• MLive reports on the opening of Meijer’s new Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids, a 37,000 square foot store that “will boast an array of fresh and prepared foods, including meat and deli products, and 2,000 local, artisan groceries and national brands … The market boasts 22-foot ceilings and a "pedestrian friendly design," that includes three garage-style doors that open along the sidewalk on Bridge Street.”
According to the story, “It's planted in the midst of a bustling section of Bridge Street, which has seen a slew of development in recent years, including New Holland Brewing's Knickerbocker restaurant and The Sovengard, both of which opened in 2016.”
• Kroger announced last week that it will ban the use of single-use plastic bags in its stores by 2025, saying it will “transition from single-use to reusable bags and ultimately eliminate 123 million pounds of garbage annually sent to landfills,” USA Today reports. “That would quadruple the amount of plastic the retailer currently recycles.”
• Coca-Cola last week announced that it will spend $5.1 billion to acquire Costa Coffee, a British coffee shop chain.
Business Insider reports that “analysts say the move is likely to have a major impact on Starbucks, especially as it looks to grow in China, a region that both coffee chains are looking to expand in to drive sales.”
The move also enables Coca-Cola to better “compete with PepsiCo, its biggest rival, which has a partnership with Starbucks to distribute its ready-to-drink products to stores.”
And, USA Today reports that Coke also is acquiring Moxie, described as “a long-lived and beloved New England soda brand that is the official state beverage of Maine.” Coke is acquiring the brand, the story says, “from Coca-Cola of Northern New England, an independent bottling partner of the larger company that's in Bedford, New Hampshire.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Business Insider reports that Dunkin’ Brands is expanding the experimental name change of its flagship business - from “Dunkin’ Donuts” to just “Dunkin’” - “ to 30 more Boston-area locations and 20 nationwide locations.
“The name change is a small part of a major rebrand that includes adding cold-brew taps and digital ordering kiosks.”
However, the story also notes that longtime customers and traditionalists have complained about the change, saying they are “worried what the change means for their favorite chain.”
• The New York Times reports that there is a new legislative proposal in England that would make it illegal to sell energy drinks to young people, with one sticking point being whether it should apply to people 16 and under or 18 and under.
“A government statement on the proposal said that two-thirds of children ages 10 to 17, and a quarter of those from 6 to 9, consumed energy drinks,” the Times writes. “And it cited concerns including childhood obesity and the effects of caffeine and sugar on behavior in school … The government said that one 250-milliliter can of energy drink often contained around 80 milligrams of caffeine — the equivalent of a cup of coffee or nearly three cans of cola — and up to 60 percent more sugar on average than regular soft drinks. It said excessive consumption among children had been linked to headaches, sleep problems, stomach aches and hyperactivity.”
The Times notes that “many supermarkets and other major retailers in Britain already decline to sell energy drinks to children. But they remain readily available from smaller stores and vending machines.”
According to the story, “It's planted in the midst of a bustling section of Bridge Street, which has seen a slew of development in recent years, including New Holland Brewing's Knickerbocker restaurant and The Sovengard, both of which opened in 2016.”
• Kroger announced last week that it will ban the use of single-use plastic bags in its stores by 2025, saying it will “transition from single-use to reusable bags and ultimately eliminate 123 million pounds of garbage annually sent to landfills,” USA Today reports. “That would quadruple the amount of plastic the retailer currently recycles.”
• Coca-Cola last week announced that it will spend $5.1 billion to acquire Costa Coffee, a British coffee shop chain.
Business Insider reports that “analysts say the move is likely to have a major impact on Starbucks, especially as it looks to grow in China, a region that both coffee chains are looking to expand in to drive sales.”
The move also enables Coca-Cola to better “compete with PepsiCo, its biggest rival, which has a partnership with Starbucks to distribute its ready-to-drink products to stores.”
And, USA Today reports that Coke also is acquiring Moxie, described as “a long-lived and beloved New England soda brand that is the official state beverage of Maine.” Coke is acquiring the brand, the story says, “from Coca-Cola of Northern New England, an independent bottling partner of the larger company that's in Bedford, New Hampshire.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
• Business Insider reports that Dunkin’ Brands is expanding the experimental name change of its flagship business - from “Dunkin’ Donuts” to just “Dunkin’” - “ to 30 more Boston-area locations and 20 nationwide locations.
“The name change is a small part of a major rebrand that includes adding cold-brew taps and digital ordering kiosks.”
However, the story also notes that longtime customers and traditionalists have complained about the change, saying they are “worried what the change means for their favorite chain.”
• The New York Times reports that there is a new legislative proposal in England that would make it illegal to sell energy drinks to young people, with one sticking point being whether it should apply to people 16 and under or 18 and under.
“A government statement on the proposal said that two-thirds of children ages 10 to 17, and a quarter of those from 6 to 9, consumed energy drinks,” the Times writes. “And it cited concerns including childhood obesity and the effects of caffeine and sugar on behavior in school … The government said that one 250-milliliter can of energy drink often contained around 80 milligrams of caffeine — the equivalent of a cup of coffee or nearly three cans of cola — and up to 60 percent more sugar on average than regular soft drinks. It said excessive consumption among children had been linked to headaches, sleep problems, stomach aches and hyperactivity.”
The Times notes that “many supermarkets and other major retailers in Britain already decline to sell energy drinks to children. But they remain readily available from smaller stores and vending machines.”
- KC's View:
