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.
Supermarket companies are famously competitive, routinely jockeying to outdo each other on price and service in a relentless quest to lure shoppers. But as the announcement this week that Kroger, Ahold Delhaize USA and Hy-Vee are cooperating to promote health shows, sometimes the best way for archrivals to succeed is to work together.
Through their partnership, called “Nourishing Change,” the three grocery chains plan to host a conference in Washington, D.C., next year to “shape the future of health by advancing ideas, relationships and solutions needed to help communities thrive.”
Beyond allowing the companies to position themselves as local businesses focused on more than winning market share, their Nourishing Change event could also demonstrate that the traditional grocery sector remains relevant at a time when the retail sector is rapidly changing.
As Kroger Health’s president points out in the announcement, no one company can overcome the nation’s food-related health problems alone — underscoring the importance of the industry presenting a united front at a critical time for conventional supermarkets. Joining forces on a common goal as central to the industry’s identity as well-being seems like an especially potent way for grocers to push back on challengers like Walmart and Costco.
Of course, the collaboration among Kroger, Ahold Delhaize USA and Hy-Vee is hardly a sign that supermarket companies are ready to put the common good ahead of their individual objectives. After all, Albertsons — which not too long ago was pressing ahead with an aggressive plan to merge with Kroger — is conspicuously absent from the partnership.
In case you missed it
Raley’s adding to O-N-E format
The West Coast grocery chain announced that it broke ground on a new Raley’s O-N-E Market in Madera, California. The store, which will span 40,000 square feet, will become Raley’s second store in Madera County when it opens next spring. The store will feature fresh prepared foods, natural and organic products, locally sourced produce and an in-store Starbucks.
“Sell-by” changes to take effect in California
Come Wednesday, food makers and retailers in the state will no longer be able to put “sell-by” dates on most packaged foods, Fox 11 reported. The labeling change, which is part of a larger consumer protection law, aims to reduce food waste from households throwing out grocery items that are still edible but past their sell-by date.
Instead, food manufacturers will be required to use “BEST if Used by” when referring to peak product quality and “USE by” for food safety messages, the news outlet noted.
Wakefern gets patriotic for America’s 250th
As the United States gears up for its big birthday milestone, Wakefern Food Corp. is getting into the celebratory spirit with limited-edition packaging for select private label items. The company’s Bowl & Basket line will sport red, white and blue firework-themed designs on 30 of its top-selling items.
Impulse find
“These are my Vanderpump Blooms”
Two years after the launch of Vanderpump Blooms x Bloom Haus, Kroger and the reality TV show’s floral collection is expanding, the grocer announced Monday.
The new items include floral-inspired candles, a plant care starter kit, ornaments, preserved and silk roses, individual blossoms and more floral arrangements “in the same sophisticated style that customers have come to love from Vanderpump's expert aesthetic,” Kroger said. Other additions include a “VanderPUMP” glass shoe with preserved mini roses, a preserved rose glass handbag and preserved rose hatboxes.
Some of the items are now available, while others will arrive in stores as the year progresses.
“I have loved creating and expanding my floral line with Kroger, it’s been such a passion project from day one,” Lisa Vanderpump, the star of the reality TV show, said in a statement.
For Kroger, the blossoming collection can help it tap into the show’s fan base and give them “an easy way to achieve Vanderpump’s signature refined aesthetic,” according to the grocer.
