Retail

As Pop Up Grocer’s (PUG) business has evolved, its goal to merge spontaneous new product discovery and grocery shopping has remained at the forefront. On March 3, PUG will open the doors to its first, permanent home.

While hummus is an inherent part of the brand’s identity, Ithaca Hummus founder and CEO Chris Kirby doesn’t believe its first line extension – Fire Roasted Salsa – will be the source of too much consumer confusion.

Sports nutrition company Skratch Labs opened a new cafe in its hometown of Boulder, Colorado last month with the aim of extending its brand identity beyond the CPG industry.

Cambridge, Mass-based Formaggio Kitchen has been providing specialty and imported goods to the Boston area since 1978. As the store expanded beyond its flagship location it has also brought a range of new products and categories into its mix. When the original owners retired last year, they sold the business to long-time employee and general manager, Julia Hallman.

In this week’s roundup: Albertsons launches emerging brand competition; Post Holdings sues LA-based rock band OK Go; Whole Foods aims to increase store expansions three-fold; Campbell’s consolidates snack offices and SPAM gets stylish.

Walmart announced a partnership with Salesforce to help the retailer drive profitability in its delivery and curbside pickup apps. New Age Eats puts pilot production facility up for sale and Beyond Meat sheds another executive.

Albertsons Companies released its quarterly earnings on Tuesday, reporting net sales and other revenue reached ​​$18.2 billion in Q3, a 1% increase from Q2 results, with growth largely driven by retail price inflation and higher fuel sales.

This week, a cross-section of public and private companies from across industries is meeting in Orlando, Florida for the 25th edition of the annual ICR conference. The invitation-only event featured a full-slate of daily presentations from publicly traded companies on its opening day today.

The pop-up grocery store concept will open its first permanent brick and mortar location at 205 Bleecker Street in New York City this winter.

Regardless of what it’s called – plant-based, alternative, animal-free, fake meat – 2022 saw plenty of money and movement in the category of non-animal-derived protein. Check out the timeline for highlights from the emerging and tumultuous industry.