THE FRIDAY 5: Albertsons Board Member Resigns; Dollar General Ramps Up Distribution

1. Albertsons, Ahold Delhaize Boards Make Headlines

News came in this week that Steve Feinberg officially stepped down from the Albertsons Cos. board of directors, effective Feb. 21, following his nomination to become the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense. With that move, Frank Bruno, co-CEO of Albertsons investor Cerberus Capital Management L.P., was appointed to fill Feinberg’s position on the board.

“Steve has been a significant contributor to the board, and I thank him for his long-standing support to Albertsons Cos. I also congratulate Steve on his pending appointment to the Department of Defense and his service to our country,” said Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran. “In addition, I am excited to welcome Frank to the board as we accelerate our business strategy to earn Customers for Life.”

Meanwhile, Ahold Delhaize also made moves within its supervisory board this week. The retail conglomerate nominated grocery executive Per Bank to serve on the board, and also called for the reappointment of Jan Zijderveld. Bank is a Danish national who is currently president and CEO of Canadian grocer Loblaw Cos. Ltd. 

2. Dollar General Expands Distribution and Retail Media Efforts

Dollar General officially cut the ribbon this week on its first Arkansas distribution center. The one-million-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility supports the company’s traditional supply chain distribution, as well as its DG Fresh network that provides perishable products to stores and the DG Private Fleet. 

Dollar General has been steadily ramping up its distribution network over the past year. In November, the company opened a similar distribution facility in the Colorado city of Aurora – also its first in the Centennial State.

The value retailer is also ramping up its retail media efforts through a new partnership with experiential marketing platform Recess. Dollar General will hyper-target customers in their everyday lives, allowing brand partners to extend their reach outside the store via community-driven sampling.

Recess leverages proprietary retailer- and audience-targeting tools in its software to pinpoint where shoppers are, whether it’s a school campus, gym or other locations. From there, advertisers can execute experiential sampling programs in which community members and leaders distribute products to attendees.

3. Injured Elderly Couple Files Lawsuit Against Giant Food

Readers were interested in news of a lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of John Hopkins III and Claudia Hopkins, a couple in their eighties who were attacked outside a Giant Food supermarket in Washington, D.C., in 2022. The lawsuit seeks to hold Giant Food and others accountable for allegedly failing to provide adequate security, which led to John and Claudia Hopkins sustaining serious injuries. 

When contacted by PG, a Giant Food spokesperson acknowledged the lawsuit and provided the following statement: “Because of the active litigation, we won't be able to provide additional comments now. Our primary focus remains on serving our customers and communities with the commitment to service and integrity that Giant Food is known for. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate through this process.”

4. Kroger Welcomes the Spring Time Change

In a new promotion that ties into the notion of micro-occasions and also spotlights breakfast offerings, Kroger is launching the “Hour Back Box” timed with the switch to Daylight Savings Time. The boxes are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on March 4 at 12 p.m. EST. Customers can visit Kroger.com/HourBack to claim an exclusive box while supplies last.

The free, limited-edition Hour Back Box includes the grocer’s Private Selection Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, Simple Truth Oatmilk Creamer and Kroger Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches, as well as a gift card redeemable for a one-year Kroger Boost membership. 

5. Notable Openings From BJ’s, Albertsons, Save A Lot & More

A number of retailers this week announced upcoming expansion plans. A BJ’s Wholesale Club location is set to open in Myrtle Beach, S.C., marking the second location for the retailer in the state of South Carolina.

Also this week, representatives from The United Family joined city officials and other community representatives to break ground for a new Albertsons Market grocery store and fuel station in Lovington, N.M. This will be the first United Family location in the market and is slated to open in 2026.

Additionally, CQM Foods, an employee-owned company operating Freshtown and Peck’s grocery stores in upstate New York, officially debuted a new state-of-the-art Freshtown of Newburgh on Feb. 21. Save A Lot also opened a new store this week – this one in the Pennsylvania city of Jersey Shore.