SAN FRANCISCO, CA - With winter hosting and game day celebrations in full swing, Uber Eats announces a new partnership with Wegmans Food Markets bringing the beloved supermarket's products directly to customers' doors. Starting this month, Uber Eats users will have the convenience of ordering from Wegmans' expansive collection of high-quality groceries through the app, increasing consumer access to the company's offerings.

Wegmans locations in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. are now available to shop on the Uber Eats and Uber apps, giving consumers near-instant access to Wegmans' unique selection of products, from restaurant-quality meals and artisan breads, to fresh produce, cheese sourced from around the world, and grocery staples. Wegmans locations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware will be added to the app in February, according to the press release.

Locations in Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. are on Uber Eats.

As always, Uber One members will benefit from $0 Delivery Fee and 5 percent discount on all Wegmans orders with a $35 minimum purchase. And all new Wegman's' consumers will benefit from up to 40 percent off their next order of $60 or more until February 5th. Terms apply. See app for details.

"We're thrilled to welcome Wegmans to the Uber Eats app this January," said Hashim Amin, Head of North American Grocery and Retail Delivery at Uber. "Wegmans is synonymous with high-quality food and exceptional service, and now customers can easily order everything they need for game day entertaining—from fresh produce to prepared meals and snacks—delivered right to their door. This partnership is another step in our mission to make grocery shopping more convenient and accessible for everyone."

Expanding Access to Quality Groceries

This collaboration aligns with Wegmans' commitment to providing exceptional customer service and innovation. By joining forces with Uber Eats, Wegmans aims to bring more options to its customers, allowing them to shop when and how they want.

"Our goal is to make meals easy and help our customers live healthier, better lives through exceptional food," said Erica Tickle, Wegmans Vice President of Marketing and Digital Growth. "Partnering with Uber and expanding our delivery network is just one way we're able to continue delivering on that mission."

An Effortless Shopping Experience

Customers can browse and order from an extensive selection of Wegmans' products on the Uber Eats app, including fresh produce, prepared meals, and everyday essentials. Customers can build group orders with family members, place orders any time of day, and easily select replacement items with an intuitive shopping experience, real-time tracking, and the reliable delivery services that Uber Eats is known for.

ZAANDAM, NETHERLANDS - Ahold Delhaize is proud to announce the launch of Alfa Beta’s new customer app, the final in a series of six launches across the European market. This unified, modular app is designed to deliver a seamless and cohesive online shopping experience for customers shopping at five of Ahold Delhaize’s European brands. By integrating advanced features, the app caters to the evolving needs of our brands’ customers, offering online shopping, (personalized) promotions, loyalty programs, and in-store shopping to create a vibrant customer experience.

This launch marks the final milestone in a six-country implementation. The first market to go live was Albert in the Czech Republic in February 2024, as stated in the press release. It was followed by Maxi in Serbia and Delhaize in Belgium in July, Delhaize Luxembourg in September, Mega Image in Romania in November, and Alfa Beta in Greece completing the rollout.

Gerhard van der Bijl, CTO Ahold Delhaize Europe and Indonesia: “Our new app showcases the value of engineering, of implementing technology at scale for our brands across Europe. We take pride not only in the product delivery, but also in the collaborative journey that made it possible. Successfully delivering all releases in a complex, multi-brand environment underscores our commitment to agility and innovation. This initiative not only enhances our customer experience but also drives substantial business value and positions us for sustained growth in the future. With this newly developed customer platform we have a strong foundation for customer innovation in the future.”

Key features for customers of Ahold Delhaize’s European brands

• Intuitive interface: Enhanced communication and improved accessibility for a seamless user experience.
• Web-based login and registration: improved security measures to keep our customer data safe.
• Retail media integration: Special offers and products recommended to customers based on their shopping history.
• Cookie consent management: Ensuring transparency and giving customers control over how their data is used.
• Larger product images and improved customer navigation: Making online shopping easier while offering a more visually appealing experience.
• Multiple quantities of free products in exchange for points: Enabling customers to redeem more rewards.

This series of launches is a strong example of strategic collaboration among Ahold Delhaize brands, as well as a foundation for delivering a vibrant customer experience that leverages scale and operational excellence. Ahold Delhaize and its brands remain committed to continuously strengthening their shared technology foundation to drive cost efficiencies, accelerate innovation, and support the customers of tomorrow.

TEXAS - Additional info about Kroger’s plans to explore more retail options in Texas recently came to light.

The retailer’s plans to build two new stores in Fort Worth and Little Elm are underway, as confirmed by a real estate firm involved with the land sales. According to a report from the Dallas Business Journal, Kroger revealed these plans in December of last year.

In Fort Worth, the store will be in a shopping center at the northeast corner of Sendera Ranch Boulevard and Rancho Canyon Way. As WFAA added, the Fort Worth Zoning Commission approved the rezoning of the land to allow for 122,912 square feet of development on a 20-acre site.

