The Giant Co. has added frictionless store technology — which enables individuals to shop a small format store in seconds by scanning in, shopping and walking out — at its new e-commerce fulfillment center in Philadelphia as an innovative option for its more than 125 team members at the site to seamlessly shop fresh, healthy items in the workplace.

The robot takeover is in full swing, with a particular eye toward agriculture. According to PitchBook Data Inc. and reported in the Wall Street Journal, $1.54 billion has been invested in agricultural software companies in 2021, surpassing the $1.42 billion invested last year. According to PitchBook Data Inc., investment in the sector for the previous two years was $1.03 billion combined. 

Food insecurity is at an all-time high, with one in eight Americans reporting some level of uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. In Wake County, NC, 12 percent of the population is considered food insecure, which includes more than 37,000 children under the age of 18.

To help, Wake County Government, NC Cooperative Extension – Wake County Center and community partners have teamed up with Tangelo, a national food benefits platform, to create, distribute and evaluate food benefits for at-risk members of the community.

Walmart and DroneUp LLC, a leading global provider of drone technology and services, announced their first multi-site commercial drone delivery operations. The three locations, which will be located at Walmart stores in northwest Arkansas, will operate from 8 a.m. ­to 8 p.m., seven days per week, to deliver items to eligible Walmart customers by air in as little as 30 minutes.

iTradeNetwork launched OrderMaestro, a new mobile solution that streamlines and automates order and inventory management for foodservice operators. OrderMaestro enables foodservice operators to create a branded ordering experience across all of their organizations and locations — providing critical business visibility and insights that increase productivity, reduce costs and drive revenue growth. 

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, a leading grower of fresh vegetables and citrus, announced its investment in an online product purchasing tool that will allow the brand to continue meeting shoppers needs post-pandemic. The tool is connected to major national retailers and grocery fulfillment companies.