SEATTLE, WA - Amazon might be known for same-day shipping and omnichannel operations, but behind the scenes, the e-commerce giant has been quietly growing another major arm of its empire: groceries.

“I’m very bullish about grocery,” Andy Jassy, Chief Executive Officer, said during a recent Q&A with shareholders. “Some folks don’t realize how large a grocery business Amazon has today.”

Now, to be clear, Jassy isn’t just throwing buzzwords at a quarterly report. He’s talking real numbers. As in, more than $100 billion in gross sales last year just from center-of-aisle staples like canned goods, beauty products, and everyday essentials. That’s not even counting Whole Foods Market or Amazon Fresh.

In other words: Amazon is already a grocery giant, and it’s just getting warmed up.

“I’m excited about what I’m seeing with Whole Foods Market,” Jassy said. “It’s growing meaningfully faster than the grocery industry in general,” he added, crediting recent changes that improved both profitability and customer experience. “We’ve got a great trajectory.”

And then there’s that mysterious little pilot store Amazon rolled out in NYC – a smaller, daily-shop concept that reportedly knocked internal expectations out of the park.

“Customers have really responded excellently to it,” he noted, hinting that more locations are likely on the way.

But perishables are the next frontier, and Jassy knows it.

“We know if we want to serve as many customers as we want, we need to have a broader, mass perishables offering,” he explained.

That’s where Amazon Fresh comes in. Jassy says version two of the Fresh store layout is already outperforming the original, and they’re testing additional ideas like “store within a store” setups inside Whole Foods. Think: weekly essentials like soda or snacks you wouldn’t normally find at the organic-leaning grocer, but still want to grab in one trip.

Then there’s what might be the real game-changer: perishable same-day delivery.

“We’ve started adding perishable items to some of our same-day facilities,” Jassy said. “Eggs, milk, yogurt, bread—you name it.”

Tests in Phoenix, Kansas City, and Orlando have shown promising results, and Amazon is now eyeing a larger rollout.

“That experience is really resonating with customers,” he emphasized. “We’re seeing very significant adoption.”

With millions of SKUs already flying out of same-day facilities, adding groceries just makes sense. And for Jassy, this isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the future.

“I think the way people buy groceries is going to continue to evolve over time,” he said. “So I continue to be very, very bullish on our grocery business.”

From frozen peas to Prime savings, Amazon wants a bigger slice of consumers' fridges. And based on Jassy’s outlook, it might achieve just that.

For the latest retail moves and what they mean for fresh, keep checking in with ANUK.

ST. CLOUD, MN - A leadership transition is underway at Coborn’s, Inc. as Emily Coborn Wright has officially stepped into the role of President. The announcement was made in a recent post shared via LinkedIn.

Emily Coborn Wright, a fifth-generation member of the founding family, brings a deep history with the company, having held numerous roles over her career. Her experience spans communications, merchandising, operations, and growth strategy. Most recently, she served as SVP of Growth Initiatives, helping shape key business advancements.

“It is an honor to assume this role and carry forward the Coborn legacy of stewardship and innovation that has shaped our company over the past 104 years,” she shared in a public statement.

Chairman and CEO, Chris Coborn, added, “Emily has literally grown up in this business. Her passion, commitment, and leadership have been evident in every step of her career. I couldn’t be prouder to welcome her as President and see her carry forward our legacy with vision and purpose.”

Coborn’s is a 100% employee-owned grocer operating 77 locations across the Midwest under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, and Marketplace Foods banners, supported by a workforce of around 10,000.

As Coborn Wright leads the company into its next era, ANUK will continue reporting on the evolving landscape of retail.

ROSEMONT, IL - US Foods Holding Corp. – one of America’s leading foodservice distributors – announced the release of the company’s 2024 Sustainability Report. Within the comprehensive report, US Foods highlights progress across its sustainable product offerings, support for associates and communities, and initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.

“Being a responsible company is an integral part of our strategy and plays a central role in how we grow our business, strengthen customer relationships, maximize associate engagement and inclusion, and contribute to a better planet,” said Martha Ha, executive vice president, general counsel, and sustainability lead, US Foods, in a recent press release. “I am proud of the work we accomplished in 2024 to further align our approach to sustainability with the Company’s strategy and operating model and our continued focus on addressing pressing challenges in order to continue to deliver business value.”

