Meijer Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. have teamed up to offer on-demand scheduled grocery delivery to customers across the Midwest, solidifying Uber Eats’ national expansion of service for consumers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. 

Beginning this week and continuing through the winter, shoppers are able to shop for holiday favorites at almost 250 Meijer locations via Uber and Uber Eats, with orders delivered on-demand directly to their doors. Meijer locations will be featured stores on the Uber Eats app this season and also included in Uber’s Holiday Shop, a one-tap destination for festive essentials. 

Uber One members can receive $0 delivery fees and 5% off Meijer orders of $35 or, and all consumers can get $10 off their first $40-plus Meijer order from Uber Eats with the code MEIJER10 through Dec. 31. 

“Meijer is known for freshness — fresh food, fresh thinking and a focus on innovation makes them a natural partner for Uber,” said Christian Freese, head of grocery and new verticals across the United States and Canada for San Francisco-based Uber. “We’re thrilled to be bringing their fresh selection to Uber and Uber Eats across much of the country, and to be working together to deliver must-have groceries to America’s doorsteps, just in time for the holidays.”

Uber’s other grocery partners include Albertsons Cos., SpartanNash and Grocery Outlet. The company delivers grocery, convenience, alcohol and retail products in 30-plus countries.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer, with more than 400 supercenters, neighborhood markets and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin, is No. 20 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, while Albertsons, SpartanNash and Grocery Outlet are Nos. 9, 41 and 70, respectively, on PG’s list.

International olive oil company Salov Group has appointed a new CEO to lead its Filippo Berio USA subsidiary. Dusan Kaljevic has been promoted to the position from his most recent role as deputy CEO.

Kaljevic succeeds retiring CEO Marco de Ceglie, who is credited with growing the Lyndhurst, N.J.-based division’s presence as a supplier of extra virgin olive oil, pestos and other specialty products. De Ceglie is capping a 40-year career in the CPG industry, where he was a leader in strategic operations, sales, marketing and finance.

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Kalijevic and de Ceglie worked closely together to ensure a smooth transition. The new CEO will also rely on his extensive CPG industry background. He joined Salov Group in 2012 and helped expand distribution of products, including Filippo Berrio's growing roster of offerings, into more than 20 countries.

“We are confident that Dusan Kaljevic will leverage his commercial and operational expertise and corporate leadership skills to further Filippo Berio's mission and goals,” remarked Fabio Maccari, Salov Group’s global CEO. “We are eternally grateful to Marco de Ceglie for his devotion to Filippo Berio USA. His tenacity to grow the brand, dedication to consumers and desire to cultivate partnerships leaves a lasting impression.”

“Dusan has been a trusted partner, long supporting the expansion and adoption of Filippo Berio products in the U.S. and beyond,” said De Ceglie. “He is fully aligned with the brand’s commitment to innovation and excellence, and I am certain that he will lead Filippo Berio USA and its partners, employees and customers into a successful and fruitful future.”

For his part, Kaljevic said he is ready to hit the ground running. “In 2023, our initial points of focus will be to continue reducing environmental impact through sustainable innovation, increase the development of diverse local talent and further expand the business’ geographic footprint,” he declared.

Filippo Berio is a legacy olive oil provider, founded 155 years ago in Italy. The brand is now available in 75 countries. 

A new food market is coming to the metro Atlanta area. Savi Provisions, a boutique grocer, recently welcomed shoppers to its location at 12630 Crabapple Road in the town of Milton, Ga., north of downtown Atlanta.

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The 3,644-square-foot store offers organic and specialty groceries, beer, wine and spirits as well as craft coffees and prepared foods. The in-store café offers breakfast sandwiches, omelets, burritos and gourmet sandwiches. Just in time for the holidays the store also touts a catering menu.

Billed as a neighborhood destination, Savi Provisions operates at least 14 other markets in the Atlanta area and is set to expand into Tennessee with a location in Nashville. The company was founded in 2009 by entrepreneur and developer Paul Nair.

In response to proposed regulations, FMI – The Food Industry Association has filed a letter opposing the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) revamp of the rule that determines whether a worker is an independent contractor. FMI is calling on DOL to retain the current independent-contractor framework and not replace it with a proposal that expands factors for determination.

