MAY 2019 SUPERMARKET/RETAIL NEWS ACME PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF SODA TAX DAMAGING SALES AS CITY DENIES IT LIDL TO ENTER LONG • ISLAND NEXT YEAR In January, it was reported that Shoprite and Acme stores in the Philadelphia were suffering with the new soda tax, forcing one Stores will occupy a former Shoprite to close entirely Shoprite site in Plainview, and • A presentation by Acme shows that the beverage tax applies to a former Waldbaum’s space in about 4,000 items, and has caused soda sales to drop as much Center Moriches as 80 percent • Jim Perkins, president of Big Boy Acme, admits that five NEW MILFORD suburban Acme stores saw increased sales after the tax was SHOPRITE OPEN JUNE imposed, but says losses at city stores were greater The 70,800 square foot location will employ 250 SobelCo says: “Not only has the beverage tax employees and replace the had a direct impact on sweetened beverage sales, current 814 River Rd. New overall sales, and basket sizes, but the city of Milford location Philadelphia has failed, or neglected, to recognize that it has a direct impact on the gross receipts and net profits tax that many Philadelphia business owners already pay.”

AMAZON GO OPENS LATEST LOCATION IN NEW YORK CITY DELIVERY CARS

• This marks the first time an Amazon Go store accepts cash

• The Amazon Go location opened to the public at Brookfield Place

in downtown New York City on Tuesday, May 7th • The new store, like the other Amazon Go locations, will offer

grab-and-go food options, including a selection of Amazon’s own meal kits, catering to people in a hurry

LIDL POISED TO DISRUPT NEW YORK GROCERY MARKET

• Industry observers say Lidl’s acquisition of 27 Best Market supermarkets in New York and New Jersey will push incumbent grocery stores to cut prices • Existing grocery retailers can respond to Lidl by focusing their efforts on areas where they could best differentiate themselves, such as produce, meat, prepared meals, and online grocery delivery and pickup

WHOLE FOODS MARKET OPENS NORTHEAST HEADQUARTERS IN NEW JERSEY Contact Us • In March, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation announced that the SobelCo specialty grocer signed a lease for its new 47,398-square-foot 293 Eisenhower Parkway Northeast headquarters in Jersey City Livingston, NJ 07039 • In addition to its headquarters, Whole Foods will also open a new 973-994-9494 47,542-square-foot store in downtown Jersey City SobelCoLLC.com • Whole Foods has not released an initial statement regarding its new headquarters location

WEGMANS LAUNCHES MEAL DELIVERY WITH DOORDASH

• Following a successful pilot, Wegmans Food Markets has begun delivering meals from select stores through a partnership with last-mile delivery platform DoorDash • Overall, Wegmans aims to roll out Meals 2GO to more than 40 stores by the end of the year, as well as to additional locations in 2020 • To order food, customers download the Meals 2GO app to their iOS or Android smartphone, which will indicate if delivery is available based on their location

WEGMANS TO CUT 2 MILLION POUNDS OF IN-STORE PLASTICS THIS YEAR

• Wegmans plans to reduce in-store plastic made from fossil fuels by 2 million pounds this year and seeks to eliminate 10 million pounds by 2024 • To help reach their goal for this year, the company is collaborating with the Center for Sustainable Packaging at Rochester Institute of Technology to identify alternatives • In New York State, where a plastic bag ban is officially set to go into effect in March 1, 2020, Wegmans plans to eliminate the bags before the end of this year

KROGER UNVEILS AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY CARS

• Company officials have showcased the first of dozens of autonomous delivery vehicles planned for Houston, Texas • Customers using the autonomous vehicle delivery service will be notified of their delivery via text message and have to pick up their groceries curbside from the vehicle • The unveiling follows the company’s launch of its “Scan, Bag and Go” technology in the Houston area last year, allowing customers to use a wireless handheld scanner or a smartphone to scan and bag groceries as they shop in the store

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