Produce industry headlines: September 17, 2026

Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, September 17, 2026. Here’s what’s happening in produce and grocery today.

Read about Kroger’s price pressure on suppliers, Kroger and Giant Eagle’s antitrust challenge, how GLP-1s are affecting food purchases, consumers’ growing interest in private label foods, the changing Canadian consumer, and a Salinas crop update.

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

Top Stories

Kroger appears ready to lose suppliers over price

Kroger CEO Greg Foran’s strategy appears to lean on private-label products to keep prices down for consumers.

Inside the market where Kroger and Giant Eagle will likely be under the antitrust microscope

According to data from analysis firm RetailStat, the two grocers have a combined market share of more than 64 percent in the Columbus, Ohio, metro area.

GLP-1 drugs put $73B in global food value at risk, report finds

CPG companies are dealing with reduced consumer spending as more than one in 10 U.S. adults report taking appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medications for weight loss.

Spins Survey: Private Label Becoming Part Of Shoppers’ Routines

The research shows private label dollar sales in retail keep growing, which is driven more by shoppers buying store brands than by new households trying them.

Why Canada’s Shifting Shopper Habits Pose a Bigger Threat to U.S. Produce Than Tariff Wars

CPMA President Ron Lemaire warns that U.S. exporters are missing a consumer trend: a permanent, structural realignment of the Canadian market.

PRO*ACT Crop Update: What’s eating at Salinas?

The lettuce market is starting to show stress from disease, insects, and lower harvestable yields in the Salinas Valley.