Baby boomers put wrench in favorite grocer list
The generation that has shopped the aisles the longest bucked a trend in a study by global online market research and data analytics firm YouGov. While millennials and Generation X placed Aldi as the No. 1 grocer, baby boomers decided to go with Trader Joe’s. Aldi ranked second, followed by Kroger, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Sprouts Farmers Market adds 4 stores in 2 weeks, from Arlington to San Diego
Two stores in Arlington, Virginia, and College Station, Texas, opened September 25. The Arlington store sits at 3115 Langston Boulevard, while the College Station location is at 1913 Texas Avenue S. One store in San Diego, California, and another in Limerick, Pennsylvania, are set to follow on Friday, October 2. The San Diego store is at 3245 El Cajon Boulevard, while the Limerick store is in Suite 415 at 36 W Ridge Pike.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Hy-Vee abandons dollar store format
The regional grocer is transitioning its remaining Dollar Fresh Market locations to its namesake supermarket banner after concluding that the Hy-Vee name resonates better with customers.
Source: grocerydive.com
Unite Us and Instacart partner to scale food-as-medicine programs nationwide
Unite Us announced a new partnership with Instacart to expand access to nutritious food nationwide through a connected solution linking closed-loop care coordination to grocery benefit delivery.
Source: businesswire.com
New Zealand: New World named Roy Morgan Supermarket of the Year for second year
The win marks the second year running New World has been named Roy Morgan Supermarket of the Year, following its 2025 win. Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said New World was the clear winner in the supermarket category in 2026, taking out all four quarterly wins and continuing the lead it’s held in previous years.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
SPAR country organisations take action to reduce food waste
SPAR Austria improves ordering accuracy through AI-supported demand forecasting, helping to reduce surplus in the fruit and vegetable category before products even reach store shelves. Products approaching their best-before date are offered at reduced prices and displayed on dedicated shelves to encourage sales. SPAR Austria also offers “Second Chance Boxes” containing imperfect fruit and vegetables. SPAR Norway rewards customers with a 100% Trumf bonus when they buy imperfect fruit and vegetables.
Source: spar-international.com
UK: CMA provisionally accepts package for Co-op / Southern Co-op deal
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is considering remedies offered by Co-op Group, which include the sale of 15 convenience stores, to address the competition concerns it identified during the phase 1 investigation of Co-op’s acquisition of Southern Co-op.
Source: talkingretail.com
E-mart launches Goraeit Festa to slash fall food and goods prices in Korea
E-mart said it will hold the “Goraeit Festa”, discounting fall seasonal foods, household goods and appliances, from November 1 to November 5. For the main promotional item, fresh sweet potatoes, it prepared 200 tons harvested from major producing areas nationwide, including Gimje, Yeongam, Dangjin and Yeoju. A 1.5-kilogram box sells for 5,980 won, or 8,980 won for two boxes.
Source: biz.chosun.com
“Carrefour to pay 155mln euros for Colruyt Group’s French neighborhood store division”
According to the French business publication La Lettre, Carrefour is on the verge of acquiring Codifrance, the Colruyt Group subsidiary that supplies neighborhood stores such as Coccinelle and Coccimarket.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: Fresh Awards winner Aldi
FPC Fresh Talk Daily reported: “The supermarket was crowned Multiple Fruit & Veg Retailer of the Year at the FPC Fresh Awards 2026, held at JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London… The prestigious award was decided by a public vote, with Aldi emerging as the clear consumer favourite, recognising its performance and appeal to shoppers within the fresh fruit and vegetable category”.
Source: fpcfreshtalkdaily.co.uk
DIA reports sales of €2.9bln in H1 2026, outpaces Spanish retail market growth
Supermarket chain DIA reported gross sales of €2.9bln for the first half of its 2026 financial year – up 11.6%, year on year – as a strong second quarter (+12.1%) accelerated growth. According to Nielsen IQ data, in Spain DIA is growing at more than double the speed of the broader market, capturing an additional 26 basis points of market share and confirming its position as the country’s fourth-largest national retailer. Sales of fresh and private-label products both grew by 14%.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Waitrose revamps ‘Good Health’ logo in response to customer demand for cleaner ingredients
Waitrose reported: “To carry the updated Good Health logo on pack, products must satisfy two clear benchmarks – Ingredient standards: Zero additives or less recognisable ingredients, removing markers commonly associated with ultra-processed foods; Nutrition standards: Must carry at least one valid health/nutrition claim, classify as non-HFSS (not high in fat, sugar, or salt) under the UK government’s Nutrient Profile Score, and feature zero red traffic lights – with exceptions granted only for naturally occurring fats (e.g., nuts, seeds, avocados, milk, fish) and naturally occurring sugars”.
Source: johnlewispartnership.co.uk
Ukraine: Novus supermarket chain has expanded its network to 100 locations
The Novus supermarket chain opened its first store in Ivano-Frankivsk, which became the chain’s 100th location in Ukraine, the company’s press office reported.
Source: open4business.com.ua
