Fill the Bus campaign begins at area Wegmans
The program aims to make sure kids get access to the food they need during school breaks.Customers are able to donate money during checkout with 100% of the proceeds going to area food banks.
Wegmans stores around town are working with Foodlink to help keep the banks stocked up for the summer.
'In today's world there's a lot of people who struggle through food insecurity and it might be your next-door neighbor or folks you don't really know what the resources are and who they can turn to and go to for help. What we try to do through this campaign is do some good and raise some money,' said D'Shala Anderson, Wegmans Holt Rd. Front-end Manager.
Last year Wegmans donated more than 36 million pounds of food — and customers raised more than $3.2 million dollars
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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NBC News
7 days ago
- NBC News
Rick Huether, CEO of the Independent Can Company. Eric Kayne for NBC News Checkbook Chronicles Kicking the can down the road on tariffs won't work for this Maryland manufacturer Independent Can Company has raised prices twice this year already after Trump imposed 25% duties on steel in March, and then doubled them in June.
July 26, 2025, 7:15 AM EDT By Emily Lorsch When Rick Huether strolls the floors of his four manufacturing plants — two in Maryland and two in Ohio — employees' typical greetings such as, 'Hey, how's the family?' have been increasingly replaced with, 'Hey Rick, should I be looking for a job somewhere else?' Huether, the CEO of Independent Can Company, has had to raise prices on customers twice this year and it's the third time since President Donald Trump's first term. 'It's frustrating,' Huether said of the Trump administration's ever-evolving tariff agenda, which now includes 50% import taxes on the foreign-made steel his company relies on. 'I can't run my business the way I want to run it.' Huether, a Republican, said he shares the administration's goal of reinvigorating American industry. 'We want to bring as much manufacturing back to this country as you can. And as a family, we made a strategic commitment to being the specialty can maker in America with American workers,' he said. 'We want to be here.' But according to Huether, Trump has made that harder to do. He said he has never voted for the president because he dislikes how he treats people and communicates, and his trade policies have caused headaches for his business operations. 'Chaos is our nemesis,' Huether said, echoing a concern many small business owners have voiced for months amid Trump's erratic tariff rollout: 'We can't plan when we don't have a vision of what's going on for the next two or three years.' Business highlights Independent Can Company's wares might already be in your cupboard. The Belcamp, Maryland-based family business, in operation since 1929, makes the packaging for everything from Wegmans' brand of Virginia peanuts to the Santa Claus tins filled with chocolates or popcorn that hit grocery shelves around the holidays. The company manufactures cans and other containers for popular consumer brands including Swiss Miss, Zippo and Titleist. One of its newest customers is the lip balm maker Burt's Bees. Independent Can Company — whose annual sales have averaged $130 million in recent years — used to have more than 30 domestic competitors in specialty can making, Huether estimated, many of which were family-owned businesses. Today there are just a couple left, he said. The company employs about 400 people across its four plants. A fifth, in Iowa, closed in 2024 due to what Huether described as a combination of clients' shifting packaging needs and Trump's first-term steel tariffs. He secured some exemptions from those levies at the time but still had to raise prices in 2018 by anywhere from 8-16%, depending on the product. Independent Can Company's manufacturing process relies on a highly specialized material called tinplate, a very thin-gauge, flat-rolled steel with an electro-coated surface of tin. Developed as a corrosion-resistant material safe for food packaging, tinplate supplies are limited — the product makes up only about 2% of global steel production, Huether estimated, and it's only roughly 1% of the steel produced in the U.S. Up until about 2007, Independent Can Company bought most of its tinplate domestically but now sources most of it overseas — the majority from Germany, along with Taiwan and South Korea — due to foreign suppliers' quality, service and price. The business adopted more efficient production systems starting in the 1990s, which included a new printing line in 2000 that uses a larger sheet size, boosting efficiency. The issue: steel coils large enough for that system aren't available domestically right now, partly because American steel companies haven't kept up with manufacturers' needs, Huether said. In addition, the materials Independent Can Company uses are about