MorningNewsBeat
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

MorningNewsBeat's articles

  1. Channel: Grocery

Kroger, Albertsons Fire Back At FTC

Kroger and Albertsons have argued in separate legal filings that the federal Trade Commission (FTC) is misguided and flat-out wrong in opposing their $24.6 billion merger. Both retailers contend that the FTC, in suggesting that the deal would give the combined companies an unfair competitive advantage, ignores the fact that they would also be competing […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Mass

“Technical Issues” Hit Global Retailers

Bloomberg reports that in the UK, both Tesco and J Sainsbury suffered disruptions over the weekend caused by “technical disruptions.” According to the story, “J Sainsbury Plc, the country’s second-largest grocer, experienced ‘issues’ with contactless payments and won’t be able to deliver the ‘vast majority’ of the day’s online orders … Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Officer […]
2 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

In Tests, Amazon’s Rufus Falls Short Of Expectations

Washington Post columnist Shira Ovide has a piece in which she tested Rufus, Amazon’s new artificial intelligence chatbot that the company says is designed to help people figure out what to buy based on vocal prompts. She writes, “In general, I thought the shopping bot was at best a slight upgrade on searching Amazon, Google […]
2 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Upside, Downside:  How To Define Retail Responsibility

The New York Times had a piece over the weekend about how young people, largely because of the impact of TikTok and other social media sites, have turned Sephora into a “retailer of choice.” According to the story, “Teenagers in the United States have said Sephora is their favorite beauty retailer, surpassing Ulta, according to […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Grocery

Your Views:  “Kick Them To The Curb”

On Friday, we reported: In Connecticut, the Trumbull Patch reports that “a petition calling for enhanced equipment and improved conditions at a Stop and Shop grocery store in Trumbull has garnered more than 400 signatures as of Thursday night. “The petition, titled ‘Enhance Equipment and Conditions at Stop & Shop Trumbull CT,’ was launched earlier […]
4 min read
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  1. Channel: Mass

Target, Walmart Evolve Their Self-Checkout Policies

ABC News reports that Target is expanding on its test of a self-checkout policy that restricts those lanes to people buying 10 items or fewer.  last year it tested the approach in 200 stores, and found that “self-checkout was twice as fast at those test stores.” Now, Target said it is “rolling out Express Self-Checkout […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital

Amazon Ad Program Issues Come To Light

The Seattle Times reports that “Amazon has pledged to make fixes to its advertising operation after mistakenly charging online merchants to promote products shoppers couldn’t purchase.  “The problem came to light when a seller of advanced gaming computers discovered he was being charged thousands of dollars to advertise merchandise in California even though he had […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Grocery

Customers Call For Stop & Shop Overhaul

In Connecticut, the Trumbull Patch reports that “a petition calling for enhanced equipment and improved conditions at a Stop and Shop grocery store in Trumbull has garnered more than 400 signatures as of Thursday night. “The petition, titled ‘Enhance Equipment and Conditions at Stop & Shop Trumbull CT,’ was launched earlier this month on change.org […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital

E-Grocery Business Showed Decline In February

The February Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey is out, saying that “the U.S. online grocery market finished February with total monthly sales of $7.9 billion, down 10.5% compared to 2023.” According to the report, “Lower average order values (AOV) were the central catalyst driving the downward year-over-year sales trends as Ship-to-Home dropped 15.4% and […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Restaurants

Footprint vs. Soul: The Starbucks Conundrum

Starbucks has reached a footprint landmark – having opened about 3,000 locations in 2023, it now has more units than Subway, and has become the second-largest restaurant chain in the world as measured by locations. Technomic reports that Starbucks now has 2,000 more locations than Subway, with 38,587 stores.  McDonald’s is the biggest chain in […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital

FaceTime with the Content Guy:  Bet The Over

At this point, Amazon’s Just-Walk-Out technology is being used in more non-Amazon stores than Amazon stores.  Which, I would speculate, offers a clue toward its future intentions. The post FaceTime with the Content Guy:  Bet The Over appeared first on MNB.
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Dollar/Value

Dollar Tree To Close 1,000 Stores

Dollar Tree said yesterday that it will close 1,000 stores – most of them Family Dollar units – over the next few years, a decision that Axios describes as “a reversal of the retailer’s rapid expansion, which included its 2015 acquisition of Family Dollar.” Six hundred Family Dollar stores are slated to close before the […]
2 min read
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