In this week’s recap of the Top 10 most popular Supermarket News articles, UFCW Local 7, Safeway/Albertsons reach tentative deal ranked as the week’s top story. Denver-based UFCW Local 7 said that members will hold ratifications votes on the agreement next week. The accord covers the union’s 67 bargaining units and more than 5,400 Safeway/Albertsons grocery workers, including meat and other retail associates, whose previous contracts expired in January and December. Among other stories in this week’s gallery:
- Hy-Vee expanding into Kentucky, announces Louisville store
- Loblaw closes out fiscal 2021 with retail sales uptick
- Grocery retailers celebrate workers on Supermarket Employee Day
- SpartanNash reports 2021 performance above pre-COVID levels
In other news, Whole Foods Market opened its newest store in Washington, D.C.’s Glover Park neighborhood, the first of two Whole Foods Market stores expected to open this year that feature parent company Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Allowing customers to skip the checkout line, Just Walk Out uses overhead computer-vision cameras, weight sensors and deep-learning technology to detect merchandise that shoppers take from or return to shelves and track items selected in a virtual cart. At the store’s entry, customers are prompted to select Just Walk Out shopping or use the traditional checkout or self-checkout lanes.
Other top stories:
- EG Group to convert Tom Thumb to Cumberland Farms banner
- Fred Meyer launches Loop reusable product containers at 25 stores
- Kroger, Sprouts, Publix recognized for loyalty programs
- Kroger opens second restaurant kitchen with Kitchen United
