Column: Taking Stock

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👉 Three Ocado-powered sheds are now closing, impacting 1,400 workers and signaling a major pullback in Kroger’s automated fulfillment experiment.

👉 Doug McMillon led Walmart through a cultural and digital transformation that revitalized the company’s trajectory.

👉 UNFI’s Q1 2026 results showed continued financial strain despite slight operational improvements.

👉 Aldi kept up its aggressive expansion, opening 25 new stores in November, including several in the Mid-Atlantic.

👉 Amazon tests a new micro-fulfillment center in PA
👉 Weis, Ahold Delhaize, and Sprouts post solid Q3 sales despite economic pressure
👉 New retail media platform for faster, data-driven CPG campaigns unveiled
👉 Food Lion advances major remodel and DC projects

👉 SEG is rebranding as The Winn-Dixie Co.
👉 Target RIFFing 1,000 corporate employees
👉 When will UNFI finally pull the plug on Shoppers?
👉 Giant Food hires Upside to deploy rewards tech in Baltimore-Washington

• Already on a big-time roll, Walmart ups competitive ante with open AI deal
• Does Amazon really care about retail grocery? Do they need to?
• Trouble down the road for retailers with SNAP restrictions.
• The Demoulases are still at it – trial scheduled for December.

• Lina Khan was right as her suit against Amazon for its questionable ‘Prime’ membership tactics results in $2.5B penalty.
• Walmart’s McMillon sees AI changing ‘literally every job in the world.’
• Acosta pries away yet another high-volume CPG account from Advantage – this time it’s Unilever.
• Bad news just keeps coming UNFI’s way.
• Tightening economy breathes new life into Hamburger Helper sales.

• It was a very informative, productive day at the recent TGC vendor summit.
• Bill Mayo has his work cut out for him in his new post as Save A Lot CEO.
• Could Kroger be eyeing a break-up with Ocado?
• Boyer’s Markets’ switch from UNFI to Wakefern – a plus for Wakefern, a big blow to UNFI.
• Kudos to Jim Donald, who has finally (really) retired.

• Struggling Target will replace Brian Cornell as it continues to struggle post-COVID
• Walmart, on the other hand, keeps plugging right along, even with tariffs looming
• Kroger, in c-suite double-talk, says it’s ‘simplifying its organization’ by axing 2,000 corporate staffers
• PE firm Sycamore Partners takes on daunting task of attempting to turn around struggling Walgreens
• Thanks to all the readers who sent gracious words about me and my career

• What a long, great trip it’s been – 47 years of success built on treasured relationships.
• Albertsons wants to know why McMullen was forced to leave Kroger 10 days after failed merger.
• More bad news for UNFI customers as Mechanicsville, VA facility suffers late July power outage.
• Those fightin’ Demoulases are at it again.

• NYC-owned grocery stores? The joke would be on the taxpayers.
• Douglas’s recent ‘rah-rah’ UNFI Q4 webcast disingenuous in light of cyberattack.
• Get ready for a battle of the heavyweights as Wegmans opens in Norwalk, CT.