Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store

• The Kroger Co. is rolling out its new vaccine scheduling tool to allow for easy and efficient COVID-19 vaccine appointment scheduling online.

• Publix Super Markets Inc. has joined a growing list of grocery retailers offering employees an incentive to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

Retail

• Belk Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection and pledged to not close any store locations.

• Best Buy Co. is expanding its test of a new store format that reduces the space for customers to browse by nearly half to focus more on digital orders. The retailer plans to shift stores in one or two more markets to the new setup, reducing square footage used for shoppers to about 15,000 sq. ft. from an average of 27,000 sq. ft.

• Blain’s Farm & Fleet Inc. has added same-day local delivery to its online shopping options.

• Fry’s Electronics Inc. has gone out of business, closing all 31 of its stores.

• Knot Standard Inc. is introducing a fully virtual showroom experience for customers called The Knot Standard Stylist Store. The retailer will utilize the new digital store to facilitate appointments in its brick-and-mortar showrooms, and to simplify shopping within its new physical digital studio concept spaces.

• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has partnered with Instacart to expand its same-day delivery service at nearly 8,000 stores nationwide.

• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. announced it has provided more than 3 million COVID-19 vaccinations.

Restaurant

• Curry Up Now has opened a new deliver-only virtual kitchen in San Francisco, CA.

• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has upgraded their online ordering system that allows prices to be adjusted for specific locations and custom time frames for pick-up orders.

• Dutch Bros. Coffee has launched their first mobile app that will allow customers to purchase coffee and earn rewards. COVID-19 has increased the number of brands focused on mobile ordering.

• Golden Corral Corp. is currently testing drive-thru lanes at certain restaurants as the company continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Pieology Pizzeria has launched bake at home pizzas that are customizable and deliverable.

• Ruby Tuesday has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the brand plans to keep current locations open and invest in delivery-only virtual brands.