A U.S. coalition of railroad executives and their customers are investing in technology to allow companies to track the real-time location of product shipments via rail, reports Reuters.

The project, called RailPulse, would operate akin to how Amazon customers can track packages from origin to destination.

Railroads need to keep pace with Amazon, which has helped set a standard for transportation companies, said RailPulse founder Mike McClellan. The report adds that the $99 billion industry has been stagnant for over a decade and its customers seek better service that may be improved by technological innovation.

"We want more people to feel more comfortable picking rail—particularly this new generation of transportation managers who are ... used to seeing things in real time," said McClellan.

RailPulse has already signed up three of the top six major U.S. freight railroads: Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City. Additionally, it is working on recruiting 600 “short-line” train operators and various railcar leasing companies.

The company intends to charge users a one-time fee to equip railcars with GPS tracking technology, add additional fees for communications services and software updates, and a monthly subscription fee of $3.50 per car, according to the report.

The project is slated to launch in the third quarter of this year. Full Story (Subscription Required)

Related: Online Grocery Sales Climb; Cocoa Prices Peak Before Valentine's Day

Upcycled snack maker Rind Snacks has acquired Vermont-based granola producer Small Batch Organics as it shifts its manufacturing in-house, reports Forbes. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“There’s a huge efficiency unlocked by becoming vertically integrated, alongside major innovations,” said Rind founder and CEO Matt Weiss. The move will likely help the brand become “EBITDA positive” and push its annual revenue to $20 million by the end of the year, according to the report.

Rind anticipates that post acquisition it will have a more efficient research and development process and growth capacity, said Weiss.

The deal between Rind and Small Batch Organics resulted from a friendship between the two founders. The two met during a family trip to Vermont four years ago.

“I’m a firm believer in the idea of planting a million seeds, cultivating these relationships, and good karma will come back in ways you can’t imagine,” said Weiss, when discussing meeting Small Batch Organics’ founder Lindsay Martin at a farmers’ market.

Martin was named VP of manufacturing and product development of the newly combined company.

As a result of the acquisition, Small Batch Organics’ products will be rebranded as Rind over the course of the year. Weiss added that the company will gradually transition into in-house manufacturing and fulfillment throughout several phases. Full Story

Related: Welcome New SFA Members, From New Zealand to New Jersey; Female-Founded Brand Wins Fairway Pitch Event

Image: Rind

SpartanNash has announced plans to implement Simbe's autonomous inventory robot Tally in 60 additional company-operated stores across the Midwest. The technology generates actionable, real-time inventory insights.

"We first piloted Tally in 15 stores, and the success of that launch motivated us to expand Tally across more locations to help Associates save time in inventory tracking and spend more time on the floor serving our store guests," said SpartanNash Executive Vice President, corporate retail Tom Swanson, in a statement. "The real-time data intelligence Tally provides helps ensure our store guests' favorite items always stay fresh, are adequately stocked and priced competitively, helping us deliver the ingredients for a better life."

Simbe's Store Intelligence platform informs product stocking, ordering, merchandising, and ecommerce fulfillment with real-time inventory insights across every store area. This data helps to ensure that items are available with accurate location and price.

Related: Online Grocery Sales Climb; Grocery Trends Go DIgital For 2024.

Dollar Tree, Inc. said its chief operating officer Mike Creedon will expand his role by adding leadership of Dollar Tree & Family Dollar merchandising and supply chain to his duties.

“We are fortunate to have an incredibly talented and dedicated leadership team at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. As we’ve worked together over the last year to build our transformation strategy, Mike has served as a key leader driving our operational path forward,” said Dollar Tree chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling in a statement. “In this expanded role, Mike will have full end-to-end accountability for delivering a best-in-class store experience for our customers. As I shared with our associates, while Mike and I will continue to work closely together, I am committed to leading this company and I remain fully engaged in all areas of the business.

With this alignment, chief merchandising officer Rick McNeely, Family Dollar chief merchandising officer Larry Gatta, and chief supply chain officer Mike Kindy will report to Creedon.

Before joining Dollar Tree in 2022, Creedon held several leadership roles at Advance Auto Parts for almost nine years, most recently as EVP and president of U.S. Stores. He also held executive positions with Tyco International and ADT Security.

