Associates

Articles on associates and employees in the retail industry.

  1. Shopper & Customer

Why Grocery Stores Still Stumble With Fresh Prepared Food — And What 2026 Trends Reveal

  Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared foods have been the single strongest growth driver across retail foodservice for nearly a decade. Yet many grocery stores still struggle to unlock its full traffic and profitability potential. The disconnect isn’t lack of demand — it’s execution. Today’s consumer behavior is rapidly reshaping where, how, and why people […]
5 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Tipping at the Drive Thru Good Idea or Bad Idea

  By any metric, Toast is on a heater. The Boston tech player that already powers roughly one in five independent restaurants has been stacking logos, scaling payments, and moving upstream into enterprise. Landing deals with Applebee’s, Firehouse Subs, and Papa Murphy’s signaled it can play far beyond mom-and-pop. Now comes the next frontier: the […]
4 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

How 2026 will Redefine Identity Verification in Retail

Retailers lost an estimated $115 billion to ecommerce fraud in 2024, and ineffective identity verification remains one of the biggest vulnerabilities they must address entering 2026. Fraudsters are evolving faster than many retail systems can react; meanwhile, customers expect verification to be both seamless and secure. While ecommerce leaders are taking on more advanced fraud […]
5 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Love Beyond the 14th: How to Turn One Perfect Valentine’s Meal into a Week of Profitable Romance

Valentine’s Day may be circled on the calendar, but the consumer mindset it unlocks does not shut off at midnight. When a dinner, dessert, or drink delivers connection, indulgence, and memory-making, shoppers want the feeling again — just with less pressure, less formality, and often at a better value according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® […]
4 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Eileen Fisher Upgrades POS at 50+ Stores to Enhance In-Store CX

Sustainable fashion retailer Eileen Fisher will deploy the Aptos ONE POS platform in its more than 50 North American stores. The cloud-based, mobile-first solution is designed to provide more personal, informed and frictionless interactions in-store, along with real-time inventory and data synchronization across POS, ecommerce and fulfillment, with unified promotions and customer profiles to support […]
2 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Grok Is Gaining on ChatGPT and Gemini. How It Got There Isn’t Pretty.

Elon Musk’s AI bot Grok is ascending, jumping from 1.6% to 15.2% in market share among daily U.S. users of chatbot apps from January 2025 to January 2026, according to mobile insights firm Apptopia. The rise marks a furious entry into the chatbot app market for xAI, Musk’s AI company, which joined the race from […]
4 min read
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  1. Associates & Employees

Worth Reading:  Calculating AI’s Impact On The Job Market

The Atlantic has an excellent story assessing the likely impact of artificial intelligence on the nation’s job market – both employers and employees. An excerpt: “This is a technology that can digest a hundred reports before you’ve finished your coffee, draft and analyze documents faster than teams of paralegals, compose music indistinguishable from the genius […]
2 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Report shows devastating impact of crime on convenience retail

New figures published today (12 Feb) in the SGF Crime Report & Safer Business Guide 2025/26 reveal that retail crime is continuing to escalate across Scotland, with devastating consequences for convenience retailers and their staff. The findings underline the need for more action from government… This story continues at Report shows devastating impact of crime […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

AI and the Real Questions Business Leaders Should Be Asking

By Doug Stephens Each year, thousands of global retail insiders descend on New York City to talk shop at the National Retail Federation’s annual conference. Alongside nearly 20,000 attendees, the annual event reliably crowns a single “hero” trend or technology – the idea that dominates stage time, conversation, and the trade-show floor. This year, to […]
4 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

B&Q rolls out stoma friendly toilets across stores as part of accessibility and inclusion push

B&Q is rolling out stoma friendly toilets across its stores. The upgraded facilities will include additions such as a hook for clothing or bags, a shelf or flat surface for medical supplies, a disposal bin inside the cubicle, and a mirror so the user can clearly see their stoma and bag when changing. This move […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Restaurants

Why 4×4 Capital Buying Bob Evans Restaurants Makes Strategic Sense—A Grocerant Guru® Perspective

  By any historical measure, Bob Evans is not just a restaurant brand—it is a food system brand. Founded in 1948 in Ohio, Bob Evans was born at the intersection of foodservice and food manufacturing, with a sausage business literally fueling the original restaurant. That DNA matters. It is precisely why 4×4 Capital’s acquisition of […]
5 min read
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  1. Department: Nonfood

