News Briefs

Food Lion To Go is growing in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. The grocer’s pickup service will expand to an additional 27 locations throughout the three states, with customers’ first pickup on the house. 

With the addition of the 27 stores, Food Lion To Go is now available at 630 locations in the grocer’s 10-state footprint. Customers over the age of 21 can also purchase beer and wine where allowed by law.

“With some of the busiest months ahead for our customers, we are excited to expand this convenient service to more stores in the Food Lion footprint so our customers can spend more time on what matters most to them,” said Evan Harding, director of digital and e-commerce at Food Lion. “With the Food Lion to Go service, we provide our neighbors the option to shop through the channel they prefer, in-store or online, still ensuring they have access to the freshest groceries at affordable prices.”

This story originally appeared on Progressive Grocer. 

Mark Anthony Brands, the parent company of White Claw and Mike’s Hard, is entering the quickly growing tequila and spirits-based, ready-to-drink beverage category with Rey Azul.

Rey Azul is a line of canned tequila sodas that are made with tequila that uses blue agave grown in Jalisco, Mexico, and is produced with a second-generation family owned agave farm and distillery, the company said.

Available in four flavors — mango, lime, pineapple and grapefruit — each is additive-free, does not contain gluten and comes in at 100 calories with a 5% ABV per serving.

Rey Azul is available for purchase in 12 states and is expanding to another 27 states throughout this fall. 

Solawave is expanding its portfolio beyond the skin tool category with its new Hydrating Sheet Masks.

The plant-based mask, which uses thick biodegradable paper that ensures a steady grip on the face, deeply hydrates the skin.

Featuring niacinamide 2% and provitamin B5 to hydrate and activate collagen production, hyaluronic acid to replenish the skin with moisture, and avocado peptides to strengthen and hydrate the skin, the mask leaves users with plump and rejuvenated skin, the brand said.

Designed to be used before the Solawave Wand, consumers can find the Hydrating Sheet Mask available for purchase online for $9.

Pharmacy retailer Walgreens is piloting a new pickup option in three states, aiming to give customers faster access to the chain’s private label products.

Pickup orders made online at Walgreens.com/pickup or through the Walgreens app that are not ready in 30 minutes or less will be eligible for a refund on the order up to $50. The new pickup offering will be available at all Walgreens locations in all New Mexico and Oklahoma, with select markets such as Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, Texas.

To qualify for a potential refund, customers must have received “Ready” notification at least 31 minutes past the time their order was placed based on Walgreens server clock. Refunds are not eligible for gift cards, alcohol, prescription or photo pickup orders.

This story originally appeared on Store Brands. 

Animal is expanding the distribution of its Animal Pak 44 to Walmart stores.

The Animal Pak 44 multivitamin pack contains more than 60-packed nutrients designed to help users achieve optimum body and fitness performance, the company said.

“Animal and Walmart are both committed to providing best-in-class products to their customers. This collaboration demonstrates that the quest for fitness is universal. Our expansion to Walmart is the perfect example of our mission to bring world-class sports nutrition to even more consumers, in-store and online,” said Jad Khairallah, senior vice president of marketing of Universal Nutrition.

The launch of the product’s distribution to retail stores follows the brand’s previous launch on the retailer’s website, the company said.

Harvest Snaps is shaking up the chip aisle with its plant-based Selects Baked Navy Bean Snacks line.

Featuring farm-picked navy beans as the first ingredient, the snacks come in a unique shell shape and are baked, the Fairfield, Calif.-based company said.

Available varieties include:

• Loaded Taco: It contains zesty spices, cheddar cheese and sour cream;
• White Cheddar Jalapeño: Featuring creamy white cheddar, it also includes a punch of jalapeño; and
• Honey Dijon: It includes a pairing of smith and sweet honey with tangy mustard notes.

“We couldn’t be more excited to take our veggie-first philosophy into the salty snack aisle with Harvest Snaps’ Selects Baked Navy Bean Snacks,” said Sandra Payer, head of marketing at Calbee America. “We’ve upped the taste ante in this new lineup while still packing in the protein, so consumers get the best of both worlds – a super tasty chip they can feel good about enjoying.”

Made without artificial flavor or preservatives, and free of wheat, soy, nuts, peanuts and eggs, Selects Baked Navy Bean Snacks are now available for purchase at $4.99.