Retailers

The CPG Week team dives into the fallout from the sudden closure of Outfox Hospitality which operates the Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market grocery chains and tries to unpack what this means for the retail environment for CPG brands.

Whole Foods Market has issued a variety of policy changes for vendors who come in contact with store employees as it works to cut back possible routes of transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Today, the vegetable-forward, frozen pizza brand announced a $2 million investment from the Boulder Food Group (BFG) and the addition of more than 2,500 stores to its retail distribution.

Earlier this morning, Whole Foods Market shareholders voted to advance the proposal for e-commerce pioneer Amazon to acquire the natural and organic grocer. While the business community was eagerly awaiting the merger’s approval, consumers are just as excited for what this union may bring to their pantry shelves, according to market research firm GfK.

Following the Friday announcement that e-commerce pioneer Amazon would be purchasing natural products retailer Whole Foods Market, there has been rampant discussion over what the merger means for the retailer and industry. In communications to team members, both through email and a “town hall meeting” at Whole Foods headquarters, some information has come to light.

In a deal that’s shaking the shopping experience for consumers, retailers, and food and beverage companies, Amazon’s scooping up of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion on Friday has hardened talk of large-scale disruption in the way consumers buy their groceries. The deal is the largest U.S. grocery transaction since a $17.4 billion takeover of Albertsons, according to Mergermarket. Here’s an in-depth look into the acquisition and its implications for the retailers and beyond.

It’s crunch time for retailers. To attract new customers, retain current customers and plan for long-term, consistent sales growth, several retailers revealed new stores, marketing strategies and location plays over the last week.

With millennial consumers taking root in cities, retailers have realized it’s time to adapt and create store formats that appeal to this unique generation. In the Boston metro area, Ahold Delhaize has been quietly testing their own urban format: bfresh market.

After the holiday season winds down, consumers approach the new year filled with good intentions and New Year’s resolutions centered around healthy eating, personal growth, and financial goals around savings. This year, retailers including Aldi, Whole Foods Market and Earth Fare have approached January with their own resolutions around similar topics.

Today Ahold USA, parent company of Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, Giant Carlisle and online grocery Peapod, announced a partnership with product discovery platform RangeMe. Ahold will use RangeMe for both inbound submissions as well as to scale its product discovery efforts.