News Briefs

The Kroger Co. is growing its partnership with Market Wagon to bring its digital farmers market concept to more customers. Kroger Farmers Market, which was developed as an e-commerce marketplace for local farmers and businesses, is now available to shoppers in the Columbus, Ohio, and Knoxville, Tenn., markets.

Kroger Farmers Market offers a wide range of fresh products from across its market areas, with the delivery service in Columbus offering a unique assortment of more than 1,400 products from more than 75 vendors, including local farmers, bakeries and food artisans.

[Read more: "Kroger Earns Recognition for Early-Career Hiring"]

"Kroger’s e-commerce business is flourishing and we are always seeking new ways to bring value to our customers’ lives," said Kroger Columbus Division President Dana Zurcher. "The digital farmers market experience eliminates barriers for those eager to support local businesses by making it easy to order fresh goods online and have them delivered straight from farm to doorstep. We are excited about the expansion of the collaboration to Columbus where it will be available to 2.4 million people in 14 counties.”

“The local food movement wins every time we connect a farmer with a new customer,” added Nick Carter, Market Wagon’s co-founder and CEO. “That’s why I’m so excited that Kroger, America’s grocer, and Market Wagon can partner and create a stronger market for local food producers in Central Ohio.”

The program began in June 2022 with a pilot in Atlanta that built on Kroger’s seamless ecosystem.

Serving 60 million households annually nationwide through a digital shopping experience, and almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Supermarket chain Save A Lot has selected SymphonyAI Retail CPG for data-driven supply chain solutions that aim to provide more accurate end-to-end insights and enable grocers to better meet shopper needs while reducing stockouts and substitutions. Among the solutions that Save A Lot is implementing are Master Data Management (MDM), Core Merchandising, Insights, Vendor Portal and Retail Operations.

“At Save A Lot, we have undertaken a strategic transformation from grocery retailer to licensed wholesaler,” said Jennifer Hopper, the company’s CIO. “With SymphonyAI Retail CPG technology, we get best-in-class solutions and can evolve to full end-to-end supply chain optimization that best supports our owner/operator Retail Partner network while giving us enhanced business agility, efficiency and scalability.”

[Read more: "Save A Lot Completes Refinancing Deal"]

SymphonyAI Retail CPG supply chain management and optimization solutions give retailers real-time inventory visibility, including data synchronization to centralize ownership and data flows for business agility in an omnichannel environment, along with unified order management and complete store and channel insights, all with the aim of increasing shopper satisfaction, reducing waste and measurably decreasing out-of-stocks through higher organizational intelligence and improved decisions.

“We are pleased to partner with an innovative grocery wholesaler like Save A Lot to speed and streamline supply chain and store operations, enhancing both shopper experience and business performance,” said Raj Marimuthu, general manager of supply chain management at Dallas-based SymphonyAI Retail. “We lead the industry in MDM and merchandising capabilities with a seamless path to full end-to-end AI-based insights, including demand forecasting AI — all with a compelling ROI value proposition.”

With more than 850 stores in 32 states. Earth City, Mo.-based Save A Lot is No. 60 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

H-E-B has plans to renovate and expand its H-E-B store in Waxahachie, Texas, starting in early 2023. The renovations will add more than 22,000 square feet, resulting in a 127,000-square-foot store. With the additional space and broader assortment of products, the location will become an H-E-B plus! store, offering more than just groceries.

After renovations are complete, the store will feature new and upgraded departments, a two-lane Pharmacy Drive Thru, an expanded curbside area with more dedicated parking, and nearly 50 additional parking spaces for in-store shoppers.

[Read more: “H-E-B Reveals Details on Long-Awaited Store in DFW Metroplex”]

New amenities will include:

• A True Texas BBQ restaurant with outdoor seating
• A sushi kiosk featuring selections made in-store daily and Sushiya Grill offerings
• Cooking Connections, offering cooking demonstrations
• A Blooms Market floral department, offering online ordering and delivery service
• Home by H-E-B, featuring home accessories, furniture and more
• Charcoal & Grilling, featuring outdoor cooking essentials
• An Apparel section

Upgrades to existing areas include larger bakery, meat and seafood departments. The expanded craft beer and wine section will have a sampling station. Additional checkout lanes will feature self-checkout options.

The Waxahachie H-E-B will also get new signage and an upgraded façade and entryway. The fuel station will get an updated look as well.

The store will remain open during the renovations, which are expected to be complete in 2024.

