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GOURMET NEWS JULY 2016 www.gourmetnews.com News & Notes NEWS & NOTES 5 BRIEFS Health Choice Markets Inc. Completes Acquisition Vapor Corporation, a U.S.-based distributor and retailer of vaping products, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Healthy Choice Markets, Inc., has completed the acquisition of the assets of Ada's Natural Market, a natural and organic grocery store in Fort Myers, Florida. The purchase price was $3 million in cash, less adjustments for inventory levels. The store will continue to operate under the same name and management. Kroger Rolls Out ClickList in Houston The Kroger Houston division has launched ClickList, an online grocery ordering service, at select stores in the area. As an introductory offer, Kroger will waive the $4.95 service charge for a customer's first three orders. ClickList, which is exclusive to Kroger, allows customers to shop online and pick up their order curbside at a participating store location. Twenty two locations are expected to operate the new service by the beginning of fall 2016. Nationally, Kroger has been testing online shopping and collecting customers' feedback about the service since November 2014. AWG Selects Rosie Online Shopping Platform Rosie, a robust online grocery shopping platform for web and mobile applications, will collaborate with members of Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) to create customized e-commerce programs that can drive larger order sizes, attract new customers, and strengthen consumer loyalty. "Our goal is to provide our member retailers with access to strategic partners capable of helping our retailers compete in the changing grocery marketplace," said Kate Favrow, Corporate Marketing Manager, AWG. "We evaluated Rosie's offering, and based on their evolving technology and eagerness to help the independent grocer, felt it was a good fit for our retailers." Henry Ford Health System and Kroger to Help Families Eat Healthier What is a healthy substitution for oil and sugar when you are baking? What fresh foods are most affordable? Are there recipes that kids will love that are still healthy? Henry Ford Health System and Kroger have announced a new partnership designed to answer these kinds of questions and help consumers eat and shop healthier. Henry Ford LiveWell Wednesdays debuted June 1 at all 126 Kroger stores throughout Michigan. Every Wednesday, Henry Ford provides Kroger shoppers with a delicious, healthy recipe developed by registered dietitian nutritionists. Shoppers receive a brochure including a list of all ingredients needed for the recipe and a link to a video cooking demonstration. Russ Dispense, President of the Kroger Company's King Soopers division, is retir- ing on July 1, after 51 years with the com- pany. His successor will be announced at a later date. "Throughout his distinguished career, Russ has always been known for his pas- sion for the community, King Soopers and for people. His desire to see those who work with him grow and develop has changed the lives of our associates and touched the lives of our customers," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's Chairman and CEO. "Under Russ's leadership King Soop- ers has grown significantly while remain- ing Colorado's favorite grocery store in a highly-competitive market. Russ will end his incredible career as our longest-serving King Soopers president. We are grateful for his many years of exceptional service and leadership, and wish him, Debbie and their family all the best in retirement." A Colorado native, Dispense began his career in the supermarket industry in 1965, when he joined King Soopers as a courtesy clerk. He served in various lead- ership positions in stores and district man- agement through the years, as well as at warehouses, manufacturing plants and ad- ministrative offices. Dispense was pro- moted to vice president of retail operations and merchandising for the King Soopers division in 1983. He also served as vice president of real estate. In 1999, he was promoted to president of Smith's Food and Drug Stores in Salt Lake City. He was named to his current role as President of King Soopers/City Market division in 2001. Dispense currently serves on the board of directors for Western Association of Food Chains, Children's Hospital Col- orado, and the Colorado Health Founda- tion. He has served as the past chairman of the board for the Better Business Bureau and on the board of directors for the Mountain States Employers Council, and the Rocky Mountain Food Dealers Associ- ation, as well as the state of Colorado Gov- ernor's Advisory Council. He holds a degree in business administration from Western State College and is a graduate of the University of Southern California Food Industry Management Program. GN King Soopers President Russ Dispense Retiring Kroger Technology has been named to Computerworld's Top 100 Best Places to Work in IT for 2016. This is the first time Kroger's technology