News Briefs

In a move that may well herald how consumers will routinely access better-for-you foods, health technology company Lumen has partnered with Metabolic Meals, a chef-made organic meal service. The largest metabolic measurement platform in the world, Lumen is now giving users the option to have a personalized nutrition plan, driven by their breath measurement, delivered straight to their doors.

“It’s the first time we’ve provided ready-to-eat meals based on real-time metabolism measurements as we take personalized nutrition into the future,” said Barak Alon, business product manager at New York-based Lumen. “We’re tailoring nutrition for our customers, down to the last macronutrient.”

Added Alon: “We found that many of our customers claim they want to save time and have access to more low-carb meal options, and this partnership enables us to deliver on that.”

St. Louis-based Metabolic Meals delivers a variety of healthy chef-based meals featuring fresh ingredients, including organic, grass-fed meat, that correspond to Lumen’s nutrition recommendations as verified by metabolic experts and Lumen-registered dietitians. The service includes measuring a consumer’s metabolism through the Lumen device and the creation of a personalized meal plan according to whether the consumer is burning fats or carbs, with all hand-picked ready-to-eat dishes delivered by Metabolic Meals.

The Lumen/Metabolic Meals initiative is available nationwide for Lumen customers, starting at $139 with free shipping. Each box of five meals contains 15 dishes based on five protein meals and 10 side dishes. The Lumen device is available online, starting at $249 for a six-month subscription, renewing at $19 monthly. Users can download the app free on the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Lumen is also fully integrated with Apple Watch and Garmin wearable devices, enabling users to get real-time notifications to measure their metabolism after workouts and track the impact of their exercise on their ability to shift into burning fat.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. is returning as a sponsor for Rattler Racing 2022 events.

Colorado-based Rattler Racing started in 2015 with a simple grass-roots midweek mountain bike-racing series. Since then, it’s seen exponential growth in participation and added new sanctioned events to its lineup, including cyclocross, junior-focused races, a stage race, and a new gravel race for 2022. With each season, its focus remains on putting together quality, family-friendly events while maintaining that grass-roots feel.

Participants in this year’s Rattler Racing season kickoff can look forward to getting a free Natural Grocers reusable goody bag and Natural Grocers Brand Chocolate bar. Nutritional Health Coaches from the grocer will also be on-site to talk nutrition with athletes and to hand out bottled water, coupons and Natural Grocers samples.

In addition, the healthy grocer has a bike-racing team that will once again compete and volunteer at this year’s events – the first race being "The Bear" on April 2 at Bear Creek Lake Park, Colo.

The Natural Grocers Cycling Team consists of almost 100 members, encompassing all disciplines of cycling. The team invites cyclists to join them for local club rides throughout Colorado, Arizona and Kansas City.

With more than 160 stores in 20 states, Lakewood, Colo.-based Natural Grocers is No. 95 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Living up to its name, Gimme is providing more solutions for grocery delivery operators as they face their own surging demands. The tech company is adding features on its vendor management system (VMS) platform to improve warehouse inventory management.

The enhancements come at a time when many retailers and warehouses are grappling with continuing supply chain issues. Updates include different tools to improve warehouse fundamentals and three new features related to warehouse rationing, product visualization and order calculations.

For warehouse rationing, the platform can now determine if an item will run out before the next delivery and then provide options to intelligently redistribute remaining inventory. Gimme also designed a new AutoPar feature that helps users visualize the ideal number of products differently by intelligently calculating warehouse product data based upon user-defined duration of days. The third new feature uses intuitive, days-based AutoPar calculations, along with real-time on-hand inventory and the estimated delivery date of the next order, to automatically calculate the number of each product to order.

"Being shorted products at the warehouse level are the headwinds that frustrate our customers and put revenue at risk. Markets have now become the biggest drivers of revenue. This update not only provides our customers with critical data, it also actively suggests the right answers to confidently handle product shortages,” explained Cory Hewett, Gimme’s co-founder and CEO.

