Following a pilot program that began in 2017, Walmart will now allow customers to pay for online grocery orders with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits at its more than 2,500 pickup locations. Customers can select "EBT card" on Walmart's website and present the benefit card at pickup.

H.E. Butt Grocery's new Eastside Tech Hub is now open in Austin, Texas, and it houses both H-E-B's Austin-based digital operations and its delivery subsidiary Favor. The renovated warehouse has individual and collaborative work spaces, as well as more than 50 meeting rooms, and the space pays homage to Texas culture with locally made furniture and rooms named after cities and landmarks.

ALDI has pledged to reduce its use of plastic packaging by 25% by 2025, and plans to eliminate cotton swabs, plastic plates and single-use straws by the end of next year. The grocer also plans to use more sustainable materials for its plastic packaging and cut down on plastics in fresh food packaging.

There is a huge desire to trace goods, particularly fresh goods, from farm to table. With the potential for more foodborne illness outbreaks resulting in recalls, the industry must be able to more readily recall and identify the source of the contamination. FMI's Amanda Saxton discussed the possibilities of blockchain with Jay Schulman, national leader, blockchain and cryptocurrency of RSM US LLP, to learn how food retailers can use this technology now and in the future. Read more.

In the past few years, we've witnessed a proliferation of new business and profit models within retail and direct-to-consumer selling. With omnichannel strategies at the core of these models, the industry has passed the physical vs. digital argument and into a channel-agnostic world with a focus on enabling consumer choice and fulfilling demand. Read more.

FMItech is a community of food retail e-commerce, marketing, operations and technology professionals that gathers online and in-person to discuss ideas, collaborate and explore. In September, FMItech will have a four-session track at Groceryshop focusing on omnichannel operational areas. One of the sessions will focus on the omnichannel pivot and how to resource teams to adapt and grow in the fast-changing omnichannel landscape.

Omnichannel drives retailer growth as well as e-commerce growth for CPGs -- but how do you pivot to appropriately take advantage of the opportunity? Come hear how the first person hired to the Unilever omnichannel team (now 12-strong and growing) built the team to support its largest omni-customer, Walmart, adding cross-functional support to help Walmart develop its categories. She’ll discuss her journey over the past 2+ years and the vision for how brands and retail partners will meet customer omnichannel needs. See the agenda.

Individuals from established retailers and brands may qualify for complimentary tickets plus up to $750 in travel/hotel reimbursement as part of the Groceryshop Hosted Retailers & Brands Program. Apply HERE early. 

Food retail companies seem to be at different stages in omnichannel strategy development depending on their specific business model. Some are just starting to experiment with aspects of omnichannel, while others have jumped in with both feet to rapidly change their organization to reach the digital shopper. Most food retailers are somewhere in-between these two extremes -- having implemented one or two aspects for omnichannel success, but not yet committed to the full road map. Take a look at the omnichannel resources we have organized for you.

Shoppers see the process of shopping across channels and banners as a personalization strategy. According to the recently released FMI US Grocery Shopper Trends, an annual look at grocery shopper attitudes and behavior, shoppers visit an average of 4.4 banners per month and regularly shop 3.1 channels to meet their diverse grocery needs. Shoppers expect food retailers to evolve with their needs, offering more personalization, but generally, they are satisfied with their primary store's ability to meet their needs. Read more.

See the upcoming free webinars:
A Deeper Dive into Food Retail Emerging Trends
Personalization in Grocery Retail

By 2022, 70% of shopping will be e-commerce, meaning shoppers will expect a seamless omnichannel experience where products are described and identified identically in-store, online, in mobile apps and with proximity-driven promotions delivered directly to their smartphones. Focusing on mastering data accuracy, this white paper by FMI and Nielsen addresses the digital shopper imperative of master data accuracy. See the omnichannel resources, and access the free download of all the omnichannel operational imperatives: Following the Profitable Path to Your Digitally Engaged Grocery Shoppers: Executive Workbook 2019.

The most successful grocery retailers and CPG manufacturers are driving increased sales and profits by delivering an ideal omnichannel shopping experience, which requires having the consumers' preferred brands on the shelf, at the right time, at the right price. Download the white paper and watch the video by FMI and RSi addressing the digital shopper imperative of integrated forecasting.