- Publix has introduced new fresh cookies inspired by its most popular cakes. They are available in four decadent flavors: Double Cookies & Cream, Vanilla Celebration, Double Chocolate and Raspberry Cream Cheese.

- In Q2, Costco launched about 30 new Kirkland Signature items, including crispy wings, blackened salmon, and various apparel items, Gary Millerchip, the retailer’s Chief Financial Officer, said in a Q2 2026 conference call.

- Lowes Foods recently ran a week-long promotion offering a $7 savings for shoppers who spent $25 on its “Brown Bag” private label items.

Sprouts, which currently operates more than 480 stores in 25 states, is in the midst of a major nationwide expansion.
Among its 40-plus new store openings planned for this year is its first New York unit, which opened in January on Long Island in the town of Centereach.

PLMA’s Carol Angrisani visited the store. Click here to see photos of the store.

Hear about the agenda and presentations, including Keynote from Scott Morris - Walmart's Senior Vice President of Private Brands Food, Consumables, and Manufacturing. Watch our news report here:

Every month, e-scanner will highlight two PLMA Salute to Excellence Award® winners for store brand creativity and innovation. Click here to view the full list of winners.

Food: Federated Group - Life Every Day® Fried Apples with Cinnamon

Nonfood: Staples - TRU RED™ Brightwell 5-in-1 Productivity LED Desk Light.

"We're excited to deliver healthier, more balanced solutions that inspire discovery and bring fresh ideas and products to every aisle."

- Alex Peters, Own Brand Manager at Fresh Thyme Market, said of the retailer’s Own Brand relaunch, featuring new products and packaging, including more natural and organic assortments across grocery, produce and frozen.

Sprouts has launched a limited-time “Sweet Heat” line of spicy foods and beverages. Selections include hot honey white chocolate flavored popcorn, spicy sparkling lemonade, jalapeno cashew butter, and Mexican hot chocolate cookies.

• Kowalski’s handmade macaroons are available in three flavors: Almond Pistachio, Lemon Lavender and Almond.
• Lunds & Byerlys offers locally crafted premium confections, including Victorian Brittle and Sea Salt Caramels.
• Target announced that in May it will become one of the first national retailers that only carries cereals made without certified synthetic colors.
• Topco’s bio-based storage bags are made with a patent-pending Land & Sea Blended Technology.  This process uses less plastic, replacing with bio-based plant and ocean materials.

Weis has introduced new lineup of wild bird foods in a classic blend, premium blend and black oil sunflower seeds.

Trader Joe’s, Aldi, and Lidl’s each experienced positive year-over-year visit growth in all four quarters of 2025, according to Placer.ai. This suggests that value-led grocery concepts remain well positioned as consumer price sensitivity persists.

While some of that growth can be attributed to Aldi, Lidl, and Trader Joe’s expanding store footprints, increases in average visits per location suggest that demand rose alongside store count, according to the report. If value remains a primary motivator in 2026, these low-price grocers appear well positioned to continue capturing incremental foot traffic.

While each chain is similar in terms of private label dominance and expansion, the in-store experiences differ.

• Trader Joe’s posted the highest share of visits lasting 10 to 15 minutes and 15 to 30 minutes, suggesting a highly efficient shopping experience. Shoppers appear to arrive with a plan and move quickly through the store.
• Aldi sees a higher share of visits in the 15 to 30 minute and 30 to 45 minute ranges than the grocery category overall. This suggests that Aldi’s limited-SKU and small-format model simplifies navigation and decision-making.
• Lidl shows the strongest skew toward longer visits, including the highest share of visits lasting over 45 minutes (11.7%), exceeding Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and the grocery category overall. This reflects Lidl’s positioning somewhere between a traditional grocery store and a superstore.