Supermarket/Grocery

Minneapolis -- Salads and fancy pizza will soon be on the menu at a very limited number of Target locations.

Starting in October, the retailer plans to test  fast-casual concepts in some 14 stores as it responds to customers looking for higher-quality food and more of a café atmosphere, USA Today reported.

West Sacramento, Calif. -- Raley’s Family of Fine Stores is entering the health and wellness space.

The privately owned supermarket company said it will debut a new, small-format store in the Sacramento, Calif., market in 2017 that focuses on health and wellness.

The 36,000-sq.-ft. store, being done in partnership with Stafford King Wiese Architects and Armstrong Development Properties, will be designed to be state-of-the art with a focus on the most sustainable features. The store is scheduled to begin construction in mid-2016.

Dallas – Consumers show a clear preference for one particular perk from retailer reward programs, and it isn’t cash back.

According to “The Road to Rewards,” a consumer behavior report from Excentus, more than 54% of U.S. consumers polled in July 2015 belong to loyalty programs that enable them to save on the cost of fuel.

Meijer's free digital savings program, mPerks, is turning 5 this week and has already set a company record with $100 million in savings to customers this year.

Washington — The National Retail Federation wasted no time responding to a ruling by the National Labor Relations board concerning the redefinition of the concept of joint employees.

NRF and other business groups are concerned that the redefinition  could be used to make large businesses and franchisors responsible for the actions of subcontractors or local franchisees even when they do not exercise direct control over those companies’ employees.

Minneapolis - The number of digitally distributed coupons for CPG brands on key websites received nourishment from food shoppers in the first half of 2015.

Overall CPG digital coupon distribution increased by 17%, according to analysis conducted by Kantar Media.

The increase was attributable primarily to food areas. Within food, the dry grocery area, which is historically the largest area in digitally distributed coupons, accounted for much of the growth.

Meijer is recognizing the need to fund hunger programs in the communities it serves with a new promotion.

Fast growing e-commerce firm Instacart is now delivering groceries to a 17th major U.S. metropolitan area.

Beginning this week, customers can order from Whole Foods Market, Costco (no membership needed), Marsh Supermarkets, Georgetown Market and Petco stores and have everything delivered by Instacart in as little as one hour.