In addition to making improvements for inventory management, Gimme is working on an AI-powered schedule suggestion tool to alleviate labor-related issues.  

Gimme’s VMS platform is described as “device agnostic” and can be used with smartphones, tablets and Windows PC systems. The platform uses live field data to provide greater accuracy and control over product inventory in multiple warehouses and ensures stable operation when offline.

Internationally known Italian retailer and restaurant Eataly has decided to end its franchise agreement in Moscow because of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

The Eataly store that has been operating in Moscow was the only one in Russia. According to the retailer, the decision to dissolve operations in Moscow is a way to show solidarity with Ukraine and to condemn the war. 

“As we continue to monitor the situation and support the people of Ukraine, Eataly will be working across all our locations in North America and EMEA, and network of suppliers to provide critical supplies, donations of food and other fundraising initiatives,” said Nicola Ferinetti, CEO of Alba, Italy-based Eataly.

Inspired by an idea sketched on a piece of paper and following five years of research and hard work, the first Eataly opened its doors in Torino, Italy, in 2007. Since it was first established, the franchise has opened 39 stores around the world, including Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, Brazil, Arabia, Germany and Turkey. 

In related news, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused instant-needs platform Buyk to go dark after it lost access to Russian capital in the wake of crippling sanctions, while many food retailers in the United States and elsewhere have launched relief efforts in support of Ukrainians.

Natural Grocers is putting the final touches on grand opening plans for its latest store in Cañon City, Colo. Slated to welcome shoppers on April 13, the 10,000-square-foot store near Main Street and North 16th Street in the downtown area is the organic and natural retailer’s 32nd location in its home state.

Designed with eco-friendly features like non-toxic building materials and 100% LED lighting, the market will carry 100% USDA-certified organic produce, sustainably-raised meats, free-range eggs and pasture-raised dairy. Organic and natural grocery items include an array of non-GMO prepackaged bulk goods, dietary supplements, body care items, household essentials and a curated collection of craft beer, hard cider and hard kombucha.

As with other Natural Grocers stores, this one will provide free nutrition education programs. Shoppers can book personalized sessions with the company’s nutritional health coaches, in person or via phone or video.

To commemorate the new location, Natural Grocers is offering activities and deals, including mystery gift cards worth between $5 and $500 for the first 150 shoppers, a prize wheel, sweepstakes and savings on a variety of products from April 13-May 12. Customers are encouraged to sign up for the retailer’s free loyalty program to earn additional discounts and reward benefits.

The new location aims to be a good neighbor, partnering with the Care and Share food bank to distribute nutritious food across the Colorado footprint.

With 162 stores in 20 states, Lakewood, Colo.-based Natural Grocers is No. 95 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Hawaiian grocer Foodland Super Market, Ltd. and enterprise AI company Symphony RetailAI have entered into a multi-year license agreement to deploy solutions for supply chain, category planning and revenue growth.

Founded in 1948 and based in Honolulu, Foodland remains Hawaii’s only locally-owned grocer.  The company operates 31 stores across the islands under the Foodland, Foodland Farms and Sack ‘N Save banners and is owned by parent company Sullivan Family of Companies.

Serving residents and visitors alike, Foodland is seeking to automate and improve its retail practices using AI-powered solutions. Among other programs and platforms, Foodland will use Symphony RetailAI’s master data management, kitchen management, promotions evaluation and planning and direct store delivery tools. The retailer also plans to introduce the firm’s integrated category planning system that spans tasks ranging from planogram automation to shelf planning. 

“We are committed to continually innovating and improving to ensure we provide outstanding experiences for our customers while also delivering strong financial results,” said Jenai Sullivan Wall, chairman and CEO of Foodland, noting that the company assessed vendors over the past few years to choose a partner to impellent tech-based change.

Chris Koziol, Symphony RetailAI's CEO, said that the company will work to create a foundation of data-driven, AI-based solutions. “We’re excited to team with Foodland to deliver innovative enterprise capabilities that will increase efficiencies and deliver measurable business and financial impact,” he remarked.