“The organization is at an important inflection point as it executes its transformation plan. With Mike in this expanded role, working closely with Rick at the helm, we bring together key elements of that strategy that will have a significant positive impact on the company,” said lead independent director Edward J. Kelly, III in a statement.

Related: Publix Announces Retirement; Dollar Tree Expands Cage-Free Egg Pilot

Image: Dollar Tree

It can be difficult to grow a specialty food brand’s social media presence organically when starting from zero followers, however, there are actions that can help nudge a brand in the right direction.

Snack influencer and food digital strategist, Dre Pao (@DrePaoOfficial), will share strategies and tactics to help specialty food businesses thrive on TikTok, during an SFA In the Know webinar titled, “TikTok Marketing Strategies for Specialty Food.” From creating engaging content to leveraging trends, Pao will discuss how to build a captivating brand presence on TikTok.

The webinar will take place this Thursday, February 15 at 1 p.m. EST. It is free for members and $19 for non-members. Register now.

SFA News Daily spoke with Pao about the topic.

What are your favorite food-related TikTok trends?

Every day I open my TikTok app and there is something new in terms of food trends! When it comes to snack production trends, I love all the new “space-themed” snacks from Oreo, Coca-Cola, and various gummy candies.

As for unique creator trends, I enjoyed the wine-with-milk trend. It wasn’t that long ago that we saw soda and milk blow up on TikTok, but this year kicked off with wine. This is also a sign that you can see the TikTok audience maturing—we didn’t see any alcohol trends a few years ago on TikTok. I’ve also really enjoyed the peeling candy trend, which started with candy from Japan, but recently saw Trader Joe’s enter the space.

I’m sure by next week I’ll be excited about a whole new list of food trends (it really does evolve that quickly).

Do you notice any common mistakes specialty food businesses make when promoting products on social media?

One of the most common major mistakes I come across is brands being obsessed with directly promoting their product, which leads to overly-"salesy" content. A lot of brands are forgetting to build real relationships with their audience. Believe it or not, your product does not need to be front and center in every single video. Ironically, the brands that I work with that are less salesy end up with the most online sales.

There are also still a lot of brands that do not recognize the large amount of volume that is required to compete at a high level on social media (especially TikTok). Posting two or three times per week on social media is not enough, especially for new brands that are trying to generate an audience from zero.

Another big one I come across is brands that obsess over camera quality and perfection, and do not realize how effective organic and casual content shot on a mobile phone is. Simple content that is minimally edited often outperforms overly produced camera content.

What components go into crafting a strong brand presence online?

I can spend hours answering this question, but the biggest component for me is consistency. Due to the large number of creators that are currently creating content on social media, volume plays a large role in your success. For reference: to test the TikTok algorithm in Q1 of 2024, I launched a new TikTok account and attempted to build it from zero. In three weeks, I posted 60 pieces of content and accumulated over 14,000 followers. After posting each piece of content, I replied to as many comments as possible. I also spent hours engaging with accounts and profiles that were in a similar industry.

A strong brand presence requires you to be social on social media. I don’t think there are any special marketing hacks or analytic tricks. If you post a high volume of content that truly brings value to an audience (i.e. teaches them something that they didn’t know before looking at your content), then you can build a real presence.

I also think that you can’t play it safe. You need to be willing to be criticized. You’ll never satisfy every single demographic if you want to be different and remembered.

Are there any standout specialty brands that emerging businesses can look toward when preparing to execute a social media marketing strategy?

When it comes to recipe content, I love what Good Food For Good does (although I am a little biased as they are a client of ours). What I love most about their recipe content is the focus on educating the audience about something new, and not necessarily directly promoting their products. Yes, their products are used in their recipes but teaching the audience something new is the priority, and their product is often the tool that is a part of that “hack.” I feel like this can effectively be applied to many specialty food brands on social media.

