Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• H-E-B has expanded its online grocery options with the launch of Favor Express Delivery service which allows shoppers to order groceries online and have them delivered to their home in two hours or less.
• The Giant Co. said it will soon hire an additional 3,000 employees for various in-store positions, as well as at fulfillment centers and also drivers for Giant Direct, its online grocery delivery service.
• The Kroger Co. is rolling out COVID-19 drive-thru test sites to Colorado, Michigan and Ohio, as well as opening additional testing locations in Tennessee. The grocer plans to expand to 50 locations in more than 12 states and perform up to 100,000 tests by the end of May.
• Lidl US, LLC has sped up the planned opening for a store in Cary, NC. The retailer also announced it will open a new store in Maryland in 2021.
• SpartanNash Company announced its grocery stores are testing the sale of meals from local restaurants in western Michigan.
Retail
• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. said it has temporarily converted approximately a quarter of its stores into regional fulfillment centers. The company added that its digital sales are up by more than 85% to date in April.
• Best Buy Co. Inc. announced that starting in May it will open about 200 of its U.S. stores and allow customers to schedule in-store consultations.
• CVS Health said it expects to have up to 1,000 locations nationwide offering self-swab COVID-19 testing by the end of May, with the goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month. The testing will be scheduled online and take place at select CVS locations in parking lots or at drive-thru windows.
• CVS Health and a subsidiary of UPS are partnering to deliver prescription medications to The Villages, the nation’s largest retirement community, using drones.
• Five Below Inc. has reduced its new store opening target for fiscal 2020 to 100 to 120 stores as compared to the original target of 180 stores. Additionally, Five Below launched a new service offering curbside pick-up.
• Harry & David Holdings Inc. has announced it will permanently close most of its store locations in the U.S.
• Haverty Furniture Companies Inc. is planning to reopen 108 of its 121 stores on May 1 and the remaining locations by mid-May. It also will begin resuming its distribution and delivery operations. In addition, Havertys announced it is reducing its workforce by approximately 1,200 employees.
• Health Mart will soon begin offering COVID-19 tests at select pharmacies serving low-income areas and vulnerable populations in a partnership with healthcare technology company eTrueNorth.
• JCPenney Company, Inc. introduced a new website and app intended to promote higher levels of customer traffic, conversion and repeat visits.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. plans to open COVID-19 drive-thru testing locations in 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, with expectation of testing more than 50,000 people each week through its partnership with LabCorp.
• Walmart Stores Inc. announced it will open approximately 25 more testing sites this week, and by the end of May it anticipates operating more than 100 sites.
Restaurant
• BJ’s Restaurants Inc. has announced that they plan to fully reopen in all states that are allowing dine in services to resume.
• Blaze Pizza LLC is now offering pizza kits that can be taken home and assembled for baking.
• Boston Market Corporation has been sold to the Rohan Group of Companies. Sun Capital Partners did not disclose the terms of the deal.
• Chick-fil-A Inc. will be waiting to reopen their dining rooms on their own terms.
• Coolgreens is opening a new location in Dallas, TX. The new location will initially only offer third party delivery due to COVID-19.
• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. has reached a new agreement to partner with Doordash for delivery.
• Curry Up Now will be offering donation meals for first responders and healthcare workers that have been affected by COVID-19 at 11 of its restaurants.
• Denny’s Corporation is now offering to-go breakfast meal kits.
• Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc. has signed a new development agreement and is now planning to open 100 new stores.
• MOOYAH Franchise LLC has added in house baked cookies to help diversify the menu during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• On The Border LLC is launching its new digital ordering platform that will integrate with third party delivery services like Doordash.
• Starbucks Corporation plans to reopen 90% of stores in the U.S. by mid-June. These locations will be based on pick-up and delivery options that do not involve customers entering the restaurant.
• The following states are opening restaurant dining rooms at limited capacity in at least some of their counties: Georgia, Tennessee, Alaska, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, and, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah.
• The Krystal Co. has reopened a restaurant for drive thru and delivery in Scottsboro, Alabama.
• TooJay’s Management Corporation has filed for bankruptcy and sites complications from COVID-19 as the reason for the filling.
