Sprouts Farmers Market has revealed that it will eliminate single-use plastic bags at checkout by the end of 2023. Doing this will remove 200 million-plus single-use plastic bags from circulation annually, according to the grocer.

The company, which has already eliminated single-use plastic bags at 132 California stores, will introduce this initiative in phases next month, starting with its Nevada, Utah, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia stores.

[Read more: "Sprouts Farmers Market Resurrects 2 Licensed Locations"]

“Our customers tell us how much they appreciate Sprouts’ care for the planet and our commitment to doing what’s right for our collective future,” said Nick Konat, Sprouts’ president and COO. “The decision to shift to reusable bags is one of many ways Sprouts will have an even bigger impact on the environment. We understand this will be an adjustment for our customers, and we will be here to help them with the transition.”

Sprouts will offer stronger, reusable plastic bags made from 40% post-consumer recycled material that can be reused at least 125 times, and shoppers will have various other reusable-bag purchase options. The grocer will encourage customers to bring their own reusable bags by charging 10 cents per reusable plastic bag.

The company also stopped offering paper bags at checkout, as they’re generally not reusable, aren’t recycled often and have a high environmental cost in terms of the water, energy and raw materials used to manufacture them. Additionally, customers can keep bringing single-use plastic bags to Sprouts stores for recycling after use. Last year, shoppers recycled nearly 1 million pounds of soft plastics at the grocer’s locations.

Phoenix-based  Sprouts Farmers Market employs approximately 31,000 associates and operates approximately 380 stores in 23 states nationwide. The company is No. 53 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

According to local news reports, Harvest Market is heading over the border from Illinois into Indiana. The independent, which runs stores in Champaign, Ill. and Springfield, Ill., has applied for a permit to operate a new business in Carmel, Ind.

The new store in the suburb of Indianapolis, spanning a 75,000-square-foot space, would take the place of a former Marsh Supermarkets location. That store closed more than five years ago.

[Read more: "Progressive Grocer Honors 25 Outstanding Independents"]

Operated by Niemann Foods, Inc., Harvest Market focuses on providing fare from farmers and food makers and sharing the stories of its suppliers. Among other things, the store is known for its fresh perimeter, which includes an expansive deli area complete with a butter churn room and a bakery featuring down-home favorites like cobblers, buckles, bread pudding and buttermilk biscuits. The stores in Illinois regularly host cooking demonstrations and include an in-store restaurant with foods made with farm-fresh ingredients for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Niemann Foods runs more than 100 retail businesses, including several County Market grocery stores, across Illinois, Missouri and Indiana. The company was founded in 1917.

The Consumer Brands Association (CBA) has promoted Stacy Papadopoulos – who served as interim CEO during the organization's search for a new leader – to COO and general counsel. She moved up from her most recent role as general counsel and SVP of operations and initiatives.

Papadopoulos joined CBA (formerly the Grocers Manufacturers Association) in 2019 and steadily expanded her scope of responsibilities on the executive team. In addition to leading the legal and operations functions and managing finance, facilities, IT and human resources, she also gained oversight of the regulatory affairs and technical affairs functions last year. In her new capacity, she will continue to oversee operations and expand CBA’s ability to address legal issues facing the CPG industry.  

[Read more: "SNAC International Approves New Slate of Officers"]

Her background includes a tenure as general counsel and SVP at the American Gaming Association.  Papadopoulos was a partner at the Potomac Law Group in Washington, D.C. as well.

“Stacy is a great partner, a respected leader across the organization and everyone who works with her recognizes the important role she plays on our leadership team. This is a well-deserved recognition for the value that she provides to our organization, members and to me, personally. I am thrilled to see Stacy continue to grow in this empowered position,” said David Chavern, president of the Arlington, Va.-based CBA.

One might say she brushed aside the competition. The winner of this year’s Pop Up Grocer Fund, which supports startup brand founders, is a dental school graduate who has created a line of sustainable, eye-catching oral care products.

