Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• Couche-Tard Inc. has partnered with Standard Cognition to pilot touchless, autonomous checkout technology for its Circle K convenience stores. Customers will be able to walk in, take what they like and walk out, without having to scan anything or wait in line to pay.
• The Kroger Co. is rolling out a new contactless pay solution at its Quality Food Centers locations. The pilot will be introduced in the Seattle, WA, area, and will let customers use their mobile phones to pay in a seamless manner.
• QuickChek Corp. is offering delivery at all of its convenience stores in New Jersey and New York through a new partnership with DoorDash.
Retail
• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is launching College from Home, a new digital shopping experience. In addition, college students can sign up for a limited-time loyalty program called College Savings Pass that provides 20% off their entire purchase every time they shop on select items, with unlimited use in-store or online through Sept. 30.
• CVS Health is entering into a strategic partnership with Salesforce that will allow employers and universities to use each company’s COVID-19 “return to normal” solutions as they transition employees and students back to worksite and campus locations.
• Lord & Taylor announced it has started liquidating 19 of its stores.
• Office Depot Inc. is unveiling a new portfolio of IT services and solutions aimed at small-to-medium-businesses.
• Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation is opening its first managed medical care clinic in Toronto, ON. Called Health Clinic by Shoppers, the location is a primary care and family practice clinic that will provide patients with access to medical services.
• Stein Mart Inc. announced it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to permanently close most, if not all, of its stores.
• Sur La Table has been purchased by Marquee Brands and CSC Generation for $88.9 million. Sur La Table was in bankruptcy due to complication form COVID-19. The company plans to keep at least 50 stores open.
• Walmart Stores Inc. has entered into a partnership with Instacart to bring same-day delivery to four markets in California and Oklahoma.
• Yankee Candle Company is launching a subscription program. Yankee Candle’s new service delivers products, including home and car air fresheners and other items beyond candles, on a personalized schedule customers can change online anytime.
Restaurant
• Brinker International Inc. is planning to create additional virtual restaurant concepts after its first virtual brand It’s Just Wings has been reported as generating an annual sales rate of more than $150 million.
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will be debuting three flavors of its Barbecue Beans in WinCo supermarkets. Dickey’s has ramped up the placement of its products in supermarkets since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The company has also raised almost $50,000 for first responders in two weeks of the Big Yellow Cup promotion.
• Farmer Boys Food Inc. has redesigned their mobile ordering app and enhanced their rewards program. The changes are meant to bring a faster and more efficient shopping experience for guests ordering digitally during COVID-19.
• Fazoli’s Restaurant LLC has opened their first ghost kitchen location in Atlanta. The ghost kitchen will offer delivery only meals and is part of a larger industry push for the off-premise kitchen concepts since the COVID-19 shutdown.
• Juice It Up has updated their mobile app with enhanced features to improve the ordering experience for consumers in the wake of COVID-19.
• Pizza Hut is offering the Double It Box allowing families to pair two medium pizzas for a low price. The promotion is meant to offer more flexible ordering options to families during COVID-19.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats is now offering more pre-set menu items. The brand is known for a customizable menu, but they are hoping to offer more flexibility to customers ordering digitally during COVID-19.
• Razzoo’s Inc. will be offering liquor, beer, and wine to-go in their Texas locations. The brand will also be offering a selection of their signature cocktails on the to-go menu and will be accessible through DoorDash and Uber Eats.
• WaBa Grill Franchise Corp has extended its offer of free delivery through the end of the year. The company originally offered the promotion as a limited event when COVID-19 caused shutdowns.
Image Source: Mike Kalasnik via flickr
