Wal-Mart to hire hundreds for fresh foods initiative

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Wal-Mart will hire hundreds of new field managers over the next three years, as part of the retailer's efforts to improve its fresh foods business, a company spokesman said. Wal-Mart has already hired 30 field managers "to help ensure quality and consistency in our fresh operations," spokesman Lorenzo Lopez said Wednesday. Reuters (2/17)

Google Express to add grocery delivery

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Google will enter the grocery delivery business and add fresh produce, meat, milk and other perishable items to its Google Express same-day delivery service, the company said Wednesday. The service, which will launch in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets in partnership with retailers including Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods Market and Smart & Final Stores, will compete with other grocery delivery companies such as Amazon Fresh, Instacart, Peapod and FreshDirect. Bloomberg (2/17), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (2/17)

Other News

Trend-Spotter

Moms find a lot to like about Kroger's ClickList service

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Kroger is finding success with its ClickList online grocery program, especially among shoppers with young children, according to online consumer feedback. "Dear Kroger ClickList...You have changed my life. I don't know if I'll ever go in a grocery store again. Ok maybe that's exaggerating but with twins and 20-degree weather, having groceries brought to my car was awesome!!!" customer Audra Logan wrote on Facebook. Business Insider (2/17)

Campbell pledges $125M in funding for food startups
Campbell Soup will invest $125 million in food startups through the new Acre Venture Partners fund, as part of an effort to develop a better approach to investing in startups, CEO Denise Morrison said Wednesday. "There's a massive influx of venture capital aimed at disrupting the food ecosystem, flowing from traditional VC firms and from funds managed by large food companies," Morrison said. But "a more strategic and methodical approach" is necessary, she added. Advertising Age (free access for SmartBrief readers) (2/17), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (2/17)

SmartBrief Exclusives

Private Brands

Smart & Final ties private label sales into charitable giving

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Smart & Final will donate 1% of the net profits it makes from its First Street private label items to charity, as part of its First Street First Percent program, the retailer said. First Street products, with more than 2,000 items that cover the majority of store categories, make up nearly a quarter of Smart & Final's total sales. Progressive Grocer (2/17)

Supplier News

Annie's to debut cereal line in April
General Mills will launch a line of three cereals under its Annie's organic brand in April, beginning in Whole Foods stores before a larger roll-out planned for this summer. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (2/16)

Hostess restarts, reinvents for a new age

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Marketing bread under the Hostess name and switching from a direct store delivery model to a warehouse delivery model have helped Hostess Brands grow after the company rebounded from a 2012 shutdown, CEO William Toler said. The company is eyeing further opportunities for growth, including line extensions for popular products such as Valentine's Day cupcakes and new products such as brownies and muffins, Toler said. BakingBusiness.com (2/12)

FMI Spotlight

Labels, legislation and limits to both
While I thought 2015 would go down as the "year of the label," it appears that labeling will continue to be the center of our attention for months to come. In a world of multi-channel communication, many of us question the efficaciousness of labels, especially when they attempt to convey too much information within the confines of limited packaging real estate, but still labels appear to be the duct tape of the legislative world -- the solution that will fix all ills. This begins to beg the question, "Is labeling the best means of achieving transparency and offering consumers the information they want?" FMI is presently deeply engaged in advocacy action surrounding two labeling issues of crucial importance to the food retail industry. Read more.

360 degrees of meat trends
The meat industry is a unique one. No other industry sees such a variety of folks invested in the two to three years it takes to bring a meat product from farm to fork. From ranchers to packagers, buyers to meat managers, all are invested in the outcome -- the best quality, most flavorful and greatest variety of meat for consumers to enjoy. To arm meat industry professionals with a 360-degree view of current meat trends, FMI and the North American Meat Institute host the industry for the Annual Meat Conference held this year in Nashville. As we set the stage to showcase the latest meat trends, here are some highlights of what meat industry professionals can expect.

Food Safety and Security

Salmonella risk prompts recall of Lipari's pistachio products
Possible contamination with salmonella prompted Lipari Foods to recall several raw pistachio products. The affected items include Pistachio Meat Raw, Pistachios Raw Whole Shelled and Fancy Fruit and Nut Mix sold under a variety of brand names and distributed to 14 states. Food Poisoning Bulletin (2/18)

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