Kroger Co

As retailers compete for grocery shoppers, some of the big names in the business have zeroed in on the same strategy: get deliveries to customers' doors quickly.This week, Target announced a new paid membership program with free same-day home deliveries as a key perk. Walmart expanded its same-day delivery offering to allow shoppers to get online purchases dropped off earlier in the morning.And Kroger said Thursday that home deliveries helped propel its more than 10% year-over-year growth in digital sales and 24%…

Albertsons and Kroger supermarketsBridget Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images; Brandon Bell | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Monday that it is suing to block the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, saying the combination of the two major grocers would result in higher prices for shoppers and lower wages for workers.In a release, the FTC said it issued an administrative complaint and authorized a lawsuit in federal court to stop Kroger's $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons, which would create one of the…

A small number of employees and supporters picket outside the headquarters of drugstore chain Walgreens during a three-day walkout by pharmacists in Deerfield, Illinois, November 1, 2023.Vincent Alban | ReutersThe organizers of a recent retail pharmacy staff walkout are helping to launch a national push to organize those employees on Wednesday, a potential step to wide-scale unionization of thousands of pharmacists and technicians across the U.S. for the first time.A new partnership between the organizers and IAM…

A shopper goes through shirts in the kids section at Old Navy in Denver, Colorado.Brent Lewis | Denver Post | Getty ImagesBy striking down student debt forgiveness Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court not only added a hefty expense back into millions of Americans' budgets. It also created the latest challenge for retailers already struggling to predict how consumers may spend in the coming months.The court's decision squashed President Joe Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 per borrower in federal student loan debt. Student…

In this photo illustration, packages of Mifepristone tablets are displayed at a family planning clinic on April 13, 2023 in Rockville, Maryland. Anna Moneymaker | Getty ImagesHouse Democrats on Thursday called on Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Safeway and Health Mart to publicly commit to sell the prescription abortion pill mifepristone at their retail pharmacies.Pending lawsuits have jeopardized mifepristone's approval in the U.S. For now, it is the most common method to terminate a pregnancy in the country.The five companies…

About 21% of Target's annual sales come from the food and beverage category, but its grocery aisles have taken on added importance as shoppers buy fewer discretionary items.Melissa Repko | CNBCFor many Americans, a trip to Target brings to mind a shopping cart filled with throw pillows, makeup or a cute outfit.The retailer wants more customers to think of it when checking off the grocery list, too.related investing newsOnly 21% of Target's annual sales came from food and beverage in the most recent fiscal year, according…

Prebiotic soda maker Olipop is set to cross $200 million in annual sales this year, just five years after it arrived on grocery store shelves.Founder and CEO Ben Goodwin said beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have already come knocking. But he's not interested in cashing out just yet."Right now, my focus is on blowing business through the roof," Goodwin told CNBC.Coke and Pepsi didn't respond to requests for comment from CNBC.Olipop is on target to more than double its sales this year. The startup presents itself as a…

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — At first glance, this warehouse looks like many: Forklifts unload pallets from the back of dozens of tractor-trailers. Canned soup, soda and cleaning supplies whiz by on conveyer belts. Store-bound merchandise gets sorted by department and store aisle before getting stacked high like an elaborate game of Tetris.The difference? Tasks are powered by giant automated claws and rolling robots, instead of people. The driver's seats on the forklifts are empty.Welcome to the future of Walmart.The big-box…

A worker carries bananas inside the Walmart SuperCenter in North Bergen, New Jersey.Eduardo Munoz Alvarez | APFor some shoppers who already struggle to cover grocery bills, the budget is getting tighter.This month, pandemic-related emergency funding from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, is ending in most states, leaving many low-income families with less to spend on food.More than 41 million Americans receive funding for food through the federal program. For those households,…

A woman carries bags of merchandise from J.Crew, Nordstrom, UGG, and Victorias Secret at the King of Prussia Mall on December 11, 2022 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.Mark Makela | Getty ImagesThe U.S. economy may not be in a recession, but it feels like it in a lot of stores across the nation.Take Kroger, for instance. Inflation-pinched customers are downloading more coupons, cooking meals at home and switching to lower-priced private label brands to save money, the grocery giant's CEO, Rodney McMullen, told CNBC's…