In Little Elm, Kroger bought 14 acres from local investment firm Dollar-Flowers Realty Partners.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we cover where retailers are heading next.

AUSTIN, TX - Upshop, the leader in store operations technology for food retailers, announced the appointment of Chris Renda as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and Patrick Eichen as Chief Operating Officer (COO). These strategic hires reinforce Upshop's commitment to global expansion and accelerating customer adoption of its enterprise operating platform for food retail.

Chris Renda joins Upshop with an impressive record of accomplishment in driving revenue growth for software companies. As the former CSO at Richardson Sales Performance, Renda led significant revenue expansion initiatives. Before that, he was Client Sales leader at Cornerstone OnDemand, where he was pivotal in growing annual recurring revenue from $40M to $500M during his tenure.

"Upshop stands alone in delivering on the promise of total store operations and the transformative impact it brings to our clients," said Chris Renda. "What drew me to this opportunity was not just our market leadership, but our dual mission of driving business results while making a real difference in the daily lives of operators, store associates, and consumers. The team here brings incredible passion and deep expertise to help our customers achieve their objectives. I'm excited to be part of an organization that combines technological innovation with such a clear focus on customer success."

Patrick Eichen brings extensive experience in customer experience, success, and support to his role as COO. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Simpleview, a leading provider of software and digital solutions to the tourism industry. In that capacity, Eichen led day-to-day operations including implementation, professional services, creative services, customer success, and support. At Upshop, Eichen will focus on operational effectiveness, ensuring the company can successfully scale in the fast-growing retail technology market while maintaining excellence in customer experience.

"I'm thrilled to join this incredible team and be part of a company that is transforming the grocery retail industry with its market-leading software and innovative solutions," said Patrick Eichen. "The opportunity to help shape the future of the industry while building on the foundation of such a strong, values-driven company culture is truly exciting. I look forward to contributing to our continued growth and success."

These appointments come at a pivotal time for Upshop, which has achieved several significant milestones:

• Six months ago, Upshop acquired Invafresh, unifying two of the industry's leading technology providers in fresh operations. The integration has strengthened Upshop's position as the premier provider of comprehensive solutions for food retailers
• Launched a 360° approach to Food Waste Elimination, which is now live with retailers such as Waitrose and Raley’s Companies
• Announced a strategic partnership with ReposiTrak to help North American retailers simplify their approach to FSMA 204 traceability requirements

Looking ahead, Upshop will unveil the future of its platform at its annual retail conference, Altitude, which will host over 50 retailers and 250 attendees this March. According to a press release, the event will display the company's latest innovations and vision for the future of food retail operations.

"The addition of Chris and Patrick to our executive team signals our commitment to taking the only enterprise platform built for food retail to customers all over the globe," said Shamus Hines, CEO of Upshop. "Their combined expertise in scaling high-growth technology companies and delivering exceptional customer experiences will be instrumental as we continue to expand globally and help more retailers transform their operations through our unified enterprise platform."

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - Bryan Barsness, a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience in agriculture, food technology, and business operations, has been appointed Business Development Director at Prophet. In his new role, Bryan will drive continued growth and innovation for Prophet ERP’s cutting-edge solutions tailored to the produce and agricultural industries. His expertise will further strengthen Prophet ERP's position as a leader in the convergence of technology and agribusiness.

Says Bryan, "Joining Prophet ERP is an incredible opportunity to bring a groundbreaking, custom-tailored solution to the produce and agricultural industries. I'm excited to work alongside such a talented team, leveraging leading technology to help customers streamline operations, improve efficiency, and achieve their goals. With markets seeing never-before-seen challenges, the industry is looking for an innovative yet established technology to help the next generation of leaders get the right information in their hands faster than ever. That solution is Prophet."

Bryan’s career, which spans over two decades, is rooted in innovation and technology, a press release explained. He graduated with a degree in Agricultural Business with a concentration in International Management and a minor in Spanish from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His early career included impactful roles, such as leading the implementation of a computerized inventory system at Del Rey Avocado, and driving Primus Labs certification. Bryan's entrepreneurial spirit was evident throughout his 10-year tenure at Famous Software, an ERP software company. As a key player in managing customer implementations and providing bilingual support, Bryan transitioned into a sales role, where he quickly became the company’s top performer. His success set the stage for future leadership roles.

As Vice President at ProducePay, Bryan drove transformative sales growth before being recruited to duplicate such success at Linkfresh, facilitating its acquisition by Aptean. Bryan's leadership continued with ProduceIQ, where he co-founded the company and led sales and marketing, achieving remarkable growth within the first six months. Most recently, Bryan led sales and marketing efforts at GrubMarket, helping to elevate the tech solutions at one of the world's largest privately held food-tech companies to reach all new heights.

