Walmart

Since the early days of the Internet, companies have tried to capitalize on online grocery. Some have failed, some have held their own, but none have revolutionized the way consumers think about shopping for groceries.

In an industry where retailers are dramatically changing their go-to-market strategy by trying to do more with less -- simplifying their stores and revamping the center store -- are store brands exempt from consideration?

Pricing these days is a balancing act. Cash-strapped consumers are pinching every penny and comparing prices across formats, forfeiting convenience for savings.

The home front has become the battlefront in the consumer’s war against shrinking incomes and budgets. Home-cooked meals have replaced restaurant dining.

In a bid to make it easy to enjoy this fall’s harvest, Walmart is hosting a celebration of all things apple in 2,000 stores nationwide via an Apple Fest that will run throughout the month of October.

Well-respected industry executive Jim Donald has joined Bellingham, Wash.-based Haggen, Inc. as its president and CEO, replacing Dale Henley, who earlier this year said he would retire. In bringing Donald aboard as its new chief executive, the 33-store grocery store company is tapping one of the supermarket industry’s most experienced and talented executives.

Organizing its customer base into a number of individual “clusters” with specific characteristics is at the heart of Food Lion’s strategy that has seen creation of the chain’s new Bloom and Bottom Dollar banners to attract both upscale and price-conscious customers, the company’s chief operating officer, Cathy Green, told a snack industry conference last week.

Even as the economy begins to rebound, budget-friendly private labels continue to draw in consumers, according to a new report from Chicago-based Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). The report, “IRI Times & Trends Report: Game-Changing Economy Taking Private Label to New Heights” found that private label unit share has grown to 22.8 percent (up 1.2 points) in the past 12 months, while dollar share has grown 0.7 points to 17.6 percent.