Onaedo Achebe received the honor from Pop Up Grocer for her line of Minti Oral Care items that include corn fiber floss, toothpaste tablets sold in tins and compostable bamboo brushes. “When reviewing the many incredible applications for The Pop Up Grocer Fund, Minti stood out as a brand that represents everything we value the most,” the company shared in the announcement.

[Read more: "Pop Up Grocer Settles Down in NYC"]

Pop Up Grocer launched the program as a way to support founders who are “under-resourced and under-represented.” The company donates a portion of total sales to the fund.

As the 2023 winner, Achebe will receive services from Pop Up Grocer’s team and monies to help bolster her enterprise. Her Minti offerings – which launched in 2022 – will be placed in a future Pop Up Grocer activation.

In the announcement, Achebe said that she is grateful for the opportunity to expand her brand as a way to reinvigorate a mature category with consumer-friendly and eco-friendly dental health items. “One of the biggest challenges I face as a small business owner is finding the resources to invest in new technologies, expand my product line and reach  wider audience. This grant will enable me to do all of those things and more,” she declared.

While Pop Up Grocer is known for its traveling locations in different cities, the company recently opened its first permanent store in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City.

Family- and employee-owned Festival Foods is boosting its associate discount to 15%. This discount is available to all associates, both full- and part-time, along with members of their immediate households.

“We want to help our teammates stretch their dollars when it comes to buying the groceries they need to feed themselves and their families,” said Mark Skogen, Festival Foods president and CEO. “A higher discount frees up some crucial dollars so they can use them on other areas of their budgets.”

[Read more: "Festival Foods Modernizes Communications With Zipline"]

The retailer, which previously offered associates a 10% discount, said that the savings are good on both full-price and sale items. Associate purchases also add up to gas savings: For every $10 spent at Festival Foods, associates (and customers) can earn a penny off fuel purchases at Kwik Trip locations through participation in the Festival Foods Gas Rewards Program.

“We are thrilled to increase our discount and give our team members – who are the foundation of our success – another reason to love working for a winning Wisconsin retailer,” Skogen said. “Right now, many companies are looking to cut costs, and that often means reducing or eliminating the associate discount – we wanted to go in a different direction.”

Festival Foods operates 40 stores across Wisconsin. The grocer will open its newest store in Chippewa Falls, Wis., later this year.

De Pere, Wis.-based Festival Foods is No. 93 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

Vertical-farming company Bowery Farming is continuing to grow its senior leadership team with the addition of Matt Williams in the role of chief sales officer. Joining New York-based Bowery at a time of accelerated growth – in just the first few months, the company has added 400 new retail locations – Williams will lead its continued rapid retail footprint expansion. 

Williams brings extensive industry experience across produce, specialty foods, perishable, frozen and more to his latest role. He comes to Bowery from Paramount, Calif.-based Tattooed Chef, a plant-based frozen food company, where he held the role of chief growth officer. Previously, he was president at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, SVP at Dean Foods and VP of national accounts at Odwalla, as well as serving as a board member for Organic Valley Fresh. Williams earned a B.A. at the Pennsylvania State University and a master’s in food industry management from the USC Marshall School of Business. 

[Read more: "Bowery Farming Hires SVP of Sales"]

“Bowery is a fast-growing advocate for climate-smart foods, and a company that I’ve long admired,” noted Williams. “I’m excited to join the team at such a pivotal moment. As Bowery expands its geographic farm locations, retail footprint and grows its product portfolio, demonstrating leadership within [controlled-environment agriculture], I’m committed to supporting the company’s mission to reimagine the future of food.”

Bowery’s pesticide-free produce is now available at more than 1,500 stores and e-commerce partners. The company also just launched a new advertising campaign, running through April 30, that demonstrates how its produce is grown “smarter.” The campaign features outdoor placements in high-traffic locations in New York City and Washington, D.C.