I love what DSRT Co. produces on TikTok. They are a specialty chocolate brand from Ontario, Canada. The founder uses her products to tell stories and showcase the production process. The voiceovers are the heros for me with this content. Sometimes the voiceovers have nothing to do with the product she is showcasing—which is fantastic. Instead, she adds a human element to the product. She does a great job of showcasing her personality through the products, adding a casual and friendly familiarity to the brand. This increases the brand’s likability and makes you feel closer to the brand, ultimately increasing brand trust.

In my experience, brands that have a human speaking element that the audience can connect to always have a closer customer/brand connection. In my opinion, it should be the industry standard for brands that want to be successful on social media.

What are you most excited to discuss during the education session?

I’m most excited to discuss how effective photo posts are currently performing on TikTok. After spending January experimenting, my data shows that photo posts are receiving 330 percent more organic engagement than 30-second videos. I’m excited to discuss the integration of horizontal video on TikTok, as well as showcase data that proves that, although a lot of changes are happening, there are simple steps brands can take to harness attention on all vertical platforms (Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, etc.)

Is there anything else you would like to share?

At the end of the day, everyone’s social media results will differ and be unique to them. There are millions of ‘gurus’ or ‘experts’ looking to tell you what works, but it will require you as a brand to put in the work to discover what works best for your situation.

Related: Video: Understanding Specialty Food’s Value; Video: Whole Foods' Cathy Strange on Trends

Data from The Labor Department found that consumer prices rose 3.1 percent in January compared to last year, down from December’s 3.4 percent gain, reports The Wall Street Journal. This marks the lowest reading since June.

Although the rate of price increases has slowed, consumers still have a negative view of the economy, according to the report.

The persistent sting of previous price increases may be to blame: a Bank of America Institute analysis of customer data found that households tended to make far more transactions for food and drinks at restaurants and bars, grocery stores, and gas stations. These three channels showed higher prices relative to pre-pandemic levels.

“In terms of what gets ingrained in people’s brains, it’s stuff that they purchase frequently,” said University of California, Berkeley economist Ulrike Malmendier.

An analysis from Goldman Sachs confirms this hypothesis, suggesting that frustration with high price levels may have contributed to low confidence readings in the 1980s even after inflation dropped.

“It does seem like it takes a while for confidence to recover, in part because people are focused on levels rather than changes,” said Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius.

Economists expect inflation to continue to cool this year; however, they warn that the process could be nuanced.

“We think that especially in the first quarter of the year, inflation is going to be slightly higher than what we’ve seen in the past six months,” said Morgan Stanley economist Diego Anzoategui. “In the second half of the year, we are expecting more disinflation on the services front.” Full Story (Subscription Required)

Related: California May Ban Reusable Plastic Grocery Bags; Grocery Trends Go Digital for 2024

Specialty Food Association is pleased to welcome an exciting group of new members who joined SFA in January. Hailing from 29 states and 13 countries, these new members include specialty food manufacturers, retailers, brokers, and consultants.

We are thrilled to have them as part of our community and invite you to learn more about each of them below.

International Members

• Attianese SpA, from Italy

• Chaitip Co., Ltd., from Thailand

• Frantoio Pruneti SRL, from Italy

• Garmo AG, from Germany

• Mobisoft, from Israel

• Mollica Marketing, from Canada

• Noda USA, Inc., from Japan

• Outeirinho - Turismo e Indústria S.A. from Portugal

• Quarterpast, from New Zealand

• Qwaider Packing & trading EST, from Jordan

• La Sabrozita, from Mexico

• Savouidakis S.A., from Greece

• Sunlit Foods, from South Korea

• Tropical Cubes Co. Ltd, from Mauritius

• Vxceed Technologies Inc., from Canada

From the Western U.S.

• American Nuts LLC

• Cold Case Ice Cream

• Current

• Evil Snacks & Nude Mints

• Flour & Olive LLC

• Gourmet Food Solutions, Inc.

• Ixora Food LLC

• R farmers market

• RubySnap LLC

• S&S Flavors, Inc.

• Sour Tooth LLC

• Two Nutty Brothers

From the Midwest U.S.

• A Blend Above

• Atarraya Inc.

• The Cheesekeeper LLC

• DeVine Wine Jelly

• Joyce Foods

• Moonlight Cracker Company

• N/UM

• Qualia Specialty Provisions

• Saad Trading Inc.

