Produce industry headlines: September 22, 2026

Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the autumnal equinox in the U.S. Here’s what’s happening in produce and grocery today.

Links today include Costco battling Aldi on value, Dollar General’s CEO on inflation, ARS sees an executive return, CPS starts its webinar series in October, the importance of an operations manual in the produce department, and California anticipates El Niño winter storms.

As always, have something to share? Send us your feedback at news@bluebookservices.com.

Top Stories

YouGov: Costco Still Beats ALDI on Value, But Gen Z Gap Is Shrinking Fast

New data shows the two chains are locked in a fight for value-conscious shoppers, particularly among Gen Z.

Dollar General CEO raises major red flag about consumers

CEO Todd Vasos says the inflationary stress is clear for middle- and low-income shoppers, but now higher income families are also feeling the pinch.

Allegiance Retail Services welcomes back EVP of merchandising

Mike Conese rejoins Allegiance Retail Services as executive vice president of merchandising.

Bringing CPS-Funded Research to the Produce Industry

The Center for Produce Safety Webinar Series begins this October with two opportunities to hear directly from CPS-funded researchers and learn more about findings addressing current produce safety challenges.

Why Every Produce Department Needs a Written Operations Manual

The retail columnist says not having written operations standards can lead to future breakdowns.

California declares state of emergency ahead of El Niño winter storms

El Niño’s warmer-than-average ocean temperatures means that California could see heavy rains, strong winds, mountain snow, flooding, landslides, debris flows, large waves, and coastal flooding.