PetSmart Celebrates the Unconditional Love of Pet Parents on Valentine’s Day

PetSmart will host free in-store Valentine’s Day parties at its stores for pet parents and their dogs, cats and small animals this Feb. 14 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. In addition to a Valentine’s Day collection, the events will include yummy giveaways, custom Valentine’s Day cards and adorable photo ops with the help of […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Danish fashion retailer Message connects the dots with Sitoo omnichannel technology

Sitoo, a cloud native PoS and unified commerce platform, has announced a new partnership with Danish omnichannel fashion retailer Message. In a LinkedIn post, Sitoo said: “We have new friends! And they’re curators of stylish, accessible fashion across Denmark and beyond. Message is a Danish multi-brand fashion retailer, founded in 1980, offering clothes, accessories, footwear, […]
2 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

The AI Super Brawl, NVIDIA’s OpenAI Gut Check, The World Eats Software

Welcome back to our Big Technology Agenda Setter newsletter, in your inboxes most Mondays from myself and journalist . This week we look at the Super Bowl ad fight, Nvidia’s forthcoming decision on OpenAI, and the market’s continued software conundrum. The Super Bowl advertising fight between OpenAI and Anthropic might’ve been more interesting than the […]
3 min read
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  1. Channel: Mass

Walmart to add automation, robotics to Louisiana distribution center

​[[{“value”:” Dive Brief The retailer’s $330 million investment, slated to start this year, is part of a larger effort to upgrade all 42 of its regional distribution facilities. Published Feb. 9, 2026 A Walmart distribution center packaging conveyor in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. In Louisiana, more than 1,900 Walmart employees work at distribution centers. Courtesy of […]
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Event Marketing Still Matters: Why Valentine’s Day Proves Timely Food Messaging Wins

In a persistently challenging macroeconomic climate, Valentine’s Day once again proves that event marketing—when done with relevance and restraint—still moves wallets and behavior. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, Valentine’s Day spending is projected to hit a record $29.1 billion, eclipsing last year’s $27.5 billion. Even more telling: shoppers […]
4 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

5 Hidden Risks Every Emerging Food Brand Should Know About

Launching your food brand can feel like a dream come true. It took hard work to get to this point, and there’s more to do, but seeing your product on shelves and in customers’ hands makes it all worth it. But beneath this excitement lie hidden risks that threaten to turn this dream into a […]
7 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

MoltBook Is A Warning

We’re publishing this story in partnership with Boston Globe Ideas, it will appear in print this weekend. AI agents have been gathering online by the thousands over the past week, debating their existence, attempting to date each other, building their own religion, concocting crypto schemes, and spewing gibberish. It’s all been happening on Moltbook, a […]
5 min read
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  1. Channel: Home Improvement

Lowe’s Makes Loyalty Program More Family-Friendly by Adding Kids Component

Lowe’s has launched the MyLowe’s Rewards Kids Club, a new platform that builds on the home improvement retailer’s 20+ years hosting Kids Workshops in its stores. The program now allows families to track their kids’ progress through digital badges and manage workshop registrations for multiple children within a single MyLowe’s Rewards account. In addition to […]
1 min read
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  1. Department: Food

C Stores Are Becoming America’s Fastest Growing Restaurant Competitors—And the Data Proves It

  For decades, convenience stores were defined by fuel, fountain drinks, and grab‑and‑go snacks. Today, they are redefining the competitive landscape for quick‑service restaurants (QSR) and fast‑casual chains by becoming full‑scale food destinations according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. With fresh prepared foods, mix‑and‑match meal components, and aggressive value […]
5 min read
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  1. Channel: Grocery

Has Wegmans Lost A Step?

In Rochester, New York, WHEC-TV News has a story suggesting that “Wegmans shoppers may be seeing a drop in satisfaction, according to an annual report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. “The index measures customer satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 100. Wegmans got a score of 78 — a 6% drop from the […]
3 min read
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital

Your Views:  “Sad For The Wee Ones”

Responding to Amazon’s decision to pretty much get out of the bricks-and-mortar grocery business by closing all its Fresh and Go stores, one MNB reader wrote: I could go on, being a Seattle native, about the good and bad of Amazon.  I have never worked for them, I have interviewed, I know many people that […]
4 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Coty partners with OpenAI

​[[{“value”:” Dive Brief The company is weaving AI throughout its business as the technology serves as “an efficiency enhancer” for creativity and strategic thinking. Published Feb. 5, 2026 By Tatiana Walk-Morris Coty employees can access OpenAI to support their daily work activities. Courtesy of Coty “}]] 
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Grocery

