahold Delhaize USA To Lead Data, AI Strategy
Ahold Delhaize USA has appointed Vipin Gopal as SVP, serving as chief data and artificial intelligence officer for the U.S. businesses. Reporting to Chief Information Officer Ann Dozier, Gopal will lead data, analytics and AI strategy and advance Ahold Delhaize USA’s efforts to further embed data-driven decision-making and AI capabilities into its business. He will […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Association News, National, News
NCA Appoints Abbott VP Of Membership, Business Development
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has appointed Carrie Abbott as VP of membership and business development. Abbott will lead the organization’s efforts to grow member company engagement, strengthen industry partnerships and expand business opportunities across the confectionery industry. Abbott brings extensive industry experience as the founder and CEO of Newfangled Confections, where she built a […]
Posted inOnline Grocery Technology, Featured News, National, News
Amazon Now Expands Ultra-Fast Delivery Across The U.S.
Amazon has rolled out its ultra-fast delivery service, Amazon Now, to customers throughout the U.S. Amazon Now provides thousands of fresh groceries, everyday household essentials and locally-relevant items in about 30 minutes or less. It is widely available in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Seattle, and is expanding in dozens more cities, including Austin and […]
Posted inGrocery Store Equipment, National, News
Vori Raises $22M Series B To Build Operating System For Grocery Stores
Vori announced a $22 million Series B funding round led by Cherryrock Capital, with participation from Greylock Partners and The Factory, including Stanford AI researcher Chris Ré. The company is building an operating system designed to manage a grocery store’s entire operations. It handles checkout and payments at the register, tracks every item on shelves, […]
Posted inSnacks Brands, Meat/Seafood/Poultry, National, News
PepsiCo Foods Launches Good Warrior Snack Brand
PepsiCo Foods is introducing a new addition to the protein snack arena with Good Warrior, a new masterbrand built for people who demand more from their protein. The debut product, Good Warrior Beef Sticks, launches in March 2026 at select U.S. retailers. The beef sticks are made with grass-fed and finished beef and deliver 10 […]
Posted inGrocery Research, Costco Wholesale, Featured News, National, News
5WPR Index Finds Costco Tops AI Citation Rankings, Walmart Trails
Costco emerged atop 5WPR’s 2026 U.S. Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index, the first to rank U.S. grocers by how frequently they are cited inside artificial intelligence-generated answers. The warehouse club retailer was cited most often when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries. Trader Joe’s ranked second, […]