Mark Hamstra

New York

Writer and Editor at Freelance

Freelance business journalist. Tweeting about food, business, the business of food + other stuff.

Articles

How Startups Tap into the Women's Sporting Goods Boom

1 week ago | uschamber.com | Mark Hamstra

Amid the surging popularity of women’s sports, women’s sports merchandise generated an estimated $4 billion in sales in 2024, according to Deloitte. Against that backdrop, startup Moolah Kicks, which offers athletic shoes designed specifically for female basketball players, has driven a compound annual sales growth of 150% over the past four years.
Market Basket CEO and others suspended during investigation

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

The long saga of feuding among the owners of the Market Basket chain entered a new phase this week as the board suspended President and CEO Arthur T. Demoulas and other managers for allegedly planning a work stoppage.
SpartanNash eyes growth of Hispanic stores

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

SpartanNash is bullish on the growth prospects for its Hispanic stores, the company said in its first-quarter earnings call on Thursday. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer/wholesaler recently opened its fourth such location in the Omaha market—it converted a former Family Fare to the Supermercado Nuestra Familia banner—and it plans to “be more aggressive in opening new stores there,” Tony Sarsam, president and CEO, said during the call.
Retailers put AI to work

1 week ago | drugstorenews.com | Mark Hamstra

Increasingly, AI platforms are being designed to help users overcome many of the challenges that may have been impediments to early AI adoption, said John Harmon, managing directorof technology research at Coresight Research. For example, while retailers might have in-house AI expertise, enterprise applications are being developed that handle AI functions automatically and transparently, he said.
Kroger drivers authorize strike at Georgia warehouse

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

Drivers at Kroger’s Forest Park, Ga., fulfillment center have voted to authorize a strike if the company does not agree to contract terms with the Teamsters union. Last year the drivers voted to join Teamsters Local 528, but the two sides have not been able to agree on terms of an initial contract, the union said. “Kroger needs to stop dragging its feet and deliver a real offer that respects the work we do,” said Marion Jackson, a Kroger driver and Local 528 shop steward.
Thrive Market taps Amazon veteran Scott Lescher as first COO

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

Thrive Market has tapped another Amazon veteran to help drive the grocery ecommerce company’s growth. The company on Wednesday confirmed a Retail Brew report that Scott Lescher has been named chief operating officer, a newly created position at Thrive Market.
PCC Community Markets posts surprise profit in 2024

2 weeks ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

PCC Community Markets swung back to profitability in 2024 after store closing costs resulted in loss in the prior fiscal year. The Seattle-based organic and natural retailer, which is the nation’s largest consumer-owned cooperative grocery chain, reported net income of $391,493 in 2024, vs. a loss of about $9.9 million in fiscal 2023. The year-ago loss included a non-cash impairment charge and closing expenses totaling about $12.6 million related to the closure of PCC’s downtown Seattle store.
Stater Bros. labor talks stall on subcontractor issue

2 weeks ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135 said that negotiations with Stater Bros. have stalled over disagreements about the retailer’s proposed use of subcontractors to perform some in-store work. The union also said that Stater Bros was waiting to see the agreement that the local reaches with Kroger and Albertsons, which are negotiating separately with several union locals for new contracts covering about 50,000 workers in Southern and Central California.
Innovations in eco-friendly packaging for organic produce

2 weeks ago | newhope.com | Mark Hamstra

Sustainability has long been a key attribute of the organic produce industry, but eco-friendly packaging often remains an obstacle that’s difficult to overcome. The demand for alternative packaging stands to become more acute as several states have begun rolling out new requirements for companies that sell products in their states.
Rite Aid unveils 95 more store closings

2 weeks ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

Rite Aid has announced another 95 planned store closings, including 70 locations in Pennsylvania. The retailer last week said it had agreed to sell 64 stores in the Pacific Northwest to CVS and to transfer the prescription files of another 1,000-plus locations to CVS and other retailers. The latest round of 95 store closures follows previous announcements of 115 store closings since the company filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 5.