Walmart's profits take a hit as fuel spikes and consumers react to inflation

The Latest

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  Instacart files confidentially for IPO

  The announcement is a long-awaited step for the San Francisco-based company, which did not disclose further details on its potential offering. 

  Corporate Operations

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  Sponsored by Swiftly

  5 ways retailers can battle inflation and win

  Get five tips to combat inflation and create long-term success in a constantly evolving market.

  Technology

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  Dollar Tree taps former Dollar General execs for help with supply chain, merchandising

  The hires join new executive chair Richard Dreiling as the latest appointments with experience at the dollar store's faster-growing rival.

  Corporate Operations

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  Stop & Shop a sore spot in otherwise solid earnings report for Ahold Delhaize

  The retailer disclosed that the Northeast banner lost market share between Q4 2019 and Q4 2021, which executives chalked up to a slowdown in its remodeling program due to the pandemic.

  Updated May 12, 2022

  Corporate Operations

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  Jokr diversifying revenue with launch of own retail media platform

  Jokr Media, which is live in the U.S. and five Latin American countries, is a "major strategic focus" for the rapid delivery firm as it focuses on profitability, said Benedict Counsell, vice president of onsite and Jokr Media.

  Technology

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  South American retailer to buy majority stake in The Fresh Market for $676M

  The deal with current owner Apollo Global Management will let Cencosud acquire 67% of the specialty grocer.

  Updated May 11, 2022

  Finances and Deals

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  Grocery prices soar 10.8% as inflation remains high

  In April, food-at-home prices saw the largest 12-month increase since November 1980, according to Consumer Price Index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday.

  Center store

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  3 ways grocers are elevating online order picking in their stores

  As retailers continue to rely on their main locations to fill digital demand, many are trying to boost efficiency and quality through enhanced training, technology and store layouts.

  E-commerce

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  Gopuff launches first restaurant brand under its Kitchen division

  The Mean Tomato will offer New York City-style pizzas that customers can add to their orders of snacks, drinks and other impulse buys.

  E-commerce

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  Grocery Outlet raises full-year guidance, will expand e-commerce coverage

  CEO Eric Lindberg said during Tuesday's earnings call that the discount grocer plans to introduce Uber Eats and DoorDash delivery to a subset of stores following a successful online rollout with Instacart. 

  E-commerce

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  Food Rocket plans to offer 15-minute delivery from Chicago convenience store

  The ultrafast grocery delivery startup intends to co-locate a fulfillment center with a Circle K location set to open this summer and plans to expand to additional cities this year.

  E-commerce

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  SpartanNash inks delivery and distribution deal with DoorDash

  Under the agreement, DoorDash will become a delivery option for the grocery company's stores and independent retail clients, while SpartanNash will begin supplying DashMart online convenience stores.

  E-commerce

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  Self-checkout tech maker Mashgin raises $62.5M

  The technology company said it will use the investment to build out its team, quicken expansion and scale globally.

  Technology

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  Online sales decline in April as inflation takes hold with shoppers

  E-commerce sales for the month dropped almost 4% as order volume and active users fell, according to the latest report from Brick Meets Click and Mercatus.

  E-commerce

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  Robomart, Unilever link up to reinvent the ice cream truck

  This summer, customers in Los Angeles will be able to hail self-service mobile markets stocked with brands owned by the CPG giant, including Ben & Jerry's and Breyers.

  E-commerce

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  Target focuses on customer experience, supply chain in latest leadership shuffle

  The mass merchant is operating from a position of strength, but is also likely realizing it must look harder for growth opportunities.

  Corporate Operations

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  Sprouts lowers its outlook for the year as unit sales decline

  CEO Jack Sinclair said the company sees ways to boost baskets amid rising gas and food prices, but analysts aren't sold on the plan.

  Finances and Deals

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  Foot traffic slows at grocery stores as inflation takes hold, report says

  Overall visits declined in February compared with the same month in 2019, ending a 10-month streak of rising foot traffic, according to Placer.ai.

  Corporate Operations

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  Column

  Pardon the Disruption: Can grocers' food assortment become the pharmacy of the future?

  As digital technology evolves and the link between food and health grows stronger, an opportunity is emerging for retailers to become a core part of the healthcare system.

  E-commerce

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  H-E-B adds in-store video storytelling to its alcohol aisles

  The Texas grocery chain has placed digital tablets in the wine and beer aisles at approximately 120 stores to help shoppers learn more about brands and make selections.

  Center store

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  Instacart's sales sag 4% in first quarter, report says

  Shoppers spent an average of $576 on Instacart’s platform during the first three months of 2022, down 9% from the same period last year, according to data from Bloomberg Second Measure.

  E-commerce

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  Albertsons expands Uber delivery to more than 2K stores

  With the addition of nearly 800 stores, shoppers can now order from the grocery chain's banners in Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont and Rhode Island on the third-party platform.

  E-commerce

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  Publix sees sales and earnings rise in Q1

  The Florida-based supermarket chain recorded a comparable store sales increase of 11.7% for the first quarter of 2022 on a year-over-year basis, as revenue for the period rose 13.5% to $13.2 billion.

  Finances and Deals

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  Consumers likely to 'trade down' to chicken as beef prices soar: report

  A recent CoBank analysis found that poultry stands to benefit from more expensive red meat, despite facing high feed costs and a bird flu outbreak.

  Fresh food

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  Aisles Abroad: How a Chinese e-grocer is delivering fresh foods fast in the world's most competitive grocery market

  Beijing-based Missfresh has built a robust business in China's largest cities that relies on state-of-the-art dark stores and AI forecasting, but faces a challenging path as it looks to make money.

  E-commerce

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  Hy-Vee looks to cut 500 corporate jobs as industry pressures rise

  The grocer is also pausing several projects and reevaluating its planned stores as it tries to cut costs and plow more money into price savings.

  Corporate Operations

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