Industry news: Shoppers Drug Mart expands delivery, Longo's newest store

A quick look at what happened this week in grocery:

DELIVERY EXPANSION


After introducing same-day home delivery in parts of Ontario, Shoppers Drug Mart is expanding the service to nine additional markets: Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, Halifax, Regina, Calgary, St John's and Moncton. Launched in partnership with Instacart, the service offers delivery on groceries, household items and over-the-counter medications. The delivery fee is $3.99 on orders of $35 or more. With an Instacart Express membership ($9.99 a month or $99 annually), customers get free, unlimited delivery on all orders over $35.

STORE OPENING

Longo's opened its newest--and the independent retailer's 35th--location on Wednesday in East Gwillimbury, just north of Newmarket. The store features the Loft Cooking School, a fresh mozzarella station, a full-service Starbucks, stone pizza ovens and more. Longo's is also opening a location in Toronto' Liberty Village later this fall.

MAKING HEADLINES

Whole Foods announced last week that it's cutting health care benefits for its part-time workers. Starting next year, employees have to work at least 30 hours a week to qualify for its health care benefits, up from the 20 hours a week it currently requires. The organic grocer said it was making the change "to better meet the needs of" its business.

SUSTAINABILITY

PepsiCo said it planned to reduce 35% of virgin plastic content across its beverage portfolio by 2025, as part of its sustainable packaging "Beyond the Bottle" strategy. The beverage and snacks company said increased use of recycled plastic, as well as alternative packaging, will help it reach its reduction goal.