The report shares progress highlights for each of the company’s key sustainability focus areas: Products, People, and Planet.

• Products: Supporting an ethical, sustainable, and resilient supply chain by prioritizing responsible sourcing practices and offering customers a best-in-class portfolio of differentiated products.
  • Maintained growth of the company’s local, sustainable, and well-being product offerings, with more than 5,000 differentiated products available today.
  • Generated $1 billion in annual revenue in 2024 for the first time for Serve Good® and Progress Check® products that are developed in partnership with suppliers committed to US Foods’ defined standards for responsible practices or are Exclusive Brands seafood products that are on their way to meeting the company’s Serve Good sustainability standards.
  • Updated the US Foods Seafood Policy to expand the company’s responsible seafood sourcing commitments and introduced new responsible seafood targets.
  • Expanded the company’s Exclusive Brands Serve You™ product portfolio, which includes a total of 4,100 Exclusive Brands products with simple ingredients not found on the US Foods Unpronounceables List®1, plant-forward attributes, or products that are certified gluten-free.

• People: Embracing a culture that is safe, supportive, and responsible to contribute to making US Foods the best place to work.
  • Improved injury and accident rates by 19% compared to 2023.
  • Donated more than $14.5 million in products, volunteer time, and monetary contributions to support communities in need.
  • Provided nearly 70,000 unique associate professional development opportunities, and associates completed more than one million hours of training.
  • Transitioned Employee Resource Groups to Employee Business Resource Groups to highlight their contributions towards driving business success, in addition to providing supportive networks that foster inclusion, a sense of community, and career development.

• Planet: Measuring, monitoring, and minimizing our environmental impact, including action to respond to climate change by increasing fleet and facilities efficiency, and engaging the company’s supply chain.
  • Reduced absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 16% since 20192 in support of the company’s formal goal to reduce absolute Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 32.5% by 2032 from a 2019 base year.
  • Implemented three fully refrigerated straight trucks featuring electric transport refrigeration units, among the first in both the foodservice and transportation industries.
  • Added 47 electric vehicles to the company’s fleet and installed 65 fast-charging stations at eight different US Foods locations.
  • Continued efforts to reduce the risk of deforestation and land conversion in the company’s supply chain, including mapping 96% of the palm oil used in US Foods Exclusive Brands products to the mill level.

The US Foods 2024 Sustainability Report uses recognized reporting standards, including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) Food Retailers & Distributors.

To view the US Foods 2024 Sustainability Report, visit the company’s website at usfoods.com/sustainability.

IRVINE, CA - The California Avocado Commission Board of Directors has promoted Ken Melban to be the organization’s president, effective May 22, 2025. Melban joined the Commission in 2011 as director, issues management. In 2015, he was promoted to vice president, industry affairs, and has served as vice president of industry affairs and operations, as well as co-executive leader of the organization, since late 2023.

“Ken has demonstrated outstanding leadership of the Commission’s financial and administrative operations as well as industry affairs programs,” said Jason Cole, chair of the California Avocado Commission Board of Directors, in a recent press release. “He has a keen understanding of the challenges faced by California avocado growers and the vitality to advocate passionately for their interests, along with the vision to recognize new opportunities and bring them to fruition.”

A produce veteran with extensive experience, highlights of Melban’s tenure at CAC include advocating to the U.S. government to prevent the introduction of potentially devastating pests into the country from imported avocados, a priority effort that is ongoing today. He has worked with the government and other organizations for the benefit of California avocado growers, including advocating on growers’ behalf after devastating fires. He led the development and widespread adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for the California avocado industry and spearheaded the expansion of the California avocado export program, persisting to secure market access to China in 2020 after nine years of process and negotiation.

Mr. Melban’s previous two decades of produce leadership included working with California commodity boards and the National Grape & Wine Initiative. He holds a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Master of Arts degree in leadership and organizational studies from Fresno Pacific University. Throughout his career, Melban has served with numerous community service organizations as well as with the California Department of Food and Agriculture Climate Change Adaptation Consortium and Ventura AG Futures Alliance.