News Briefs

The Kroger Co. is joining the ranks of other companies in cutting back or ending remote work for its headquarters staff. 

The Cincinnati-based supermarket giant will require its main office employees to report to the office five days a week. The change will go into effect in January. The move back to the office will affect approximately 4,800 corporate office employees. 

“As we’ve sought to simplify our ways of working and strengthen our support for our store teams, we see that in-person collaboration helps us move faster, problem solve more quickly, and better align on our priorities,” said Tim Massa, executibve VP and chief associate experience officer, in a statement provided by Kroger to Chain Store Age sister brand Progressive Grocer.  “And, with our stores, manufacturing plants and distribution centers operating around the clock to serve our customers, we are updating the in-office expectations for our Store Support Center associates who support them.”

In late 2023, Kroger told its general office employees that they were expected to report to their respective offices three to four days per week beginning Feb. 5, 2024.

Amazon is making a major commitment to provide artificial intelligence and supercomputing services to U.S. federal agencies.

The online giant is publicly pledging to invest up to $50 billion to expand AI and supercomputing capabilities for U.S. government customers of its Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosted cloud subsidiary. This investment, set to break ground in 2026, is expected to add nearly 1.3 gigawatts of AI and supercomputing capacity across AWS Top Secret, AWS Secret, and AWS GovCloud (US) regions by building new data centers with advanced compute and networking technologies.

Federal agencies will gain expanded access to Amazon AI technologies including the Amazon Bedrock platform, AWS Claude generative AI foundation model, AWS Trainium AI chips, and infrastructure from its partnership with Nvidia. AWS supports more than 11,000 government agencies.

[READ MORE: Amazon dives deeper into generative AI with Nvidia integration]

"Our investment in purpose-built government AI and cloud infrastructure will fundamentally transform how federal agencies leverage supercomputing,” said AWS CEO Matt Garman. “We're giving agencies expanded access to advanced AI capabilities that will enable them to accelerate critical missions from cybersecurity to drug discovery. This investment removes the technology barriers that have held government back and further positions America to lead in the AI era."

Amazon also recently said it will invest at least $3 billion in Warren County, Mississippi, to build a new data center to support artificial intelligence and cloud computing technologies. In June 2025, Amazon announced it intends to invest at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand its data center infrastructure in the state.

Amazon is following up on a multi-billion-dollar commitment to Mississippi data infrastructure with a new project.

The online giant plans to invest at least $3 billion in Warren County, Mississippi, to build a new data center to support artificial intelligence and cloud computing technologies. This investment is expected to create at least 200 new jobs at the Amazon data center campus, plus support more than 300 additional full-time equivalent positions in the Warren County community overall. 

This commitment represents the largest private investment in Warren County's history and follows Amazon's 2024 $10 billion investment to build two data center complexes in Madison County, Miss. 

[READ MORE: Amazon investing $10 billion in Mississippi data centers]

The new data center campus will feature an energy-efficient design with custom-designed chips, servers, and network architecture, in an effort to expand cutting-edge technology in Mississippi.

"Amazon's $3 billion investment in Warren County will create lasting opportunities for Mississippi families and communities, building on our more-than-a-decade-long partnership with the Magnolia State," said David Zapolsky, Amazon's chief global affairs and legal officer. "This is what responsible growth looks like—bringing cutting-edge technology infrastructure to America while ensuring local communities benefit directly from that investment."

In June 2025, Amazon announced it intends to invest at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand its data center infrastructure in the state.

Between 2010 and 2024, Amazon invested $2.3 billion in the state of Mississippi, including five fulfillment and sortation centers, four delivery stations, five solar farms, a wind farm, and a Whole Foods Market location.

T&T Supermarket is adding another California location to its 2026 roster.

Canada’s largest Asian grocery chain will open a 52,000-sq.-ft. store in Millbrae at Friendship Plaza in winter 2026. Located in the southern portion of the San Francisco Peninsula, the store will serve several communities in the Bay Area.

Looking ahead to 2026, T&T has several California stores underway including in San Jose, San Francisco, Irvine and Chino Hills. The retailer currently operates two U.S. stores in Bellevue and Lynnwood, Wash. It entered the U.S. market in December 2024.

The Millbrae location is currently under construction, and will create approximately 350 jobs once open.

"Finding large retail format real estate in the Bay Area takes time," said Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarket. "I have had my eye on Millbrae for awhile – it's a great spot to serve families living in the peninsula and well spaced between our San Francisco and San Jose locations. We hope our store becomes a place where neighbors come together to shop, eat, take comfort in familiar flavors and discover new tastes."

[READ MORE: T&T Supermarkets plans second SoCal store]

At T&T stores, guests can enjoy a self-serve hot food bar featuring authentic Asian dishes, authentic street food, baked foods, exclusive Asian wines and spirits, and over 200 private label products.

Founded in Vancouver in 1993, T&T Supermarkets operates approximately 40 stores in Canada and the United States.

Media reports indicate Walgreens is purchasing the pharmacies of a West Virginia-based regional drugstore chain.

Walgreens will acquire the pharmacies of all West Virginia-based Fruth Pharmacy stores located across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio as of Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, according to the West Virginia Metro News. Fruth, which was initially founded in 1952, will shutter its retail stores at the end of 2025.

Walgreens will reportedly offer jobs to many of the Fruth employees affected by this buyout.

“I am proud of the many contributions that Fruth Pharmacy has made over the past 73 years,” Lynne Fruth, owner of Fruth, said in a statement to the West Virginia Metro News. In the statement, she blamed pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) business practices for leading to the company’s closure.

“By reimbursing pharmacies less money than a medication costs, PBMs have caused the closure of thousands of pharmacies across America,” Fruth said. “The continued closings of pharmacies must be a wakeup call for lawmakers to hold PBMs accountable before all pharmacies disappear.”

Walgreens is making this purchase following the recent completion of a $10 billion acquisition of its parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance by Sycamore Partners. With the closing of the deal, Walgreens is now operating as a private standalone company. 

[READ MORE: Walgreens names new CEO as company goes private]

Customers throughout the San Francisco Bay area now have faster access to deliveries of online Amazon Pharmacy orders.

In an email to Chain Store Age, an Amazon spokesperson said Amazon Pharmacy is now offering same-day delivery to customers in the greater San Francisco market. First introduced in 2020, Amazon Pharmacy operates as a full-service online pharmacy that delivers prescription medications directly to customers’ doors in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

With what Amazon says are 40% fewer pharmacies in San Francisco compared to a decade ago, Amazon Pharmacy will offer area residents prescription delivery, including GLP-1s, insulin and biologics, within hours of ordering. The service will also apply manufacturer-sponsored discounts automatically at checkout and provide transparent pricing so customers know the exact cost of medications before purchase.

[READ MORE: Amazon hits $100 million in customer pharmacy savings]

In addition, Amazon Pharmacy will provide Bay Area customers 24/7 access to licensed and trained pharmacists and a caregiver feature that allows customers to securely invite trusted individuals who, once verified, can manage medications on behalf of their loved ones through their own Amazon Pharmacy account.

This same-day delivery expansion is part of Amazon Pharmacy's broader commitment to offer same-day delivery to nearly half of U.S. customers by the end of 2025. The company also recently began offering same-day delivery to customers in nearly 200 small towns in greater Chicago. Amazon Pharmacy accepts most insurance plans and works with Blue Shield of California as its preferred home delivery pharmacy.