Food solutions company SpartanNash is once more among the 2022 Best and Brightest companies to Work For in the Nation, according to the National Association for Business Resources. This is the 10th consecutive year SpartanNash has been honored for its associate engagement and human resources practices. There were no other grocery companies on this year’s list.

“We are incredibly proud to have been recognized on a national level as a top employer for the past decade,” noted SpartanNash President and CEO Tony Sarsam. “Even through a pandemic, supply chain challenges and inflation shifts, we continue to prioritize People First initiatives and strive to cultivate an environment in which our associates can thrive, not only for themselves, but for their families and our larger communities.”

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For competition is based on such categories as communication, work-life balance, employee education, diversity, recognition and retention.

Based in Warren, Mich., the National Association for Business Resources specializes in benchmarking employment standards and has held Best and Brightest competitions for more than two decades.

The 2022 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For list has 139 national winners chosen from 1,100 nominations. SpartanNash has also been recognized as one of West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For since 2013, as well as one of Michigan’s Best and Brightest in Wellness since 2016. 

The company plans to host a National Day of Hiring for various retail and distribution center positions later this summer.

SpartanNash’s core businesses include distributing grocery products to independent and chain retailers, its corporate-owned retail stores, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges, as well as fresh produce distribution and fresh food processing. No. 41 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company also operates 145 supermarkets and employs 17,500 associates. 

For the second time in the past year, Walmart is making significant investments in higher wages and career progression for its pharmacy technicians, with the aim of creating additional avenues of growth and opportunity for them.

According to a blog post by Kevin Host, SVP, Walmart Health & Wellness, pharmacy, and Sean Jackson, SVP, Sam’s Club GMM, health and wellness/consumables, the retailer is doing the following: 

• Giving raises to current associates: As of this week, the company raised wages for its more than 36,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacy technicians, who will now earn an average hourly wage of more than $20 an hour. Pharmacy techs’ last pay increase was in August 2021.

• Offering more frequent raises: Pharmacy technicians will get more frequent, automatic pay raises as Walmart rolls out a progressive wage model designed to differentiate it from the competition. Pharmacy techs will receive raises every six months in their first two years with the company.

“We believe we are among the first large retailers to incorporate this kind of model – an approach that’s commonly seen in health care systems,” Host and Jackson wrote in the blog post. “This will help associates increase their pay more quickly as they build their careers and continue working at Walmart.”

Additionally, through its Live Better U and related programs, the company covers the costs of becoming certified to be a pharmacy technician, from career diplomas, on-the-job training and test prep, to paying the certification exam fee. Walmart certified technicians can make $3 more per hour than their non-certified peers. 

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart, ranks eighth on the list.

Independent grocer Yoke's Fresh Market is not only expanding its retail operation, but extending its footprint into another state. The Spokane, Wash.-based Yoke’s announced plans to acquire a pair of grocery stores in Missoula, Mont.

Two Missoula Fresh Market Stores will become banners of Yoke’s Foods, Inc. The stores are located at 3801 S. Reserve St. and 800 W. Broadway street in Missoula, the second largest city in Montana.

According to information released by Yoke’s, the stores will be transitioned to its Fresh Markets model and offer a wide range of natural, organic and specialty food products. The locations will also include bakery and fresh seafood counter.

"At Yoke’s, our mission is to expand our services to this new market. Yoke's is excited to expand our family,” said John Bole, CEO of Yoke's Fresh Markets.

The deal is expected to close in late summer or early fall. Founded in 1946, Yoke’s operates 17 stores in Washington and Idaho, most of them in Spokane. Missoula Fresh Market was founded in 2015 by the founders of Orange Street Food Farm, who purchased two former Safeway locations in town. 

Digital advertising network Grocery TV is adding 2,600 point-of-sale displays to its network through a new partnership with Southeastern Grocers (SEG). 

“We are always looking for innovative opportunities to reach our customers throughout the Southeast,” said Adam Kirk, SVP of marketing operations for Southeastern Grocers. “We are committed to providing our customers quality shopping experiences, and our partnership with Grocery TV allows us another opportunity to provide value to our partners and customers throughout our stores.”

