Retail Daily

Trader Joe’s recalls another product. Convenience store chain Wawa makes Yelp’s 50 fastest growing brands list. And Grubhub expands into the grocery delivery business.

Walgreens announces another round of layoffs. 7-Eleven completes its acquisition of more than 200 stores. And Hy-Vee moves closer to acquiring the Strack & Van Til Food Market chain

Aldi pilots new checkout-free technology. The U.S. House Oversight & Accountability Committee scrutinizes illegal vape sales. And 7-Eleven takes home multiple awards for its Slurpee Song of the Summer marketing campaign.

A former Trader Joe’s manager accuses Amazon of stealing trade secrets from the specialty grocer. Loblaw launches its own cell phone network. And bp expands its food and drink offerings at its convenience stores.

Alimentation Couche-Tard has suspended its Circle K Sip & Save beverage subscription program. SQRL Holdings has agreed to sell its convenience stores. And Meijer is putting the finishing touches on two supercenters in Alliance and North Canton, Ohio.

Buc-ee’s has set a date to open its newest travel center. A Trader Joe’s is facing a fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for violating worker safety regulations. And Wawa is opening its first store in North Carolina on May 16.

Seven & i Holdings will increase its focus on  convenience retailing and mergers and acquisitions in North America. Online grocery sales remained flat in March at $8 billion. And the state of Illinois is hoping to take a major step toward wiping out food deserts.

Five grocery companies have formed a venture capital fund to invest in emerging technologies. Murphy USA is kicking off its semi-annual fundraiser Great Futures Fueled Here. And bp is investing in the future of mobility.

Colorado’s laws on who can sell wine are under review. 7-Eleven is kicking off its 60th anniversary of selling to-go coffee. And Procter & Gamble is recalling over 8 million laundry detergent packets.

Gas stations and convenience stores have been preparing for today’s solar eclipse. The Food and Drug Administration is seeking fines against retailers selling nicotine pouches to underage users.

Convenience stores saw record sales in 2023. Trader Joe’s is being accused of more union-busting tactics. And Atlantis Management Group acquired M. Spiegel & Sons Oil Corp.

Kwik Trip gets rid of bagged milk. The California Legislature considers a bill requiring one worker for every two self-checkout registers. And Kum & Go gets ready for National Burrito Day.

Amazon walks away from its cashierless Just Walk Out technology. 7-Eleven invites customers to bring their own cup. And Albertsons tweaks its loyalty program.

Convenience stores get ready for big business during next week’s solar eclipse. Indoor farming company Edible Garden announces big 2023 revenues. And 7-Eleven releases Hot Dog-flavored Water … or did they?

RaceTrac has deployed the Acumera Reliant Platform across its convenience stores. Pharmacy chain Rite Aid received permission to begin voting on a bankruptcy restructuring plan. And the Environmental Protection Agency has set new greenhouse gas standards for delivery trucks.

Food prices are expected to increase 2.5% in 2024. Maverik has revamped Kum & Go’s &Rewards loyalty program. And the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products has launched a searchable tobacco products database.

Inadequate customer service is providing an early exit for Walmart from a deal with Capital One. Trader Joe’s has opened Trade Joe’s Pronto–a convenience-like “grab-pay-and-go” concept store in New York. And Maverik has returned to Montana.

The Food and Drug Administration warned more than 60 retailers for selling illegal vapes. Murphy USA is undergoing a digital transformation. And Trader Joe’s has raised the price of their bananas for the first time in store history.

Convenience-store chain Yesway is significantly expanding its presence in Oklahoma. Visa and Mastercard swipe fees hit a record high of $100.77 billion in 2023. And grocer Coborn’s is getting into the high-tech business with its salad bars.

The Federal Trade Commission accuses large grocery retailers of using pandemic-era supply chain disruptions to increase profits. Albertsons begins accepting celebrity investor Mark Cuban’s pharmacy card. And the Environmental Protection Agency releases new auto standards to reduce emissions.

DoorDash pilots a new drone delivery program in Virginia. Loblaws shoppers organize a boycott of the store over high prices. And electric vehicle charger company EVgo Inc. opens its first prefab charging station.

New York State allows pharmacists to dispense hormonal contraceptives without a prescription. Trader Joe’s announces another recall. And 7-Eleven releases a new lineup of coffee creations.

Kroger plans to sell its specialty pharmacy business. Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores is hiring 2,000 new employees. And Walmart closes stores in California and Maryland.

Aldi prepares to release a new line of branded sneakers. 7-Eleven names a senior vice president of restaurant operations. And Dollar Tree announces plans to begin selling products for as much as $7.

SQRL expects to reopen all 210 former Mountain Express convenience stores within three months. Dollar General plans to remove self-checkout in about 300 stores. And construction is underway for Sheetz’s first Michigan store.

Buc-ee’s will soon unveil its first travel center in Colorado. Dollar General is betting it can capitalize on what it calls a “significant opportunity” to power through 2024. And Kwik Trip and the Milwaukee Brewers are partnering on a ticket deal.