• Two Chicken Farm Catering

• Two Rivers Fisheries, Inc.

From the Northeast U.S.

• Cibao Meat Products

• Cured and Crisp

• Doosra

• Envoy Solutions LLC

• Highland Pork

• Josephine's Baking Company, LLC

• MatchaKo

• Neviot Corp

• PA Simmons Merchantile

• Peak Protein

• RarePh8

• TGFPL (USA), Inc.

• Trax Retail

• Un Chin Seasoning Company

From the Southern U.S.

• All Day Health Brands, LLC

• Angel Oak Smokehouse

• B&M Sugar Products

• The Cookbook Creative

• Corte Argentino

• Equo Bev LLC

• LA Real Foods Inc.

• Louisiana Pecan Company

• Mikey V's Foods LLC

• Press Coffee

• Schroeder's Market

• Seared Living

• Willingham's BBQ Products

• Venduni

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday that the USDA has awarded over $270 million to date through cooperative agreements with state departments of agriculture to build resilience across the middle of the food supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems. A portion of funds is being divided between seven states through recent partnerships.

The funding is awarded through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

Through a competitive grant process, states and territories will issue subawards of infrastructure grants to agricultural producers or processors, nonprofit organizations, local government entities, tribal governments, and institutions such as schools, universities, or hospitals. Some states will also use funding to support supply chain coordination and technical assistance to increase resiliency within the food system.

“These unprecedented investments into our nation’s supply chain infrastructure will not only benefit consumers by ensuring they have dependable access to fresh and locally produced food, the investments will benefit producers and rural communities by providing more options and creating more, new and better markets for small and mid-size producers,” said Vilsack in a statement. “USDA also recognizes that the work through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program is made possible by the strong partnerships we maintain with state agricultural agencies.”

Through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, the most recent partnerships with the following states will fund projects that expand capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of food products, said the USDA. This can include specialty crops, dairy, grains, aquaculture, and more, but exclude meat and poultry.

• Colorado was awarded $4.1 million with $3 million available in infrastructure grants.

• Connecticut was awarded $2.7 million with $2.1 million available in infrastructure grants.

• Delaware was awarded $2.1 million with $1.7 million available in infrastructure grants.

• Kentucky was awarded $8.6 million with $7 million available in infrastructure grants.

• Louisiana was awarded $6.2 million with $4.6 million available in infrastructure grants.

• Utah was awarded $3 million with $2.3 million available in infrastructure grants.

• West Virginia was awarded $4.5 million with $3.6 million available in infrastructure grants.

Through the program and in addition to the Infrastructure Grant funding, the states will support supply chain coordination and technical assistance to farmers and food businesses operating in processing, aggregation, and distribution.

Related: CA Safety Act Inspires Other Legislation; Cargill Purchases Meat Plants from Ahold Delhaize USA

Online grocer Misfits Market has launched Fulfilled by Misfits, a dedicated service for perishable brands to store, pick, pack, fulfill, and deliver their products nationwide via Misfits Market’s logistics platform.

“At Misfits Market, we’re always looking for ways to reimagine the food system and eradicate food waste by finding value in places others don’t look,” said Abhi Ramesh, founder and CEO of Misfits Market, in a statement. "Fulfilled by Misfits is an emerging B2B offering that expands on our mission by helping consumer brands rapidly achieve a level of efficiency, cost savings, and scale that would otherwise be out of reach.”

With its new service, Misfits Market leverages its five temperature-controlled facilities, warehouse management system, internal delivery network, and relationships with third-party logistics providers to offer best-in-class middle- and last-mile rates while increasing cold-chain efficiency, according to the retailer. Core Fulfilled by Misfits services will include:

• Pallet receipt and storage

• Pick and pack operations for order fulfillment

• A  warehouse management system and customizable programming that help to determine the amount of coolant needed per order

• 1PL and 3PL shipping: Full-service logistics offering including fully tracked first, middle, and last mile utilizing Misfits Market's first-party delivery network or one of its last-mile shipping partners 

FBM is currently working with brands including Spot & Tango, Cometeer, and Little Spoon.

