BJ’s Taps Former Sam’s Club Exec as Chief Merchandising Officer
BJ’s Wholesale Club announced Stephanie Reibling as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Reibling, who spent nearly five years at Sam’s Club and over a decade at Walmart, brings roughly 25 years of merchandising, product development, and e‑commerce expertise. She will report to CCO Paul Cichocki and lead BJ’s merchandising transformation, focusing on category growth, private‑label expansion, and omnichannel capabilities. The appointment comes as BJ’s posted 2.6% comparable‑store sales growth and a 31% jump in digital sales for Q4.
10 Top Grocery Executive Changes in March
In March, the grocery sector saw a wave of C‑suite reshuffles, highlighted by Ahold Delhaize USA’s CEO departing in June to become Dollar General’s chief executive in January 2027. Raley’s long‑time president‑CEO Keith Knopf exited abruptly, with chairman Mike Teel assuming the top role. Heritage Grocers filled...
More than a Store: 4 Ways Grocers Can Do More with Merch
Grocery retailers are increasingly using branded merchandise—tote bags, plushies, apparel—to deepen shopper engagement and generate incremental revenue. Trader Joe’s viral tote releases illustrate how limited‑time, low‑cost items can spark FOMO and drive foot traffic. Other chains such as Kroger, Stop & Shop, Aldi...
SpartanNash Zips Along with Store Renovations
SpartanNash announced the completion of a major remodel at its Martin’s Super Markets location in Goshen, Indiana, marking the store’s first significant refresh in two decades. The company also finished a series of renovations across several Family Fare locations in...
Trader Joe’s Unveils Plans for 8 More Stores
Trader Joe’s announced eight additional store openings, bringing its 2026 expansion plan to more than 20 new locations. The chain has already opened two stores this year in New York and Connecticut and previously announced 17 other sites, including locations in...
Homeland to Close 4 Stores, Consolidate Others
Homeland Stores, a HAC, Inc. banner, will shut four Oklahoma locations within the next 45 days and is consolidating operations in three markets ahead of a July 1 reopening. The retailer is also listing ten additional Oklahoma stores for sale as...
Sprouts’ CEO Says the Chain Needs to Be a Better ‘Value’ for Shoppers
Sprouts Farmers Market missed its 2025 sales targets as price‑sensitive shoppers slowed comparable‑store growth and transaction volume. The chain is now emphasizing "value" through clearer product pricing, health‑trend relevance, and convenient ready‑to‑eat options. A newly launched loyalty program will gather...
Fareway Breaks Ground on Distribution Center Expansion
Fareway Stores has begun construction on a 105,000‑square‑foot freezer expansion at its Boone, Iowa distribution center, slated for completion in mid‑2027. The addition will almost double pallet capacity, increase pallet facings by about 33%, and convert frozen space into extra...
Kroger to Spend $112M on Store Projects in Ohio
Kroger announced a $112 million investment to open two Kroger Marketplace stores and remodel fifteen existing locations in central and northwest Ohio during 2026. The Delaware and Canal Winchester stores, spanning 123,000 and 118,000 square feet respectively, each cost roughly $30 million...
Number Sense: Can Target Succeed by Positioning Itself as a Specialty Grocer?
Target is repositioning itself as a specialty grocer, earmarking more than $1 billion—about 20% of its 2026 capital budget—for food and beverage innovation. The retailer’s 2,000th store in North Carolina will feature a grocery area 30% larger than the average Target,...
AWG Invests $110M to Modernize Distribution Center
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is investing $110 million to modernize its Gulf Coast distribution center in Pearl River, Louisiana, adding advanced automation to boost order accuracy, service reliability, and weather resilience. Construction runs Jan‑Nov 2027 with automation installed in April, and...
Wholesale Prices Rise Sharply in February, Driven by Food Costs
Wholesale prices for fresh and dry vegetables surged nearly 50% in February, propelling the Producer Price Index (PPI) for final‑demand goods up 1.1% month‑over‑month—the fastest rise since August 2023. Overall wholesale food prices climbed 2.4%, with egg prices jumping over...
The Friday Checkout: Regional Grocers Hustle to Keep Pace with National Competitors
Regional grocers are accelerating growth to rival national chains, with Harps Food Stores entering Tennessee and Kentucky and nearly doubling its footprint. Brookshire Brothers announced four senior promotions, highlighting a talent‑development strategy aimed at sustaining expansion. Redner’s Markets unveiled a...
