1. Holiday & Events

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Written by Posted on Less than 0 min read

Holiday commercials are coming online from several big food retailers, and the tone ranges from sweet/bittersweet to screwball.

•  Kroger has launched its new campaign, under the theme, “Today’s Holiday Moments are Tomorrow’s Memories,” and it portrays a widower who finds solace and promise in memories and recipes left for him by his wife.  Musical accompaniment is by Colbie Caillat.

•  Asda goes for the comedy, hiring Will Ferrell to bring back his Elf character, portraying him as applying for a holiday job with the chain.

KC’s View:

I actually like the Kroger ad more than the Asda ad … I think it plays on a lot of levels, and showing the end result – a family meal – for the products that are bought in the store resonates for me.

The Asda ad is good, but I’m one of those people who thinks that Will Ferrell is funnier and more effective when he doesn’t seem quite so desperate for laughs.  

The post It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas appeared first on MNB.

View Original Article
Member since
For more than 30 years, Kevin Coupe has been bringing to readers and audiences a wealth of experience, sharp storytelling skills, provocative and contextual insights, unique worldview and serious levity about the world of business and consumers. https://morningnewsbeat.com
Do you like MorningNewsBeat's articles? Follow on social!

More from MorningNewsBeat

  1. Department: Food

Jimmy Buffett: Catholic Philosopher?

Even the National Catholic Reporter weighed in after Jimmy Buffett’s passing, writing that “many outlets were fascinated to find that Buffett was raised Roman Catholic in the South. (Although astute listeners would have heard him say, ‘I was supposed to have been a Jesuit priest’ in ‘We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About,’ […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Grocery

Kroger Pledges To Offer “More Resources” To Staffers Post-Merger

Kroger yesterday circulated a press release in which it committed “to offer more resources to more associates following the completion of its proposed merger with Albertsons Companies. “As part of this commitment, Kroger will provide 700,000+ part-time and full-time associates access to its continuing education benefit, which offers up to $21,000 of reimbursement toward higher […]
< 1 min read
0
  1. Department & Category

In Ranking Of Food-Forward US Cities, The Winner Is…

San Francisco may be suffering through a number of urban issues, but according to a recent study, it remains America’s most food-forward city. Los Angeles comes in second, followed, in order, by Miami …  Washington, DC … San Diego … New York … Houston … Monterey, California … Las Vegas … and Austin, Texas. According […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Delivery

DoorDash To Customers:  No Tip, Slower Service

The Wall Street Journal this morning reports that DoorDash “is warning users that not tipping a delivery driver could mean waiting longer for their meal.” The warning is coming in the form of an alert that goes to customers using DoorDash:  ““Dashers can pick and choose which orders they want to do.  Orders that take […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Grocery

Washington State Expected To Sue To Block Kroger-AlbertsonsMerger

Bloomberg reports that Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson “is expected to file a lawsuit seeking to block Kroger Co.’s proposed takeover of Albertsons Cos.” According to the story, “The lawsuit is expected to be filed in state court, said the person, who asked not to be named discussing an ongoing investigation. “The US Federal Trade […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Grocery

Albertsons’ Q3 Sales Up Slightly, While Profit Declines

Albertsons yesterday released its third quarter results, saying that sales and revenue were up 2.9 percent to $18.6 billion, from $18.2 billion during the same period a year ago. Net income for the quarter was $361.4 million, compared to $375.5 million during the same period a year ago. Albertsons said that same-store sales were up […]
< 1 min read
0
  1. Associates & Employees

Are Starbucks, Unions On A Long Road To Nowhere?

The Boston Globe reports that Starbucks seems to be successful at “grinding down” the unionization movement taking place at some of its cafes, though the process of doing so also seems to be taking its toll on the company. Here’s how the Globe frames the scenario: “Three months ago, baristas at a Starbucks in Beverly […]
2 min read
0
  1. Stores & Formats

Bristol Farms To Close Two-Year-Old Irvine “Foodie Destination”

California-based Bristol Farms has decided to close the Newfound Market that it opened in the Irvine Spectrum shopping mall in March 2022. The 34,000 square-foot unit had been promoted as a combination grocery market and food hall, with the latter including more than a half-dozen self-created restaurant brands.  When the store opened, Bristol Farms CEO […]
2 min read
0
  1. Media & Marketing

