THE FRIDAY 5: Regional Grocers Expand Reach; ALDI Shares Go-to-Market Strategy

1. Regional Banners on the March

If spring is the time for new growth, it’s also timely for retail expansions. Once again this week, readers were locked in on grocers’ forays into different markets. Boise, Idaho-based WinCo Foods, for example, is unveiling a new store in Centralia, Wash., on April 7 and is breaking ground on a location in Klamath Falls, Ore. Reports also emerged in the Denver Business Journal and in BizWest that WinCo is making plans for at least two stores in the Denver area.

Also entering new territory in Colorado: Woods Supermarket Inc., which is generating interest for the debut of its first store outside of its home state of the Missouri. The location in Johnstown, Colo., opened on March 19. 

Meanwhile, reports that T&T Supermarket is putting down roots in San Francisco also resonated with PG’s audience this week. The Canada-based Asian grocer is expected to open a store in the Bay City in about a year from now as it continues to expand in North America.

2. ALDI, Kroger and Albertsons Speed Up Store Brand Additions

This week, Progressive Grocer talked exclusively with ALDI's Michael Mache, director of national buying for non-alcoholic beverages, who provided an inside look at how the fast-growing retailer brought its latest functional beverages to market. The launch of Summit Popz, Summit Waves Energy and PurAqua Hydration Sticks reflects ongoing shopper interest in high-quality, right-priced functional beverages.

“Each product was in development for nine months or less, a pace that speaks to our ability to quickly respond to trends and deliver private label​ innovations. Even though we move fast, we take the time to get it right. We rigorously test every product, sampling 35,000 items annually to bring only the best to our shelves​,” he told PG. He added that the new drinks have been well received, as the retailer is selling nearly 20,000 cans of the prebiotic soda Popz every day. Not one to rest on any laurels, ALDI is working on additional beverage innovations that include more flavors, pack sizes and nutrition formulations, Mache reported.

News about new store brand items from The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. also got some clicks this week. Kroger added its Our Brands umbrella, including new items such as Private Selection Salad Kits, Kroger Brand Kettle Style Tortilla Chips, Kroger Brand Restaurant Style Italian Dressing, Simple Truth Organic Instant Mushroom Tea and Private Selection Muffins. 

Albertsons is also gearing up for the spring selling season by rolling out its lemon-flavored assortment. The limited edition collection features a variety of products including lemony candy, cookies, pretzels, chips, popcorn, sparkling water, and more from the grocer’s private label Signature Select, Overjoyed and Soleil brands. The launch is being promoted through a new “Burst of Flavor” marketing campaign.

3. Better-for-You Foods Take Center Stage

Newness was on the minds of PG readers related to other product launches. Editorial Director Gina Acosta’s recap of 50 future foods from Natural Products Expo West 2025 includes innovative items across several categories. She highlighted 50 items that stood out for their taste, relevance and potential, including several on-trend products that mirror consumers interest in GLP-1-friendly snacks, mushroom products, protein-packed foods and functional beverages. Examples include Golden Monkey organic grass-fed ghee, oat milk chocolate from Whims and breadfruit crackers from Ulu Foods. 

The clamor for better-for-you snacks was underscored in news that The Hershey Co. brand is acquiring the LesserEvil snack portfolio. “Investing in LesserEvil brings a multi-category, better-for-you snacks platform to extend our offerings into new categories and forms, reaching new consumers in more eating occasions,” said Michele Buck, Hershey’s president and CEO. “This high-growth brand not only complements our beloved confection and salty snack brands but also brings additional manufacturing capabilities and capacity to meet growing consumer and retailer needs.”

4. Industry Pros Share Food Marketing Advice, Insights

Senior Editor Lynn Petrak reported from the recent Food Marketing Conference at Western Michigan University (WMU), where industry leaders gathered and shared their tips to an audience that included students in the Food Marketing program as well as retail, CPG and solution provider colleagues.

AI was a hot-button topic at the conference, as one might expect. In one session, global thought leader and the “father of category management” Dr. Brian Harris, talked about how AI will fuel category management going forward. “I think we are on the launchpad of a new generation of category management methods and new models for category management driven by AI,” he declared. 

Other takeaways from the event included the ongoing evolution and personalization of loyalty programs and responding to important nuances in shopper behavior.

While at the event, Petrak sat down with WMU alum and a Progressive Grocer GenNext winner Katie Paul to record an enlightening episode of the Top Women in Grocery podcast. Paul, SVP of merchandising at KeHE Distributors, spoke about how young innovators can succeed in grocery industry while also doing good for the world.

5. Untangling the Tariff Tiffs

The global trade situation is changing almost daily, in light of tariffs talked about and levied by the Trump Administration. Readers wanted to know more about the industry's response to President Trump’s announcement of a minimum 10% tariff on more than 100 trading partners, along with additional country-specific rates, on April 2, or “Liberation Day.”

Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI – The Food Industry Association, weighed in on the topic. “While we have witnessed several positive steps that have reduced unnecessary regulatory burdens on our industry, we are concerned that today’s tariff announcement could bring rising prices, a squeeze on household budgets and reduced competitiveness for American companies relative to international competitors,” she said.

Tom Madrecki, VP of supply chain resiliency at Consumer Brands Association, pointed out that “there are critical ingredients and inputs that need to be imported due to scarce availability domestically. No amount of tariffs will bring these inputs back to the U.S.”