AWG Deploys AI-Powered Shopping Assistant
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) has rolled out SmartMeals, an AI‑powered meal‑planning and shopping assistant developed with Breez AI. The tool is now live in nearly 100 independent grocery stores and offers personalized recipes, budget‑smart recommendations, and custom‑branded experiences. SmartMeals has driven...
Grocers Face State and Federal Lawmakers’ Scrutiny over ‘Surveillance’ Pricing
U.S. grocers are under increasing scrutiny as state and federal lawmakers target dynamic, or “surveillance,” pricing enabled by electronic shelf labels (ESLs). More than 100 price‑transparency bills have been filed in 33 states, while the UFCW’s national campaign backs the...
Ahold Delhaize Appoints New Head of Private Label
Ahold Delhaize USA promoted Abby Cook to senior vice president of its newly created Own Brands division, reporting to CCO Keith Nicks. Cook will steer the private‑label portfolio toward a "next phase of growth" as a core pillar of the retailer's Growing...
Heritage Grocers Names New CEO
Heritage Grocers Group appointed David Hinojosa as its new chief executive after a seven‑month vacancy. Hinojosa previously served as chief operating officer of Vallarta Supermarkets and spent nearly two decades at H‑EB, plus international roles in Australia and Thailand. The...
H-E-B to Build Supermarket on Former Landfill Site
H‑E‑B announced plans to construct a new supermarket on a dormant landfill in Buda, Texas, backed by more than $20 million in public incentives. The retailer will fund land remediation and roadway upgrades, while the city and county cover up to...
The Friday Checkout: Which Competitor Does Publix Watch the Closest?
Regional grocers like Publix face pressure from both low‑price discounters and high‑tech mega‑retailers. Dunnhumby’s retailer scorecard highlights Costco, WinCo, Trader Joe’s and Aldi as the most threatening competitors due to their quality‑and‑value mix. Publix’s consumer insights leader, Lorin Drake, says Costco’s...
Whole Foods to Double UK Footprint
Whole Foods Market announced the opening of six new Daily Shop stores in London, doubling its UK presence to twelve locations. The stores, ranging from 3,300 to 10,000 square feet, occupy former Amazon Fresh sites and will launch between April...
Barcode Changes Are Coming. SmartLabel Wants Grocers to Be Ready.
SmartLabel, the QR‑code based product‑labeling platform launched in 2015, now serves over 106,000 SKUs from more than 1,000 brands and records roughly 22 million consumer interactions annually, with users spending about 90 seconds per scan. The initiative is gearing up for...
Ocado Turns to Store-Based E-Commerce Fulfillment as It Looks Beyond Kroger
Ocado is pivoting from large fulfillment centers to a store‑based e‑commerce model after its exclusive Kroger partnership ended. The company is promoting a 4,000‑5,000 sq ft system that stores roughly 20,000 products and blends grid‑based robotics with human pickers. Ocado plans to...
Tom Thumb Continues to Move Into North Texas
Albertsons’ Tom Thumb banner opened its third North Texas store, a 63,000‑square‑foot location in Argyle, marking the largest of three new stores launched within six months. The earlier December openings in Sanger (50,000 sq ft) and Sunnyvale (59,000 sq ft) also feature full‑service grocery...
Costco Ties Digital Personalization to $470M in Sales Growth
Costco reported that personalized product recommendation carousels generated more than $470 million in e‑commerce sales during Q2 2026. The retailer also saw U.S. comparable store sales rise 5.9% year‑over‑year and net sales climb 9.1% to $68.2 billion, while membership grew 4.8% to 82.1 million...
Aldi Begins Renovations on Newly Acquired Florida Distribution Center
Aldi has launched a $35.1 million renovation of its Baldwin, Florida distribution center, converting the former C&S Wholesale Grocers site into a modern hub for perishable and dry goods. The upgrade, split between $22 million for 391,600 sq ft of refrigerated space and $13 million...
The Friday Checkout: Grocery Outlet’s ‘Unacceptable’ Q4 Is a Lesson in Staying Focused on Price
Grocery Outlet’s fourth‑quarter results fell short as the discounter shifted focus to expanding its assortment, neglecting the core price perception that drives its customers. Comparable‑store sales slipped nearly 1%, and the company posted a $235 million operating loss and a $218 million...