Now, as Business Development Director at Prophet ERP, Bryan will continue to leverage his deep industry knowledge and leadership skills to propel the company's mission to deliver best-in-class ERP solutions to the produce and agricultural sectors.

“We are excited to welcome Bryan Barsness to the Prophet ERP team as our new Business Development Director,” said CEO Paul Stofberg. “Bryan's extensive experience in agriculture, food technology, and his proven track record of driving sales and innovation will undoubtedly enhance our ability to deliver exceptional ERP solutions to the produce and agricultural sectors. His leadership aligns perfectly with our vision of leveraging technology to fuel growth and sustainability in the industry.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - Pacific Trellis Fruit, a leading importer, grower, and marketer of premium fresh fruit, is pleased to announce the addition of Shelby Obert as its new Marketing Manager.

Shelby brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, having spent the past five years in the fresh produce industry. Most recently, she served as Senior Marketing Manager at a prominent fresh produce consulting agency, where she led impactful brand campaigns and managed direct customer and consumer strategies for clients throughout the produce value chain.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shelby to the Pacific Trellis Fruit team,” said Howard Nager, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Pacific Trellis Fruit. “Her proven track record in the fresh produce industry, combined with her strategic marketing vision and passion for the sector, make her an invaluable asset as we continue to grow and strengthen our Dulcinea® brand.”

In her new role, Shelby will be responsible for the development and execution of marketing initiatives aimed at enhancing Dulcinea’s brand presence and supporting our growers, customers, and consumer initiatives. Her extensive experience in the fresh produce industry equips her to drive innovation and elevate the company’s marketing efforts to new heights.

“I am excited to join the Pacific Trellis Fruit team and contribute to its legacy of delivering high-quality fruit and memorable experiences to consumers,” said Obert. “I look forward to collaborating with the team to create impactful marketing strategies that resonate and highlight the exceptional value of our products.”

Congratulations to Shelby Obert on this new position!

PROVIDENCE, RI - United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) completed its Spring and Summer Selling Show in San Diego, CA, the first of the company’s 2025 show season. The two-day show brought together more than 4,300 attendees, connecting 1,800 retailers with 800 supplier brands. Exhibitors showcased thousands of unique brands spanning natural, organic, fresh, specialty, and conventional grocery products.

During the show, UNFI experts discussed current trends and emerging growth opportunities across the grocery retail industry. According to a press release, top trends include:

1. Retail media is projected to grow over 24% annually between 2024 and 2028.
2. Private label brands are estimated to grow ~40% over the next six years.
3. Fresh product growth is now outpacing the rest of the store.
4. Natural/organic and functional food/beverages are expected to grow ~4% annually over the next four years.
5. Creating a differentiated experience is key to success for grocery retailers of all sizes.

Louis Martin, President of Conventional Grocery Products and UNFI Chief Commercial Officer, reflected on the continued growth of retail media and said, “While many retailers are engaging their shoppers digitally, there are still untapped opportunities to create a more comprehensive and customized digital experience. By partnering with UNFI, both retailers and suppliers can access our broad range of digital and professional services, like the UNFI Media Network, to drive profitable growth.”

A highlight of the show was a conversation with UNFI Co-Founder and Board Member Michael Funk, who shared his perspectives on the evolution of the grocery industry and UNFI’s focus on helping its customers be as competitive as possible. He said, “Innovation is key to keeping this industry vibrant. We need to constantly reset and adapt to best meet the needs of our customers.”

“We have a true partnership with UNFI, who’s been our primary distributor since 2010,” said Aaron Jones, Senior Director of Merchandising and Logistics, Bristol Farms. “I've enjoyed growing the relationship, finding unique brands, and learning about new-to-market products UNFI is bringing in. We’ve continued to strengthen our partnership on every level, from corporate buying to our store teams.”

During the show’s Pitch Slam competition, emerging suppliers in UNFI’s UpNext program had the opportunity to pitch their innovative new products to a live audience. “We’re thrilled to be a UNFI UpNext supplier,” said Eric Ji Sun Wu, Co-Founder of Sobo Foods and winner of the San Diego Pitch Slam. "We don’t know how we would have done this without the endlessly patient support the UNFI team has given us and the unreal visibility for Sobo Foods at this event.”

To support communities impacted by the Los Angeles County fires, the UNFI Foundation provided a donation to Food Forward, a nonprofit organization that is working to deliver fresh produce to the affected areas.

_*Sources:

1. _{Emarketer – Retail Media Ad Spending Forecast H1 2024}
2. _{Morgan Stanley – Private Label Tipping Point}
3. _{NielsenIQ Discover, Total US x AOC, all departments, data through 11/30/24}
4. _{Nutritional Business Journal “State of Natural Four-Year Forecast” (2024-2028)}