Cub Foods is calling its new Burnsville store a "flagship," but the chain's newest supermarket reveals how little the brand has changed over the years.

Why it matters: Sales have been falling at Cub Foods in recent years and the chain has lost market share.

• Its parent company, UNFI, promised to "resuscitate" the brand two years ago, but major changes have not been visible.

Zoom in: On a self-guided tour of the Burnsville location — a rebuilt former store — the new Cub sparkled with polished concrete floors, tall ceilings and lots of natural light.

• But the product mix was still very much the Cub Foods that Twin Cities shoppers have grown to expect after decades visiting some of the company's 70+ metro stores.

Dig in: Cub Foods pointed to a new facade, more organic options and a take-and-bake frozen bread program as evidence of an "elevated shopping experience" at the new store.

• There's a self-serve hot deli bar with the normal Cub Foods staples (fried chicken, meatloaf and glazed carrots), as well as a few less typical items, like pastas.
• Cub has relaunched its partnership with meat and cheese supplier Dietz & Watson and said the brand will expand to stores across the metro. It's not clear what this means for longtime vendor Kretschmar.
• The store has only five checkout lanes, much fewer than in a typical large-format Cub. Meanwhile, there were 11 self-checkout stations.

What they're saying: Cub is a "middle of the road" grocer and most of those brands have been struggling for 25 years and losing market share to value retailers and specialty stores, former Wedge Community Co-op CEO Josh Resnik told Axios.

• "It's hard to significantly change your brand and change the DNA of who you are," Resnik said. "I think they're kind of struggling with that."

Yes, but: Resnik pointed to Kroger, another middle of the road brand, which has used data and analytics to compete with Walmart — the nation's top grocer — on value.

• Recent local media price comparisons at metro grocery stores have put Cub behind Aldi, Walmart and Target. Cub lowered some prices over the winter — Axios noticed reductions on milk, salads and packaged goods — but some of them have ticked back up.

Take a look around

It's 2025, but Blockbuster is back in Minnesota — and there's probably one near you right now.

The big picture: The metro is home to a dozen locations of Free Blockbuster, take-a-movie, leave-a-movie boxes inspired by (but not affiliated with) the mostly-defunct video rental store.

Reality check: They might not be as well-stocked as your local Little Free Library.

• I visited boxes in Apple Valley and Minneapolis, and while the former was full of bootleg DVDs, the latter was down to two VHS tapes.

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🐝 Two 14-year-old Minnesota word whizzes — Gemma Kim of Duluth and Emmaline Bushman of St. Cloud — made today's quarterfinals round for the annual Scripps' National Spelling Bee. (Meet the spellers/Results)

🎤 Speaking of bees, Blind Melon is one of the headliner acts for Rochester's 2025 Riverside Music Series. (Star Tribune)

• Hoobastank ("The Reason") and Tone Loc ("Wild Thing") will also play free shows as part of the summer concert run.

🏛️ A U.S. District Court judge agreed to the Trump administration's request to dismiss a federal reform plan for Minneapolis police. (Star Tribune)

• A state police reform settlement remains in effect.

⚖️ Jury selection began yesterday in the trial of a man charged with causing a 2023 high-speed crash that killed five young Somali American women who were out getting ready for a wedding. (KARE 11)

💰 An entity tied to recently retired Wild goalie Marc-André Fleury purchased a luxe Wayzata home with a pool, an arcade room and a basketball court for $8.9 million. (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal)

• The sale of the 1.62 acre lot, located near Wayzata Bay, marked the Twin Cities' largest residential real estate deal since 2023.

Legislative leaders now acknowledge that they probably won't hit their self-imposed goal of holding a special session to finish the state budget this week.

What they're saying: "I could see Friday as a possibility, but I suspect it might be a day or two after that," House Floor Leader Jamie Long (DFL-Minneapolis) told WCCO Radio yesterday.

Threat level: The deadline for averting a partial shutdown is June 30, but tentative furlough and layoff notices could start going out to state workers starting around June 1 if the budget's not done.

Two-thirds of Minnesota mortgages have interest rates of 4% or lower, according to one analysis.

Why it matters: While some homeowners sitting on low mortgage rates are finally selling, the "lock-in effect" isn't going away anytime soon.

State of the market: The lack of inventory for sale helped push median prices in the Twin Cities to $398,900 in April, a 3.5% increase over a year ago, according to Minnesota Realtors.

• Median sales prices could eclipse $400,000 for the first time if the trend continues.

Go deeper

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

"Legally Blonde" at 345 Washington Street Saint Paul June 10-15: A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the adored movie, "Legally Blonde: The Musical" follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances, this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

Frozen treats are coming to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden this summer.

What's happening: Fro Yo Soul Sips and Snacks' baby blue mobile bus will roll out regular service at the popular park on Saturday, June 7, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced yesterday.

What to expect: Organic frozen yogurt with toppings like fresh fruit and crushed cookies, hot dogs (including vegetarian options), popcorn and other picnic fare.

• Plus: Craft beer, wine — including frosé — THC beverages and non-alcoholic drinks.

If you go: You'll find it parked in the garden daily from 11 am to 7 pm.