Mother’s Market & Kitchen, an independent organic and natural health food store chain with 12 Southern California locations, and retail tech companyUpside have teamed up to offer the retailer’s customers the chance to earn cash back while shopping.

“This partnership presents an exciting opportunity for us to not only broaden our customer base and enhance the value we offer to our patrons, but also gain valuable insights and data-driven analytics to improve our overall service and offering,” noted Dorothy Carlow, CEO of Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Mother’s Market & Kitchen. “By leveraging Upside's data-driven approach, we’re better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our customers while delivering them value and quality.” 

Together, Mother’s Market & Kitchen and Upside aim to provide the retailer’s current customers with more purchasing power while expanding its reach through margin-bound promotions that inspire real behavioral change. Upside’s cash-back offers entice both new and existing customers to visit participating stores. Retailers using Upside’s platform have seen their customers’ basket sizes grow by an average of 10% and their customers’ visit frequency increase by 1.7 times each month, according to the tech company.

“Mother’s Market & Kitchen is a savvy grocer finding profitable ways to help their customers combat rising inflation costs, while keeping up with larger chain competitors,” saidTyler Renahagan, VP of grocery at Washington, D.C.-based Upside, which also works with such grocers as Schnucks, Cardenas Markets, Coborn’s, Price Chopper, Gelson’s, Piggly Wiggly and Save A Lot.“In today’s climate, where consumers demand greater value and grocers require profitable growth to succeed, partnerships like these can make a significant difference.”

There’s been an ownership swap at grocery stores in the town of Munising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Pat's Foods is taking over a Family Fare store in that central U.P. town, as well as Bob’s IGA, following the retirement of longtime grocer Bob St. Amour. Pat’s is consolidating the operations.

Based in Houghton, Mich., Pat’s Foods is the area’s largest grocer, operating 17 stores.  Like the grocer’s other locations in the U.P., the refreshed store will be stocked with a variety of locally sourced foods and feature a large beer cave.

“It’s been on our radar for years to try and get here,” Pat’s Foods co-owner Ben Campioni told local media. “We were super-excited when we got the opportunity to buy a store here. It’s exciting times for our family and for the workers. I think it’s going to be a step in the right direction.”

Munising is a popular tourist attraction in the area. The store reopening comes at a time when seasonal business starts to rise. 

Cleveland Clinic has teamed with Nestlé USA to launch a first-of-its-kind pilot program providing no-cost frozen meal delivery via Instacart to Cleveland Clinic employees as part of a weight management program. 

Program participants receive e-coaching from a certified health coach for weight management through Cleveland Clinic’s employee health plan. Now, along with coaching, they’ll get 10 dietitian-approved frozen meals from Nestlé USA every two weeks for three months at no cost to them. The meals will arrive via Instacart from area grocery stores. The program will give participants Instacart Health Fresh Funds – category-specific virtual stipends – to pay for the meals. 

Cleveland Clinic and Nestlé USA dietitians selected meals that meet Cleveland Clinic nutrition criteria from Sweet Earth Foods, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine. Participants also will receive education on how to fit these meals into an overall eating plan. 

After the 12-week pilot, Cleveland Clinic and Nestlé will assess results and jointly consider ways to grow this frozen meal/coaching program to not only Cleveland Clinic patients and caregivers, but also to employers and consumers.

The pilot will gauge how the meals affect engagement with e-coaching, how often people order meals, and pre- and post-program weight.

“Planning and preparing nutritionally balanced meals is often a time-consuming and arduous step for people looking to manage certain health conditions. Frozen entrees can help alleviate that pain point, providing a delicious, balanced and convenient solution,” said Tom Moe, president, Nestlé Meals division, which is based in Solon, Ohio. “By leveraging Nestlé’s insights as the world’s largest food and beverage company, and Cleveland Clinic’s expertise in health and wellness, this innovative partnership offers us the opportunity to understand how we can better support people on their health journey.”

Nestlé is providing funding for the meals and delivery during the pilot.

After closing two years ago due to flood damage from record rainfall, Save A Lot has officially reopened its location in Carlisle, Ky. The grocer held a ribbon cutting on May 17 with Save A Lot CEO Leon Bergmann; Saver Group owners Larry Noe, Wendell Combs and Dale Combs; Saver Group COO Keith DeFisher; and the Nicholas County Chamber of Commerce present to mark the occasion.

“We’re thrilled to have the Saver Group bring back the Carlisle store to their list of hometowns that get to experience once again what the Save A Lot brand is all about,” said Bergmann. “We know the Save A Lot brand brings unmatched value and quality to over 800 communities nationwide and can’t wait for the Carlisle community to experience that again for themselves.”

The grocer also held a cookout in its parking lot to commemorate the re-opening, and is holding giveaways for the first 100 customers each day through May 23. 

“We are excited to bring the Save A Lot banner back to Carlisle,” said Larry Noe. “My business partners, Dale and Wendell Combs and I understand that residents deserve high quality food at a value price point that works for them. We think the Save A Lot brand helps us deliver that to our neighbors here and we can’t wait to have people experience this new option in town.”

Save A Lot has 842 stores in 32 states. The St. Ann, Mo.-based company is No. 57 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

If charity begins at home, Target Corp. is keeping it close this summer. The Minneapolis-based retailer announced that it is investing in the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s “Summer’s Best Downtown” campaign that aims to support and encourage visits to the community.

Target estimates that more than 15,000 of its employees work or live in the city. "For Target, Minneapolis is not only home to our headquarters, it’s also a community where so many of our team members live. We have immense pride in our city and are proud to partner with the Minneapolis Downtown Council on this initiative to celebrate and support the things that make it a great place to live, work and shop,” said Amanda Nusz, SVP of corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation.

Over the course of the summer, visitors can take part in any of the 1,800 events that will be offered, including live music, games, food trucks, celebrity appearances, giveaways and more. Many activities will be held on Thursdays, with themes ranging from “Garden Bash” to “Roller Disco.” According to the Minneapolis Downtown Council, more than 8.6 million patrons visited the downtown area last year.

In addition to its support of summer events and programming, the Target Foundation awards Hometown Foundation Grants that foster entrepreneurship, workforce development, housing and asset building. The company’s team members regularly give back to the community through service, collectively volunteering more than 82,000 hours in the area in 2022.

Target Corp. is No. 6 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, with nearly 2,000 locations.

Publix Super Markets is supporting the Arbor Day Foundation for the seventh consecutive year by funding tree plantings throughout Florida. The plantings are partially funded by the sale of Publix reusable bags, and support the restoration of damaged watersheds in the grocer’s home state.

Earlier this year, the retailer funded the planting of 269,000 trees in Econfina Creek in the Florida Panhandle, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2018. That donation brings the company’s contribution to 1 million trees planted over seven years.

A tree-planting ceremony was held at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, Fla., to commemorate the milestone.

“We’re proud to commemorate the millionth tree milestone at Bonnet Springs Park alongside the Arbor Day Foundation,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “It’s in our mission to be involved as responsible citizens in our communities, which includes improving the areas in which we serve. We look forward to continuing to care for our associates, customers and communities by being good stewards of our environment.”

Looking forward, Publix plans to expand tree plantings to other states within its footprint.

Employee-owned and -operated Publix has close to 1,300 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix is No. 12 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.