The Friday Checkout: After the pandemic and inflation, could a price war be next for grocers?

Food retailers have shouldered much of the blame for the gaping holes inflation has eaten into shoppers’ budgets. What will the fight to change that perception cost them?

By Grocery Dive Staff • May 26, 2023

NGA says proposed WIC online ordering rule can be more accessible to independents

The trade group said it supports the USDA’s efforts to make e-commerce capabilities available to smaller grocers that participate in the nutrition program, but feels the concept needs further clarification.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • May 26, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Fresh food innovation

From new delivery services to technology designed to battle food waste, fresh foods and the ways grocers sell them are rapidly evolving. 

By Grocery Dive staff

Kroger brings digital smart screens to 500 locations

The grocer is adding units from Cooler Screens on the heels of a three-year pilot, with the goal of strengthening its retail media offerings. 

By Catherine Douglas Moran • May 24, 2023

Shipt refreshes membership program with new digital dashboard and perks

As online platforms jockey for loyal users, the Target-owned provider said its revamp enhances personalization and offers more value for members.

By Peyton Bigora • May 24, 2023

Walmart opens store-based fulfillment center in Arkansas

The facility will help the retailer boost order throughput via a proprietary storage and retrieval system.

By Max Garland • May 23, 2023

Save Mart adds a retail media network as it looks to go toe to toe in tech with larger grocers

The retailer is also considering adding smart carts and more video screens to its stores, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Tamara Pattison said in an interview.

By Sam Silverstein • May 23, 2023

BJ’s CIO to depart after 6 years

Scott Kessler, who will leave on Friday, oversaw a major technology push during his time with the club retailer.

By Lindsey Wilkinson • May 22, 2023

Sam’s Club expands self-service recycling units

The rollout to stores in Northwest Arkansas follows a successful pilot of the units in El Paso, Texas, where the retailer diverted an estimated 200,000 pieces of loose packaging. 

By Peyton Bigora • May 22, 2023

Why automation is key to winning the grocery talent wars

Robotic automation is providing new solutions to grocery labor strains.

May 22, 2023

The Friday Checkout: Walmart and Target tell a troubling story about US consumers

The retailers painted an unsettling portrait this week of the difficult circumstances many consumers are facing as they make daily decisions about how to keep their households running.

By Grocery Dive Staff • May 19, 2023

Walmart’s sales and profits surge as its grocery business gains market share

The company’s U.S. business recorded a 7.4% comps increase in Q1, and executives said they’re working to retain the many younger and higher-income shoppers that have flowed in recently.

By Sam Silverstein • May 18, 2023

Wakefern adds sampling kiosks to 95 stores

The Freeosk terminals drive product trial while also tapping into the grocer’s expanding retail media network.

By Jeff Wells • May 18, 2023

The power of a single-platform solution

Using a single platform solution is an effective way for grocery retailers to optimize their operations.

May 15, 2023

SpartanNash ramps up use of inventory-scanning robots

The distributor and retailer is adding Simbe’s Tally robots to 15 stores in Michigan and Indiana following a successful pilot.

By Jeff Wells • May 12, 2023

Are health and wellness subscriptions the next frontier for grocers?

Hy-Vee and Amazon have recently ventured into memberships that bundle wellness services, and sources say other grocers will likely follow suit.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • May 9, 2023

Associated Food Stores turns to warehouse automation

The retailer cooperative said it will use artificial intelligence-powered, robotic technology from Symbotic at its Utah distribution center to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • May 9, 2023

The Fresh Market taps generative AI to boost video commerce

The grocer is working with Firework on a system that can automatically answer questions from viewers about shoppable videos and will begin testing the tech with customers early next month.

By Sam Silverstein • May 8, 2023

Giant Food opens second e-commerce fulfillment center

The mid-Atlantic grocer will use the 82,000-square-foot facility in Manassas, Virginia, to expand its delivery area to more than 140 ZIP codes in the state.

By Sam Silverstein • May 3, 2023

Instacart updates aim to improve customer-worker relationship

The recent changes the company has made include expanding the information that customers can see about their shoppers and providing more order status details. 

By Catherine Douglas Moran • May 1, 2023

Kroger expands sustainability efforts through recycling and upcycling

One million pieces of the grocer’s Our Brands flexible plastic product packaging have been recycled, while two-ingredient multigrain breads hit the shelves. 

By Peyton Bigora • April 28, 2023

Will frictionless checkout ever take off in retail?

Standard AI CEO Jordan Fisher acknowledged that the technology has “been a really hard market to start growing,” but believes it will expand alongside other AI-driven innovations.

By Sam Silverstein • April 27, 2023

Instacart rolls out inflation-fighting tools for customers

Customers now have access to a “Stores to Help You Save” section on the main screen, AI-driven recommendations for previously bought items that are on sale and discounts for buying larger quantities of certain products.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • April 26, 2023

As store brand competition intensifies, a new automated tool lets retailers compare products

Pricing information supplier Datasembly is positioning its Product Matching service, which draws on publicly available data, as a way to help retailers differentiate private label items.

By Sam Silverstein • April 26, 2023

Self-checkout is now the dominant checkout format in grocery, study says

The front-end terminals, which many grocers have turned to as a way of lowering costs, accounted for 55% of transactions in 2022, according to shopper insights firm VideoMining.

By Peyton Bigora • April 26, 2023

How a regional grocer balances sustainable efforts with its bottom line

Harmons Neighborhood Grocer’s first-ever director of sustainability, Kate Whitbeck, shares how the supermarket chain turned its green mission into a C-suite and financial priority.

By Peyton Bigora • April 20, 2023