Supermarkets appear to be losing ground when it comes to Gen Z and millennial wallets. Can they mount a turnaround?

Kroger strengthens its community of workers with a hiring blitz.

A recall of wraps from Market 32 and Price Chopper are due to a possible Listeria contamination.

Stop & Shop allegedly engaged in price gouging in economically disadvantaged communities.

Scandinavian consumers have begun boycotting U.S. goods and services for various reasons. What’s the likelihood that calls for boycotts will spread to other regions?

7UP has dropped a new summertime flavor, but you have to live near a specfic grocery store chain.

White Castle has elevated its delicious Chicken Rings by coating them in ranch dressing.

Need to do some last-minute grocery shopping on Thanksgiving? These stores can help.

California bill SB 1446 aims to regulate self-checkout systems in grocery and retail drug establishments. Should government regulations like this oversee self-checkout systems in retail establishments?

Americans who work late night shifts, enjoy night-time socializing, or simply prefer nocturnal hours, may not find as many late-night meal options as they might have during pre-pandemic times.

Wegmans has opened a new location in Manhattan that pushes beyond the typical supermarket format as a hybrid grocery store and food hall. Do you think more supermarkets will adopt this trend?

A Listeria outbreak has proven deadly, as one person died and 10 were hospitalized after eating peaches, nectarines, and plums.

Artificial intelligence is taking over grocery stores. How do you predict supermarkets evolve in the near future with AI and robot implementation?

While many grocers are feeding into shoppers’ “get in, get out” mentality, a new concept, FreshTake, tries to get people to linger. Are experiential and community-based grocery concepts such as FreshTake’s likely to be successful?

French supermarket chain Carrefour has introduced “shrinkflation” warning labels on products that have reduced in size but increased in price, aiming…

Wegmans is discontinuing its popular private-label soda, known by fans as “WPOP,” because of concerns over artificial ingredients. Do you find this move commendable or hypocritical?

Bill Lipsky of UNFI said that more than anything else, independents must own the relationship with the shopper and should ask for help from wholesalers to make it happen.

Amazon.com announced last week that it plans to permanently close eight of its 28 Amazon Go convenience stores. The first Go opened in January 2018 and featured the debut of its “Just Walk Out” technology.

More than half of shoppers (54 percent) shop for meat, chicken, or fish primarily in physical stores, according to a PYMNTS survey. Does the need for speed make it difficult (nearly impossible) for stores to pick fresh meat and produce that will meet the quality standards of online grocery customers?

While grocers have earned credit for upgrading the quality and branding of their private labels, a new study finds store brands receive little marketing support. The study comes as reports indicate shoppers are trading down to store brands amid inflationary pressures.

Grocery self-checkout has long had its detractors, and the technology could soon face legal hurdles that may affect how stores use it.  What do you think of the proposed limit on self-checkout registers and discounts for customers who use self-checkout being considered in Rhode Island?

Albertsons has introduced a digital health and wellness platform that enables customers to track their health and wellness goals and receive rewards, including grocery discounts, for surpassing them. How much consumer appeal do you see in Albertsons’ Sincerely Health platform linking loyalty rewards to fitness, nutrition and mental health goals?

Food shopping options for downtowners can be downright dismal. Patricia Waldron is a center city dweller and feels fortunate to have a great Ralph’s in her neighborhood, but before the store opened, downtown San Diego was pretty much a food desert.  Are grocers generally doing enough to serve urban consumers?

A university study finds telling online shoppers that grocery supplies are low can help retain them over the long term. How would you rate the pros and cons of letting online grocery shoppers know when inventories are low?

Shoppers believe grocers are making 14 times more profit than they actually are and also believe food-at-home inflation is about two times higher than reality, according to a new dunnhumby analysis. Are grocers in a “precarious position with their brand perception” in the face of rampant food inflation?

Hy-Vee has suspended its employee discount program after discovering a significant increase in the number of people using it that did not share the same household or even the same city. Is it common for retail employees to misuse store discount perks?

Walmart is known for its everyday low prices on products across the store, but a recent offer of a carton of 18 eggs for $2 at a store in Kentucky raises questions about how this particular location was able to offer a price so low. How much are Walmart and other large retailers able to influence pricing on commodities such as eggs?

At a virtual meeting in December, Whole Foods implored suppliers to lower costs on packaged groceries as inflation moderates. Do grocers have the leverage it takes to strong-arm their suppliers into reducing prices?

Walmart is closing its two pickup- and deliver-only concept stores in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood and in Bentonville, AR.  What do Walmart’s store closings and new store openings from startups like Addie’s say about the viability of pickup-only grocery stores?

Instacart has become a major part of how many Americans shop for groceries online. Now it is moving ahead with plans to become a fixture of how they shop in stores, as well.  Is there significant demand for scan and pay apps?

