ELIZABETH, N.J. — Wakefern Food Corp.’s ShopRite banner has launched a weekly circulars widget. “Save time with automatic updates right to your widget,” ShopRite says. “Save money by seeing what’s on special right now and for how long.” The widget can be used on a variety of websites, including iGoogle, Blogger and Netvibes.

Widgets are data files that can be embedded into a website and provide automatic content updates.

The ShopRite widget allows online users to see what products are on sale and connect to the store’s Web page. The widget is available through a partnership with MyWebGrocer, Colchester, Vt., an e-commerce company. “New and creative Internet tools are emerging at a very fast rate. Some, but not all, have very strong applicability to the retail grocery space. Widgets are clearly one of those tools that will benefit both the retailer and their consumers,” Curt Alpeter, MyWebGrocer senior vice president, said in a statement. “The use of widgets has exploded over the past year and they have already proven themselves to be valuable for online consumers.”

As of November 2007, about 148 million U.S. Internet users viewed widgets, representing 81% of the total audience, according to comScore, a company that measures the digital world.

Meijer, Grand Rapids, Mich., also has a widget for its new Meijer Mealbox site, at mealbox.meijer.com, which allows shoppers to integrate meal planning, budgeting and purchase preferences online. The widget enables users to put Mealbox on Facebook, MySpace or another personal Web page. The widget automatically adds the newest recipes and coupons and keeps shopping lists current without requiring a return to the Mealbox site.

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