Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store

• Albertsons LLC is deploying artificial intelligence based virtual assistant and live chat solutions for its online customers. The application provides real-time answers to customer inquiries such as how the delivery service works, item availability, online order tracking status, and store locations and hours.

• Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. has teamed up with FutureProof Retail to provide mobile self-scanning checkout and counter-service platforms as a “no-touch technology solution”.

• Big Y Foods Inc. has instituted a price freeze on over 10,000 items despite the current volatility of food prices.

• Costco Wholesale Corp. has announced all shoppers and workers must wear face masks in all its stores. The retailer is also going back to its normal hours of operation, but is limiting the number of people who can enter the store at a given time and only two people may enter using a single membership card.

• The Kroger Co. announced it is limiting meat purchases at some stores. Costco Wholesale Corp. is also temporarily restricting purchases of beef, pork and poultry products, limiting members to three items. Giant Eagle is limiting the quantity of ground beef and advertised meat products that individuals can purchase per transaction. H-E-B, Hy-Vee, and Tops Friendly Markets are implementing similar limits.

• Restaurant Depot, which is typically a members-only wholesale operation that serves restaurants and similar businesses, has opened its stores to individual consumers.

• Schnuck Markets Inc. announced that it is selling grab-and-go meals from local restaurants in the company’s St. Louis-area stores.

• TravelCenters of America Inc. has initiated a companywide reorganization. The plan includes leadership changes with the addition of new senior vice presidents for a newly created hospitality department, under which the company will consolidate the areas of convenience stores, restaurants and gaming. It also includes leadership changes in information technology.

• Whole Foods Market Inc. has reserved the first hour of grocery pickup at Whole Foods stores across the country for customers 60 years and older, those with disabilities, and those whom the CDC defines as high risk.

Retail

• David’s Bridal is launching virtual stylist and virtual appointment services starting June 1.

• Express Inc. expects to reopen approximately 300 of its stores before Memorial Day, and will soon offer curbside pickup at select store locations.

• Gold’s Gym International Inc. announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

• Crew Group Inc. is reportedly preparing for a bankruptcy filing.

• L Brands Inc. and Sycamore Partners have agreed to no longer go through with their plans to take Victoria’s Secret Stores private.

• Lord & Taylor plans to liquidate inventory in its department stores as soon as they reopen.

• Macy’s Inc. is planning to reopen 68 department stores operating on reduced hours this week in South Carolina and Georgia. The retailer expects to have all of its stores reopened in six weeks.

• Nordstrom Inc. will soon start opening some stores in phases, but will be permanently closing 16 Nordstrom stores.

• Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. announced it will start offering curbside pickup at some of its stores.

• Walmart Stores Inc. is rolling out Express Delivery, a new online service offering home delivery of a wide range of groceries and other products from the store in less than two hours. Plans call for the fee-based service to reach nearly 1,000 stores in early May and then almost 2,000 stores in the coming weeks.

Restaurant

• BURGERFI is partnering with ghost kitchen brand Reef Kitchens in order to expand with delivery only locations located in Seattle, Nashville, Minneapolis and Houston. Their first location is expected to open in June of this year.

• Chick-fil-A Inc. is planning to reopen some of their stores for carryout only in the next few weeks. The company has not yet specified which stores will be opening.

• Doctor’s Associates Inc. is donating food to healthcare workers for every sandwich that is purchased through their partnership with Postmates

• Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. is expanding their delivery options by partnering with Uber Eats.

• Farmer Boys Food Inc. is providing both funds and burger to help Feeding America and to provide healthcare workers with food.

• Fatburger is donating 25,000 meals to frontline healthcare workers in California.

• Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. has announced that it will be permanently shutting the doors on its 97 Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation. The restaurants were forced to close due to COVID-19 and they believe that their buffet concept will be too difficult to open with current CDC guidelines. The company is currently exploring a bankruptcy filling.

• Noodles & Company is prepared to reopen restaurants, but they are waiting until they feel that consumers are ready to return.

• On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has reopened 45 restaurants across Georgia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.

• Open Table is offering free entry and reduced fees as restaurants plan to reopen with limited seating.

• Papa John’s International Inc. has reported that sales raised 27% during the month of April.

• The Wendy’s Company has pulled beef from some of their restaurants as they are facing a beef shortage in their supply chain. In some restaurants burgers have been removed from the menu and in others customers are being asked to order single burgers in lieu of the signature double and triple burgers.

• Toojays Original Gourmet Deli has launched a new line of family meal bundles that are available for delivery and takeout.