An all-star shopper: Entering the game for health food shoppers everywhere is 7-foot-1 NBA Hall of Famer SHAQUILLE O’NEAL!! And the crowd goes wild! It really happened! Shaq recently filmed a video of himselfshopping at a Sprouts Farmers Marketand posted it on Instagram for all to see. In the video he brags about doing the grocery shopping himself and can’t resist the cookie aisle. While he reaches for a package of the flavorful gems a store employee slaps his hand and says, “No cookies for you, fat boy.” Hey, that’s a foul! Shaq goes on his merry way (well, as merry as possible after the denial of cookies) and fills up on fruits, vegetables, and other healthy items. The big man made sure to make time for his fans by posing for photos. I’m guessing he still got his package of cookies. I mean, if he has proved one thing over the years it’s that he could score. —Bill Wilson
The curious case of the very noxious robber:Some would-be robbers don a mask or plot their crimes for the dead of night. A Fruitport, Mich., man took a more … noxious routein allegedly robbing a Meijer store there. According to reports, the man set off a “small gaseous cloud” that smelled like chlorine in the center of the home goods department to distract store officials while he waltzed out with up to $2,000 in stolen merchandise. The Meijer store had to be evacuated and four people were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. In addition to entering a guilty plea to two felony counts of retail fraud, he also pleaded guilty to one felony count of placing an explosive device with intent to alarm. Maybe a mask would’ve been easier? —Heather Lalley
Consumers dread dynamic pricing tags: Consumers have been feeling the pinch over the past few years as inflation has risen, but they might be squeezed even further in the near future thanks to electronic shelf labels.A recent article byThe Wall Street Journal delved deeper into the future of grocery technology, particularly concerns among lawmakers and consumers that the labels could be used for surge pricing. In Europe, customers see the prices of goods change rapidly—100 times a day in countries like Norway. Stores can lower their prices to beat competition with the press of a button, but similarly, there are concerns that dynamic pricing could be on the horizon — raising the price of ice cream on a hot day, or batteries when the power is out. Wendy’s experiencedsimilar backlash last year when it brought up the idea of dynamic pricing, and lawmakers have already spoken out against the idea of electronic tags for retail,sending a letter to former Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen. While proponents argue it would only be used for price matching and not dynamic pricing, consumers and lawmakers remain skeptical. —Ally MacConchie
Funny money no joke for Kroger: A Kroger store in Millington, Tenn., was closed for a few hours this week after employees found realistic counterfeit money placed throughout the store, according to local reports. Local news station Action 5 reported that the local policeasked Kroger to close the store while it searched for potential harmful substances. Local authorities, which included the Millington police and fire departments as well as the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and fire department, confirmed the store was safe to reopen after their investigation. In a statement, Kroger told the news outlet that the safety of its customers and employees was “priority number one.” Now the question remains, what the heck was the meaning of this? —Mark Hamstra
The cult of Aldi: Aldi is rapidly expanding its U.S. footprint. This year, it plans to open 200 stores across the country, more than any other grocer, and expects to have around2,600 locations by the end of the year, making it the third-largest supermarket chain by number of stores. Looking ahead, Aldi expects to have more than 3,200 stores in the United States by the end of 2028. And customers are eating it up. Trips to Aldi stores were up by 7% compared to just 1.8% for grocery stores overall in the first half of the year. How is it doing this? By delivering on two trends: discount prices and healthy products. And it’s also delivering on something else. A smart, likeable brand that just continues to grow with no slowing in sight. —Chloe Riley