Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, West

Heritage Grocers Giving Foundation Launches Scholarship Programs

The Heritage Grocers Giving Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Heritage Grocers Group, has launched expanded scholarship programs benefiting students across communities served by its companies. Every store within the the company’s portfolio – Cardenas Markets, Los Altos Ranch Markets, El Rancho Supermercado and Tony’s Fresh Market – will award one $3,000 scholarship to a local […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, News, Northeast, Wakefern

Wakefern Food Corp. Selects Eagle Eye To Power Loyalty, Personalization

Wakefern Food Corp. has selected Eagle Eye to accelerate its loyalty strategy and deliver artificial intelligence-powered customer engagement initiatives across its retail network. The program is expected to go live in mid-2026. Wakefern, the largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperative in the U.S., will deploy Eagle Eye’s MACH-approved loyalty and personalization platform, moving away from a POS-based […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, National, News

Penny Shortage Creates Operational Challenges for Independent Grocers Nationwide

Independent grocers across the country are navigating a growing penny shortage that is disrupting cash-handling routines and raising compliance questions at the register. Months after the U.S. Treasury Department confirmed the U.S. Mint had stopped producing new pennies for circulation in late 2025, retailers are feeling the effects of a coin supply that is thinning […]

Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, Grocery Research, National, News

Dunnhumby Study Finds Shoppers Shifting To Mass Retailers, Dollar Stores

Mass-channel retailers reached 79 percent penetration in December, equaling traditional supermarkets for the first time as 70 percent of working-age Americans reported difficulty covering unexpected $400 expenses, according to Wave 12 of the dunnhumby Consumer Trends Tracker released Feb. 18. The shift marks a fundamental realignment in American shopping behavior driven by persistent affordability pressures. […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Meijer, Midwest, News

Meijer Employees Kept Stores Open During Winter Storm Fern

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer is praising employees who braved dangerous conditions to keep stores open and communities stocked during Winter Storm Fern, which swept across the Midwest in January. The historic storm dropped more than a foot of snow in many areas, shutting down roads and halting daily life across the region. In several communities, Meijer […]

Posted inIndependent Store News, Featured News, Raley's, West

Raley’s Launches Member Prices, Eliminates Digital Coupon Clipping

Raley’s has launched Member Prices, a loyalty benefit that automatically applies discounts at checkout without requiring customers to clip digital coupons or log into accounts. The West Sacramento, California-based company describes the new program as part of broader efforts to evolve alongside changing customer expectations and shopping behaviors. Shoppers enter their Something Extra phone number […]

Posted inCorporate Store News, Featured News, News, Southeast, The Kroger Co.

Kroger Invests $23M To Expand Store In Marietta, GA

Kroger is expanding its Parkaire Landing location in Marietta, Georgia, with a $23 million investment that will increase the store’s size by more than 26,000 square feet. The project will grow the store from about 59,000 to 85,000 square feet by filling three adjacent vacancies in the East Cobb shopping center. A new 12-pump fuel […]

Posted inCorporate Store News, Hannaford Supermarkets, News, Northeast

Hannaford Commits $100K Toward Youth Food Access In ME, NY

Scarborough, Maine-based Hannaford Supermarkets has committed $100,000 to two nonprofits working to provide food to unhoused youth in Maine and New York. New Beginnings in Lewiston, Maine, and Hudson River Housing in Poughkeepsie, New York, will each receive $50,000 to expand food access and increase kitchen capacity. About 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness […]