Cleveland Clinic has teamed with Nestlé USA to launch a first-of-its-kind pilot program providing no-cost frozen meal delivery via Instacart to Cleveland Clinic employees as part of a weight management program. 

Program participants receive e-coaching from a certified health coach for weight management through Cleveland Clinic’s employee health plan. Now, along with coaching, they’ll get 10 dietitian-approved frozen meals from Nestlé USA every two weeks for three months at no cost to them. The meals will arrive via Instacart from area grocery stores. The program will give participants Instacart Health Fresh Funds – category-specific virtual stipends – to pay for the meals. 

Cleveland Clinic and Nestlé USA dietitians selected meals that meet Cleveland Clinic nutrition criteria from Sweet Earth Foods, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine. Participants also will receive education on how to fit these meals into an overall eating plan. 

After the 12-week pilot, Cleveland Clinic and Nestlé will assess results and jointly consider ways to grow this frozen meal/coaching program to not only Cleveland Clinic patients and caregivers, but also to employers and consumers.

The pilot will gauge how the meals affect engagement with e-coaching, how often people order meals, and pre- and post-program weight.

“Planning and preparing nutritionally balanced meals is often a time-consuming and arduous step for people looking to manage certain health conditions. Frozen entrees can help alleviate that pain point, providing a delicious, balanced and convenient solution,” said Tom Moe, president, Nestlé Meals division, which is based in Solon, Ohio. “By leveraging Nestlé’s insights as the world’s largest food and beverage company, and Cleveland Clinic’s expertise in health and wellness, this innovative partnership offers us the opportunity to understand how we can better support people on their health journey.”

Nestlé is providing funding for the meals and delivery during the pilot.

After closing two years ago due to flood damage from record rainfall, Save A Lot has officially reopened its location in Carlisle, Ky. The grocer held a ribbon cutting on May 17 with Save A Lot CEO Leon Bergmann; Saver Group owners Larry Noe, Wendell Combs and Dale Combs; Saver Group COO Keith DeFisher; and the Nicholas County Chamber of Commerce present to mark the occasion.

“We’re thrilled to have the Saver Group bring back the Carlisle store to their list of hometowns that get to experience once again what the Save A Lot brand is all about,” said Bergmann. “We know the Save A Lot brand brings unmatched value and quality to over 800 communities nationwide and can’t wait for the Carlisle community to experience that again for themselves.”

The grocer also held a cookout in its parking lot to commemorate the re-opening, and is holding giveaways for the first 100 customers each day through May 23. 

“We are excited to bring the Save A Lot banner back to Carlisle,” said Larry Noe. “My business partners, Dale and Wendell Combs and I understand that residents deserve high quality food at a value price point that works for them. We think the Save A Lot brand helps us deliver that to our neighbors here and we can’t wait to have people experience this new option in town.”

Save A Lot has 842 stores in 32 states. The St. Ann, Mo.-based company is No. 57 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

If charity begins at home, Target Corp. is keeping it close this summer. The Minneapolis-based retailer announced that it is investing in the Minneapolis Downtown Council’s “Summer’s Best Downtown” campaign that aims to support and encourage visits to the community.

Target estimates that more than 15,000 of its employees work or live in the city. "For Target, Minneapolis is not only home to our headquarters, it’s also a community where so many of our team members live. We have immense pride in our city and are proud to partner with the Minneapolis Downtown Council on this initiative to celebrate and support the things that make it a great place to live, work and shop,” said Amanda Nusz, SVP of corporate responsibility and president of the Target Foundation.

Over the course of the summer, visitors can take part in any of the 1,800 events that will be offered, including live music, games, food trucks, celebrity appearances, giveaways and more. Many activities will be held on Thursdays, with themes ranging from “Garden Bash” to “Roller Disco.” According to the Minneapolis Downtown Council, more than 8.6 million patrons visited the downtown area last year.

In addition to its support of summer events and programming, the Target Foundation awards Hometown Foundation Grants that foster entrepreneurship, workforce development, housing and asset building. The company’s team members regularly give back to the community through service, collectively volunteering more than 82,000 hours in the area in 2022.

Target Corp. is No. 6 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America, with nearly 2,000 locations.

Publix Super Markets is supporting the Arbor Day Foundation for the seventh consecutive year by funding tree plantings throughout Florida. The plantings are partially funded by the sale of Publix reusable bags, and support the restoration of damaged watersheds in the grocer’s home state.

Earlier this year, the retailer funded the planting of 269,000 trees in Econfina Creek in the Florida Panhandle, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2018. That donation brings the company’s contribution to 1 million trees planted over seven years.

A tree-planting ceremony was held at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, Fla., to commemorate the milestone.

“We’re proud to commemorate the millionth tree milestone at Bonnet Springs Park alongside the Arbor Day Foundation,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “It’s in our mission to be involved as responsible citizens in our communities, which includes improving the areas in which we serve. We look forward to continuing to care for our associates, customers and communities by being good stewards of our environment.”

Looking forward, Publix plans to expand tree plantings to other states within its footprint.

Employee-owned and -operated Publix has close to 1,300 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix is No. 12 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

A recent effort by Tops Markets LLC to improve sustainability and support community organizations has netted $519,846 for groups such as United Way, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Feeding America and Children’s Miracle Network. Now in its third year, the Tops Totes for Change program encourages shoppers to buy a reusable bag featuring a special charity design, with $1 of the $2.69 price donated back to the nonprofits.

“Our consumers have a wide array of reusable bags to choose from that consist of cloth and recycled materials which can easily and economically be purchased at the store. To see consumers make the choice, however, to give back to these charities by purchasing a Tops Totes for Change bag is truly heartwarming,” said Kathy Sautter, director of corporate communications and public relations at Tops.

Recently, the grocer added a new bag emblazoned with the Tops in Education logo. Sales of that bag support the Tops in Education program, which has raised more than $1.2 million for area school services.

Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Markets LLC has 150 supermarkets, including five franchise stores, and employs more than 14,000 associates in New York, northern Pennsylvania and western Vermont. The banner’s parent company, Northeast Grocery Inc., is No. 45 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

To provide shoppers with more information at the point of sale, KeHE Distributors LLC is adding smart shelf tags that deliver instant digital content on in-store products.

The natural and organic, specialty, and fresh product distributor is teaming up with Cornerstone Consulting to incorporate “hyperdynamic” QR codes that offer capabilities beyond standard QR codes. While consumers can access relevant information quickly, suppliers can share promotional offers, nutrition information, traceability details, videos, images and more. The tags also benefit retailers, which don’t have to source, manage or update content.

“We’re in a new era of consumer access, and we want to empower our suppliers and retailers to deliver what customers want – instant information about an item on the shelf,” said Katie Paul,  SVP of merchandising at Naperville, Ill.-based KeHE. “We’re thrilled to offer this technology to our partners as we work together to innovate the in-store experience.” 

Added Dave Boos, president of Tampa, Fla.-based Cornerstone Consulting, “The best way to immediately reach a consumer is offering them the information they need the moment they see your product.”