department has been named to this annual list. Kroger ranks #45 among large organizations. Kroger Technology also launched a new website,www.kroger.com/livekt/, de- signed to connect with and recruit top talent from around the world to join the growing and innovative company. "We are thrilled that Kroger Technol- ogy has been named one of Computer- world's Best Places to Work," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's Chairman and CEO. "One of the things that makes Kroger Technology such a great place to work is that it provides an opportunity to directly improve the lives of more than 8.5 million customers every day – whether they are ordering online, visit- ing our stores, or engaging with our mo- bile app." Kroger Technology employs nearly 2,500 associates and contractors throughout the United States and around the globe. Kroger Technology is respon- sible for industry-leading new tools like ClickList – Kroger's order online, pick up at the store service, mobile app innova- tions like personalized shopping lists and store maps to locate products, and money-saving digital coupons powered by the company's proprietary technology and personalization platforms. "The Computerworld Best Places to Work in IT recognition emphasizes the welcoming, innovative culture we strive for," said Chris Hjelm, Kroger's Execu- tive Vice President and CIO. "Kroger Technology is committed to exceeding customer expectations, investing in quality, and creating innovative solutions that are changing the way we connect with customers." Hjelm was named to the list of Com- puterworld Premier 100 Technology Leaders for 2016. The Best Places to Work in Informa- tion Technology (IT) list is an annual ranking of the top 100 work environ- ments for technology professionals by IDG's Computerworld. The list is com- piled based on a comprehensive ques- tionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, career devel- opment, training and retention. GN Kroger Technology Named a Best Place to Work Allrecipes, the world's largest digital food brand with more than 1.3 billion visits an- nually, introduces in-store beacon triggered experiences in Marc's stores to provide Marc's shoppers with personalized meal recommendations through the Allrecipes Dinner Spinner app. In-store notifications are triggered on shoppers' smartphones by Verifone, a world leader in payments and commerce solutions, and its beacons sys- tem that is powered by the Footmarks SmartConnect ® proximity platform across all 58 Marc's Stores in Ohio. "As the grocery industry evolves, we're seeing technology and retail converge in new and innovative ways," said Stan Pavlovsky, Allrecipes President. "We under- stand the importance of using technology to craft in-store engagements that are per- sonal to shoppers, stores and brands, and this partnership serves as a first step in pro- viding timely, relevant meal solutions for busy home cooks as soon as they walk through the door." "Marc's and our chain of stores are ex- cited to be a part of this collaborative effort that brings together meal solutions, the grocery experience, and digital to the fore- front of our customers' shopping experi- ence," says Day Armelli, Marketing Director for Marc's. "We anticipate this will open up additional doors that allow us to deliver greater value to our customers by helping them make the most out of their in-store shopping experience." The hyper-local beacon triggered notifi- cations are delivered to Allrecipes Dinner Spinner app users on their smartphones upon entering a Marc's store, providing the shopper with meal recommendations trending among local home cooks along with recipes featuring products on sale at that particular Marc's store. Heightened relevancy to shoppers is further provided by considering the season and local weather to determine appropriate meal ideas. "Verifone is proud to be deploying our beacon network with Allrecipes, Foot- marks and customers like Marc's as we look for new ways to deliver additional value and exceptional consumer experi- ences in store," says Richard Char, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Verifone. "We look forward to working with other types of merchants going for- ward to test different beacon programs and continue to push the envelope of this tech- nology." This solution is uniquely designed to ad- dress two of shoppers' greatest shopping objectives – figuring out what to make for dinner that night, and stretching their gro- cery dollars further. Presently, shoppers view 35 million Allrecipes.com recipes monthly from their phones while they are in-store making grocery purchase deci- sions. This partnership also opens up native advertising opportunities, allowing brands to take advantage of Allrecipes hyper-local, retailer-specific targeting to deliver highly relevant product promotional offers to shoppers during key decision-making mo- ments as they shop. GN Beacon Technology to Enhance Shopping Experience

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