5@5: Amazon doubles down on private label | Walmart creates blockchain mandate

Amazon is doubling down on its private label business, stoking 'huge fear' in some sellers

To the chagrin of many a small business, Amazon's private label business is booming. Smaller brands must now contend with the mammoth "Everything Store," either by directly competing with it or being absorbed into one of its "accelerator" programs. All of this is another stepping stone towards Amazon's eventually becoming an all-encompassing, end-to-end retail giant.  Read more at CNBC …

The implications of Walmart's blockchain mandate for food suppliers

Direct suppliers of leafy vegetables to Walmart and Sam’s Club will now be required to collect and deliver information such as the field locations and harvest times of their produce. Suppliers must then upload this information to the IBM Food Trust Network by January 31. The idea is to easily be able to trace food-related health outbreaks to keep more consumers safe, but the collected information regarding soil health, irrigation practices and other agricultural safety metrics can have far-reaching consequences. Read more at Greenbiz …

Californians weigh making egg-laying hens cage-free by 2022

California's Proposition 12, the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, would enlarge current requirements for confinement pens in which calves, breeding pigs, and hens are raised. If voted in, however, prices would likely increase for these commodities, and there is no discerning the extent of product shortages that may occur in the interim. Read more at AP News …

Tracking the fresh approach at retail

As widespread consumer interest in health, wellness, convenience, and local products continues to increase, the options at the fresh and to-go section of the supermarket have been put into sharp focus. Innovation is being heavily pushed within the ready-made, ready-to-prepare meal category, with an emphasis on transparency and sustainability. Read more at SmartBrief ...

June's smart oven now has settings for Whole Foods meals

Whole Foods has partnered with smart oven company June to allow customers to cook prepackaged meals from the company with minimal effort. All users must do is press a specific Whole Foods button and the oven itself will set a timer, the correct heat, etc. for the meal. This partnership is a product of the growing smart kitchen movement, although the current Whole Foods menu is limited to several meals.  Read more at PC Mag …