Related: Early Bird sofi Pricing Through May 8; PCC Workers Ratify Contract.

Specialty Food Association's sofi Awards celebrate culinary excellence and creativity. 

Early bird pricing for sofi Award entries at $80 per SKU runs through March 8. Submissions made March 9-31 will cost $115 per SKU.

Only product-qualified members of SFA are eligible to submit entries for the sofi Awards. There is still time to for non-member companies to become product-qualified SFA members and take advantage of early bird pricing.

The 2024 sofi Awards include some notable changes, implemented by SFA and based on member feedback.

The Award levels have been simplified. There will be just one winner in each of 49 categories, who will take home the Gold Award.

An expanded slate of Grand Honors Awards will be presented live at the sofi Awards Gala during the 2024 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. They include:

• Product of the Year—Food

• Product of the Year—Beverage

• Outstanding New Product

• Outstanding Classic

• Outstanding Packaging Design

“The sofi Awards, like all SFA programs, exist to support and celebrate our members, and we’re pleased to have the chance to elevate the sofi program based on what we’re hearing from those members,” said Phil Robinson, senior vice president of member development at SFA, in a statement. “Having just one Gold Award winner in each category allows us to focus on the single ‘best of the best’ product, which could be a new-to-market innovation or a known superstar. And of course, we’re looking forward to celebrating all the winners at the big sofi Awards Gala in New York City.”

SFA works with the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University to manage the judging. Through anonymous tastings, FIC experts as well as specialty food buyers, journalists, and influencers, will evaluate products in 49 categories ranging from Alcoholic Beverages & Cocktail Mixes to Yogurt, Kefir and Other Dairy. A detailed process assesses entrants for their flavor, appearance, texture, aroma, ingredient quality, and innovation. All sofi winners receive promotion at the Fancy Food Shows and via SFA media, publicity and social media support, and branding tools and resources. 

Attendees of the Summer Fancy Food Show will have the chance to celebrate the sofi Award winners at the Gala on June 24. 

Related: Winter Fancy Food Show Featured More Than 1,000 Exhibitors; SFA Podcast: Nourishing People and the Planet With Cathy Strange, Whole Foods.

New York City supermarket chains D’Agostino and Gristedes are leveraging Grocery TV, an in-store digital advertising network.

This service presents monetization opportunities for the retailers and features weekly updates of grocery-themed content, along with the ability for retailers to refresh their own content.

"We're thrilled to feature D'Agostino and Gristedes, two iconic New York City grocery chains, on Grocery TV," Marlow Nickell, CEO of Grocery TV said in a statement. "This expansion not only enhances our reach but also gives our NYC-based agency partners and brands the opportunity to experience Grocery TV firsthand."

With this addition, along with a growing presence in ShopRite stores, Grocery TV said it reaches nearly one-third of the New York metropolitan market. Brands can connect with these shoppers in their neighborhood supermarket with digital advertising in a highly trafficked area of the store.

Last year, Grocery TV launched large format displays at the front end and digital sanitizer stands at the entrance of stores. The focus for this year is to continue its expansion and launch in-store retail media products throughout all major areas of the store such as service departments and pharmacies.

Related: Save A Lot, Swiftly Partner on Retail Media; 7-Eleven to Open Experimental Stores in Japan.

Sam’s Club, Walmart’s warehouse club format, is inviting Texas-based small businesses to apply for the Sam’s Club Texas Open Call event.

The platform allows specialty food makers to showcase their Texas-made or grown fresh or dry grocery products for the chance to be featured on the retailer’s shelves. The event is scheduled for April 4 in Dallas.

“Through Open Call, Sam's Club has been instrumental in helping small and medium businesses thrive,” said Walmart in a statement. “Many participants have expanded their U.S. manufacturing footprints, creating valuable new jobs in their local communities.”

Applications are currently open on RangeMe until February 16. 

Related: Hy-Vee Reveals OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Winners; Video: Understanding Specialty Food’s Value

This spring, 7-Eleven will begin operating convenience store locations throughout Japan without storefront staff, reports Nikkei Asia.

The convenience chain is selecting locations that it has found difficult to keep open in the past, including inside tower condominiums and factories.

