Amazon’s ripple effect on grocery industry: Rivals stock up on start-ups

One of Japan’s largest retailers, Aeon Group, has invested $110 million in Boxed, an online company that sells and delivers bulk grocery items. It’s the latest move in a flurry of grocery e-commerce activity spurred by Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market last year. Read more at The New York Times …

Food halls are the new food truck

Food halls have been around for more than a century, but modern conveniences and innovative marketing are boosting their popularity. Gotham West Market opened in Manhattan, New York, five years ago. Across the country, the number of food halls increased to 118 in 2017 from 70 in 2015. Food halls are increasingly common in suburban mixed-use developments, as they offer convenience and variety for consumers, and help operators keep costs down. Read more at Eater.com …

Guest voices: Straw man solutions for sustainable supply chains

Add The Walt Disney Co. to the list of companies eliminating plastic straws and drink stirrers at all of its restaurants around the world. As other companies have, the decision was described as “another important step in our journey of environmental stewardship.” Yossi Sheffi, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Transportation & Logistics, argues that banning straws will not make a difference in the amount of plastic that enters the oceans. Read more at The Wall Street Journal …

Opinion: How I learned to face food waste and plan smarter

Reducing your personal volume of food waste requires more than good intentions. Carolyn Beans, a mother of two and a science journalist, set out to reduce her family’s food waste—no small feat with a baby and a toddler in the home. She shares how she did it and what she learned. Read more at NPR …

Ontario coffee chain Second Cup may pivot to pot, as marijuana goes legal in Canada

A Canadian chain of coffee shops might instead begin selling marijuana next spring. Second Cup says it’s considering changing about 130 stores in Ontario, Canada, to retail marijuana outlets. Legal sales of marijuana for recreational use are scheduled to begin on Oct. 17. Read more at Fortune …