twice as expensive in the U.S. than in Asia and about 20% more expensive than in Europe, Huether estimated. Tariff impacts The cost squeeze is weighing on Independent Can Company as it struggles to rebound from a rough two years, amid pandemic-related supply-chain issues and cost swings. Those challenges left the company with a lot of expensive steel that it had to sell at a loss. But after tens of millions in capital investments, including in automation, Independent Can Company is finally settling into a new normal that Huether expects to put the company back on surer footing this year, tariffs notwithstanding. Still, access to affordable tinplate is non-negotiable and remains a wild card. That material alone represents 50-75% of its products' prices, Huether estimated. With tariff exemptions removed in March, Independent Can Company began paying Trump's 25% levies on all its imported tinplate, a steep new expense that Huether said forced the business to hike prices on some products by 8-16%. After the duties were raised to 50% in June, the company imposed another round of 8-16% increases. 'This adjustment is necessary to ensure that we can continue to provide you with the high-quality products and service you have come to expect,' Huether informed clients in a statement on the company's website earlier this year. 'We've really absorbed the amount of the tariffs that we can absorb,' he told NBC News. 'It's going to be passed through.' Bringing the shine back to 'Made in America' Huether is relieved that Independent Can Company hasn't lost business yet since the price hikes, but that worry is ever-present. There's a risk that some companies will switch to cheaper packaging, he said, including options that may not be as safe or recyclable. But it's hard to know how things will shake out… 'You instantly go to: Well, is this going to happen, or is it a tactic to get somebody to do something else? Is it real or not?' he said. In the meantime, Huether doubts whether rewriting U.S. trade policy can bring back American manufacturing overnight, or even in a few years. Huether believes in expanding vocational training in schools and eliminating the stigma often associated with certain career paths. 'We do not have the skills in this country to manage it,' he said, nodding to a reality that companies and analysts across a range of industrial sectors have underscored since the trade war began. 'It takes one to five years to get a full manufacturing plant up and running,' Huether said. 'We need time to do this.' What's more, 'We need predictability and consistency,' he added. 'We need to understand what the rules are. If the rules are constantly changing, we don't know how to play the game.' Emily Lorsch Emily Lorsch is a producer at NBC News covering business and the economy.
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Fox News
Want a faster grocery trip? These AI smart carts can help
If you've ever felt anxious not knowing your total at checkout, you're not alone. Many people dislike manually adding up every item in their cart. However, imagine if your shopping cart could show you the running total in real-time. It could also help you breeze through checkout. This is exactly what Wegmans is doing. For those who aren't familiar, Wegmans is a popular grocery chain. It is known for quality products and great customer service. The chain mainly serves the northeastern U.S. Now, Wegmans is testing artificial intelligence-powered Caper Carts. These carts are designed to make your shopping smarter, faster and more personalized. Developed by Instacart, they track your spending as you shop. They even let you skip the checkout line entirely. This saves you time and hassle every trip. Smart cart technology: How Caper Carts detect and scan your items Caper Carts use cameras, location sensors and digital scales to automatically detect items when you place them in the cart. This technology removes the need to scan barcodes or wait in traditional checkout lines. As you shop, you can bag items immediately and pay directly from the cart, speeding up your entire visit. Beyond checkout-free convenience, the carts feature digital interactive screens that display real-time spending, personalized offers and product recommendations. They also include GPS navigation to help you find items efficiently and even sync with shopping list apps like Instacart via QR codes for seamless shopping. Caper Carts use stacked charging technology to stay powered all day without manual battery swaps, and their durable design withstands heat, cold, rain and dust. Retailers benefit from remote cart management tools that provide shopper insights, while built-in security measures like AI item recognition and weight sensors reduce theft and shrinkage. The pilot program for the Caper Carts is currently running at four Wegmans stores in upstate New York: Dewitt (Syracuse), Perinton and Pittsford (Rochester), and Alberta Drive (Buffalo). The chain is working with two different