Mark Hamstra

1 week ago | nrn.com | Mark Hamstra

California Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the President Trump administration’s sweeping tariff program. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that President Trump lacks the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs through the International Economic Emergency Powers Act.

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

A first-in-the-nation bill effectively banning companies that own pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from also owning retail pharmacies in Arkansas was signed into law this week by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The new law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026, prohibits PBMs from obtaining certain retail pharmacy permits. Supporters allege that vertically integrated PBMs inflate drug prices and unfairly pressure the profitability of independent retail pharmacies.

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

Laurel Grocery Co., which supplies independent grocers in the Southeast and Midwest, is shutting down its wholesale operations, according to local reports. In statements to local media, the 103-year-old, family-owned company, based in London, Ky., cited competition from big-box discounters and e-commerce operators. Laurel Grocery Co. was one of the approved suppliers for the IGA network of stores, and it supplied more than 200 retail locations in total across seven states.

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

Easter celebrations drove sales gains throughout the store in March of last year, when the holiday occurred on March 30, sending comparisons with this year’s March sales results into negative territory. Ongoing inflation—grocery prices were still up 2.4% vs. a year ago, according to the March Consumer Price Index—and concerns about tariffs and the overall economy are also impacting sales, said Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics.

1 week ago | supermarketnews.com | Mark Hamstra

The United Food and Commercial Workers union is planning a march on Tuesday in La Verne, Calif., to call attention to its ongoing labor disputes with Stater Bros. and with Kroger- and Albertsons-owned chains in Central and Southern California. The disputes are part of ongoing contract negotiations between several UFCW locals and the major chains in the region. Several UFCW locals are negotiating a new contract with Stater Bros.