News Briefs

Drug store chain Rite Aid and “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) solution provider Afterpay have expanded their relationship to offer a nationwide flexible payment option allowing consumers to make four interest-free payments at more than 2,000 Rite Aid locations for all household necessities, including health and beauty, baby care, and grocery items. The companies’ partnership was first revealed last May. 

“Expanding our partnership with Afterpay allows more customers to obtain offerings that support their whole-health needs while providing financial flexibility,” said Justin Mennen, Rite Aid’s EVP, chief digital and technology officer. “We’re consistently leveraging technology to complement the busy lives of our customers and improve the health-and-wellness needs of our communities.” 

In the United States, Amazon, CVS, Kroger, Target and Walgreens also accept payments via Afterpay. 

Consumers can shop for popular brands and deals by downloading the Afterpay app on iOS and Android. Melbourne, Australia-based Afterpay, which has a U.S. office in San Francisco, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Block Inc.

Philadelphia-based Rite Aid operates 2,300-plus retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. The company is No. 21 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Amazon, Kroger, Walgreens, Target and CVS are Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, on PG’s list.

Grocery platform Pod Foods has tapped grocery and CPG veteran Mike Schall to help lead the organization as its new president. Schall, who has more than 40 years of industry experience, will help lead the Austin, Texas-based Pod Foods through its next phase of growth.

Most recently, Schall served as managing director of the food and beverage practice at financial services and consulting firm FocalPoint Partners. His grocery experience includes a role as senior principal  of global growth and business development at Whole Foods Market, where he guided the company on a range of business initiatives, including investments, strategic partnerships, new ventures, store brand product development, sustainability initiatives and operational improvements. 

[Read more: "Pod Foods Capital Launches"]

"Joining forces with Mike marks an inflection point in our journey," said Larissa Russell, co-founder and CEO of Pod Foods. "Industry leaders are acknowledging the magnitude of change and competitive advantage of our tech-driven solutions that provide much needed speed and transparency to the supply chain."

Pod Foods, designed to help brands and retailers connect directly and transact with full-service logistics, is backed by investors including Moment Ventures, M12 (Microsoft's Venture Fund), XRC Labs and Interstate Fusion Fund. The company recently added Sprouts Farmers Market to its platform.

B&R Stores Inc., an independent grocer based in Lincoln, Neb., has promoted Nick Kelso to the position of VP - store operations. In his new role, Kelso will oversee the operations of the company’s 33 stores in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. Kelso also serves on B&R’s executive committee.

Bringing more than 23 years of experience at B&R to his latest position, Kelso joined the company as a clerk in Omaha and steadily rose through the ranks. During his time at the grocer, he has held various leadership roles, among them store director and district manager for both the Russ’s Market and Super Saver groups of stores. Kelso has been instrumental in the implementation of such initiatives as computer-assisted ordering, and he played a key role in the successful acquisition of C&R Markets in Missouri.

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“I am deeply honored and grateful for this opportunity to serve as VP - store operations for the company,” said Kelso. “I am committed to upholding B&R Stores’ values and leading our extraordinary team of employees to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers.”

“I am proud to say Nick is fully qualified to take on additional leadership responsibilities for the company,” added B&R President Mark Griffin. “As the embodiment of a servant leader, Nick knows in his heart, it is the company's people who matter the most. Nick is a true motivator of people who inspires those he leads to perform at their best.”

Founded in 1964 by Russ and Anita Raybould, family-owned B&R has grown to consist of several supermarket banners: Russ’s Market, Super Saver, Apple Market, Allen’s, Cash Saver, C&R Markets, and Joe’s Market. The company operates in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

The Kroger Co. is synching up with Mother Nature as it celebrates Earth Day for the entire month of April. The grocer’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is making contributions to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Arbor Day Foundation, and also supporting efforts to increase tree canopies in communities impacted by extreme weather.

Through April 30, customers can round up their purchases at checkout to benefit WWF, with the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation matching those donations up to $50,000. All donations made during the month of April will go directly to WWF, benefitting its conservation and sustainability efforts around the globe.

[Read more: "How Kroger Is Using Technology to Enhance the Customer, Associate Experience"]

"At Kroger, we support healthy, thriving communities during Earth Month and every day through our Zero Hunger | Zero Waste impact plan," said Keith Dailey, group VP of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer. "We are proud to join forces with WWF and the Arbor Day Foundation to celebrate Earth Month with our communities and advance our shared mission to protect our planet for generations to come."

A $50,000 contribution to the Arbor Day Foundation will support the distribution of hundreds of trees in both Shreveport, La., and Bowling Green, Ky., which were each recently struck by natural disasters. Expanding the tree canopy in those areas will help combat impacts from events such as hurricanes and flooding.

Serving 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Ethnic online grocer Weee! has seated finance pro Mark Lawrence on its board of directors. Lawrence currently serves as CFO for Nu Skin Enterprises and previously worked as head of finance for Amazon’s Lab126, where he helped launch several Amazon devices. Over the course of his career, he has also held leadership positions at 3Com, Brocade, Polycom and Vivint Smart Home. Lawrence earned an MBA from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.

[Read more: "How E-Grocers Are Setting the Pace of Change in Grocery"]

Weee! CEO Larry Liu said the move will strengthen the e-grocer’s operation as it offers experiences and products spanning a range of cultures. "Weee! is on a growth trajectory, as the demand for ethnic food increases, driven by ethnic communities as well as Americans' growing interest in Asian and Latino cuisines. I am thrilled to welcome Mark to the Weee! board as his combination of critical financial skills and broader expertise will help accelerate Weee!'s growth and commitment to operational excellence,” Liu remarked.

Added Lawrence: "I am pleased to join Weee! at an important time in the history of the company. I look forward to helping propel the Weee! brand in its next phase of growth and market penetration." 

Proptech company Facilio, which offers a suite of smart-buildings software, has now rolled out a cloud-based supervisory control platform that enables remote monitoring and optimization of refrigeration systems. According to the New York-based company, its Connected Refrigeration Solution delivers up to 20% in energy cost savings for multi-site food retailers, including grocery, convenience store and supermarket operators.

“Our Connected Refrigeration solution helps retailers take control of their refrigeration systems, providing real-time visibility into the performance of their assets across all sites, enabling them to make informed decisions and reduce costs,” said Facilio co-founder and CPO Raj Subramanian. 

[Read more: "How to Renovate Stores on a Budget"]

The retail, foodservice and grocery sectors spend more than $41 billion on energy annually, representing 14 billion square feet of floor space in the U.S. alone. Food cooling and refrigeration account for more than 50% of a store’s energy costs. 

Among the early adopters of the Connected Refrigeration Solution is one of the “big four” supermarket chains in the U.K., for which Facilio has delivered 16% in energy cost savings and eliminated the cost of undetected refrigerant leaks within weeks of deploying the software.

Facilio has also teamed up with IoT solutions provider Tutenlabs to drive value for more than 10,000 retail sites across the U.S.

“Our customers deserve the best,” said Roi Amszynowski, CEO of Santiago, Chile-based Tutenlabs. “By joining forces with Facilio, we are confident that we will keep generating more value and savings for all of our stakeholders.”