The largest privately held employer in Texas, San Antonio-based H-E-B has more than 430 stores and 154,000 employees in Texas and Mexico. The grocer’s store formats include H-E-B, Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop and Mi Tienda. H-E-B also owns Favor Delivery, a delivery service that serves cities across Texas. The company is No. 16 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. 

Harris Teeter is inviting diverse product suppliers to apply to join a virtual Supplier Diversity Summit scheduled for March 28-30. The regional grocer aims to identify and boost sourcing from suppliers that are at least 51% owned, operated and managed by people who are disadvantaged, disabled, LGBTQ+, military veterans, minorities and/or women.

“Our goal is for Harris Teeter – our people and our products – to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve,” noted Harris Teeter Director of Corporate Affairs Danna Robinson. “Through the identification and support of minority-owned businesses, Harris Teeter will cultivate new vendor relationships to empower diverse suppliers and enhance economic growth.”

[Read more: "SocialShelf to Debut at Select Harris Teeter Stores"]

Eligible businesses with retail-ready products in the perishable, nonperishable, nonfood, health and beauty care, and general merchandise categories can apply by Friday, Feb. 10 for consideration. 

Harris Teeter is teaming with online product sourcing platform RangeMe, an ECRM company, to manage all product submissions. Upon receiving the applications, Harris Teeter will review and select the vendors to meet with virtually through the ECRM Connect meeting platform. Suppliers not chosen for the event will still be accessible via RangeMe and may be reviewed by Harris Teeter again in the future. 

Vendors that don’t qualify for the summit can submit information for consideration through the retailer’s Supplier Community page.

Matthews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co., employs approximately 35,000 associates and operates stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Delaware, Florida and the District of Columbia. Serving 60 million households annually nationwide through a digital shopping experience, and almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, has launched its 10th location, in San Antonio. This semester, Brighter Bites will serve six schools within Harlandale Independent School District (ISD), which will directly affect around 720 families and provide 115,200 pounds of fresh produce to its participants.

“I’m so excited our students will be able to receive a hands-on experience of what healthy choices actually look like,” said Juan Aguilar, physical educator at Harlandale ISD. “With the launch of Brighter Bites programming, the kids will be able to try new vegetables and fruits that they normally wouldn’t have access to on a regular basis. It is my hope this will also help families ease their food expenses, as prices of groceries have increased dramatically within the last year.”

[Read more: "Brighter Bites Grows in D.C."]

The first distribution in San Antonio began last week and will continue each week through the end of May. Brighter Bites plans to further expand its reach into more schools within the Harlandale school district for the fall semester. The generous support and partnership from Harlandale ISD and Student Health Advisory Committee, UnitedHealthcare, and FreshPoint San Antonio have made this expansion possible.

Brighter Bites creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Since 2012, it has provided 50 million-plus pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than 500,000 individuals (including teachers) in Houston; Dallas; Austin, Texas; New York City; the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area; Southwest Florida; Salinas, Calif.; Los Angeles; Bakersfield, Calif., and San Antonio.

Family-owned and -operated Alstede Farms will open its fourth brick-and-mortar store in Jefferson Township, N.J., on April 1, providing residents year-round access to fresh locally grown produce.  

Located at 54 State Route 15 and Berkshire Valley Road, the new Alstede Fresh at Lindeken Farms will offer seasonal locally grown fruits and vegetables direct from Alstede's 800-acre farm fields in Chester, N.J. Baked goods and other grocery items will also be available. Patrons can additionally purchase Christmas trees in December, sign up for the Community Supported Agriculture program, and access free online recipes for healthy meals and snacks.

[Read more: “Kensington Community Food Co-op Reopens”]

The new Alstede Fresh at Lindeken Farms' retail space was formerly occupied by Lindeken Farms, which was operated by the Stanlick family and provided locally grown produce to the area for generations. It closed permanently on Dec. 24, 2022.

Major building renovations and an architectural refresh are underway to better reflect the Alstede Farms brand, but "the spirit of the building remains," said Kurt Alstede, founder of Alstede Farms. "Our family and our team members are proud to continue Lindeken Farms' tradition and keep the Stanlick legacy alive in the community."

The Stanlick family opened Lindeken Farms in 1949.

"We can't wait to share with families the goodness of what we grow," said Kurt Alstede. "That we make this goodness accessible to everyone, every day, matters to us.  We look forward to being an important part of the local community."

Alstede Farms has nourished New Jersey families for 40 years. While Kurt Alstede is a first-generation farmer, his wife, Mary Thompson-Alstede, comes from a family that has farmed in Chester for more than 100 years. Their children plan to remain in the business.

Alstede Fresh at Lindeken Farms will be open year-round. Additional details, including hours of operation, will be revealed soon.