After shuttering its only store in Buffalo, Minn., in 2016, Coborn's will return to the area with a new store. The grocer will break ground on the site this month and the location will feature curbside pickup, a drive-thru pharmacy and a full-service Caribou Coffee shop.

Pandemic-altered shopping behavior has elevated the profile of private label brands, especially in the frozen food and nonfood product categories, an analysis of data compiled by IRI shows. This article explores the growth and continued strength of private labels, and examines how they are positioned for future growth.

By the end of 2023, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen says, the grocer will have doubled its digital sales and made its online operations more profitable. McMullen, speaking at a virtual investor event, said Kroger also will focus on growing its fresh food categories, expanding its Kroger Precision Marketing advertising business and emphasizing efficiency through its partnership with Ocado.

Kroger's automated distribution warehouses will take two to three years to become profitable, says Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen. The company plans to open 20 facilities with Ocado in the coming years.

Kroger is looking to quickly implement the warehouse technology from its partnership with Britain's Ocado to help with distribution and online order fulfillment, CEO Rodney McMullen said. "What we're really trying to do is make sure we have an overall infrastructure for digital that can support whether it's 5% of share or 30% of share," McMullen said.