grocery retailers

Major US grocers Walmart, Aldi and Kroger are reportedly adopting a move pioneered by Costco, according to TheStreet. The report did not specify the exact policy, but the framing suggests the retailers are copying a Costco strategy seen as successful in the grocery sector. Shoppers and retail watchers are weighing what the shift could mean for prices and store practices.

The Seattle City Council has voted to ban surveillance pricing in the sale of groceries, prohibiting retailers from setting individualized prices based on personal data collected about shoppers. Consumer advocacy groups, including Consumer Reports, welcomed the move as a first-of-its-kind consumer protection. Supporters say it blocks retailers from using browsing history, location data, and income estimates to charge different customers different prices for the same food.

The government has permitted e-commerce providers to deliver food items and gadgets, expanding the scope of online retail services. The Financial Express reported the policy change, which is expected to broaden consumer access to groceries and electronics through digital platforms and open new business opportunities for online sellers and delivery operators.

Kroger has discontinued one of its gas perk programs just as US pump prices reached a record high for the month of September. The grocery chain's fuel savings scheme had let shoppers redeem points for discounts at the pump. The timing of the withdrawal has drawn attention, with customers facing some of the highest September fuel costs on record now losing a program that cushioned those expenses.

Alternative investment manager GCM Grosvenor has seeded a new fund focused on grocery retail with $200 million. The move signals continued institutional interest in essential retail real estate, with grocery-anchored assets seen as resilient through economic downturns. Further details on the fund's manager, strategy and target size have not yet been disclosed.

Kroger is trialing a significant change to its store opening hours for customers. The grocery chain is among the largest supermarket operators in the United States, so any adjustment to when stores open and close could affect millions of shoppers' routines. Details of which regions are affected and whether the change could roll out nationwide were not provided.

JLL has arranged $154.1 million in financing for a retail portfolio held through a joint venture involving Kimco Realty, one of the largest owners of open-air shopping centers in the United States. The deal, reported in Arizona business media, underscores continued lender appetite for grocery-anchored and community retail assets even as broader commercial real estate financing remains tight.

A new study examines how growing food at home shapes consumer choices when people shop for groceries. Researchers suggest that tending a backyard garden influences what shoppers buy, how much they spend, and their preferences for fresh produce. The findings offer insights for retailers and food marketers looking to understand the growing number of households cultivating their own vegetables and herbs.

A new report from Brownfield Ag News highlights the growing gap between what American shoppers pay for beef at the grocery store and what cattle ranchers actually earn. Despite elevated retail beef prices, rising production costs, feed expenses and middlemen margins mean many ranchers are struggling to turn a profit, prompting debate over who really benefits from the beef supply chain.