SpartanNash, Target, Publix top the week’s headlines

In this week’s recap of the Top 10 most popular Supermarket News articles, Loblaw parent sells Weston Foods fresh/frozen bakery business ranked as the week’s top story. The deal, announced Tuesday, comes about six months after George Weston put Weston Foods on the sales block to better focus on its Loblaw retail and Choice Properties real estate businesses. Among other stories in this week’s gallery:

• SpartanNash, Stop & Shop to hold Saturday job fairs
• Allegiance Retail Services adds another Green Way Market
• Independent grocery sales climbed 17% in 2020
• Publix rolls out drug disposal receptacles to over 170 pharmacies

In other news, during our recent webinar “Reimagining Deli & Bakery,” Supermarket News was joined by Jonna Parker, principal, Fresh Center of Excellence at IRI, and Eric Richard, industry relations coordinator at the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, who shared data and insights on those supermarket categories, the impact of COVID over the past 18 months, and what to expect going forward.

Other top stories:

• E-commerce to account for 20% of U.S. grocery market by 2026
• Fresh Thyme Market to open new concept store in St. Louis
• Wakefern’s fiscal 2021 sales dip after cycling pandemic-driven gains
• Target, Walmart up the omnichannel ante for the holidays