Top Grocery Retailer and Food Supply Chain News Jan 15-31
By iFoodDS Team
January 31, 2022
Here is our bi-weekly roundup of the latest food industry news. In the weeks of January 15 –31, Walmart announced future plans for grocery delivery and investments. Other major grocery retailers launched programs to reduce food waste and carbon emissions, and the USDA announced funds available for specialty crops.
Walmart to Offer Contactless Delivery in Florida
Participating Walmart stores in Florida will offer customers that are enrolled in their HomeValet’s app a contactless grocery delivery option using a Smart Box. Customers can track, customize, and remotely control their Smart Boxes deliveries.
Walmart Invests in Vertical Farming
Walmart invested in the indoor vertical leafy greens grower Plenty Unlimited. The agreement allows Walmart to source Plenty’s leafy greens for all its California stores starting in 2022.
Meijer Plans to Reduce Carbon Emissions by 50%
As part of their sustainability efforts, Meijer recently announced plans to halve their carbon emissions by 2025.
Stop & Shop Launched Flashfood
After a pilot conducted in May, Stop & Shop launched their Flashfood program to reduce food waste in their Rhode Island stores. The program has reduced food waste by 35,000 pounds.
Stop & Shop Pre-Paid Debit Card to Buy Produce
In addition to their Flashfood program launch, Stop & Shop also recently launched their “Fresh Connect” program in partnership with About Fresh. Fresh Connect, designed to help communities in need, will allow people to use pre-paid debit cards to purchase fresh produce at Stop & Shop stores.
FMI and NielsenIQ Release Report
FMI and Nielsen IQ partnered and released the report “Transparency in an Evolving Omnichannel World”. The report identified the high demands of transparency by consumers.
USDA offers $72.9MM through Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
USDA announced the availability of $72.9 million through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The money is intended to fund innovative projects designed to support the expanding specialty crop sector and explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products.
Organic Fresh Produce Sales Grew 5.5% in 2021
According to the 2021 Organic Produce Performance Report released by Organic Produce Network and Category Partners, organic fresh produce sales went up by 5.5 percent in 2021.