The partnership marks another milestone for Grocery TV as it continues to realize its vision of making it easier for brands to reach their audiences through in-store retail media.

“SEG has a reputation for being open to new solutions that enhance the shopping experience for their customers,” said Marlow Nickell, co-founder and CEO of Austin, Texas-based Grocery TV. “We’re excited to have them join our network and expand Grocery TV’s footprint in the Southeast.”

Grocery TV currently has more than 16,000 displays, 4,000 of which were attained via a recent partnership with Northeast wholesaler Wakefern Food Corp. Grocery TV expects to add 6,000 more displays by the end of 2022.

Integrated with major DSPs such as the Trade Desk and Yahoo DSP, brands leverage Grocery TV’s advertising channel to reach their audience with verified impressions in a brand-safe, high-traffic environment.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Southeastern Grocers is one of the largest conventional supermarket companies in the United States, with grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies serving communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Its banners include Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket, and Winn-Dixie grocery stores. The company is No. 39 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern is No. 25 on The PG 100.

The largest grocery store chain in Puerto Rico, Supermercados Econo, is upgrading its current e-commerce platform, Econo ToGo, with technology from Local Express, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) vertical platform that enables brick-and-mortar food and beverage companies to own their entire e-commerce offering end to end, from purchase to delivery.

“We chose the Local Express platform because they integrate a full spectrum of technical capabilities which will provide our e-commerce consumers with a unique shopping experience while also helping us improve our back-end operational processes,” explained Esteban Colón, CMO of Econo. “From easier order entry for our shoppers to optimized delivery routing, their technology has a proven ability to quickly create exceptional ROI.”

Among Local Express’ capabilities is a “drop and play” marketing content management module that facilitates the quick incorporation of retail media marketing into the e-commerce platform. The solution also provides bilingual content for every level of the e-commerce operation, including live customer service assistance in both English and Spanish. Local Express will provide on-location comprehensive training to store staff to ensure customer success and a seamless transition from the current e-commerce platform. 

“We are thrilled to provide the great team at Econo with an all-inclusive technology for their e-commerce business, with enhanced digital marketing automation built for easy shopper adoption and ever-increasing basket sizes,” said Bagrat Safarian, CEO of Glendale, Calif.-based Local Express, adding that the company “stands ready to continue helping [Econo’] long-term growth vision through collaborative development and customization.” 

Canóvanas-based Supermercados Econo operates 64 stores in 48 municipalities throughout Puerto Rico, with a workforce of more than 8,000 employees. 

Target is getting the summer party started with the launch of a featured line of ready-to-drink craft cocktails. Part of the Target Wine & Spirits Selects collection, the new Casa Cantina products include Classic Margarita, Strawberry Margarita and Piña Colada varieties and are sold in 1.5-liter bottles and 3-liter boxes.

The addition to the unique-to-Target curated adult beverage assortment reflects growing consumer interest in such products. Market research firm Mintel reports that total volume sales of RTD cocktails skyrocketed by more than 225% from 2016 to 2021, while Beverage Marketing Corp. found those items have grown nearly 50% over the past two years, fueled in part by people drinking more at home during the pandemic.

Casa Cantina cocktails signal other trends as well, including the move towards accessible premiumization. The products are made with quality ingredients like real strawberry puree, pineapple and coconut and do not contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and flavors. The majority of items are priced below $10 and the full Casa Cantina assortment can be rung up for under $18.

“We know our guests are increasingly looking for convenient adult beverage offerings. That's why we're excited to introduce Casa Cantina, an assortment of ready-to-drink craft cocktails that delivers great taste and high quality at an incredible value,” said Rick Gomez, the retailer’s EVP and chief food and beverage officer. “At Target, our approach is to help guests discover the joy of food during life’s everyday moments.”

In addition to availability at more than 1,200 Target locations, the RTD craft cocktails can be ordered for pickup, drive-up and same-day delivery with Shipt via stores that offer adult beverages.

Minneapolis-based Target Corp. is No. 6 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, with nearly 2,000 locations.