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.
The grocery industry is cutthroat. Between discounters, specialty grocers and larger chains, the pressure is on for regional and independent grocers. And while it may appear there’s no room for these smaller grocery players, national food retailers would be mistaken to undermine these competitors.
Regional grocers dominated the grocery industry news cycle this week — from flashy tech innovations to M&A moves to executive promotions — showcasing that these retailers are determined to keep pace with the Krogers and Aldis of the industry.
Harps Food Stores, an Arkansas-based regional grocer, often flies under the radar, but that may not be the case for much longer. Over the past several years, Harps has nearly doubled its footprint by acquiring small, independent grocers. This week, that expansion tactic enabled Harps to enter two new states — Tennessee and Kentucky.
Meanwhile, Texas-based supermarket chain Brookshire Brothers announced four top-level promotions, including a new CFO and chief operating officer. The company noted that these promotions reflect its “commitment to developing talent from within” to ready the grocer for continued growth.
Regional grocers are also ramping up their tech capabilities. Redner’s Markets, for example, launched a new shopper app, replacing the disconnected digital shopping experience of its former app. But this initiative is more than an app. Redner’s Chief Operating Officer Gary M. Redner told Grocery Dive that the app is the “cornerstone” of the company’s larger digital strategy.
All told, larger grocers could choose to pay no mind to smaller regional players in their markets — but they’d do so at their own peril.
In case you missed it
Amazon and Winn-Dixie expand delivery service
The companies expanded their partnership by bringing their delivery collaboration to more communities in Florida, including the greater Tampa Bay area, according to a Wednesday emailed press release. Amazon started providing delivery for Winn-Dixie last year in Jacksonville and Orlando, and their partnership has grown to nearly 100 cities and towns in Florida and southern Georgia.
Instacart ramps up the case for smart carts
The grocery technology company on Tuesday unveiled Physical AI — a system that allows smart carts to offer real-time, personalized shopping experiences based on collected data.
Outfitted with basket-facing camera sensors, scales, location-tracking systems, outward-facing cameras and NVIDIA Jetson platform, Caper Carts allow retailers and brands to understand in-store shopper behavior and appropriately time on-screen recommendations, Instacart said. Prompts like “Got everything you need?” have driven a nearly 1 percentage point lift in basket size on average, Instacart said.
Facial recognition at grocery stores comes under fire
Several state and federal lawmakers are looking to crack down on supermarkets’ usage of facial recognition, Politico reported Monday. Lawmakers on the New York City Council want to ban the technology from places like grocery stores, and state lawmakers in Massachusetts are trying to halt supermarkets from using the tech to profile shoppers and determine prices, the article noted.
In Congress, proposed legislation would ban stores from using biometric technology to charge people different prices for the same item as well as require grocers to disclose when they use facial recognition.
Impulse find
“Real Housewives” couple arrested for allegedly stealing from Publix
Melany Viljoen and Petrus Viljoen, a married couple who star in “The Real Housewives of Pretoria,” the Afrikaans installment of “The Real Housewives” franchise, were arrested for allegedly stealing a total of 392 items across 52 transactions from Publix between August 2025 and March 2026, Page Six reported.
The couple is accused of ticket switching — placing a price tag for a less expensive item over a more expensive product, the news outlet reported. The allegedly stolen items include two cases of Maison Perrier Forever Lime Sparkling Water ($16.39 each), a $23.99 case of San Pellegrino Mineral Water and two bottles of La Marca Prosecco Sparkling Wine ($34.99 each).
The arrests follow a police investigation that began at the end of August and is still ongoing, Page Six reported, noting that the couple is due in court on April 9.
