Happy Friday Eve! Here are the top stories we are talking about over our favorite drinks tonight:
Ocado is innovating with lighter robots
Not even a year into having their first fully functional Ocado shed and Kroger is already innovating to make it faster. This retail giant doesn’t move fast until they know they have something that works, this is clearly a sign of a competitive advantage (or moat as they call it) for Kroger…
Kroger e-commerce partner Ocado announced plans to roll out fulfillment robots that are five times lighter than its current model and an on-grid robotic arm that will further automate the picking and packing process. They also unveiled updates to its order routing operations that will allow shoppers to get a wide assortment of products delivered faster, executives said. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said in prepared remarks during Ocado’s media event Wednesday that his company and Ocado are currently looking at ways these innovations might roll out across its online fulfillment system.
Unilever to break into five Business Groups, laying off 1,500 in the process
Just recently, the rumors had Unilever acquiring consumer healthcare brands from GSK… and now a larger restructuring is announced which is forcing the CPG giant to lay off 1,500 employees.
Unilever is restructuring its organization into five business groups; beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care, nutrition, and ice cream — will each be accountable for their own global strategy, growth, and profit delivery, with the new org a simplification of the company’s current matrix structure.
As part of this, Reginaldo Ecclissato, who was named chief supply chain officer last month, will become chief business operations officer, responsible for leading both the supply chain and the company’s business operations.
The company is also cutting about 15% of senior management roles and 5% of more junior management roles, resulting in a reduction of about 1,500 roles. There will be no impact to factory teams.
Lowe’s to open Petco store within a store concept
For those of us with dogs, Lowe’s is one of the few non-pet retailers that we can bring our furry friends…my dog knows there is always a treat waiting for him at checkout. Now, there is going to be a whole pet store to explore!
Lowe’s will open Petco shops inside select stores in Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina as part of a pilot program. The addition of pet merchandise is part of Lowe’s strategy to become a one-stop shop for everything homeowners may need, from kitchen appliances to throw pillows. Lowe’s and Petco see the shops as a way to draw in new customers, deepen loyalty and drive more frequent store and website visits.
7-Eleven competing successfully with grocery stores and restaurants
They are seemingly everywhere, they have flexible hours and clearly they have a growing loyal shopper base.
No matter what they seem to do, chain grocery stores, chain restaurants, and some new non-traditional fresh food retailers simply can’t keep up with the global leader in food retail convenience 7-Eleven. Why is it so hard?
According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®, it is simple, with over 77,711 locations worldwide, everyone knows their name. Everyone one knows they try new things, keep prices down, and have faster service than most of their competitors.
7-Eleven is giving 7NOW mobile app users the golden treatment with the introduction of the 7NOW Gold Pass subscription delivery service to save move time and money. Customers can access the new 7NOW Gold Pass subscription delivery service and have delivery fees waived on all delivery orders on a selection of more than 3,000 products. The 7NOW Gold Pass service pays for itself in about three delivery orders per month, according to 7-Eleven.
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