technology providers to evaluate how well the smart carts fit into their shopping environment and meet customer needs. If you are a shopper who is conscious about your budget, seeing your spending in real-time means no surprises at the register. And if you are busy, well, who isn't? Cutting down on checkout time can save you precious minutes on every grocery run. While AI-powered carts may not be at your store yet, they offer a glimpse of how shopping could soon become faster, smarter and more convenient. Shopping with a Caper Cart feels a lot like having a helpful sidekick by your side. You toss in your groceries, keep an eye on your budget right from the cart's screen, and skip the checkout line altogether. It's secure, simple, and let's be honest, a lot more fun. Would you rather use an AI-powered shopping cart, or do you prefer the traditional cart and checkout? What features would convince you to make the switch? Let us know by writing us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
21-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Iconic grocery chain makes huge move to help shoppers on a budget
It's been nearly half a decade since grocery shopping was as simple as heading to the store and filling your cart with affordable staples. First, there was the major disruption of the Covid pandemic, with toilet paper nowhere to be found. And a series of other calamities have followed. From baby formula shortages to a bird flu crisis that sent the price of eggs soaring, to the inflation that resulted in the post-Covid era, Americans have been struggling for a long time to buy what they want at a price they can actually pay. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter With these challenges, many people have been forced to tighten their spending, and President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs could only serve to worsen the situation, as the U.S. buys many goods from Mexico, Canada, and countries abroad. These products could get a lot more expensive if all promised tariffs are implemented and stay in effect. Thankfully, one grocery store is rising to the challenge: Wegmans. Wegmans has more than 100 stores, most of which are found on the East Coast. The regional grocery chain has developed a cult following since opening in 1916, and it is known for offering an upscale grocery shopping experience. It's also evolved well with the times, embracing modern technologies and trends. And now, it's making a major move that will help customers stick to their grocery budget. Image source:In an early July announcement, Wegmans has taken a step toward revolutionizing grocery shopping forever. The company announced the launch within its stores of an AI smart cart powered by Instacart. The cart is called Caper Carts, and Instacart developed it to help with the advancement of technology-connected stores. Customers who choose to shop with a Caper Cart can log into their Wegmans Shoppers Club account and will see an order screen on the cart that tracks their purchases in real time. Related: Costco members angry about price increase The cart uses a combination of cameras, location sensors, and a digital scale to enable customers to put items directly into their shopping bags as they move through the store. Customers will no longer need to physically check out from the store, as they can just pay directly from the cart. While not having to go through the checkout lane can save customers a lot of time and hassle, the best part for budget-conscious shoppers is that they are going to be able to see their total in real time as they add items to their cart. No more guessing if they are sticking to their weekly budget or trying to do the math in their head as they go. Initially, Wegmans is bringing Caper Cart to a store in Syracuse, New York. However, this is just the beginning. A Wegmans representative told Food & Wine that the company is "doing smart cart test-and-learn pilots in four stores - Perinton and Pittsford in Rochester, Alberta Drive in Buffalo, and at our Dewitt store in Syracuse - with two different technology providers." Related: Costco membership decision sparks controversy Wegmans will test the customer experience and hopes to roll out the smart carts to more stores so that eventually, all customers will be able to embrace this technology to make grocery shopping faster and more budget-friendly. "Our goal is to determine if smart cart technology is a fit for the unique shopping assortment offered in our stores and if it meets the shopping needs of our customers," a Wegmans representative said. More Retail: Walmart CEO sounds alarm on a big problem for customersTarget makes a change that might scare Walmart, CostcoTop investor takes firm stance on troubled retail brandWalmart and Costco making major change affecting all customers In the meantime, those who are shopping at the pilot stores can experience the future of grocery shopping today. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
