THE FRIDAY 5: Nationwide Grocery Growth; Walmart’s New Approach to Innovation

Fresco y Más, once under the Southeastern Grocers family, is now part of Fresco Retail Group.

3. Fresco y Mas Officially Spun Off

Ahead of the expected closing of a massive deal for ALDI to acquire 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets stores, Southeastern Grocers has completed the divestiture of its other banner, Fresco y Más. The Hispanic chain will now be part of the Fresco Retail Group, an investment group from Coral Gables, Fla., specializing in the food and grocery industries.

4. Walmart’s New Approach to Innovation

Walmart is shuttering Store Nº8, which was formed in 2017 as part of the retailer’s larger innovation mission. While it was named after the Arkansas store where Walmart founder Sam Walton tested new ideas, Store Nº8 was not a physical location and had team members located in Hoboken, N.J.; Bentonville, Ark.; and Los Angeles.  

“We’ve graduated capabilities from this operating approach that are now fully embedded in our organization,” wrote CFO John David Rainey in a staff memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal. “The responsibility to shape the future of retail is now shared by all segments.”

5. The Race for E-Commerce Dominance

Polling company Ipsos is out with a new study assessing grocers on the success of their e-commerce businesses. The study looked broadly at e-commerce experience trends and, more specifically, gauged different fulfillment methods across 17 leading U.S. food retailers.

Target Corp., Walmart and Albertsons Cos. emerged as overall top performers, with steady year-over-year improvements. Whole Foods Market was lauded by shoppers for having the best communication for delivery, and Albertsons ranked highest for loyalty.