5 things: What makes a grocery store?

By any other name: What, at its core, makes a grocery store? That’s the very thing that Federal antitrust enforcers are in the midst of determining as they work towards a decision regarding the looming $24.6 billion Kroger, Albertsons merger. This Wall Street Journal piece looks at the grocery makeup of Greeley, Colorado, a city of about 100,000. Of the stores there, Walmart and Target historically haven’t been classified as supermarkets; Sprouts is considered a natural and organic store; and Dollar stores are too limited in what they sell to be considered true grocery competitors. So by that logic, from the FTC’s perspective, if Kroger and Albertsons merged, they would be the only major supermarket operator left in town. Is that fair? Kroger sure doesn’t think so, calling the FTC “willfully blind” of how the landscape has changed. —Chloe Riley

Retail media grabs even more than the headlines: As overwhelming as the AI phenomenon was during the NRF and FMI conferences in January, retail media was even more all-encompassing at the NGA and Shoptalk events in March. There were dozens of educational sessions on the topic at the two conferences, as well as dozens of exhibitors promoting how their companies are helping retailers make the most of retail media. And, like NRF and FMI, if you asked all the thousands of attendees at NGA and Shoptalk exactly what retail media means, you’d get pretty close to that many different responses. Looking at the end run that retailers and brands want to achieve, a few common themes came through in much of the booth and session messaging. First, retail media is helping retailers attract back ad dollars that were siphoned off by digital-only outlets. Next, retail media is just a new and more measurable version of what used to be called trade promotion dollars. Last, and perhaps most impactful long-term, retail media is aligning with store analytics and insights to personalize shopper marketing and build more profitable market baskets. —Ron Margulis

Republicans: H-E-Be Gone: You might not be familiar with the name Charles Butt, but Republicans in Texas sure are. Charles’ dad is none other than Howard E. Butt, the man who started the H-E-B store chain that stands as the king of Texas grocers. His son, Charles, now 86 years old, became president of H-E-B in 1971 and in 1919 was named chairman and CEO of the company. Charles has been butting heads (see what I did there?) with the Republicans, according to an article in Texas Monthly, because of his financial support for Democrats (gasp) in the Lone Star State. Apparently, he’s contributed to candidates that support public education! Butt has also supported efforts in Harris County (Houston) to provide mail-in ballots to voters. The humanity! This Texas Monthly story makes a good point that billionaires who involve themselves in politics should strap in for a bumpy ride, and Butt is no exception, but the Dems deserve at least a few billionaires in their corner. —Timothy Inklebarger

Grab it while it’s hot: Few things make more sense in life than grilled cheese and tomato soup…and now, one can have both, via a new product from Campbell’s in the CPG company’s first-ever, limited-edition soup flavor. It’s a smart strategy and surprising that it's taken a powerhouse like Campbell’s this long to play in that pool. “‘Limited edition’ as a strategic weapon and as a marketing tool is one of the most powerful assets available to a brand or retailer,” wrote Merchandising Metrics Principal Jeff Sward in a retail discussion. “It’s also one of the most under-utilized. Limited edition is a powerful incentive to buy now and buy at full price.” And even more powerful when that incentive includes a grilled cheese flavor. —CR

Going dark for the solar eclipse: The sun isn’t the only thing going dark on April 8 during the total solar eclipse. Wegmans grocery store is also taking a brief hiatus, for only about 30 minutes, to let its employees outside to witness the celestial phenomenon. ABC 7 WKBW Buffalo reports that 48 Wegmans stores will close from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to give employees a chance to check out the show. “The opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse comes once in a lifetime, and we don’t want our employees to miss out. We appreciate all that our employees do to help our customers prepare for and enjoy events like this, and in return, we welcome the opportunity to make this a celebratory and memorable occasion for them,” said Patrick Bourcy, Wegmans regional manager. We agree and believe that grocers (all businesses, actually) should close their doors and give everyone a chance to witness the eclipse. Just don’t look up there without protective glasses. —TI

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Federal antitrust enforcers are in the midst of determining what, exactly, constitutes a grocery store as they work towards a decision regarding the merger. Walmart and Target historically haven’t been classified as supermarkets; dollar stores are too limited in what they sell to be considered true grocery competitors.

Is that fair? Kroger sure doesn’t think so, calling the FTC “willfully blind” of how the landscape has changed. What do you think?

Let us know in the comments below, or email the SN staff at [email protected].