The retailer will begin opening the experimental stores in Tokyo and is already in negotiations with 20 companies interested in working with the chain to incorporate stores on their premises, according to the article.

The locations will be operated by a single employee responsible for stocking products and ordering. Customers will use a dedicated app to scan a QR code upon entering the store. They will then scan the items they wish to purchase and pay directly through their smartphone.

The new stores will have a smaller footprint and stock a maximum of 1,200 products, less than half of a typical 7-Eleven. They will offer chilled boxed lunches, coffee, and daily necessities. Full Story

Related: ICYMI: January's Top Stories; Seafood City Opens Full-Scale Filipino Supermarket in Texas

Artisanal cheesemakers in Michigan have formed a new trade association that they hope will help advance the industry in their state.

The Michigan Cheese & Dairy Guild, which made its debut at the National Restaurant Association Show last year, is gearing up for a series of educational and networking events this year, as well as a new retail display campaign set to debut at Meijer’s small-format Bridge Street Market store in Grand Rapids.

“There are a lot of people here that are involved in this business that are interested in working together and are interested in solving problems that collectively make sense,” said Arend Elston, owner/operator at Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Zingerman’s Creamery, and one of the founding members of the guild.

Elston, who is also acting as the treasurer of the group, said the guild is planning multiple revenue-generating activities, such as paid events, that could help fund education and resources for its members. The guild was formed as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization. In addition to its planned events, it also generates revenues through merchandise sales on its website and through membership dues. It currently has 16 members and is seeking to expand its membership base.

Other founding members include Josh Hall of Leelanau Cheese; Tina Zinn of The Cheese Lady, who is secretary of the guild; and Zach Berg of Monger’s Provisions, who is president of the guild. All four founding members comprise the guild’s board of directors. Other member companies include Idyll Farms, which was recently recognized with multiple awards by the World Cheese Awards in Norway. Leelanau Cheese also won a Super Gold award for its specialty, Leelanau Raclette, and a Gold award for its Leelanau Reserve.

A previous incarnation of the association had been disbanded years ago, but Elston said he was confident that the newest version would be successful.

“We have a good, core group that can revitalize the guild,” he said. “All of us are eyeball-deep in the business every day, but we are looking forward to getting some other good members on board that can share the responsibilities.

“I think we’ll be successful because we’ll have relentless efforts to raise money in an effective way for the guild, and then show value [for our members].”

Elston said the guild is lining up several events for the coming months, including a cheesemaking workshop that will be led by Hall and other operators of Leelanau Cheese at Michigan State University. A social networking event for guild members is also planned in association with the workshop.

As a Michigan-based nonprofit, Elston said the guild has access to beer and wine licenses that it can use to host fundraising events. The guild is planning to partner with some breweries and wineries, for example, to stage events where members will showcase their cheeses and where the guild will have the opportunity to generate revenues.

The Michigan Cheese & Dairy Guild display case at the Bridge Street Market is the first of what are expected to be additional installations for guild members at other retail stores. The assortment in the first case will be 10 different cheeses from three members:

• Zingerman’s Creamery will showcase its Classic Mini Brie Cheese, its Garlic & Herb Cream Cheese, its Hungarian Style Liptauer Cheese Spread, and its Pimento Cheese Spread;

• Idyll Farms will display three of its goat cheese spreads; and

• Leelanau Cheese will offer a fromage blanc, a cowmilk spread, and a raclette.

Elston said he’s not aware of any other trade groups in the state that the guild competes with directly. He said he hopes to partner with similar trade groups in other states, as well as with other Michigan food and beverage guilds.

“We see a lot of opportunity there,” he said. “At the end of the day, we want to draw the right kind of attention to the tourism and food-maker scene in the state of Michigan.”

Related: Dairy Industry Takes on Plant-Based Alternatives; Starbucks Launches Olive Oil-Infused Drinks.

Image: Zingerman’s Creamery

Italian-inspired specialty shop and restaurant destination Eataly said it will be opening in The Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, New Jersey, reports local news source TAPinto. Construction on the location has already begun.

