Kroger has expanded its Boost by Kroger online membership program nationwide eight months after its debut in several regions. The annual membership, available in two tiers, provides customers with fuel discounts, free grocery delivery on orders of $35 or more and deals on Kroger's private label Our Brands products.

US online grocery sales in June rose 1.4% from the previous month and 5.9% from June 2021, according to a Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey. Ongoing concerns about COVID-19 and inflation pressures have prompted more customers to turn to online grocery shopping to stay healthy and save money, according to the survey authors.

Sustainability continues to be top of mind for consumers, especially younger consumers, and manufacturers need to look at sustainability through both environmental and social lenses, writes Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group. "Consumers generally are willing to trust companies when they communicate about sustainable actions, but many will seek to verify such claims themselves," she writes. "Offer transparency to facilitate their due diligence."

The alternative grain category encompasses more than cereal grains to include some non-cereal grains and pulses, while offering brands a nutritional source of new flavors, textures and colors, said Keith Petrofsky, research and development director at Ardent Mills. PepsiCo is most likely to tap these grains for its Simply snack line, said Ajay Bhaskar, research and development director of product development at PepsiCo.

Seizing an opportunity for community-wide change, Giant Food formed a Healthy Living Team to connect residents of Washington D.C.'s Ward 8 and Maryland's Prince George's County with foods and services that improve their health and well-being. The team, composed of 11 licensed nutrition professionals, provides Healthy Living Microgrants to local community charities and organizations. These organizations are then tasked with using the funds from the microgrants to educate community members about health and wellness best practices by hosting classes, workshops and other accessible programs. Read more.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), African American women have a 41% greater chance of dying from breast cancer than white women, though white women have higher incidence of the disease. To address this disparity in health outcomes, Schnuck Markets created the Treasure Your Chest program to incentivize residents of 21 underserved ZIP codes of North St. Louis County to get mammograms. Those who did received a $50 Schnucks gift card and other resources for healthy living. Thus far, the company has given out more than $75,000 in gift card donations. Read more.

Food retailers are increasingly adopting strategies and technology tools geared toward reducing food waste, according to retail tech firm representatives. "There has long been a gap between interest and action when it comes to food waste," said Stephen Midgley of retail tech firm Invafresh, "but that gap is starting to narrow as more and more grocery retailers are implementing environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to measure the ethical and sustainable impact of their operations."

New York-based distribution farming company Smallhold is focused on growing and selling specialty mushrooms in a high-tech, environmentally sustainable method. The company supplies more than seven varieties of mushrooms to retailers across the country with new warehouses in Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, and works with restaurants and delivery services to sell its products locally.

The food retail industry has been forced to focus on technology-driven innovation by changing shopper expectations, new digital competition and the explosive growth of consumer digital technology. What executives often miss, though, is the need to look past specific technologies to understand that they now operate in a new world and need a digital-first business culture. Read more.

We all remember the seemingly boundless enthusiasm surrounding sourdough bread during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scrolling through our Facebook timelines, both Rick and I witnessed a flood of photos from friends eager to share their crusty creations. In addition to sourdough-mania, there seemed to be an influx of culinary creativity in general. Images of eye-popping entrees, full-bodied beverages and decadent deserts filled up content streams, along with convenient how-to guides and recipes. With much of society avoiding restaurants and other public spaces, many individuals and families sought new ways to make at-home mealtimes exciting. This led to a largescale reintroduction to the kitchen for those who normally opted for takeout options and bolstered cooking skills nationwide. Read more in this blog post by Allison Febrey, FMI's manager of research and insights, and FMI Communications Specialist Rick Tibbetts.