Consumables

PLANO, Texas — As Walmart looks to centralize its merchandising activity planning process and establish standard operating procedures for in-store service providers, it has named sales and marketing company Crossmark as one of its preferred service providers. With the selection, Crossmark is one of five companies that can execute merchandising activity on behalf of suppliers in nearly 5,000 U.S. Walmart locations.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid announced Thursday that it is now accepting Apple Pay for purchases made on the company's e-commerce site, making Rite Aid the first pharmacy retailer to accept Apple Pay as a form of payment online.

CHICAGO — IRI and Ahold Delhaize Licensing on Tuesday announced they have entered into a long-term agreement for IRI to serve as the primary partner and analytics platform of record for the brands of Ahold USA and Delhaize America.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A new addition to the Frosted Flakes line will be hitting stores in November. Kellogg’s on Tuesday announced the introduction of chocolate Frosted Flakes.

"We stay close to our fans to make sure we are delivering the cereal experiences they want most, which is what resulted in the delicious flavor of cinnamon Frosted Flakes launched last year," Kellogg’s senior director of morning food marketing Brad Schwan said. "So, when we found out chocolate was the next most requested flavor, we set to work right away."

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday hosted its first natural foods innovation summit, in partnership with 84.51°, here with keynote speaker Joy Bauer, the founder of Nourish Snacks and the health and nutrition expert on NBC's "The Today Show."

CINCINNATI — The supermarket shopping experience at Kroger is about to undergo a significant digitally-driven transformation even as the grocery store operator seeks to exit the c-store and gas arena.

The digital transformation is being called Restock Kroger and is expected to redefine the food and grocery customer experience in America, the company stated.

PHILADELPHIA — The stark reality that reverberated with attendees of the Emerson Group's 10th annual Retail Industry Day was simple — within a short period the entire ecosystem of how consumers seek, source and acquire products will change. And that change will accelerate thanks in large part to the coming of age of a generation of consumers who have never experienced a world without Wi-Fi.

PHILADELPHIA — Yesterday we learned how digital is transforming the platform of commerce from value to efficiency, where people no longer make purchase decisions based on price but rather on how much time they save.

Today, we learn how digital is disrupting everything else marketers and merchandisers hold dear.