Founded in Turin, Italy in 2007, the food destination has since expanded to Chicago; Boston; Los Angeles; Dallas; Las Vegas; Silicon Valley, California; two New York locations; and Istanbul.

The New Jersey store will have features including various restaurants and cafes, a pasta bar, a meat and cheese counter, a pizzeria counter, and a gelato shop. Italian groceries and household items will also be available for purchase.

The new location will also likely hold classes and events related to Italian cooking and culture, as in its other locations.

The retailer recently partnered with DoorDash on grocery delivery capabilities. Currently, the online grocer’s technology powers all the specialty market’s U.S. locations. Full Story

Related: Seafood City Opens Full-Scale Filipino Supermarket in Texas; Wegmans Sources Kekoa Food Purees

At the Specialty Food Association's recent Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, George Hajjar, associate editor at the SFA, spoke with Cathy Strange, ambassador of food culture at Whole Foods Market. In this episode of Spill & Dish, she shares how to teach others to taste with their five senses, what grocery buyers look for in specialty products, and standout trends for the year. Listen now.

Related: SFA Podcast: Naturally Fresh Flavor With Juan Stewart, Frescos Naturales; Starting a Butter Revolution With Steve Muir and Lynette Maan of Lewis Road Creamery

The most popular articles with SFA News Daily readers in January focused on outlooks on industry trends, retailer-brand relationships, and the Red Sea conflict.

In case you missed it, the following were the five most read stories in November.

1. Danone to Sell Horizon Organic, Wallaby to Private Equity Firm

French food producer Danone signed an agreement to sell its U.S. organic dairy brands Horizon Organic and Wallaby to private equity firm Platinum Equity.

2. Targeted Strike Escalates Shipment Conflict in Red Sea

After Houthi members defied an ultimatum to halt their attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea, a U.S.-led coalition launched more than a dozen strikes on the Yemeni force.

3. Supermarket Giant Drops Pepsi, Lay’s

Price increases from global brands PepsiCo and Lay’s compelled one of the biggest supermarket chains in the world, French-owned Carrefour, to stop merchandising the brands throughout France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. The conflict arose after more than two years of price increases from both brands.

4. Report Reveals Nuanced Packaging Insights

For generic brand products, simplicity does not sell; however, for most other food offerings, minimalist packaging tends to increase the item’s perceived purity, show the findings of a Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University study.

5. Trends on the Radar: Winter Fancy Food Show Preview

Denise Purcell, VP of resource development at Specialty Food Association, and Jen Cohan, PR consultant, previewed for attendees the categories, flavors, and ingredients likely to be displayed at the Show. 

Related: Report: Food System Shift Could Save Trillions of Dollars; Illinois Supports Local Retailers With $3.5M

Seasoning producer Simply Organic revealed today the five recipients of the Simply Organic Giving Fund Grant Program. The companies will receive a collective $150,000 to address food insecurity in their communities this year.

The organizations have programs designed to tackle ongoing gaps in the food assistance system, including poor nutrition, insufficient access, social stigma, lack of choice, or lifestyle fit.

"Increasing access to healthy foods plays naturally into Simply Organic's core values as an all-organic spice brand," said Sheryl Marchetti, senior director of marketing for Simply Organic, in a statement. "We look forward to partnering with organizations who are pushing for more creative approaches to addressing food insecurity, going beyond typical solutions to better answer their communities' health and cultural needs."

The grants will be distributed as follows:

• Dion's Chicago Dream will receive a $40,000 grant to continue to expand its award-winning Dream Deliveries program, which brings a five-day supply of pre-measured produce directly to residents and helps reduce food waste in the process.

• Emergency Food Network's Mother Earth Farm will receive a $15,000 grant to continue growing a diverse selection of fresh, culturally significant food.

• Matthew 25's Groundswell Cafe is a "pay-it-forward" eatery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It will receive a $15,000 grant to support the cafe's pay-it-forward initiative as well as healthy grab-n-go meals that can be purchased at an affordable price from its Cultivate Hope Corner Store.

• Project Worthmore's Delaney Community Farm supports Denver-area refugees through sustainable agriculture training, education, and employment. It will receive a $50,000 grant to expand operations at the DeLaney Community Farm and the Yu Meh Food Share Program to bring healthy, fresh foods to even more families.

