Consulting

Articles on/from consultants and consulting firms in Retail/CPG.

  1. Shopper & Customer
While retailers typically put a significant emphasis on post-holiday sales, they didn’t resonate with shoppers after the 2023 holiday season. During the week after Christmas, year-over-year sales were down across the board, with only computer software sales seeing an increase from 2022. Department stores, cosmetics stores and clothing stores saw some of the largest declines, […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
In today’s dynamic world of retail, the spotlight remains on artificial intelligence (AI) — and for good reason. AI is undoubtedly transformative, reshaping the future of retail. In addition to AI, other technologies are also making significant strides. Radio-frequency identification (RFID), replacing barcodes, revolutionizes supply chain and inventory management. Video analytics leverages computer vision to […]
  1. Data & Insights
Struggling to keep up with the pace of modern retail? You’re not alone. The retail landscape is evolving rapidly, and maintaining productivity can feel like chasing a moving target. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI) – your new strategic partner. Retailers are discovering that AI can do more than just data analysis. It’s time to harness AI […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
Consumers want convenience, personalization and value — it’s what pushed the U.S. retail market to a record $5.13 trillion in 2023. As inflation subsides, what shoppers want and how they spend will keep playing a big role in how the market evolves. Retailers need to keep pace with a more connected, savvy and discerning customer […]
  1. Data & Insights
Large retailers are under constant pressure to keep up with new and ever-changing customer demands. At the same time, they’re also grappling with sometimes volatile global supply chains and massive amounts of data — everything from sales and inventory data to pricing and customer insights. It’s a significant undertaking. As more organizations continue their digital […]
  1. Corporate Strategy
In 2024, the demand for sustainable practices in retail is more than just a trend; it has become a fundamental shift in consumer expectations and regulatory requirements. Consumers increasingly make purchasing decisions based on a company’s environmental impact, looking beyond the surface to see which brands are committed to making a difference. Concurrently, governments worldwide […]
  1. Retail Ecosystem
This week we explore some of the content from Steve’s forthcoming book Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption, which is now available for pre-order at book retailers worldwide.  In particular, we go deep on a strategy of being “Special, Not Big” by significantly narrowing the aim of the customers you serve […]
  1. Data & Insights
The retail supply chain is undergoing a major transformation, driven by the rise of e-commerce and the increasing complexity of global supply chains. In Gartner’s 2023 Top Supply Chain Technology Trends report, “actionable AI” was named the No. 1 trend. This reflects the growing recognition among retailers that artificial intelligence is essential for modernizing and […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
Gen Z consumers are neither easy to define nor predictable in their shopping habits. The consumer cohort born between 1996 or 1997 and 2010 and 2020 (there is no complete agreement here) is hard to read and reach because they are a product of the world they have been born into, one where change is […]
  1. Data & Insights
By combining in-store and out-of-store customer journey insights, the partnership delivers retailers and CPGs with actionable strategies in today’s highly competitive environment.
  1. Trends & External Forces
UK total retail sales increased by 1.1% year on year in February, against a growth of 5.2% in February 2023, according to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for February 2024. This was below the 3-month average growth of 1.4% and below the 12-month average growth… This story continues at Retail hit by wettest February on […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
Our guest this week is Andrea Dorigo Head of Global Retail for Adidas. Andrea shares many strategic leadership lessons gleaned from his  incredibly deep and diverse experience working across a spectrum of international brands. Now he leads a network of more than 2,000 stores for one of the world’s most iconic vertically integrated brands. We […]
  1. Data & Insights
“If you have top organic placement, having always-on paid is probably not the best use of dollars. But what happens if you don’t is, you’ll see your organic ranks start to come down … a slow in and out strategy is actually how you can keep your balloon up in the air.” — Aisha Khan, […]
  1. Data & Insights
It’s easy to understand, emotionally, why consumers would want to shop from a store that tailors its product assortments to the neighborhood they live in. For large chain retailers, it’s a way of letting the community know that consumers are seen and that the store wants to be part of the community. Ultimately, it sounds […]
  1. Data & Insights
For some time now, many retailers have been exploring the use of artificial intelligence to enhance various aspects of their business, from inventory placement to merchandising assortments. However, the conversation gained renewed momentum in 2023 with the emergence of ChatGPT and generative AI. This increased interest in the potential of AI to transform retail operations […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
“When I get customer interaction I want it to count. Technology can help with that.” So said Naomi Simcock, Operations Director at John Lewis, in a Q&A conference session with consultant, Andrew Busby, at Smart Retail Tech Expo on 27th February at ExCel in London. “I’ve got a huge supply chain and other fixed costs, […]
  1. Corporate Strategy
This week we’re reprising our November 2022 interview with Hal Lawton, President & CEO of Tractor Supply Co, a truly remarkable retailer that has delivered some of the strongest results of any brand during the past five years.   We explore Hal’s diverse journey from McKinsey, to Home Depot, to eBay, to Macy’s and on to Tennesee-based […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
Few technologies have excited as much hype (or promised as must change) as artificial intelligence (AI). However, many brands are still determining exactly what the role of AI in ecommerce is — or should be. There are several potential answers to that question, and many brands and retailers have already found uses for certain types […]
  1. Data & Insights
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be the next big thing, yet most retailers wait on the sidelines, watching what other businesses reap from this new digital technology. It’s not that they don’t want to pursue this new technology. Working in low-margin businesses, retailers understand the value of a technology that can promote significant organizational change and […]
  1. Owned Brands (Private Label)
NEW YORK  — Brandon Brown, senior vice president of Own Brands at Albertsons Companies, has been announced as the keynote speaker at the PLMA 2024 Annual Meeting & Leadership Conference, which is being held March 20-22 in San Antonio. The event at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk will focus on trends and issues and […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
Since Amazon Echo’s 2014 launch, conversational commerce has been a hot topic of conversation in retail (pun intended). The biggest question: How can conversational commerce improve shopping experiences? For the last decade, the answer seemed to be it doesn’t. Consumers struggled to leverage these tools to shop, unless they were reordering a previous purchase. Conversational […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
Our guest this week is Beth Ann Kaminkow, Global CEO, VMLY&R who joins us to talk about the ever changing landscape of retail and consumer branding, customer engagement, and loyalty. In particular with dip into what defines high performance retail and the emerging world of “creative commerce.”  We also get a sneak preview of her […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
  Getting things right takes hard work and continue refinement and retooling according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Success does leave clues and understanding the right clues to success is one of the first steps. First let’s look at the old formula for the price, value, service success was: Price + Quality […]
  1. Corporate Strategy
  Regular readers of this blog know that the restaurant industry is facing a labor crisis, as many operators struggle to find and retain qualified staff. Some may be tempted to hire experienced executives from other restaurants, hoping to benefit from their expertise and connections. According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based […]
  1. Media & Marketing
Trustly, which operates in the payment solutions space, has made two appointments to its leadership team as it eyes further expansion in Europe. Annika Poutiainen will be joining as Chief Legal Officer, while Georg Kaltenbrunner will start in March as Group Chief Risk & Compliance Officer. According to a press release: “Both roles will be […]
  1. Data & Insights
Microsoft and Google strategically unveiled their generative artificial intelligence capabilities for the retail industry in time for the National Retail Federation’s 2024 Big Show in New York, capturing the attention of the world’s leading retailers and industry leaders at this premier event. These offerings, spanning customer engagement, shopper journey experiences, and operational enhancements, align seamlessly […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
In an age where everyday goods cost more than ever, is our appetite for the finer things subsiding? According to Bank of America card data, credit card spending for luxury fashion is down 16 percent year-over-year, the product of a six-quarter-long decline. In October, one of the world’s top luxury retailers saw its stock drop […]
  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
European e-commerce grocery delivery firm Rohlik Group reports that it is investing in AutoStore automation technology in the Austrian market. In a LinkedIn post, Tomáš Čupr, Group CEO at Rohlik Group, said: “We’re thrilled to announce a major leap forward in our journey towards innovation and efficiency: our latest investment in automation technology in Vienna […]
  1. Retail Ecosystem
Joining us for a deep dive on creating remarkable brand stories and driving powerful customer engagement are two industry veterans who will also be gracing the stage at next month’s Shoptalk event in Las Vegas. Christiane Pendarvis, co-CEO of Pattern Beauty, Tracee Ellis Ross’s hair care brand, and Andrea Moore, Chief Digital Officer of NEST […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
The retail industry, particularly e-commerce, is expansive, constantly evolving, and dynamic. The primary challenge for retailers lies in retaining existing customers amidst competition and the rising cost of acquiring new customers. The 2023 State of Customer Messaging Report highlights the significance of customer retention, with 95 percent of professionals emphasizing its importance. Effective customer retention […]
Note: Requires ChatGPT Plus
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Editor’s Choice

