FMI – The Food Industry Association joined a coalition of merchant industry organizations representing Main Street businesses nationwide in urging the Federal Reserve to move forward and finalize its long-pending debit card swipe fee reform rule. The rule stems from the Durbin Amendment, enacted in 2010, which directed the Fed to ensure debit card interchange […]
Category: National
DoorDash Brings Grocery Shopping Into ChatGPT With Integrated App
DoorDash has announced a new grocery shopping app integrated into ChatGPT that lets customers turn recipes into grocery orders, with delivery from local stores in potentially an hour. The partnership with OpenAI represents an expansion of DoorDash’s services into artificial intelligence-enabled retail commerce. According to DoorDash, more customers increasingly turn to ChatGPT for recipes, meal […]
PLMA Preps For National Store Brands Month In January
Store Brands Month returns Jan. 1 with a nationwide, consumer-focused awareness campaign designed to spotlight the quality, innovation and value of private label products. Created by the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), the program is an industry-wide initiative that educates consumers about the breadth of store brand products available at supermarkets, club and convenience stores, […]
FMI Urges Congress To Preserve Pharmacy Operations Through PBM Reform
FMI – The Food Industry Association is reminding Congress that pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, not just transparency, is the only way to preserve the viability of supermarket pharmacies and patient access to them in communities across the country. FMI Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher issued the following statement: “FMI and our members operate […]
Mill, Amazon Partner On Food Waste Technology For Whole Foods Market
Amazon and Mill Industries Inc. are partnering to bring food waste conversion technology to Whole Foods Market stores, marking the grocery industry’s first on-site solution of its kind. Starting in 2027, fruit and vegetable scraps from back-of-house operations will be processed by Mill Commercial, the company’s automated, high-capacity food recycling infrastructure, and converted into a […]
Food Industry Accelerates Traceability Ahead Of FSMA 204 Deadline
The push for traceability is being driven by market forces rather than federal timelines, according to ReposiTrak. During a recent MorningNewsBeat interview, ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO Randy Fields and Affiliated Foods Inc. Amarillo President and CEO Randy Arceneaux discussed how retailers and wholesalers are accelerating traceability implementation well ahead of the FDA’s FSMA 204 enforcement date, which […]
GrubMarket Appoints DeNeve As Chief Legal Officer
GrubMarket has named Jorge deNeve as its new chief legal officer, adding a legal and governance executive to its leadership team as the company continues to scale its technology and food supply chain platforms. DeNeve brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance and securities law. His background includes service as […]
Looma Expands Retail Media Network Into 600 Kroger Stores
Looma, an in-store retail media platform, has raised $13 million in new capital to accelerate expansion of its digital media network, including a rollout into nearly 600 Kroger stores nationwide. The funding includes $10 million in Series B investment led by Staley Capital and a $3 million credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank, a division […]
Swiftly Survey Finds Most Shoppers Trust Local Grocers Over National Giants
A new consumer study released by retail technology provider Swiftly shows a strong trust advantage for neighborhood grocery stores over national competitors, suggesting a potential competitive edge for independent and regional grocers amid ongoing affordability pressures. The True Cost of a Grocery Shop 2025 survey, conducted online among more than 1,400 U.S. grocery shoppers, found […]
Equitable Food Initiative Commemorates 10th Anniversary, Celebrates 2025 Achievements
Equitable Food Initiative – a workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers and retailers – marked a year of progress in 2025 during which it advanced responsible labor practices, strengthened industry collaboration and drove worker engagement throughout the fresh produce supply chain. EFI also celebrated its 10th year as an independent nonprofit with program […]
Certco President, CEO Becomes First Woman To Lead ROFDA Board
Amy Niemetscheck, president and CEO of Wisconsin-based Certco Inc., was recently named the first chairwomen of the Retailer Owned Food Distributors and Associates Board of Directors (ROFDA). “Taking on the role as the first female as chair of ROFDA at the Fall 2025 Conference was a tremendous honor,” Niemetscheck said. “It is a privilege to […]
Acosta Group Releases 4 Consumer Predictions For 2026
Acosta Group has released its consumer predictions for 2026, highlighting the growing importance of personalization, transparency and innovation for brands, retailers and foodservice operators. The predictions are based on research conducted with the Jacksonville, Florida-based sales and marketing agency’s 40,000-member proprietary shopper community. “Technology and evolving consumer lifestyles continue to reshape the shopping experience, as […]
NGA Responds To FTC Complaint Alleging Preferential Pricing For Walmart
The National Grocers Association has issued a statement in response to a Federal Trade Commission complaint that alleges preferential pricing and promotional treatment for Walmart. The complaint, part of an FTC enforcement action filed in January, was unsealed Dec. 12 by a judge in response to a request by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, an […]
Simbe Forms Client Advisory Board With BJ’s, Schnucks, SPAR Executives
Simbe has formed a Client Advisory Board, bringing together leaders from retailers – including BJ’s Wholesale Club, Schnuck Markets, SPAR, Harmons Grocery and Country Supplier – to inform product strategy, foster peer collaboration and guide the future of shelf digitization technology. “The CAB reflects our belief that the best innovation comes from partnership, not only with […]
Thrive Market Launches Non-Alcoholic Category
Ahead of the popular “Dry January” period and in response to growing member demand, online grocer Thrive Market is exiting alcohol and launching a new non-alcoholic beverage category with more than 100 SKUs. Thrive Market cited shifting consumer drinking habits and research that challenges traditional views on alcohol consumption as part of the rationale behind […]
Mars Receives Final Approval for $36B Kellanova Acquisition
Mars Inc. received approval from the European Commission Dec. 8 for its acquisition of Kellanova, clearing the final regulatory hurdle for the $36 billion deal. The companies anticipate closing the transaction Dec. 11. The European Commission’s approval was the last of 28 required regulatory clearances. Kellanova shareholders approved the transaction on Nov. 1, 2024, following the […]
NGA Names Wolkwitz Director Of Membership Engagement, Growth
The National Grocers Association has promoted Kari Wolkwitz to the newly created position of director of membership engagement and growth. In her new role, Wolkwitz will oversee engagement strategies for NGA’s retailer and wholesaler members, leading initiatives to drive participation in association events and share groups and strengthen member involvement in advocacy efforts. She also […]
November Online Grocery Sales Surge 29% To $12.3B
U.S. online grocery sales surged 29 percent year over year to $12.3 billion in November, driven by higher order frequency and a record share of users placing three or more orders during the month, according to the Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey, sponsored by Mercatus. Online grocery’s share of total weekly grocery spending climbed […]
Upside Report Highlights Consumer Spend Across Multiple Retailers
Upside has released its Consumer Spend Report 2025, which found that grocery shoppers are increasingly uncommitted, spreading their spend across more retailers, comparing prices constantly and relying on promotions to stretch their budgets. The report also finds that some of the investments retailers made to improve accessibility, from expanded pickup options to enhanced loyalty programs, […]
Instacart Launches First Grocery App Inside ChatGPT
Instacart is the first grocery provider to launch an app within ChatGPT, offering fully embedded shopping and “Instant Checkout” inside the artificial intelligence chat interface. The integration allows consumers to browse, build a cart and complete payment without leaving the ChatGPT conversation. With the new ChatGPT integration, users can shop with Instacart by typing a […]