• Sharing Excess is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that helps bridge the gap between food surplus and food scarcity. It will receive a $30,000 grant to open a second Wholesale Food Rescue program at Hunts Point Produce Market in New York City.

"Simply Organic's continued commitment to supporting Dion's Chicago Dream and other nonprofits across the country helps us reimagine food and nutrition philanthropy and meet critical needs of the communities we serve," said Dion Dawson, chief dreamer and founder of Dion's Chicago Dream, in a statement.

Established in 2001, the Simply Organic Giving Fund was originally organized to support organic agricultural development, and to date has given more than $2.5 million to projects around the globe.

Related: Instacart Partners With Retailers, Universities on Food Access; FDA, USDA Work to Improve Food System.

Meal platform FreshRealm said Tuesday it has acquired the operational assets of meal kit service Marley Spoon. FreshRealm will take over Marley Spoon's U.S. operational and supply chain infrastructure, integrating them into its U.S.-based network.

The $24 million transaction includes Marley Spoon's transfer of three production and fulfillment facilities in Newark, New Jersey; Tracy, California; and Dallas. Marley Spoon expects the deal to increase margin and reduce cost.

Concurrently, Marley Spoon is acquiring bistroMD, a food-as-medicine subscription service that provides ready-to-eat meals for health-conscious consumers. This service will also join the FreshRealm platform. After closing, FreshRealm will fulfill all orders for Marley Spoon U.S. customers, including for its bistroMD, Martha & Marley Spoon, and Dinnerly brands.

FreshRealm's platform offers services for direct-to-consumer, brick-and-mortar food retailers, restaurants, and other Fresh Meals providers. Integration with FreshRealm's platform enables partners to diversify their offerings while enjoying the benefits of scale at an affordable rate, according to the meal platform.

"This strategic partnership with Marley Spoon marks a milestone for FreshRealm in shaping the future of the Fresh Meals solutions space and transforming this $900 billion market," said Michael Lippold, founder and CEO of FreshRealm, in a statement. "We are thrilled to empower meal providers like Marley Spoon and bistroMD with what they need to deliver on scale and efficiency. Our partnership will supercharge these established brands' ability to build innovative offerings for their customers and will lead to broader innovation in the Fresh Meals industry."

Through its new partnerships with Marley Spoon and bistroMD, as well as existing relationships, such as those with Amazon Fresh, Blue Apron, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart, the platform is positioned to offer custom-built solutions that address retailer and consumer needs from ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals to meal kits, said FreshRealm.

Related: Getir Appoints CEOs; Dollar General Hits Fresh Produce Milestone

United Natural Foods, Inc. revealed today it will implement an A.I.-powered robotic automation system in its soon-to-open distribution center in Manchester, Pennsylvania. This system is part of the company’s commitment to improve its distribution center network, noted the wholesaler.

UNFI worked with robotics company Symbiotic on the technology.

Once installed, UNFI expects the system to enhance the customer experience, improve quality and service to customers, increase capacity within its facilities, and lower overall costs to fulfill customer orders.

“We always want to make doing business with UNFI easier for our customers and suppliers, and that means investing in ways to make our supply chain more effective and efficient,” said Erin Horvath, UNFI’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “Automating key distribution centers ... will help us improve order accuracy and deliver a better overall customer experience, while also reducing operating cost.”

UNFI’s Manchester distribution center is a 1.3 million-square-foot facility set to begin operation this summer. The facility will support customer growth across the Northeast.

Once completed, Symbotic’s technology will provide robotic case pack capabilities in Manchester’s dry grocery area, improve order accuracy for customers, and automate the assembly of customer order pallets. Part of the wholesaler's multi-year transformation plan, the technology is intended to improve the customer receiving and replenishment experience when the order is delivered to the store. It is expected to be fully operational by next spring.

The Symbotic warehouse automation system in Manchester is the same technology that is currently being deployed at UNFI's distribution center in Centralia, Washington. The Centralia system is on track to go live in the first half of this year.

Related: Giant Sources Local Products for New Store; Big Y Takes Vacated Amazon Fresh Stores