Members of the Flexible Rewards loyalty program at Giant Food are eligible for the grocer's new "Flex-to-Win" sweepstakes, in which five customers will be awarded enough rewards points to get free groceries for a year. The grand prize winners will be unveiled in January and Giant Food also is giving away points worth $200 to five shoppers every week through the end of the year.

Although supply chain disruptions and labor issues are fueling an across-the-board rise in prices, a recent FMI study showed the average household is spending $143 each week on groceries now, which is less than the $161 per week families spent at the height of the pandemic in March and April 2020. Still, higher prices are vexing for shoppers because "[w]e tend to have a very low food price inflation in the United States," said FMI's Andu Harig, who added, "If you look over the last 20 or 30 years, it is pretty consistent."

The Fresh Market is holding a hiring event, with the goal of hiring 1,000 new employees to prepare for the holiday push in the 22 states the grocer serves. Unlike many companies coping with the current labor shortage, The Fresh Market is not offering new workers a signing bonus.

Food allergies have become a serious health issue for many American families, and it's vital for companies today to guard against cross-contamination during production by empowering employees to identify and correct any potential complications. FMI's Hilary Thesmar said companies "need to trust their people to do the right thing and flag issues that could be a problem so they don't become a bigger problem."

Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi has become an advocate for rooting out sexism in business, supporting female leaders and flexible work arrangements that allow for caregiving. Nooyi hopes that "a critical mass" of women can help each other through workplace difficulties "because when you're the only woman in the room, it's very hard to try to change behavior on your own."

Kroger, which opened its first automated customer fulfillment center with Ocado in Ohio earlier this year, now plans to roll out its online Kroger Delivery service in the Northeast in its first foray into the region. Kroger and Ocado also revealed plans for two more CFCs in Florida -- where it opened a fulfillment facility in June -- along with two additional CFCs in California as the grocer focuses on doubling its digital sales by 2023.

General Mills is partnering with Google Cloud to improve data analytics capabilities, supply and demand decision-making and the ability to personalize products. "This will help modernize our infrastructure and deepen our connection with our consumers to better anticipate their needs," said Jaime Montemayor, chief digital and technology officer for General Mills.

Target's rapid grocery growth is being built on the same "cool factor" that has earned the retailer a cult following in many nonfood categories, and future strategy calls for "generating guest love in food and beverage by leaning into the strengths that differentiate us," Target's Rick Gomez said. Gomez breaks down the "Tarjay" approach to grocery, both in-store and online, and says it is finding success by being "unapologetically Target."

The local options at Whole Foods Market are among the key reasons for its success and the grocer's regionally based teams of foragers are tasked with ensuring plenty of locally sourced items are available. Forager Chris Manca discusses his job and the role he played in helping launch a new Whole Foods store in Massapequa, N.Y.

NatureSweet has teamed with Mexico-based high-tech greenhouse operator Ganfer that will allow the brand to expand its growing capacity by more than 200 acres. NatureSweet aims to be North America's biggest supplier of greenhouse-grown tomatoes and other produce within the next two years.