Kroger Names 84.51° Chief to Oversee AI Efforts
Kroger has created a new chief data and AI officer role, appointing Milen Mahadevan, president of its 84.51° analytics unit, to lead the effort. Mahadevan will consolidate all data and AI teams under his oversight while continuing to run 84.51°....
Albertsons Launches ‘Stock Up’ Sale in Bid to Improve Price Image
Albertsons has launched a month‑long “Stock Up” sale from March 6 to April 2 across its Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Jewel‑Osco, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls and Acme banners. The promotion features “hottest prices” on national brands, four‑times reward points for Free for U loyalty members,...
Grocery Outlet Closing 36 Stores
Discount grocer Grocery Outlet announced the closure of 36 underperforming stores, about 6% of its footprint, after reporting a $235 million operating loss and a $218 million net loss in Q4. The closures are concentrated on the East Coast, affecting roughly 30%...
Kroger Hit with 2 Lawsuits over E-Commerce Role Classification
Kroger is confronting two newly filed class‑action lawsuits alleging it misclassified e‑commerce manager roles as exempt from overtime. The suits, filed by Morgan & Morgan in Colorado and Washington, claim the positions involve order‑fulfillment duties rather than supervisory functions, violating...
Publix’s Sales Growth Slows
Publix reported fourth‑quarter sales of $16 billion, a 2.8% increase, while comparable‑store sales rose modestly 0.7%. Net earnings held steady at $1.2 billion year‑over‑year, and the company trimmed its 2025 capital budget to $2.3 billion, 8% below its original outlook. The slowdown follows...
3 Numbers that Highlight Grocers’ Evolving Approach to Health and Wellness
Grocers are rapidly embedding health and wellness into their core business, with 96% of food‑industry companies now reporting formal nutrition strategies. The FMI survey shows that registered dietitian nutritionists lead 79% of wellness decision‑making, while pharmacy leadership influence has climbed...
The Friday Checkout: ShopRite’s Integrated Approach to GLP-1s
ShopRite, part of Wakefern Food Corp., has introduced a limited‑time "Wellness Your Way" starter kit for customers beginning GLP‑1 therapy. The kit bundles medication samples, coupons and a dietitian‑crafted wellness guide, explicitly tying the chain’s pharmacy and grocery divisions. The...
Fresh Thyme Let Its Store Brand Go ‘Stale.’ Now It’s Working to Revive It.
Fresh Thyme Market announced a 2026 overhaul of its private‑label line, adding roughly 200 new items and modernizing packaging to align with its refreshed logo. The retailer aims to lift private‑label penetration by 6% by year‑end, emphasizing protein, fiber, organic...
ShopRite Creates Wellness Kits for New GLP-1 Users
ShopRite has introduced Wellness Your Way Starter Kits aimed at customers who are filling a GLP‑1 prescription for the first time. The free kits bundle a dietitian‑crafted wellness guide, sample products and coupons for protein‑rich and low‑calorie groceries. The rollout...
What Retailers Need to Know About AI-Powered Pricing
Retailers are embracing electronic shelf labels that enable AI‑driven dynamic pricing, allowing prices to adjust in real time based on material costs, competitor rates, inventory and demand signals. Machine‑learning models replace static price cycles, delivering 2‑4 % margin gains and reducing...
Sprouts Announces 2 Key C-Suite Appointments
Sprouts Farmers Market announced two senior‑level hires, appointing Amanda Rassi as its inaugural Chief Customer Officer and Don Clark as Chief Merchandising Officer, succeeding retiring executive Scott Neal. Rassi arrives with more than two decades of CPG and retail marketing...
Raley’s Newest Loyalty Initiative Automatically Delivers Discounts
Raley’s Family of Stores introduced Member Prices, a new benefit that automatically applies discounts at checkout when shoppers provide their phone number. The feature is part of the existing Something Extra loyalty program and requires no physical card or clipped...
Wakefern Overhauls Legacy Loyalty System
Wakefern Food Corp., the nation’s largest retailer‑owned grocery cooperative, is replacing its legacy point‑of‑sale‑driven loyalty system with Eagle Eye’s AI‑powered platform. The new solution, slated for a mid‑2026 rollout, will process loyalty data faster and allow each of Wakefern’s 400...
