KROGER

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Monday announced that Chris Hjelm, SVP and chief information officer at Kroger, was a recipient of the Fisher-Hopper Prize for Lifetime Achievement in CIO Leadership from the Fisher CIO Leadership Program at the University of California-Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

Hjelm was selected by a group of his peers for the enduring impact he has had on not only Kroger, but also on FedEx and Orbitz. 

MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Oral care brand hello has announced that it is expanding its national footprint from 7,800 stores to more than 18,000 stores across the United States by the end of September.

LOS ANGELES — Tea of a Kind, a tea beverage company, announced today a wide distribution expansion into retail pharmacies, grocery stores and supermarkets in Northern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and more.

The product, which recently won Best Ready-to-Drink Tea Beverage at the 2012 Interbev Awards in Las Vegas, utilizes a "Gizmo Closure and Delivery System," a cap technology, which holds fresh, functional ingredients in a nitrogen pressurized chamber until the point of consumption, the company stated.

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced today the company's committment to sourcing sustainable palm oil by the end of 2015 amid the growing popularity of vegetable oil and deforestation fears.

Kroger issued the following policy statement:

Palm oil has become the world's leading oil crop and today accounts for roughly one-third of the global vegetable oil production. This oil has grown in popularity within the food industry as a cooking oil, shortening, margarine, milk-fat replacer, and as a cocoa-butter substitute.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Hellmann's announced today expansion of its product line with what the company calls the brand's first Real Whipped Tangy Dressing.

Hellmann's Real Whipped Tangy Dressing has fewer calories and a tangy taste profile versus mayonnaise, the company stated. Real Whipped Tangy Dressing is made with oil, vinegar, cage-free eggs and select seasonings.

Hellmann's Real Whipped Tangy Dressing is available at major retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger and Hy-Vee, in the Midwest and Central region of the country.

TROY, Mich. — Five regional retailers — including mass-merchandisers Meijer and Fred Meyer — are selling a mobile point-of-sale credit card processing system compatible with most smartphones and tablets in their stores.

CINCINNATI — Kroger on Thursday announced plans to bring together more than 4,800 associates at the Kentucky Exposition Center on April 16 to assemble an estimated 17,000 emergency food and personal care boxes for the metro community of Louisville, Ky.

NEW YORK — A national campaign launched by heath and environmental groups is targeting 10 major retailers to encourage them to remove from their shelves products that contain potentially hazardous materials.