Walmart has launched its first fully owned and operated case-ready Angus beef facility in Olathe, Kan. The 300,000-square-foot plant is designed to process fresh beef into retail-ready cuts, marking a significant milestone in Walmart's efforts to enhance control over its beef supply chain and deliver high-quality products to its Midwest stores. "(This) milestone ensures we're able to bring more consistency, more transparency and more value to our customers," said John Laney, executive vice president of food at Walmart US.

Tyson Foods will invest $23.5 million to upgrade and expand its facility in Robards, Ky., to increase capacity and product diversity, with work set to begin this year and complete in the spring. The project is designed to meet growing protein demand and demonstrate the company's long-term commitment to the region and the state's agricultural sector.

Beverages are the primary driver of convenience store traffic, with more than 80% of shoppers making quick beverage purchases, according to a Westrock Coffee study. The study highlights that 87% of consumers buy soft drinks, and 75% purchase hot coffee, often pairing these with food items such as breakfast sandwiches and prepackaged foods.

Protein-focused innovations are front and center in Circana's 2024 New Product Pacesetters report, with convenient and new protein formats making a strong impact and generating $8.4 billion in first-year sales and highlighting a consumer shift toward wellness-driven nutrition. The protein entrants displayed a focus on novel formats and convenience.

Target is rolling out technology that enables store shelves to be locked and unlocked via smartphone, aiming to streamline security and shopping. This system is reportedly in active testing and is expected to allow staff and select members faster access to locked items, reducing the need for manual key use.

Sam's Club is testing the removal of traditional checkout lanes at its Grapevine, Texas, store. The store uses Scan and Go technology and exit arches that scan items in carts, eliminating the need for manual receipt checks, to streamline the shopping experience, free up employees to assist customers with new technology, and test the feasibility of eliminating registers altogether. While the Walmart-owned retailer plans to introduce the checkout-free layout at a new store in Tempe, Ariz., it's taking a measured approach because some shoppers might still prefer traditional checkout lanes, said Todd Sears, chief financial officer.

The future of fresh starts with people. At FreshForward, Aug. 11-31, 2025, retailers and suppliers will unite to tackle some of the industry’s biggest challenges. As a senior executive thought-leadership event, the agenda is centered around three main topics: labor challenges, health and well-being and capturing meal occasions. What makes this conference unique is the combination of panel discussions as well as facilitated discussion groups featuring product suppliers and retailers. FreshForward is your chance to step out of day-to-day mode, connect with peers across the supply chain and return with real ideas you can apply right away. Together, we can help shape the future of the fresh workforce!

In a world full of meetings, deadlines and constant activity, it's easy to jump from one task to another without truly connecting. But every now and then, we're reminded of the simple, powerful ways we can come together, and one of those ways is through food. Recently, FMI's staff program, Join Us Making Progress (J.U.M.P.), celebrated its second recipe exchange event as part of our support for the Family Meals Movement — a nationwide effort that emphasizes the importance of sharing one more family meal together per week.

Key product categories driving private brand success include store-baked bread, cream cheese and packaged salad mixes, according to a study conducted by FMI -- The Food Industry Association. Millennials are especially likely to increase their private brand purchases, 90% of shoppers overall report having private brands at home and nearly half intend to buy more -- trends underscoring the fact that the products have "become brands in their own right," according to FMI's Director of Industry Relations Tom Cosgrove.

In August, Costco is set to begin construction of its store in Iksan, marking the retailer's first entry into South Korea's southwestern region. The project, which faced delays due to administrative and political issues, is expected to create about 200 jobs and boost the local economy. The city has outlined strategies to support local businesses in adapting to the new retail landscape -- one that includes a Costco store by 2027.