Grocery stores will see 6 changes in 2026.

Major U.S. grocery chains have announced product rebranding, technology pilots, new store openings and membership adjustments set to roll out or continue in 2026; specific plans were shared by Aldi, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Kroger, Costco and Walmart.

Major U.S. grocery retailers have announced a range of changes that will take effect or continue into 2026. The plans cover product branding, new food trend assortments, technology pilots, store expansion and membership adjustments. Announcements came from several national chains and reflect customer feedback, trend forecasts and operational planning. Many changes are being introduced as phased rollouts or tests. Notable updates: - Aldi will consolidate private labels and place the Aldi name or an "an Aldi Original" endorsement on store-branded products, with the rollout continuing into 2026, according to a company press release. - Whole Foods released trend predictions for 2026 (including beef tallow, fiber-forward items, higher-quality frozen meals and "mindful sweets") and opened a Pennsylvania concept store that pairs a small Amazon fulfillment area with QR-code ordering and robotic retrieval; Amazon said it plans to refine and expand the offering. - Wegmans announced construction of a new store at Charlotte’s Ballantyne Campus slated to open in the second half of 2026, and some New York locations have said they will collect and store customers' biometric data with notice posted at entrances. - Kroger launched a Verified Savings Program reported to offer a 20% discount on fruits and vegetables for customers enrolled in SNAP, WIC or Medicaid, along with reduced pricing on certain Kroger membership options. - Costco plans changes for Executive members that include early shopping hours, a reported 2% cashback reward with an annual cap and a $10-per-month credit for qualifying orders; some warehouses will test faster checkout systems and app personalization. - Walmart U.S. announced plans to remove synthetic dyes and additional ingredients from its store-brand products, to reduce the number of self-checkout lanes in some stores following theft concerns, and to add an OpenAI-based assistant called Sparky to its app. Summary: Retailers say these changes aim to respond to customer feedback, supply and pricing pressures, and emerging food and technology trends. Several initiatives are described as phased rollouts or pilots, with some timelines specified (for example, Wegmans' Charlotte store opening in the second half of 2026 and Whole Foods' concept store expansion plans). Undetermined at this time.