Progressive Grocer

Chief Communications Officer Allyson Park to officially step down Feb. 1, 2027 Allyson Park (Image credit: corporate.walmart.com) Walmart SVP and Chief Communications Officer Allyson Park announced that she will be concluding her three-year tenure with the company, transitioning into an advisory role on Sept. 1 and officially stepping down on Feb. 1, 2027. According to an internal memo sent to employees, Walmart is still conducting its search for her replacement.

Ad strategy positions banner as not simply a grocery store, but rather an elevated culinary destination New Market District ads position the banner as an elevated culinary destination offering rich experiences that invoke great taste and a celebration of life. Giant Eagle banner Market District has rolled out a new rebrand campaign, “Discover Great Taste,”  with the aim of delivering culinary inspiration and celebrating the transformational power of food.

Shoppers are searching more for these foods – and purchasing them Instacart's report found that, out of the 10 categories that gained the most share of items sold in the first half of the year, six are foods that are high in protein and two are foods high in fiber. Foods with protein and fiber are gaining bigger shares of Americans' grocery carts, according to a new report from grocery technology company Instacart.

Online grocer aims to help customers save, maintain transparency Misfits Market is not only dropping prices on a range of grocery staples each week, the e-grocer is also committing to carry beef from only U.S. ranchers (Photo courtesy of Facebook). E-grocer Misfits Market is reaffirming its position as a value destination, even as grocery prices rise. Every week, it will offer a new set of Price Drops of up to 36% on such essential foods as chicken, milk, berries, bacon, greens and ground beef.

News Briefs Dollar General Taps RELEX Solutions for AI-Based Forecasting, Replenishment Dollar General Corp. is partnering with RELEX Solutions to deploy an AI-driven platform to manage forecasting, replenishment and allocation capabilities across the retailer's North American operations. RELEX's platform will manage Dollar General's store replenishment, ordering schedules, lead times, supplier coordination and fulfillment methods in one place, the company said.

Numerator report finds Walmart’s popularity slipping with Baby Boomers Welcome to The Friday 5, Progressive Grocer’s weekly roundup of the top news and trends in the food retail industry. Each Friday, we’ll take a look at the stories that are most important to our readers and also keep tabs on the trends that are poised to impact grocers.

Company faces allegations that it overcharged pharmacy customers for prescription drugs A class action claims that Kroger overcharged insured customers for prescription drugs by failing to factor in its lower Savings Club prices. The Kroger Co. has proposed a $17 million class-action settlement over allegations that it inflated insurance copays by failing to report its discounted Savings Club prices as its standard retail price. The class action, Kirkbride et al. v.

AI dynamic circulars, ads, shopping agents for retail The weekly ad has been the most dependable driver of demand in grocery. As shoppers have moved their shopping journey online, the digital circular is typically the first or second digital property they visit to engage with a retailer, making it the most important marketing tool, as evidenced by customer shopping behavior. However, what has changed is where shoppers go before they ever see it.

News Briefs Hormel Foods Nabs Tyson's CFO Hormel Foods Corp. has appointed Ash Bhumbla its EVP and CFO, effective Sept. 8. Paul Kuehneman, who has been interim CFO since October 2025, will work closely with Bhumbla to ensure a smooth transition and stay on as a key senior leader within the CPG company’s finance organization. In his new role, Bhumbla will lead Hormel’s finance organization and become a member of the senior leadership team.

Rhonda Taylor’s succession plan involves promotion of Kelly Collier Dollar General EVP and General Counsel Rhonda Taylor plans to retire after 26 years with the company. Dollar General Corp. EVP and General Counsel Rhonda Taylor plans to retire after 26 years with the company. To support a seamless leadership transition, Taylor will remain in her current role through Dec. 6, then take on a senior advisory role through at least April 2, 2027.