The Friday Checkout is a weekly column providing more insight on the news, rounding up the announcements you may have missed and sharing what’s to come.
Earlier this week, Senate Republicans released that chamber’s proposed version of President Donald Trump’s tax agenda — what many say includes a scaled-back plan to cut SNAP funding compared with the House’s legislation.
Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chair John Boozman told The Hill that the Senate softened the House-passed language cutting SNAP by giving states the chance to receive more federal funding if they reduce errors in paying out food assistance.
While the House bill would cut federal SNAP funding by 5% “straight off the top,” the Senate’s version would let states avoid federal funding cuts by getting their error rate “down to zero,” Boozman told the publication.
Senate Republicans’ adjustments to the tax bill could set up a collision course in the House, NPR reported. As negotiations continue, how SNAP could be impacted remains a top concern for the grocery industry.
SNAP shoppers spend an average of $801 on groceries monthly, roughly 19% more compared to non-SNAP shoppers, according to recent Numerator data.
While “encouraged” by the Senate’s revised approach to SNAP reform, the National Grocers Association said in a statement on Wednesday that it wants the Senate to “strengthen the bill further” and preserve funding for SNAP-Ed, an education and obesity prevention program.
The trade association also said it wants the chamber to “reduce [the bill’s] impact on grocers and the families they serve,” but did not specify how.
The NGA said the Senate bill took a “more measured and practical approach” compared to the House bill by proposing to ensure that SNAP benefits remain fully federally funded when states maintain low payment error rates. The NGA said that this approach would curtail $80 billion in SNAP changes.
In case you missed it
Food Lion’s new private label pizza
The Ahold Delhaize-owned banner announced it’s adding nine selections to its lineup of private label frozen pizzas. The pizzas range in price from $3.49 to $5.49 and include a variety of flavors and crust types, including classic crust cheese pizza, rising crust three-meat pizza and thin crust BBQ.
Low-price pizzas are a focus for Food Lion right now, as the chain also offers a 99-cent thin-crust personal pizza.
Albertsons Media Collective launches in-store digital display network
Albertsons already has one of the leading digital advertising networks in grocery. Now, it’s looking to do the same for in-store retail media.
On Monday, Albertsons Media Collective announced the launch of its in-store display network in partnership with digital signage company Stratacache. The network, which will launch in two regions this summer, will feature large displays in key areas of the store, like the produce department and store entrances.
The screens will run ads and promotional offers for companies. The network also offers connected TV and social video integrations for suppliers, as well as measurement tools that show in-store performance over time.
Instacart links with Pinterest on shoppable ads
Users of the popular inspiration platform Pinterest will soon be able to click on shoppable ads that tie to Instacart’s marketplace. A pinned cocktail recipe, for example, could connect shoppers with ingredients they need through the digital grocery provider.
In the partnership’s first phase, select brands advertising on Pinterest can also advertise to Instacart’s first-party audience segments. A second phase will introduce closed-loop measurement that will connect the ads with product sales across Instacart’s marketplace.
Impulse find
Sam’s Club shares pizza delivery goof
When Sam’s Club was testing its newly launched pizza delivery, the club retailer accidentally delivered a rotisserie chicken, the chain’s CFO recently shared.
Luckily, the goof happened with a worker who was helping to test the pizza delivery, Todd Sears, senior vice president and CFO of Sam’s Club, said at the Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference earlier this month.
“He took a picture of it and sent it in like, ‘This is a pretty good-looking pizza.’ Thank goodness, it was an associate,” Sears said at the event, based on a Seeking Alpha transcript, adding that the company “quickly got that corrected.”
Announced last month, the newly launched pizza delivery “has been incredible and has exceeded our expectations” and is now available at all of the club’s locations, Sears said.
The club’s members can order four-meat, pepperoni or cheese 16-inch pizzas for delivery.
Sam’s Club also does rotisserie chicken delivery, Sears said — but not as an accidental substitute.
