Expana's Weekly Top 10: Stories Making Waves Across Global Markets

Throughout the week, Expana’s team of dedicated journalists connects the industry with the “how” behind market dynamics, providing a comprehensive space for the market-moving stories shaping global headlines.

With so much information to filter through, Expana is connecting the dots with its weekly roundup of the top ten stories making waves — in no particular order.

10. USDA Launches New World Screwworm Grand Challenge

The USDA announced the launch of the New World Screwworm (NWS) Grand Challenge following reports that the flesh-eating parasitic...

Grubhub Parent Wonder Acquires Restaurant Rewards App Claim

Grubhub's parent company, Wonder, has announced the acquisition of Claim, a restaurant rewards app that offers exclusive cash-back rewards for dine-in or pick-up orders at local restaurants.

This acquisition promises significant benefits for both restaurants and diners within Grubhub's network. Restaurants can leverage Claim's powerful guest acquisition and retention tools, while diners can enjoy more savings and get paid to eat out.

Claim simplifies the dining experience by automatically recognizing qualifying transactions at the point of payment, without any need for codes or scanning...

Andrews Meat Industries Acquires Prime Cut Meats to Boost Turnover and Expand Distribution 

Andrews Meat Industries (AMI), part of the JBS Australia food group, has acquired Queensland-based foodservice wholesaler Prime Cut Meats (PCM). This strategic acquisition is expected to increase AMI's turnover to over $650 million in the coming financial year.

Both family-managed businesses, AMI and PCM, share a commitment to quality and service, making this partnership a natural fit. AMI CEO Peter Andrews expressed confidence that the acquisition will augment PCM's reputation and enhance distribution capabilities in Queensland...

Wayne-Sanderson Farms Acquires Harrison Poultry

Wayne-Sanderson Farms has acquired Harrison Poultry, a Georgia-based producer of chicken products, which was founded in 1958.

The acquisition, effective immediately, includes the full transfer of Harrison Poultry’s assets, spanning live production, a hatchery, a feed mill, manufacturing operations, transportation, and related facilities in the Bethlehem and Crawfordville regions of Georgia, Wayne-Sanderson Farms said.

Integrated operations between the two companies are expected to begin immediately, with minimal disruption to day-to-day business.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms said it began evaluating the acquisition earlier this year

Convenience Store M&A Activity Suggests More Consolidation is Coming

The pace of merger and acquisition activity in the U.S. convenience store sector is accelerating with recent trends suggesting the nation’s c-store landscape is ripe for more change. While most of the transactions in 2024 involved smaller chains or single-store operators, several larger operators inked deals to significantly expand their footprints into new regions.

According to a new research brief from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, c-store consolidation stands to disproportionally affect rural communities, many of which lack a grocery store or access...