Casey’s General Stores is ramping up its spring and summer store-level hiring for 2024. Dollar Tree said it plans to shutter 1,000 stores. And confectionery sales hit $48 billion in 2023.

Alltown Fresh owner Global Partners updated its logo. There’s a new update on the looming Kroger and Albertsons merger. And higher profitability inside the store buoyed Casey’s General Stores’ performance in its fiscal third-quarter 2024.

Foodservice technology company PAR Technology Corp. has acquired convenience-store and retail fuel software provider Stuzo Holdings. Presidente Supermarkets signed a lease as an anchor tenant in a new mixed-use development in Miami. And QuikTrip has purchased a Bell 429 helicopter.

Maverik’s CEO Chuck Maggelet will retire on May 1. A group is trying to break up Trader Joe’s first union. And Democratic senators are warning convenience-store retailers not to sell illegal vape products.

Pilot Travel Centers plans to add 35 travel centers and remodel more than 75 locations in 2024. Discount grocer Aldi is investing $9 billion over the next five years to open 800 new U.S. locations. And Urban Value Corner Store plans to offer autonomous checkout at its convenience stores in luxury apartment communities.

Convenience-store retailer Casey’s General Stores Inc. has acquired Panther Travel Center. A disappointing second quarter earnings sheet has United Natural Foods revising its fiscal year 2024 forecast. And GPM Investments has plans for three new c-stores.

Rouses Markets’ shoppers can now use DoorDash for their grocery delivery. Smoker Friendly has acquired 54 stores in Indiana. And four new prepared-fresh sandwiches are now available at Casey’s General Stores.

Publix Super Markets’ net earnings of $4.3 billion in 2023 was up nearly 50% over the $2.9 billion reported in 2022. Whole Foods Market is introducing a new, “quick-shop” small-format store designed to provide customers in urban neighborhoods a fast, convenient shopping experience. And  Trader Joe’s has another recall on its hands.

Thousands of Kroger union workers authorize a strike in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reaches a resolution with Speedway convenience-store over alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And Dierbergs partners with retail technology and tools provider Swiftly on its retail media network.

Trader Joe’s pulls another product off the shelves for contaminants. Whole Foods launches AI smart carts in San Mateo, California. And the FDA issues warning letters to online retailers selling unauthorized e-cigarette products.

Walgreens begins accepting Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits online. Grocery tech company Upshop launches a solution to last-minute worker shortages utilizing gig workers. And Save A Lot announces store closures in metro Dallas.

Family Dollar agrees to pay $41 million in fines for food safety violations. DoorDash adds 720 new pet product retail locations. And Walgreens Boots Alliance names a new global chief legal officer.

The Federal Trade Commission and 9 state attorneys general sue to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger. Del Taco Restaurants makes a push into convenience stores. And Sprouts Farmers Market gives an update on its decision to close all of its larger stores.

The SEC charges the spouse of a BP executive with insider trading. DoorDash reaches a settlement with the California attorney general for illegally selling customer data. And Walgreens plans to close all of its VillageMD clinics in the state of Florida.

Grocers celebrate National Supermarket Employee Day. Casey’s General Stores releases a special-release batch of select bourbon. And Illinois could eliminate its grocery tax permanently.

Several states and the FTC are set to block the Kroger, Albertsons merger. Murphy USA names Mindy West as its executive vice president and chief operating officer. And the federal government could soon require grocers to collect information on purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

A union that represents thousands of grocery workers in the Pacific Northwest endorses the Kroger-Albertsons merger. Walmart announces plans to buy TV manufacturer Vizio. And convenience store chain QuikTrip opens its first store in metro Oklahoma City.

DoorDash reports a 23% year-over-year increase in total orders. Grocery price inflation slows down in January. And Instacart launches a new partnership with the American Cancer Society.

Maverik has launched a new branded apparel and merchandise line. Target has launched a new private label brand called Dealworthy. And Walmart is in talks with smart-television manufacturer Vizio to buy the company for more than $2 billion. 

Shrinkflation has caught President Joe Biden’s attention. Current public charging stations for electric vehicles are far from meeting consumer wants and expectations. And Instacart announced it will cut 250 jobs, roughly 7% of its workforce.

Kentucky is suing the Kroger Co. over opioid pills. CSP has formed its inaugural C-StoreTEC Advisory Board. And Sheetz has promoted three executives.

Electrify America opened its first indoor flagship public electric-vehicle charging station in San Francisco. Dollar Tree expanded the reach of its chief operating officer role. And Shell signed an agreement to acquire 45 fuel and convenience-store sites in New Mexico through the acquisition of Brewer Oil Co.’s retail division.

California attempts to ban plastic shopping bags – again. Casey’s General Stores put a face to its pizza and beer offerings. And Amazon plans to lay off hundreds of workers in its health care division.

Walgreens names a new president of U.S. Healthcare. Target considers a paid subscription service, similar to those offered by competitors. And BP plans to convert all of its TravelCenters of America sites east of the Rockies.