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 a 22% lift in average basket size and a 72% surge in loyalty program sign‑ups. AWG positions the solution as a way for independents to match the AI capabilities of national chains.
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...