Is It Time to Keep a Bad Idea From the Public? Albertsons vs. Kroger

When Kroger and Albertsons agreed to a $24.6 billion merger in 2022, the companies framed it as a scale-driven solution to inflation, competition from Walmart and Amazon, and a rapidly changing food retail landscape. Two years later, the deal collapsed under Federal Trade Commission scrutiny—and now, in 2026, both companies are asking a federal court […]
4 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Nike Investigated Over Claims of Discrimination Against White Employees

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is investigating allegations that Nike discriminated against white workers. The commission filed a subpoena enforcement action in a federal court on Feb. 4 in a bid to compel Nike to produce the information requested for its investigation, after it said Nike failed to adequately comply with an earlier […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Mass

New Walmart CEO To Employees:  Tell Me How To Help You

Bloomberg reports that Walmart’s new CEO, John Furner, has sent employees his first company-wide memo, saying that he had a “simple ask: Tell me one thing that slows you down or makes it harder to do your job.” According to the story, “The 51-year-old Walmart lifer will spend his first weeks visiting stores, supply-chain facilities […]
2 min read
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Editor’s Choice

  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  2. Channel: Grocery
  3. Channel: Grocery - Natural
  4. Channel: Mass
  5. Department & Category
  6. Department: Food
  7. Acquisitions, Divestitures & Mergers
  8. Corporate Strategy
  9. Corporate Finance
  10. Media & Marketing
  11. Data & Insights
  12. Shopper & Customer
  13. Technology & Innovation
  14. Trends & External Forces
  15. Holiday & Events
  16. Merchandising
  17. Operations & Supply Chain
  18. Owned Brands (Private Label)
  19. Stores & Formats

Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go Are Gone A Historical Retrospective on Amazon’s Grocery Experiments & the Road Ahead

  On January 27, 2026, Amazon confirmed what many analysts had quietly anticipated: its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go store banners are being shuttered across the U.S., ending a decade of experimentation in brick-and-mortar grocery retail. According to Amazon, all 57 Amazon Fresh grocery stores and 15 Amazon Go locations are slated to close imminently […]
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  2. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  3. Channel: Grocery - Natural
  4. Channel: Mass
  5. Department & Category
  6. Department: Food
  7. Department: Nonfood
  8. Corporate Strategy
  9. Data & Insights
  10. Shopper & Customer
  11. Technology & Innovation
  12. Trends & External Forces
  13. Retail Operations
  14. Associates & Employees
  15. Operations & Supply Chain
  16. Stores & Formats

BREAKING NEWS:  Amazon Bails Out Of Physical Stores Business, Closing Go And Fresh Stores

Amazon announced today that it is closing its 57 Amazon Fresh Stores and 15 Amazon Go stores.  With the exception of Whole Foods, which it acquired for $13.7 billion in 2017, it will now be out of the bricks-and-mortar business for the time being. The company’s food retail focus now will be on expanding its […]
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  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  2. Channel: Grocery
  3. Department: Food
  4. Data & Insights
  5. Shopper & Customer
  6. Technology & Innovation
  7. Trends & External Forces
  8. Stores & Formats

December E-Grocery Sales Hit $12.7 Billion, Up 32% YOY

The latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey is out, reporting that “monthly U.S. online grocery sales accelerated dramatically in December, with total sales surging 32% year-over-year (YOY) to finish the month with a record high $12.7 billion … This robust performance reflects higher order frequency, spending rates, and a larger user base than December […]
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  1. Technology & Innovation
  2. Channel: Mass
  3. Department: Consumer Durables
  4. Department: Food
  5. Department: Nonfood
  6. Corporate Strategy
  7. ESG
  8. Partnerships & Alt Profit
  9. Media & Marketing
  10. Agencies & Vendors
  11. Retail Ecosystem
  12. Data & Insights
  13. Shopper & Customer
  14. Technology & Innovation
  15. Trends & External Forces
  16. Retail Operations
  17. Merchandising
  18. Operations & Supply Chain
  19. Stores & Formats

NRF 2026 review: AI grabs the spotlight as retail technology steps into its next chapter

By James Pepper, Vista Technology Support A Brief Introduction to NRF and How the Show Is Structured Every January, the National Retail Federation’s ‘Retail’s Big Show’ transforms New York’s Javits Centre into one of the most influential gatherings in the global retail calendar. Tens of thousands of professionals arrive to explore new technologies, exchange ideas, […]
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