DALLAS, TX - With its first new store in the North Texas region since 2019, Kroger is taking steps to bolster its footprint in the Lone Star State. The retailer’s Dallas Division has announced a new Kroger Marketplace store in Melissa, Texas.

“We are excited to open the new store in the City of Melissa, one of the fastest growing cities in North Texas,” said Keith Shoemaker, President of Kroger’s Dallas Division. “We recognize Kroger’s unique role in the communities we serve. As an employer, grocery retailer, healthcare provider, and more, we have a responsibility to create positive change and deliver on Our Purpose to Feed the Human Spirit.”

The new location, standing at 123,000 square feet, is the first of its kind in the city. The result of a $36 million community investment, the new store provides access to more than 35,000 fresh, affordable products and creates more than 300 jobs for the local community, a press release explained.

The new store also touts a variety of enticing features, including full-service grocery, produce, floral, and meat and seafood departments.

In honor of the location’s grand opening, Kroger donated to local hunger relief organizations, including North Texas Feed the Need, Feed My Sheep, and Grace Place Food Pantry, as part of the company’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste social and environmental impact plan.

As always, keep track of the latest retail expansions with the help of ANUK.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - GrubMarket is once again expanding its suite of solutions with a focus on supporting food wholesalers and distributors. The supply chain innovator and e-commerce company has bolstered its GrubAssist AI suite with the addition GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst, a comprehensive solution designed to elevate food businesses with real-time actionable insights to help them manage their accounts receivable (AR), accounts payable (AP), collections, and payments operations.

"At GrubMarket, we are committed to empowering food supply chain businesses with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly complex market," says Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer. "The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst represents a major leap forward in how food supply chain businesses manage their financial operations. The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst allows businesses to make smarter, faster financial decisions by providing accurate insights into their cash flows. This tool eliminates the inefficiencies of existing manual processes, giving businesses the control they need to stay financially healthy. Whether you're looking at next week's cash flow or analyzing your customer's payment history, GrubAssist AI empowers your team to stay ahead of financial challenges."

According to a press release, the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst was developed to address key supply chain visibility challenges by offering business leaders, accounting staff, and operations employees a simple, powerful tool that consolidates cash flow analysis into an intuitive AI-powered user experience.

The service utilizes cutting-edge generative AI and predictive analytics to help users forecast future cash positions, analyze historical trends, and get real-time visibility into their AR/AP operations.

Key features of the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst include:

• Accurate AI-powered Cash Flow Projections
• Real-Time Visibility into AR/AP Operations
• Customer and Vendor Performance Insights
• Streamlined Financial Analysis with Custom Queries
• Seamless ERP and Accounting System Integration
• User-Friendly and Mobile-Optimized Interface

By collapsing the traditionally cumbersome process of cash flow analysis into simple, conversational prompts, the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst offers unprecedented efficiency to food wholesalers and distributors managing their cash inflows and outflows, the release added. The fully customizable tool offers businesses the flexibility to generate unique reports based on their specific needs without any setup time. In addition, its natural language processing capabilities ensure users can access powerful financial insights and generate custom reports, regardless of technical capability. The solution's advanced sharing functionality further enhances organizational alignment, enabling employees across the business to access the latest financial data in real-time.

The Cash Flow Analyst is now available as part of the GrubAssist AI product suite. Learn more about the company’s newest solution here.

For updates on the latest industry launches, keep reading ANUK.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - This industry update is a positive one—if you’re a lucky ticket holder, as the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) has announced that exhibit space for its 2025 Trade Show is sold out. Industry members who are interested in exhibiting at the show are invited to contact CPMA to be placed on the waiting list, while delegate registration for the show opens in January 2025.

The 2025 Annual Convention and Trade Show will take place April 8-10, in Montreal, Quebec, at the Palais des Congrès. The event will have over 650 exhibit spaces and feature more than 300 companies from around the world, a press release explained.

In addition to the sold-out exhibit space, the show will feature an array of concurrent events,
including:

• A keynote address at the Delegate and Companion Breakfast on April 9
• Business Sessions, networking events, and educational opportunities
• The New Product Showcase, featuring the most innovative products in the produce industry

For all details pertaining to the showcase, click here.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report on industry events far and wide, so click back to our pages.

ST. LOUIS, MO - Save A Lot and Leevers Supermarkets are joining forces for an ongoing collab focused on developing new grocery formats and in-store offerings to better serve Hispanic shoppers across the United States. The first move in this strategic alliance comes in the form of a new discount brick-and-mortar grocery store and innovation center located in Aurora, Colorado, operating under the name Ahorra Mucho.

“In tandem with Hispanic population growth, we’re seeing an increased demand for Hispanic food in neighborhoods all across the country,” said Bill Mayo, Chief Operating Officer at Save A Lot. “The Leevers team’s expertise in this area makes them a natural fit to help us explore how Save A Lot can better serve Hispanic shoppers. What we learn can help us expand our product offerings and store formats in other areas.”

Store concepts like Ahorra Mucho—which translates directly to “Save A Lot”—are experimentation grounds for wider and future Save A Lot adoption, a press release explained. The new discount banner features unique Hispanic product assortments to test how new products and services may strengthen shopper loyalty.

The store also has a variety of specialized features, including a broader assortment of fresh produce, an in-house bakery, and a greatly expanded, full-service circular meat counter centrally located in the middle of the store. Like other Leevers Supermarket locations, the Ahorra Mucho store will also be 100 percent employee-owned.

“With the Hispanic population in the United States rapidly growing and wielding considerable buying power, it is essential to understand their unique culinary traditions and preferences,” shared Jorge Gonzalez, Director of Ahorra Mucho and a long-time member of the Leevers Supermarkets team. “Ahorra Mucho provides us with a great platform to align with Hispanic consumers’ culinary preferences and needs.”

As the release stated, this new location will operate as a test-and-learn facility, building insights to facilitate longer-term strategies for serving Hispanic customers.

“Aurora, Colorado is the ideal launchpad for this offering as we have a vibrant and active Hispanic community in the area,” added Art Perez, District Manager. “Leevers Supermarkets has long embraced the Hispanic community, tailoring signage and products. Ahorra Mucho is the next step in exploring how we can best meet our shoppers’ needs.”

For more updates on this emerging banner, leave a tab open to ANUK.