Beyond the shelf: The impact of third-party marketplaces in 2021 — and beyond

The third-party marketplace revolution is here, and it's helping grocers come back from the global pandemic while reimagining the grocery experience.

Sept. 22, 2021

Albertsons jumps into livestreaming

The supermarket chain is working with tech startup Firework to develop shoppable videos that will feature food-related content designed to inspire customers to make purchases.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 22, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Fresh food innovation

From new delivery services to technology designed to battle food waste, fresh foods and the ways grocers sell them are rapidly evolving. 

By Grocery Dive staff

Robomart launches store-hailing platform for retailers

The startup, which lets shoppers summon a mobile grocery or convenience store, is betting on more food retailers joining the instant-delivery trend.

By Jeff Wells • Sept. 21, 2021

Choice Market to test remote-controlled delivery vehicles

The grocery-convenience store chain will deploy electrically powered carts from Tortoise to transport goods between its retail locations and commissary, and plans eventually to use the technology to service e-commerce customers.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 21, 2021

Instant delivery startup 1520 expands to Chicago

The company's arrival in the Windy City marks its first foray outside its home base of New York City.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 16, 2021

Walmart teams up with Ford to test self-driving deliveries

As part of ongoing experimentation with the technology, the retailer will initially launch the service in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 16, 2021

Inside Hy-Vee's 'reimagined' physical-meets-digital store

Located in an up-and-coming northwest suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, the festive prototype features a lineup of new departments and partnerships, with digital touchpoints woven throughout.

By Jeff Wells • Sept. 15, 2021

Misfits Market raises $225M as its valuation doubles to $2B

The e-grocer plans to use the additional funds to increase its assortment and expand nationwide.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 15, 2021

GrubMarket brings in $120M in Series E funding

The produce distributor and technology company is exploring the development of automated picking systems and planning to expand into new service areas.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 15, 2021

Buyk debuts in New York City with 15-minute grocery delivery

The latest entrant to the Big Apple's competitive field of ultrafast firms, backed by $46 million in seed funding, was created by the founders of a massive express delivery service in Russia.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Sept. 14, 2021

Independent grocers bolster catering operations as holiday season approaches

Several food retailers have added order management software from FoodStorm in a bid to streamline their operations and boost volume.

By Jeff Wells • Sept. 13, 2021

Here's how you can grow your gross margin by 3 points

Shrink, spoilage, overstocks, and out-of-stock scenarios are all problems that push pennies off the table. These inventory problems eat into your gross margin… but it doesn't have to be that way.

Sept. 13, 2021

Amazon is bringing cashierless tech to Whole Foods

The specialty grocer plans to open a location in Washington, D.C., and one in Sherman Oaks, California, equipped with the Just Walk Out system.

By Jeff Wells • Sept. 8, 2021

Walmart boosting grocery with app changes, new partnership

The retailer plans to make universal search and checkout available to all app users by the end of the month and has teamed up with a media conglomerate to make planning and shopping for meals easier.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Sept. 8, 2021

No order minimums or delivery fee? No problem, says 1520

Co-founder Maria Daniltceva said the startup's "super-efficient" approach helps it stay ahead of seemingly difficult economics and an increasingly crowded field.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 7, 2021

Cashierless tech startup Zippin raises $30M

Armed with the new funding, the company aims to scale its checkout-free technology to "tens of thousands of stores" by 2025.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 7, 2021

Giant Eagle adds autonomous shopping tech to 4 more stores

The grocer is installing computer vision equipment from Grabango at additional Pittsburgh-area GetGo convenience stores after using the system at a single location.

By Sam Silverstein • Sept. 3, 2021

Grocers grapple with digital accessibility as e-commerce grows

The online shopping boom has brought more attention to how accessible websites and apps are to people with disabilities, but a lack of federal regulations and oversight poses challenges.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Updated Sept. 1, 2021

The challenges of grocery ecommerce

Getting products delivered to the consumer from distribution centers is being re-envisioned to meet changing demands.

By Dustin Crandall • Aug. 30, 2021

Schnucks deploys inventory robots chainwide

The Midwestern grocery chain is bringing automated aisle-scanners from Simbe Robotics to all of its stores after piloting the devices at higher-volume locations.

By Sam Silverstein • Aug. 26, 2021

How digital olfaction could make inroads with grocers and consumers

From aiding with product creation to sniffing out spoiled food, technology that mimics the way humans smell has the potential for wide applicability. 

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Aug. 23, 2021

Delivery timing trumps speed for online grocery shoppers, research finds

Shoppers are willing to wait longer to receive an order in exchange for a tighter time frame or preferred day for their goods to arrive, according to findings published Monday by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

By Sam Silverstein • Aug. 23, 2021

Kroger turns to individualized learning platform for associates

The grocer is using a system from Canadian employee-training company Axonify to build engagement with employees with short, app-based lessons as it looks to expand its workforce.

By Sam Silverstein • Aug. 18, 2021

Senators raise privacy concerns about Amazon One

The retailer is facing scrutiny of its palm-reading payment tool as it expands the system to more of its grocery stores.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris and Cara Salpini • Aug. 17, 2021

Pardon the Disruption: Could remote pickup become a third e-commerce channel?

Lockers and kiosks positioned away from stores can help retailers expand their reach, but they come with operational hurdles that will require extensive testing and innovation to overcome.

By Jeff Wells • Aug. 16, 2021