• The New York Times reports that pure play online retailer Thrive, which charges customers $60 a year "to be able to buy organic food at what the company says are lower prices than what traditional grocers like Whole Foods offer," has just raised $111 million " to help the company grow, including creating more of its own branded goods and paying for more media marketing."
The new round of financing was led by investment firm Invus, with the participation of Greycroft Partners, E-Ventures and Cross Culture Ventures.
• Southeastern Grocers, parent company and home of Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie, announced that it is pledging 100 percent of its profit generated on the Fourth of July to Hope For The Warriors, described as "a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families."
• Raley's announced that it has decided "to eliminate certain Raley’s private label brand soda to advance their vision of health and wellness. This includes all flavors containing high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors, including diet soda varieties ... Raley's has discontinued production of private label soda with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors and will phase-out remaining inventory over the next two-weeks. All Raley’s private label soda with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors will be out of stock by August 1st."
• An organization called Label Insight is out with a new survey saying that "75% of consumers do not trust the accuracy of food labels." In addition, the study concludes, "81% of consumers have consumed a packaged product that contained an ingredient they didn’t recognize at some point in the past month" ... "38% of consumers are concerned about eating products that contain information on the label they don’t recognize" ... and "35% of consumers reported being confused by what food packaging labels are actually saying."
The new round of financing was led by investment firm Invus, with the participation of Greycroft Partners, E-Ventures and Cross Culture Ventures.
• Southeastern Grocers, parent company and home of Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie, announced that it is pledging 100 percent of its profit generated on the Fourth of July to Hope For The Warriors, described as "a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for veterans, service members and military families."
• Raley's announced that it has decided "to eliminate certain Raley’s private label brand soda to advance their vision of health and wellness. This includes all flavors containing high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors, including diet soda varieties ... Raley's has discontinued production of private label soda with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors and will phase-out remaining inventory over the next two-weeks. All Raley’s private label soda with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors will be out of stock by August 1st."
• An organization called Label Insight is out with a new survey saying that "75% of consumers do not trust the accuracy of food labels." In addition, the study concludes, "81% of consumers have consumed a packaged product that contained an ingredient they didn’t recognize at some point in the past month" ... "38% of consumers are concerned about eating products that contain information on the label they don’t recognize" ... and "35% of consumers reported being confused by what food packaging labels are actually saying."
- KC's View:
