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 resumption of federal funding for SNAP stemming from the deal to end the government shutdown is providing much-needed relief for grocers and shoppers following weeks of uncertainty. But as the pitched battle that recently unfolded over how — or even if — to pay for the program during the spending crisis makes clear that a vital public benefit, which helps tens of millions of people afford food, has morphed into a high-profile political football.
It now seems apparent that SNAP is far from being seen as an essential program that cannot run out of money, but instead viewed as something on the table whenever lawmakers butt heads over the nation’s budget. At least for the foreseeable future, food retailers will need to be wary of how the program will fare when the White House and Congress hash out how to pay for the government’s annual operations — and have plans ready in case they need to show they have shoppers’ backs.
Grocers look to SNAP for a significant portion of their sales, and consumers depend on food retailers to provide them with affordable access to food, no matter the state of the economy. That puts the grocery industry in the position of needing to offer people solutions to formidable challenges that retailers have little control over.
Over the past few years, grocers have played a central role in helping the United States weather a string of economic storms, from pandemic-driven shortages to skyrocketing inflation to uncertainty over tariffs. The recent chaos surrounding SNAP is the latest reminder that when it comes to feeding basic needs, the grocery industry is at the center of the action.
In case you missed it
Grocery e-commerce continues to grow
In October, online grocery sales totaled $11.6 billion — 10.5% more than a year ago, according to the latest data from Brick Meets Click and Mercatus. While the number of users expanded last month, order frequency made small gains and average order values contracted, the firms said.
“The October 2025 results are a reminder that online grocery sales growth is not on autopilot,” Brick Meets Click Partner David Bishop said. “Customers choose how to receive online grocery purchases based on many factors, including cost and convenience, and the impact of Amazon’s same-day grocery service – which offers customers a lower-cost alternative – is becoming visible.”
H-E-B’s recycling event returns
The Texas grocery chain said this week that it is sponsoring free admission to 18 nature centers across the state to celebrate Texas Recycles Day. From Friday to Sunday, people who bring a plastic bottle or a single-use plastic bag to recycle can get free admission. The grocer’s partnership last year with 17 nature centers collected more than 23,000 pieces of plastic from nearly 11,000 visitors.
Whole Foods Market dials up food waste prevention
The Amazon-owned specialty grocer has expanded its partnership with Too Good To Go, an app that lets people buy soon-to-expire food bundled together inside bags at a discounted price. The grocer added seven more surprise bag categories: produce, seafood, meat, dry goods, frozen foods, refrigerated foods and floral, according to a Wednesday announcement. The expansion stems from the success of the prepared foods and bakery bags that Whole Foods offered through the food waste prevention app, the announcement said.
Impulse find
Kroger pulls on heartstrings for the holidays
Just when we thought Kroger’s holiday campaign couldn’t get any sweeter, the grocer has found a way to create another tearjerker ad featuring its signature animated characters, or Krojis.
Last year’s ad featured a Kroji child sharing food with an elderly neighbor as a way to spread holiday cheer. The film for this year’s campaign, which Kroger unveiled earlier this week on Veterans’ Day, shows family and friends baking and decorating gingerbread cookies in a salute pose as they prepare to welcome home a family member who is in the military.
Titled “Operation: Gingerbread,” the ad aims to remind people “that the holidays are always sweeter when we’re together,” Kroger said, noting that associates who are veterans helped craft the ad’s story.
“At Kroger, we believe the holidays are about moments that bring us closer together,” Mary Ellen Adcock, the grocer’s executive vice president and chief merchant and marketing officer, said in the announcement. “This film is a tribute to the families who make every holiday and homecoming unforgettable and to the service members whose sacrifices inspire us all.”
As part of its support for the United Service Organizations, Kroger said it is contributing an additional $1 million this year to the organization as well as providing Thanksgiving meals to more than 350 troops stationed at Fort Stewart in Southeast Georgia.
