The latest food and beverage industry news and trend analysis

Tesco is significantly expanding its footprint in the health-led convenience sector with the launch of its first chilled own-brand High Protein ready meal range. Supported by search data showing over 423,000 queries for high protein on Tesco.com in the last year.

Lidl is set to transform its telecommunications offering by becoming a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in partnership with 1GLOBAL, supported by a 9.9% equity stake from the Schwarz Group and a five-year exclusive technology agreement.

Tesco is scaling its summer inventory with over 300 new SKUs, prioritising a significant expansion of the Tesco Finest Deli portfolio and the introduction of weather-resilient BBQ options to drive seasonal growth.

Empire Company Limited is set to acquire Mayrand Food Group, a move that provides the retail giant with a strategic entry into the growing Quebec discount and warehouse food market serving both households and foodservice operators.

The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed a £60 million grant package from Exchange for Change, designed to offset the costs for small independent retailers hosting reverse vending machines.

Tesco has initiated a beta trial of an in-app AI assistant for its 280,000 employees, leveraging partnerships with Tomoro AI and Mistral to deliver personalised, natural-dialogue meal planning and automated basket-building ahead of a nationwide consumer launch.

Flashfood has completed a division-wide expansion across more than 100 Kroger stores in the Mid-Atlantic, integrating its surplus food platform with Kroger Health to drive "Food as Medicine" initiatives and modern data-driven shrink management.

Williams Sonoma has partnered with the 145-year-old Oakville Grocery to launch an exclusive "Wine Country" gourmet collection, strategically scaling Napa and Sonoma Valley artisanal flavours to a national audience through omni-channel distribution and in-store experiential marketing.