Wegmans last September reluctantly discontinued use of its popular SCAN self-checkout app because thieves were exploiting the technology. The family-owned chain is now testing smart cart technology that they hope can replace the SCAN app without the security concerns that came with it. Will self-checkout technology become a more prominent feature in retail stores over the next five years?

An Amazon Fresh is not coming to a neighborhood near you just yet. The company will delay opening new Fresh stores until it figures out how to differentiate the locations from established competitors in the market. How do you evaluate Amazon’s strengths and weaknesses in the grocery vertical?

Ahold-Delhaize USA, the company behind Food Lion, Fresh Direct, Giant, The Giant Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, is among those that has structured its business to make sure that the humans behind the technological tools it uses are in a position to do the most good. What is the proper role of information technology in the strategic planning process for retail organizations today?

For the second year in a row, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are within days of each other, posing challenges for grocers’ marketing teams. How should grocers thread the needle to promote both the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day during the same time period?

Ron Margulis thinks that if a technology company could capture the essence of a merchant in every sense of the word, they would have something truly unique to offer food retailers. A genie in a retail bottle. What technology innovations can best help supermarket operators engage their customers?

Amazon Prime members who have gotten their groceries delivered for free with a minimum purchase of $35 will now have to spend at least $150 if they want to avoid paying a fee starting on February 28. How do you expect Prime members will react to Amazon’s new requirements for free grocery delivery?

Ron Margulis with Randy Edeker, executive chairman, and CEO Jeremy Gosch of Hy-Vee, at the recent FMI Midwinter conference in Orlando. Rather than ask about operations, competition or financials, he focused on tech and the customer experience. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing Hy-Vee and other regional supermarket chains?

Consumers are fed up with escalating inflation, prompting some companies to restrain their price hikes to offset cost pressures. Will consumer resistance to higher prices likely be the primary factor driving down inflation?

American consumers continued to spend as prices rose steadily higher from 2021 to June 2022. Will they keep up the shopping pace as prices go in the opposite direction? How might a further easing of inflation affect consumer spending?

Throughout the U.S., a number of new Amazon Fresh stores have been built out, but are just sitting there, leading some to wonder if Amazon is quietly backing away from the Just Walk Out grocery concept. Do you see Amazon Fresh’s stalled openings as a temporary retrenchment or a sign Amazon may be reassessing the concept’s approach?

Seven weeks of head-to-head competitions have brought us to the finals of the 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge with six clear-cut winners and one tie. Who will be crowned the champ? Which spot was the best?

With customers continuing to seek lower-priced shopping options due to inflation, the major players in value retailing are already far outpacing others in opening new stores in 2022 and appear to be riding mighty tailwinds heading into 2023. How much of the expansion success by dollar stores, budget grocers and other value-first chains depends on enduring inflation?

Amazon recently installed Just Walk Out (JWO) at a grocery retailer it does not own for the first time. 2023 will see even more buzz around the technology. Do you see Amazon’s Just Walk Out and similar checkout-free shopping technologies making a significant breakthrough in 2023?

The year 2022 has been a big one for grocery stores in the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. This week’s matchup pits SPAR Ireland, the largest convenience store chain in the Republic, against Walmart, the largest in the world. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from SPAR Ireland and Walmart?

Marking its first-ever wearable-tech product, Kroger has developed a smart Holiday Apron that taps all five human senses to reduce the stress of holiday cooking. The apron supports an influencer-led marketing campaign. What do you think of Kroger’s Holiday Apron and the campaign’s influencer focus and holiday-cooking-stress theme?

Macy’s and Wegmans are going for the heart strings in round six of the 2022 RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Which one will join Etsy, Kroger, Publix, Amazon.com and Aldi UK in the finals? What is your critique of the Christmas spots from Macy’s and Wegmans?

These days, the favorite grocery store in the U.S. is not even a supermarket, a new survey says. Why are more people shopping at 7-Eleven and other convenience stores for meals in the current economic environment?

Gift cards have become an easy answer for people who want to avoid sticking a gift recipient with an item they have to return. Now thanks to this year’s inflationary economy, the gift card that is most appreciated might be the one from the grocery store. What do the findings about people preferring gift cards for necessities mean for grocery stores over the holidays?

Same-day delivery service DoorDash recently announced the layoff of 1,250 corporate workers, raising questions as to whether this is a result of a company in trouble, a contracting vertical, an impending recession or elements of two or three of the above. Are the layoffs at DoorDash a sign of things to come for delivery companies or are they commensurate with changes in the broader retailing market?

The RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge may not rise to the competitive level of the World Cup but, for this week at least, it will bring together two international grocery powerhouses, each with their own holiday stories to tell. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from Aldi UK and Lidl?