Fresh Connect Expands Network to Include Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart

Nonprofit organization About Fresh has leveraged the Filtered Spend platform from global financial services technology provider FIS to expand the Fresh Connect food prescription program across a national network of more than 10,000 grocery retail locations, including Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart. Fresh Connect integrates seamlessly with health care IT infrastructure and workflow and streamlines program administration and measurement. In addition, shoppers receive ongoing, personalized cardholder support from the point of enrollment.

Program enrollees can easily shop for fresh fruits and vegetables at their preferred local store and use the prepaid debit card at checkout, with the cost of eligible healthy foods automatically deducted from the total purchase price.

[Read More: "The Food as Medicine Trend at Retail"]

“Enabling access to healthy and affordable foods to a wider group of people is a critically important mission,” said Chris Como, SVP, division executive, cards and money movement at Jacksonville, Fla.-based FIS. “We’re proud to leverage FIS payment technology to make the payment experience easier and more seamless for families who want to bring fresh food options into their homes.” 

“As a retailer that operates popular supermarkets such as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and Shaw’s in communities across the country, our partnership with About Fresh and FIS gives Fresh Connect program recipients more options when shopping for nutritious food,” said Irina Pelphrey, VP of health and managed care at Albertsons Cos., which has also recently partnered with FIS. “For many of those shoppers who already shop our stores and pharmacies for needs outside of their monthly benefit, the ability to now use their Fresh Connect card will be a tremendous convenience.” 

“At About Fresh, we are building a first-of-its-kind infrastructure, making it possible for health plans, providers, community-based organizations and others to leverage the scale and efficiency of grocery retail and e-commerce to maximize the value of their investment into food as medicine,” observed Josh Trautwein, co-founder and CEO of Boston-based About Fresh. “Joining the FIS Filtered Spend network is a significant milestone, as it will allow shoppers across the country to use their Fresh Connect card at more than 10,000 stores to purchase the foods foundational to good health and do so in a manner that is convenient, joyful and reverent of food culture.” 

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operates more than 2,200 retail stores in 34 states. The company is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide, and Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on PG’s list, while Cincinnati-basedKroger, with almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, is No. 4. PG also named Albertsons, Kroger and Walmart among its Retailers of the Century.