FaceTime with the Content Guy:  Flat Tire

You may remember that earlier this week we had a story about how New Belgium Brewing is reformulating its flagship Fat Tire amber ale to what it is calling a “crisper golden ale” with some of the original’s “flavor threads.”  I’m not sure about the new formulation, but I do know this – based on […]
< 1 min read
0
  1. Operations & Supply Chain

Fraudulent Returns Continue To Plague Retailers

The Wall Street Journal reports this morning on the degree to which returns – especially fraudulent returns – continue to be a problem for retailers. “The National Retail Federation estimates more than $100 billion in merchandise was returned fraudulently in the U.S. in 2023. That amounted to about 13.7% of the overall returned goods retailers […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital

Amazon Subscribe & Save Generates Annual Savings of $1 Billion

Amazon said last week that its Subscribe & Save automatic replenishment program for shoppers “has passed more than $1 billion in savings to customers worldwide in the last 12 months.” Amazon said that “the program has tens of millions of global subscribers with hundreds of millions of subscriptions, which also saves customers time. That’s tens […]
2 min read
0
  1. ESG

Your Views:  Disadvantaged Retailers

I mentioned the other day that the big companies launching retail media networks and looking for new revenue streams will be able to put smaller and independent retailers at a disadvantage. One MNB reader responded: Appreciate that you recognize that these advertising vehicles favor the large retailers. They also favor large suppliers. Costs to participate […]
3 min read
0
  1. Department: HBC

Report:  Record Number Of US Workers Test Positive For Marijuana

The Wall Street Journal reports that on a new study from Quest Diagnosticssaying that “as legal marijuana expands in the U.S., a record share of workers is testing positive for the substance in workplace drug screening … Of the more than six million general workforce tests that Quest screened for marijuana in 2022, 4.3% came […]
2 min read
0
  1. Technology & Innovation

The Innovation Conversation:  2024 Predictions

The continuing goal of “The Innovation Conversation” is to explore some facet of the fast-changing, technology-driven retail landscape and how it affects businesses and consumers. It is, we think, fertile territory … and one that Tom Furphy – a former Amazon executive who led the team that developed Amazon Fresh, and currently CEO and Managing […]
< 1 min read
0
  1. Department: Food

Size Matters:  The Impact On Retail Of Shrinking Homes

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating story about how homebuilders around the country, facing a reality in which both construction costs and mortgage rates are rising, have decided to shrink certain parts of the traditional home. While there are, of course, variations depending on geography and demography, “Most builders and architects follow the same […]
< 1 min read
0
  1. Technology & Innovation

Worth Reading: The Netherlands’ Food Tech Advantage

The Washington Post has a fascinating story about how The Netherlands “has used advances in vertical farming, seed technology and robotics to become a global model” for how to become a major food exporter fighting way above its weight class. An excerpt: “The rallying cry in the Netherlands started two decades ago, as concern mounted […]
< 1 min read
0
  1. Channel: Restaurants

Some Franchisees Show No Love For McDonald’s Over Celebrity Meals

The Wall Street Journal reports that McDonald’s new celebrity-sponsored meals, “which have generated strong sales for the chain, are drawing criticism from franchisees who say some of the artists don’t reflect the company’s values.” For example, “Some owners said a number of McDonald’s locations have declined to promote the current Cardi B and Offset meal, […]
2 min read
0
  1. Department & Category

Ultra-Processed Food Facing Increased Scrutiny

The Wall Street Journal reports that “a battle is brewing over the latest term for many packaged food products that manufacturers fear could infiltrate U.S. food policy and scare off consumers. “Food-industry groups and makers of goods from ice cream to pasta sauce are stepping up lobbying, pushing back as the U.S. government probes the […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Grocery

Are The Stars Lining Up For The Kroger-Albertsons Deal To Be Rejected?

BoiseDev, which happens to based in Albertsons’ hometown, has a piece in which it analyzes potential obstacles to Kroger’s proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons. Here’s how it frames the story: “In the long sprint toward completing a proposed acquisition of Boise-based Albertsons, Kroger faces new hurdles: three federal agencies announced two separate actions that […]
2 min read
0
  1. Channel: Drug

Your Views:  On Drugs

Got the following email from MNB reader Michael Blackburn: Regarding CVS and Walgreens (not even going to bring in the bankrupt Rite Aid into this discussion as they have been failing for the past two decades), when exactly were they poised to take over the U.S. healthcare system?  Historically, drug stores sold scripts with a […]
3 min read
0
Next