Prepackaged, snack-friendly cheeses have seen success with consumers, as have cheeses seen as natural and authentic, according to a report from MarketResearch.com. The interest in natural and artisan cheeses has been a niche for smaller producers in the market, according to the report.

Kroger's tech spending and other efforts aimed at staying competitive brought strong results in the most recent quarter. The grocery retailer is teaming with British online grocer Ocado Group to boost its e-commerce capabilities, and the company is in the midst of overhauling its merchandising to focus on best-sellers and private labels.

Barnes & Noble expects its same-store sales growth to improve this year as it focuses efforts on toys, games and the gift business. Same-store sales fell 5.4% in the most recent fiscal year, as the efforts will take more time to pay off, CEO Demos Parneros said.

A cherry pitter is an essential summer tool for people who love eating and making dishes with the fruit because it decreases the time it takes to pit cherries, according to chef Stephanie Izard.

The US House on Thursday passed a farm bill that proposes substantial changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including added work requirements. The Senate is readying its own bill that includes no SNAP overhaul.

Through an update, Google Home smart speaker owners will be able to trigger the devices for ongoing conversations without having to use the wakeup words "OK Google" each time. The Continued Conversation feature is available on Home, Home Mini and Home Max smart speakers.

Nintendo Switch users may gain access to more cloud-based games through Japanese game publisher Capcom Co. The company is looking at offering high-end games via a streaming service, as streaming services are underrepresented in the video game market.

FMI welcomed this week's court decision on national retailers paying sales tax even in states where they have no physical presence. "Today's ruling sets the stage for states to begin leveling the playing field for brick-and-mortar retailers by treating online transactions in the same way they treat in-person ones," said Andrew Harig, senior director for tax, trade and sustainability for FMI.

Retailers have often considered returns to be an obstacle to profits, but customer-generated content can provide insight into how well current practices are received, writes Bazaarvoice executive Sophie Light-Wilkinson. Brands can use customer feedback from questionnaires to improve faulty products and manage customer expectations, she adds.

3D printing can reduce costs and inventory in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul by eliminating the need to scale up with spare parts production, says Edouard de Mahieu of Materialise.