News Briefs

Latino-owned independent supermarket chain Vallarta Supermarkets and The Gonzalez Family Foundation have awarded a total of $253,000 in scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year.

“Investing in the future educational success of our employees and their families is important to Vallarta,” said Lizette Gomez, Vallarta’s director of marketing. “We believe education is key and are extremely proud and honored to be able to help our Vallarta family advance their academic goals.”

[Read more: "Vallarta Supermarkets Advances E-Commerce Biz"]

All eligible full-time Vallarta employees and their dependents, part-time students, and graduate students were able to apply for the scholarships.

Added Gomez: “These scholarships will help further the educational goals of our employees but also for future generations to come.”

Founded in 1985, Sylmar, Calif.-based Vallarta operates 53 locations throughout California. 

John Driscoll has joined Mid-Atlantic food retailer Weis Markets as VP of construction and store development. In his new role, Driscoll will oversee the day-to-day management and operation of the grocer’s construction, architecture, land development, non-resale procurement, energy and facilities maintenance. He reports to SVP of Real Estate and Development Rusty Graber.

Driscoll brings to his latest position 20 years of experience leading multidisciplinary teams in architecture, construction, facility design/maintenance and project management. He comes to Weis Markets from Texas grocer H-E-B, where he led teams working on new stores, remodels/expansions and equipment replacements.

Driscoll earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture and an MBA from Texas Tech University. 

In reporting its most recent second-quarter results, Weis Markets noted that, despite economic uncertainty, net sales for the company totaled $1.14 billion for the 13-week quarter ended June 25, compared with $1.05 billion for the same period in 2021, up 8.4%. Second-quarter comps increased 8.4% on an individual year-over-year basis and increased 2.6% on a two-year stacked basis, following an increase of 24.1% for the same period in 2020. The grocer attributed these gains to such inflation-fighting strategies as its Low, Low Price program, which includes brand-name and Weis Quality products and features price reductions between 13% and 33%.

Sunbury, Pa.-based Weis Markets operates 197 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. The company is No. 61 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named it as one of the Top 10 Regional Operators to Watch in 2022. San Antonio-based H-E-B, with more than 420 stores and 145,000 employees in Texas and Mexico,  is No. 16 on PG’s list.

Grocers with foodservice operations – and those who want to track away-from-home dining trends – can heed the results of a new operator survey from the National Restaurant Association showing that macroeconomic conditions are taking a toll on that industry. According to the association's new research, nearly half – 46% – of restaurant operators say that business conditions are worse now than they were three months ago.

Higher food, labor and operating costs are contributing to a slowdown and concern in the foodservice sector, the survey showed. An overwhelming majority of 88% respondents said their total food and beverages costs are higher than in 2019 and 85% report that their business is less profitable than it was before the pandemic.

[Read more: "Why Grocers Should Bet on Fresh Convenience and Prepared Foods"]

To stem some of the cost challenges, almost all (91%) of foodservice operators have increased their menu prices. More than two-thirds have changed the food and beverage items that are offered on their menu.

Labor shortages, while perhaps not as acute as last year, are still a stubborn problem. The survey found that 65% of operators don’t have enough employees to support demand and 84% said they will likely hire more workers over the next six months.

"Consumers are watching prices rise faster in grocery stores than they are in restaurants and see an increased value in spending their food dollars in restaurants. However, the moderate menu price increases aren't balancing the surging input costs and this is forcing operators to cut hours, change their menus, postpone expansions, and reduce third-party delivery," remarked Michelle Korsmo, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

Bell and Howell is adding to its series of automated pickup solutions with a new freestanding indoor system that enables customers to grab their orders within seconds. The new QuickCollect Go! Cube is built on the same robotic “store in a box” technology used in Bell and Howell’s pickup pod, with a modular design for higher density storage capability.

The small-footprint cube helps shoppers avoid having to go to a line or service desk to pick up their orders and also helps retailers optimize time and labor. It can support up to four shoppers at a time and accommodates a variety of products, including refrigerated, frozen and ambient goods that require temperature control.

[Read more: "ShopRite 1st on East Coast to Deploy QuickCollect GO! POD Smart Grocery Pickup"]

“Bell and Howell QuickCollect Go! products put the consumer first and in control over their time. Consumers no longer wait for goods at home or in a parking lot – instead their items are waiting for them. This new iteration of our revolutionary technology gives businesses more ways to offer customers the convenience they desire while reducing complexity and cost,” said James Hermanowski, general manager and VP of Bell and Howell’s BH QuickCollect Solutions business.

Advance remote monitoring and 24/7 technical support and service are available for the BH QuickCollect Solutions.

Michigan-based Meijer is rolling out two new lines of restaurant-style, single-serve meals dubbed Crafted Market by Meijer and Crafted Market Signature by Meijer. The heat-and-eat meals come in 12 varieties and are now available in the grocer’s deli grab-and-go section.

The Crafted Market line offers classic, family favorites including blackened chicken mac & cheese, teriyaki chicken and meatloaf and mash. The signature line offers more elevated meal options assembled in-store like chicken enchiladas, pesto grilled chicken with lemon thyme orzo and chicken asada.

"We know that sometimes doing your grocery shopping can work up an appetite, so we're pleased to be enhancing our heat-and-eat selection with this line full of fun flavors and classic favorites that customers can grab as they finish up their trip and enjoy soon after from the comfort of their homes," said Salwan Yaqo, Meijer deli buyer.

[Read more: "How Fresh Foods Departments Are Evolving"]

Meijer’s new meals can be heated in five minutes or less, and the grocer anticipates that 40% of the meals will be consumed the same day they're purchased. 

"We have a long history of centering convenience and quality in our deli experience for our customers, so expanding our ready-to-heat options just makes sense," said Marlys Roberts, Meijer merchandising director of deli and bakery.

Privately owned Meijer operates more than 260 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company is No. 20 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food retailers in North America.

Consumer engagement app Fetch Rewards has surpassed 5 million daily active users, according to metrics from San Francisco-based Data.ai. Having added more than 1 million to that daily active user number in the past month alone, the company is seeing widespread interest in its rewards platform.

“We’re reinventing the way people engage with brands by improving the efficiency of the relationship, and by making it fun,” noted Wes Schroll, CEO and founder of Madison, Wis.-based Fetch. “That’s why we’re seeing these numbers climb. We’re looking forward to continuing to partner with brands that will offer consumers the best experience and leverage our vast amount of users to return the strongest impact for those brand partners.” 

With more than 17 million people using the app monthly, Fetch’s daily user count reached 5 million for the first time in July. Demand for the app has continued to rise as consumers seek new ways to save money on grocery staples amid record inflation. 

“One thing that makes 5 million so exciting to us is that it’s about a third of our monthly active users,” added Schroll. “We’ve seen this ratio increase, and we’re now on a trend line towards social media apps, rather than utility-savings apps.”

According to the company, its app outperforms such leading apps as Target, DoorDash and Instacart, and, with more than $133 billion in annualized retail sales, the Fetch platform is equivalent to the nation’s fifth-largest and fastest-growing retailer, trailing only e-commerce and big-box giants like Amazon and Walmart. The company has established partnerships with Albertsons and General Mills, among others. 

Fetch’s data provides the basis for a new generation of advertising tools that drive real, measurable purchasing decisions. It has more than 500 global brands on its roster. For partners, Fetch Rewards helps accelerate growth and provide a greater understanding of customer behavior to allow for better consumer relationships and stronger brand loyalty. On the consumer side, its frictionless experience creates a fun, social and rewarding experience.