Merchandising Analytics Intern

Kroger's Tomato Flights celebrate peak summer produce with fresh, flavorful combinations. US: Heinen's Downtown Cleveland grocery store is closing July 31 Heinen's grocery store announced that it would close its Downtown Cleveland location on July 31. Downtown's Heinen's is more than just a grocery store. The historic bank building, which was built in 1907, became a tourist attraction thanks to its epic rotunda ceiling and mix of neo-classical and Renaissance revival decor. Source: clevelandmagazine.com US: Kroger fires up Fourth of July celebrations with trending "Flight" food experiences The Kroger Co. reported: "Tomato Flights - Celebrate peak summer produce with fresh, flavorful combinations: Garden Fresh Flight: Sliced heirloom, roma and cherry tomatoes with sea salt, olive oil and fresh basil; Caprese Flight: Tomatoes paired with fresh mozzarella, Simple Truth Organic basil and Private Selection balsamic glaze; Grilled Tomato Flight: Charred tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and Private Selection shaved parmesan; Savory Snack Flight: Cherry tomatoes served with hummus, Alouette or Boursin spreadable cheese (Mix & Match BOGO free [Offers vary by geography]) topped with flaky sea salt". Source: prnewswire.com US: Weis Markets debuts southern Delaware store Weis Markets has opened a new store in Millsboro, Delaware, at 30250 Commerce Drive. The new store features include: A large market-style produce department with a wide selection of organic produce. Source: progressivegrocer.com US: Grocery prices top list of consumer pain points Respondents to the Global Strategy Group survey said meat and poultry were by far the grocery categories that were a top source of financial stress and had become unaffordable. Although some other categories were also cited as sources of financial stress by more than a quarter of consumers, including fresh fruit and vegetables. Source: supermarketnews.com Warm weather and summer spending lift Irish grocery sales by 4.8% Take-home grocery sales in Ireland increased by 4.8% over the four weeks to 14 June 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator. More at-home eating also lifted fruit sales by €549,000 and bakery breads by €302,000. Source: retailnews.ie UK: Aldi set to give away thousands of free strawberries to celebrate Wimbledon Aldi reported: "To celebrate the tournament, Aldi is giving away thousands of free strawberries at its Wimbledon store between Monday 29th June and Friday 3rd July. The supermarket is also selling strawberry punnets to just 99p. What's more, Aldi reveals it's gearing up for sales of five million strawberry punnets over the Wimbledon period alone". Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk UK: Tesco serves up thousands of free bowls of Strawberries and Cream as tennis fever and summer heat take hold Tesco reported: "Tesco are serving up one of Britain's most iconic sporting traditions for free, with thousands of bowls of strawberries and cream being handed out to fans in Wimbledon this week". Source: tescoplc.com Albanian supermarket chain operator Pronatyra Treg steps in Kosovo Albanian supermarket chain operator Pronatyra Treg, the franchise holder of Italian discount supermarket chain MD, said it has opened its first two stores in Kosovo, in the capital Pristina. Source: seenews.com Lidl Ireland announces Michelin-starred Chef Eric Matthews as official new chef ambassador Commenting on the announcement, Lidl Ireland chef ambassador Eric Matthews said: "I am proud to partner with Lidl Ireland as their official chef ambassador... I'm also blown away at their quality standards - with rigorous weekly product testing of their steak to ensure every batch is up to scratch, or the daily fresh produce inspections they carry out in-store to guarantee quality across their fruit and veg range, their commitment to providing shoppers with the very best produce is unmatched". Source: corporate.lidl.ie First quarter trading statement for the 16 weeks to 20 June 2026 J Sainsbury plc reported: "We will continue to make deliberate, balanced choices to sustain our strong competitive position and expect to continue to outperform the grocery market. We have had an encouraging start to the year but the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on our customers and our business remains uncertain and we continue to expect to deliver Total underlying operating profit of between £975mln and £1,075mln and Retail free cash flow of more than £500mln". Source: corporate.sainsburys.co.uk Strawberries and ice cream push UK food price inflation to lowest since March 2025, BRC data shows The British Retail Consortium's monthly survey of major chains showed that overall shop prices this month were 1.2% higher than a year earlier, the same as in May. Fresh food inflation fell to 2.8% year-on-year in June compared to 3.4% in May, helped by bumper crops of strawberries and promotions on ice cream as much of Britain experienced unusually hot weather. Source: reuters.com East of England Co-op teams with Uber Eats to expand rapid grocery delivery service across 33 stores The East of England Co-op has partnered with Uber Eats on rapid grocery delivery for its members and customers, with the service now available from 33 food stores across East Anglia. Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com Spain: Eroski Group to sell service station business to Petroprix Spanish retail group Eroski has agreed to sell its service station business to Spanish petrol station operator Petroprix. The transaction covers the group's 40 service stations and is expected to be completed by the end of the year, Eroski noted. Source: esmmagazine.com Delhaize transfers another 122mln euros to Ahold Delhaize Delhaize is once again distributing 122mln euros to its Dutch owner, Ahold Delhaize. The new capital distribution consists of a capital reduction of 74.2mln euros and a reduction in the statutory reserve of 47.8mln euros, according to De Tijd. Source: retaildetail.eu UK: Co-op Wholesale announces new partnership with Holliss Filling Stations Co-op Wholesale reported: "Co-op Wholesale has confirmed a new partnership with Holliss Filling Stations, a long-established, family-owned forecourt and convenience operator serving communities across South Devon". Source: coopwholesale.co.uk

