Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• Giant Food LLC has kicked off a major expansion of its distribution warehouse in Jessup, MD, to accommodate increased fresh food and e-commerce demand.
• SpartanNash Company now offers free COVID-19 testing at five of its corporate-owned supermarkets in western Michigan.
• Wawa Inc. has closed the iconic Wawa convenience store at Broad and Walnut streets in Philadelphia, PA, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Retail
• Costco Wholesale Corp., in partnership with Instacart, now offers same-day online grocery delivery at most of its 100 warehouse clubs in Canada.
• CVS Health will roll out contactless payment option at all of its stores in the fourth quarter of 2020. Customers will be able to pay using PayPal and Venmo QR codes.
• Lord & Taylor has filed for bankruptcy, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
• Tailored Brands, Inc., the parent company of Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Banks, K&G Fashion Superstore and Moores Clothing for Men, filed for bankruptcy.
Restaurant
• Cracker Barrel has introduced a new simplified dinner menu. This includes a few new items and streamlines older options into fan favorites during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has seen a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic with July same-store sales up 7.4%.
• DoorDash has launched its virtual grocery store called DashMart. DashMart delivers groceries and food-related items from its large base of restaurant partners that increased dramatically due to COVID-19.
• Potbelly Corporation has permanently closed 16 locations, but they have reduced the number of projected closures to less than 50. The reduction in projected permanent closures is due to negotiations with landlords over the company’s leases.
• The Hummus & Pita Co. is expanding its reach during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has partnered with Goldbelly, a digital marketplace that can connect restaurants to customers. Through Goldbelly customers can purchase a selection of food kits that customers can use to make their favorite Hummus & Pita Co. dishes.
• The Wendy’s Company is reporting an 8.2% increase in same-store sales through July, and the company believes they have fully recovered from the downturn stemming from beef shortages and COVID-19. Breakfast has been a major driver for the increase and the company plans to heavily push the offering through the rest of 2020.
