The Retail Conference from IFPA, May 1-2, is in a fresh location this year: the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix. The event tees off with a golf tournament on May 1, which sells out quickly. Registration for the conference and golf tournament is open.

Participants will take a deeper dive into the state of the retail market, micro-targeted sales data, artificial intelligence and USDA’s new organics rules. They’ll also enjoy ample networking time.

“We’ve designed this year’s conference to maximize networking with dozens of buyers and to address the most important issues facing the

Flashfood named Nicholas Bertram, current President and chief operating officer, as its CEO, while Founder Josh Domingues moves into the executive chairman role. In addition, Chief Brand Officer Jordan Schenck takes on the newly created role of chief customer officer.

Additionally the company has a new visual identity rooted in a bold new mission: for every family to eat well, without compromise.

Bertram joined Flashfood a year ago, bringing over two decades of experience leading retail transformation. Since his arrival, he has focused on developing Flashfood’s internal infrastructure and

In a landmark visit, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas hosted Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs at its headquarters for a roundtable discussion. The visit, which included a panel discussion with leaders in the produce industry, brought to light vital topics such as the effort to preserve the 2019 Tomato Suspension Agreement, port of entry challenges, staffing issues,and area infrastructure needs.

Gov. Hobbs, opening the discussion, emphasized the critical importance of the produce industry and international trade. Echoing this sentiment, CEO Paul Brierley from the Arizona Department of

The Kroger Co., citing how it lowered prices in previous mergers, said it will lower prices and offer consumers more choices following its proposed merger with Albertsons Cos.

"We believe the way to be America's best grocer is to provide great value by consistently lowering prices and offering more choices. When we do this, more customers shop with us and buy more groceries, which allows us to reinvest in even lower prices, a better shopping experience and higher wages," said Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO of Kroger. "We know this model works because we've been doing it successfully for

SpartanNash announced plans to implement Simbe's autonomous inventory robot Tally in 60 additional company-operated stores across the Midwest. As part of SpartanNash's commitment to customer-focused innovation, this Tally expansion follows the company's investment in other food technology solutions Upshop Magic and Flashfood.

"We first piloted Tally in 15 stores, and the success of that launch motivated us to expand Tally across more locations to help associates save time in inventory tracking and spend more time on the floor serving our store guests," said Tom Swanson, SpartanNash executive

The new year started strong for the online grocery market as January finished with total sales of $8.5 billion, up 1.8 percent compared to 2023, according to the most recent monthly Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey. Despite a jump in the total number of households buying groceries online during the month, January’s overall sales growth was moderated year-over-year by a downward trend in order frequency and a composite average order value that was nearly flat compared to the prior year. Monthly results varied by the receiving method and format as mass continued to expand share