Weis Markets celebrates grand opening of its Millsboro store. New 65,000-square-foot store marks Weis Markets' second location in Millsboro, Delaware June 26, 2026. 3:09 PM SUNBURY, Pa. - Weis Markets today celebrated the grand opening of its Millsboro store with a preview event and ribbon cutting. The new 65,000-square-foot store, located at 30250 Commerce Drive, opened to the public today. "We are extremely pleased to open in Southern Delaware, which is a dynamic, fast-growing region," said Jonathan Weis, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Weis Markets. "This store, our fifth in the great state of Delaware, is designed to elevate the shopping experience, whether that's the fresh coastal seafood in our market, the local character woven into the Starbucks café's décor, or the contemporary layout offering tremendous one-stop shopping convenience. Millsboro families deserve a store that reflects the community they're building and will serve families for years to come." Store manager Stephen Rayburn will oversee 185 new full- and part-time associates. The new store will feature: * An expansive market-style produce department with a wide selection of organic produce; * Full-service seafood and meat departments - with fresh seafood a natural fit less than an hour from the Delaware coast; * Sushi prepared in-store daily; * A deli offering a wide selection of sliced meats and cheeses, along with a heat and serve meal section; * A Starbucks café offering a variety of hot and cold beverages with mobile app ordering available; * A bakery offering fresh-baked breads, pastries and custom cakes; * A floral department with fresh arrangements and seasonal selections; * Full-service pharmacy; and * Weis 2 Go online ordering with curbside pickup and delivery. The store is one of Weis Markets' most innovative designs, maximizing natural light to reduce electrical lighting needs during the day. The sustainable design focus is further complemented by energy-efficient LED lighting and CO2 refrigeration systems that use significantly less harmful refrigerants compared to most supermarkets. Additionally, the store will offer Weis 2 Go Online ordering with curbside pickup and delivery. Customers can order online and have their groceries handpicked by trained personal shoppers. Millsboro customers will also benefit from Weis' Price Lock program on high-demand seasonal items; its Low, Low Price program, providing low prices on more than 10,000 products; and its weekly Hot Buys program. Together, these programs enable customers to receive the lowest everyday prices on thousands of items. In celebration of the grand opening and to thank the community, Weis Markets presented donations to the Food Bank of Delaware, Brandywine Valley SPCA, Millsboro Fire Company, and East Millsboro Elementary School. Additionally, the Company donated the first Weis 2 Go order to the Food Bank of Delaware.

Instacart and Weis Markets have launched AI-powered Caper Carts at select Pennsylvania locations, with additional rollouts planned throughout the year. The smart trolleys offer real-time spend tracking, personalised coupons and seamless loyalty rewards integration. Powered by Instacart's Connected Stores technology, Caper Carts feature basket-facing cameras, certified scales, location-tracking systems and touchscreens. The technology combines edge computing with cloud AI trained on over 1.6 billion online grocery orders. Early results show location-aware prompts drive nearly a one percentage point lift in basket size. Caper Carts now operate across more than 100 cities in 15 states, including Kroger, Schnucks and Wakefern banners. Instacart has tripled its Caper Cart deployment year-over-year, with international expansion including Coles in Australia and Morrisons in the UK.