BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart is in the process of establishing four of its stores in the United States as test beds for new technology and physical enhancements. According to a blog posted by John Crecelius, senior vice president of associate product and next-generation stores, two of the test centers are already in operation, with two
NEW YORK — With numbers of new cases of the COVID-19 virus setting records in the United States, it is no surprise that a new study by Hartman Group and FMI – The Food Industry Association reveals that American grocery shoppers remain concerned about their vulnerability to the disease. The good news for the grocery
CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. is acquiring Bartell Drugs and will preserve the Bartell’s name that has endured for 130 years as a totem of independent, homegrown retail in Seattle and the surrounding Puget Sound region. One of the oldest companies in Washington state, Bartell’s has been struggling with financial strains that intensified
CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. has followed up on its promise to work toward a more equitable and just society by unveiling an action plan to support diversity and inclusion, both within its workforce and among its suppliers. The plan centers on 10 immediate actions within five focus areas, all intended to advance equality and social
SAN ANTONIO — H-E-B opened its first store in Lubbock, Texas, last month — a 122,000-square-foot store offering residents a world-class shopping destination with a pledge to deliver unsurpassed freshness and quality at H-E-B’s celebrated low prices. This long-awaited store is part of H-E-B’s continued expansion into West Texas, where it has eight stores. The
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — BJ’s Wholesale Club is expanding its buy online, pick up in-club service to include fresh and frozen grocery items. BJ’s members can now order their weekly groceries on BJs.com or with the BJ’s app for curbside pickup or pick up in-club at any one of the company’s 219 locations. “We’re committed to
NEW YORK — The COVID-19 pandemic has left few major business sectors untouched, and retail — as well as the supplier community that serves it — is adapting to a landscape transformed by profound changes in consumer behavior and priorities. To help the industry navigate these uncharted waters, Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers
NEW YORK — While the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a financial windfall for much of mass market retailing, it has also presented unanticipated challenges that have been surmounted only with extraordinary efforts and innovation, and it continues to pose unsettling questions about the future. Much of the discourse during the recent Industry Day
Wednesday, October 7, 2020, will be remembered or fondly recalled by mass retailing aficionados as the day a microcosm of the mass retailing community assembled, virtually, to discuss the past, debate the present and predict the industry’s future. As background, the event was conceived, assembled and choreographed by Scott Emerson, founder and CEO of the
Drastic cuts are coming to Coca-Cola Co.’s brand portfolio. Part of a broader corporate restructuring, which includes a sizable reduction in the workforce, the company has indicated that it may eliminate 50% or more of the beverage brands it sells around the world. Accelerated by supply chain disruptions and changes in consumer behavior brought about
Tis the season for predictions about just how much consumers will spend on holiday gifts, food and decorations. So far the surveys mostly suggest that consumer spending will tick up, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, although how people will shop and what they will buy will be different this year. One change is that this year’s
The world has changed drastically in the past few months. COVID-19 has brought unprecedented disruption, and it has also turbocharged rapid innovation. Perhaps most importantly, on a human level, it has been an enormous call to action for a trait one might not think about nearly enough in the world of “business as usual”: the