Two months after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) completed a review of Kroger and Albertsons’ proposed supermarket mega-merger and filed a lawsuit to block the deal, the grocery chains have added more store locations and assets to an updated version of their definitive divestiture agreement with C&S Wholesalers.

The new agreement is valued at approximately $2.9 billion, according to a press release, and includes an additional 166 Kroger and Albertsons stores, bringing the total planned store divestments in relation to the merger up to 579. 

The majority of divested stores are coming from the West Coast with both retailers selling a combined 124 in Washington state. However, Albertsons will contribute the majority of the stores through the new plan, including 101 in Arizona, 91 in Colorado, 63 in California and 62 in Oregon. A number of Albertsons banners will also be sold in Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Illinois, Arkansas, Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

Kroger will divest stores in Oregon and Illinois, as well as nine Harris Teeter stores between Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C. Per terms of the deal, all divested stores, regardless of the banner, will be sold by Kroger to C&S. Additionally, fuel centers and pharmacies at divested locations will remain part of those stores and continue to operate. 

Alongside the stores, the retailers have also added store-support resources including increasing distribution capacity for C&S with a combination of access to larger facilities, expanded transition services agreements as well as the addition of one new dairy facility. Corporate and office infrastructure are also part of the package. 

Lastly, the updated plan will give C&S access to two additional private brands: Signature and O Organics. The deal has maintained the original agreement that Kroger and Albertsons will divest their Debi Lilly Design, Primo Taglio, Open Nature, ReadyMeals and Waterfront Bistro brands to C&S. 

"Importantly, the updated divestiture plan continues to ensure no stores will close as a result of the merger and that all frontline associates will remain employed, all existing collective bargaining agreements will continue, and associates will continue to receive industry-leading health care and pension benefits alongside bargained-for wages,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. 

Read the full story on Nosh for all of the details about the new divestiture agreement and what this means for the merger’s path forward.

Today, April 22, is Earth Day, which means that many environmentally sustainable brands have launched new marketing campaigns and initiatives to show support for planet-friendly products and practices. Let’s dive into a few brand activations this year:

👜 Dole Packaged Foods has partnered with circular design handbag maker Rais Case and vegan leather creator Piñatex to launch a limited-edition Vida Bag made from pineapple leaf fibers. The $305 designer bags are part of Dole’s commitment to reducing waste in its supply chain; the multinational company claims it has made a 83% reduction in organic waste last year.

🐮 Vital Farms announced today it has refreshed its entire butter products portfolio, raising its sourcing to a 90% grass-fed standard. The dairy producer reports that the butterfat sourced comes from its pasture-raised cows that spend an average of 200 days per year on open pasture, which creates a higher-quality product and supports its commitment to humane practices and climate-friendly farming.

👨🏿‍🌾 Impossible Foods has taken up ranching… kind of. The plant-based meat maker has taken over 70 acres of land in South Carolina to transition a former ranch into farmland that will grow soybeans, sunflowers and coconut trees. Coupled with a marketing campaign, the Impossible Ranch will take over the Oculus Transportation Hub in Manhattan to bring commuters virtually to the pastoral landscape; the campaign also includes a social media competition to rename the ranch’s nine remaining cows.

Brands are springing into retail footprint expansions this month. Here’s a look at several new distribution deals made by food makers:

🧁 Sprinkles CPG – the CPG arm of cupcake bakery chain Sprinkles –  has landed its newly launched line of chocolate bars exclusively at 4,000 Walmart stores nationwide. The chocolate bars are Rainforest Alliance Certified and come in four flavors: Red Velvet, Salted Caramel, Sprinkle White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate. 

🤝 Bragg Live Food Products has introduced two of its flavored nutritional yeast seasonings, Roasted Garlic and Smoky BBQ, to Publix stores nationwide. The plant-based, parmesan-like seasonings deliver 5 grams of protein per serving and are packed with B vitamins.

🍫 After showcasing its new line of date-caramel candy bars at Expo West last month, Harken Sweets has announced its first major retail account, launching in 3,600 Walmart stores across the country. The Crunchy One and The Nutty One bars will be stocked in the “impulse buy” area of the stores, according to CEO Katie Lefkowitz. 

U.S. State Department special envoy for global food security Cary Fowler is pushing to revive ancient crops under his new campaign, Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS). The effort also fights back against the “unhealthy” dominance of crops like corn, wheat and rice, according to a recent NPR report. 

🔎 Fowler’s new campaign identifies 20 “opportunity crops” – such as African eggplant, pearl millet, and the lablab bean – that are well-known nutrition sources in Africa or Asia and are well-adapted to a warmer climate. 

🤔 Despite their proven potential, these crops often receive so little attention that they’re sometimes referred to as “orphan crops.” According to a plant breeder in Benin, there are more than 1,000 species of vegetables alone used by people across the African continent. 

⏩ The new initiative will help global plant breeders develop new, productive varieties that farmers will want to grow, making the crops more available and affordable for consumers. 

📈 Scientists estimate that just six plant species – corn, wheat, rice, soybeans, potatoes and sugarcane – currently comprise 75% of all the calories U.S. consumers get from plant-based sources. 

Truffle hot sauce brand TRUFF is no stranger to collaborative partnerships, but its latest co-branding opportunity harnesses a darker force. Star Wars Dark Side Hot Sauce claims to be TRUFF’s hottest sauce yet, using the high Scoville count of ghost peppers with the flavor of black winter truffles.

👿 The Star Wars branded hot sauce comes in a black matte 6 oz. bottle with a Darth Vader helmet cap marketed towards the Lucasfilm franchise’s collector fanbase. 

💻 The limited-edition flavor debuts on April 24 exclusively on the IGN Store for seven days and then will be available on TRUFF.com starting May 1.

💸 Along with brand partnerships with Taco Bell, The Super Mario Brothers Movie and Hidden Valley Ranch, TRUFF recently closed an investment round that saw Kim Kardashian-backed private equity firm SKKY Partners take a significant minority stake in the brand.