The Fair Labor Standards Act governs how a business classifies a worker, including an independent contractor in a gig profession, as an employee for federal wage and overtime requirements. The proposed rule applies six or more factors in determining whether an independent contractor must be classified as an employee, instead of the current policy, which applies two core factors.  

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“FMI members need the flexibility to utilize the staffing resources of vendors and contractors, such as on-demand delivery services, to address evolving requirements of our 21st-century economy and workforce,” said Christine Pollack, VP of government relations at Arlington, Va.-based FMI.  

Pollack continued, “The workforce shortage remains the food industry’s top supply chain challenge. Coupling this shortage with the growing demand for e-commerce grocery services and direct-to-home delivery further complicates matters for businesses in our industry. DOL should foster a regulatory environment that promotes a diversity of work arrangements and not tie the hands of businesses that seek staffing help and individual contractors who seek independence.”  

FMI also signed comments filed by Coalition for Workforce Innovation (CWI) that detail legal arguments against the proposed rule.

“Members of CWI are disappointed with the department’s antiquated approach towards a growing and vibrant segment of the economy,” noted CWI Chair Evan Armstrong. “Returning to the older and more confusing standard does not reflect the wishes of affected stakeholders and could disrupt the livelihoods of millions of innovative, independent professionals who work in nearly every industry throughout our economy. Ultimately, the proposed rule could chill modern work relationships by greatly reducing clarity for workers and employers.”

As the holiday rush is in full force, so are Target Corp.’s efforts to attract last-minute shoppers. The retailer is touting its convenient same-day fulfillment services and discounts in the runup to Christmas and other winter occasions.  

Time-crunched holiday buyers can place free order pickup or drive-up orders before 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and retrieve their items within a couple of hours. The Christmas Eve window for same-day delivery with Shipt extends through 4 p.m. on Dec. 24; those deliveries are free, but a $35 order minimum is required.

Target is offering several deals to shoppers hurriedly checking off items on their gift lifts and preparing for celebrations. From now through Dec. 17, shoppers can score up to 30% off clothing and accessory products, shoes and family sleepwear and 40% off kitchen appliances including Ninja and KitchenAid. Seasonal décor and trees are also on sale, by as much as 30%. Eleventh-hour shoppers who visit Target in-store or online from Dec. 18-24 can gain even more savings, such as up to 60% off video games for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox, up 50% off several toy brands, up to 50% off small kitchen appliances like Keurig and PowerXL, up to 50% off connected home and security products from Amazon, Ring, Google and even steeper discounts on seasonal apparel and décor. Savings on gift cards include 15% off Game Pass gift cards and 5% off pre-paid gift cards with the use of a Target RedCard.

The deals come at a time when shoppers are balancing holiday spending with a desire to rein in costs. In November, Target downgraded its holiday quarter outlook after noting a “significant change in shopping patterns.”

Most Target locations will close at 8 p.m. local time on Dec. 24 and reopen at their regular time on Dec. 26.

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.

Curbside drive-thru grocer JackBe, which plans to launch its first store in January 2023, has started a Wefunder campaign to allow anyone interested in the concept to invest in the startup. JackBe focuses on creating stores that operate only to serve customers picking up groceries.

“To the time-challenged shopper needing a simpler way to grocery shop, JackBe is your curbside drive-thru grocer who fills your order and delivers it to your vehicle when you want, with no substitutions,” aid Alex Ruhter, who founded the Oklahoma City, Okla.-based company three years ago with three others. “We have created the grocery store experience that we wished existed but didn’t … until now.” 

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Added Ruhter: “We are incredibly excited to not only open our first store, but to share with others the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of what we believe to be the future of grocery shopping. We have taken this company from concept to build out, and we could not have done it without the belief and encouragement of others, and for that, we are forever humbled.”

According to the company, it has privately raised more than $7 million has been to date, and the Wefunder campaign is currently at $330,000-plus and growing.

Poised to disrupt the fast-growing $811 billion grocery market, JackBe bills itself as the first drive-thru grocer with on-demand ordering and pickup in minutes. Users can just download a simple-to-use app to begin shopping, and all orders are handpicked. Grocery orders will be ready for pickup at the most convenient time for the customer. The first three concept stores, which will offer convenient items and quality fresh produce, are slated to open next year.