News Briefs

Three regional grocery retailers have rolled out the Instacart FoodStorm in-store food service order management solution.

FoodStorm is the order management system (OMS) Instacart purchased in October 2021 and revamped with new capabilities in October 2023 and September 2024. In February 2025, Instacart integrated FoodStorm to its in-store kiosk ordering and kitchen display system.

The solution is designed to streamline perimeter prepared food counter operations, such as made-to-order and catering, for grocery retailers. FoodStorm manages the entire process from ordering and preparation to pick-up. It is part of part of Connected Stores — a bundle of new and existing Instacart Platform in-store grocery technologies.

Several regional grocery retailers have implemented FoodStorm in some or all of their store locations:

Coborn’s Inc.

Midwest grocer Coborn’s has launched FoodStorm across four Midwest grocery banners: Coborn's, Hornbachers, MarketPlace Foods, and Cash Wise. Hornbacher’s began utilizing the Instacart Carrot Tags pick-to-light solution in November 2024 to ease order picking for Instacart shoppers.

Giant Eagle

Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle is now live with FoodStorm across its Giant Eagle and Market District banners in the Midwest and Eastern states. The grocer has been partnering with Instacart for online delivery since September 2023.

Save Mart

The Save Mart Companies initially began rolling out FoodStorm, as well as the Instacart Caper Cart smart cart and Storefront Pro e-commerce solution, in April 2024. 

[READ MORE: Save Mart rolls out Instacart in-store, digital solutions]

FoodStorm is now live at all Save Mart locations across Central Valley in California and all Lucky Supermarkets locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Amazon is reportedly focusing on Prime Video as its platform to support livestream shopping.

According to CNBC, the online giant plans to shut down its free TV streaming service known as Freevee, which it initially launched in 2019, in August 2025. Once Freevee has been discontinued, users will be able to watch its streaming TV content on the Prime Video platform without having to buy a subscription.

Prime Video comes included with a membership in Amazon Prime or is also available as a stand-alone offering for $9 per month with ads and $11 per month ad-free.

“Prime Video is the new exclusive home for Freevee TV shows, movies and Live TV,” Amazon said in a notice sent to Freevee app users which CNBC obtained. Read more CNBC coverage here.

Live shopping consolidates

Amazon’s interactive, shoppable and free ad-supported (FAST) channel, which it launched on its Prime Video and Freevee streaming services in April 2024, will become exclusively available on Prime Video. FAST Channel features Amazon’s "shop the show" technology, which enables customers in the U.S. to browse, shop and engage with streaming content they’re watching on the TV screen via Prime Video or Freevee by using their mobile device.

FAST Channel is offered as part of Amazon Live, which provides live video streams of presenters demonstrating various products for sale and was introduced on the Amazon site and app in 2019. 

Multiplatform video commerce provider Qurate Retail Inc. made the linear channels of its QVC and HSN banners available on Freevee in 2023, becoming the first streaming retailer to operate on the platform.

[READ MORE: QVC, HSN launch on Amazon streaming service]

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is set for a busy July. 

The fast-growing close-out retailer opened its first location in Nebraska, in Omaha, on July 2. The store is located in a space that formerly housed a Big Lots outlet. It is among the locations that Ollie’s acquired through a Big Lots bankruptcy auction. 

"We are excited to open our first store in the great state of Nebraska, where the folks have been so good to us," said Eric van der Valk, who took the reins as CEO of Ollie’s in February. "With so many great deals, we're thrilled to provide shoppers in Omaha and its surrounding areas with a treasure hunt experience where they can find a huge selection of brand name merchandise at up to 70% off the fancy stores' prices every day."

Later this month, Ollie’s will open its first-ever store in another new state, New Hampshire. Located in Belmont, the store is also housed in a former Big Lots space.

A list of the other locations that Ollie’s is opening in July is below.

July 9

• Boone, N.C.
• Pittsburg, Kan.
• Land O' Lakes, Fla. 

July 10

• Ada, Okla.
• Enid, Okla. 

July 16

• Sedalia, Mo.
• Findlay, Ohio  

July 23

• Cadillac, Mich.
• Brownwood, Texas

July 24

• Topeka, Kan.
• Monroe, Ga.

Ollie’s currently operates 599 stores in 33 states.

Mapco is extending its footprint into three new states.

Majors Management, parent company of the convenience store retailer, has completed its acquisition of 35 Circle K retail fuel and convenience store locations across Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania from Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. Couche-Tard divested the stores so it could acquire the GetGo C-store chain from grocery retailer Giant Eagle.

The newly-acquired locations will be rebranded as Mapco stores in the coming months. The company said it plans to retain existing employees wherever possible and invest in upgrading facilities. Mapco operates hundreds of stores across the Southeastern United States.

"These stores are an exciting strategic addition for Majors Management, and we are thrilled to expand the Mapco brand into Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania," said Ben Smith, president of Majors Management. "We are honored to serve customers in three new states and welcome them to the Mapco experience, which combines quality fuel, great food and beverage selections, and the convenience and rewards customers love."

Based in Lawrenceville, Ga., Majors Management owns and operates of retail fuel centers and convenience stores, as well as a fuel distributor serving independent operators nationwide. Majors' current markets include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

(Image: PRNewsfoto/Majors Management, LLC)

The Chain Store Age offices will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. We will reopen, and resume publishing DayBreaker, on Monday, July 7.

We wish our readers a happy and safe holiday!

Lululemon has accused Costco Wholesale Corp. of selling cheaper, unauthorized imitations of some of its popular clothing items.

Lululemon has filed a lawsuit suing Costco, alleging that the membership warehouse club giant is selling knockoffs, or product “dupes,” of its athleisure clothing. In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Lululemon alleges that Costco has infringed on its patents by selling athleisure products that closely resemble its own. 

Lululemon said that Costco has “unlawfully traded” on the athleisure brand’s “reputation, goodwill and sweat equity by selling unauthorized and unlicensed apparel employing knockoff, infringing versions” of its products.  Specifically, Lululemon said Costco’s private label Kirkland line is selling knockoffs of its Scuba hoodies and sweatshirts, Define jackets and ABC pants for men.

In the 49-page lawsuit, Lululemon shows the alleged design similarities of its products with Costco’s along with the price differences. One example in the lawsuit is a Scuba hoodie that sells for $118 at Lululemon, while a Costco Kirkland version sells for around $8. In another instance, Lululemon accuses Costco of manufacturing knockoff of its ABC pants, which retail for about $130, but sell for about $20 under the Kirkland brand.

Lululemon’s case seeks restitution and payment from Costco, which it said profited off Lululemon’s “sweat equity” and damaged the Lululemon brand. The company also wants Costco agree to cease manufacturing of products similar to the Scuba hoodies and sweatshirts, Define jackets and ABC pants and remove any marketing materials that contain such products.

In a statement to CNN, Lululemon said as “an innovation-led company that invests significantly in the research, development, and design of our products, we take the responsibility of protecting and enforcing our intellectual property rights very seriously and pursue the appropriate legal action when necessary.”