  1. Media & Marketing
  2. Channel: Restaurants
  3. Department & Category
  4. Department: Consumer Durables
  5. Department: Food
  6. Department: Nonfood
  7. ESG
  8. Media & Marketing
  9. Data & Insights
  10. Shopper & Customer
  11. Technology & Innovation
  12. Trends & External Forces
  13. Merchandising
  Don’t want to cook, don’t want to do dishes, well according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® your kids don’t want you hear you complain about cooking dinner either. Chuck E. Cheese has a new program for that has a great chance to make the entire family happy according […]
  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Corporate Finance
  3. Media & Marketing
  4. Agencies & Vendors
  5. Data & Insights
  6. Trends & External Forces
Target reported Q4 and 2023 financial results at its annual investor day on March 5, 2024. Quarterly comp performance improved sequentially from Q2 to Q4, but 2023 ended with comps down -3.7%. Profitability outperformed expectations as the company realized $2B of operating income growth in 2023 and reported notable gross margin improvements. The stock was […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
  2. CPG: Food
  3. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  4. Channel: Grocery
  5. Channel: Mass
  6. Department & Category
  7. Department: Beverage
  8. Department: Food
  9. Department: HBC
  10. Acquisitions, Divestitures & Mergers
  11. Corporate Strategy
  12. Corporate Finance
  13. ESG
  14. Partnerships & Alt Profit
  15. Media & Marketing
  16. Data & Insights
  17. Shopper & Customer
  18. Technology & Innovation
  19. Trends & External Forces
  20. Retail Operations
  21. Associates & Employees
  22. Operations & Supply Chain
  23. Owned Brands (Private Label)
  24. Stores & Formats
Comments from Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen. "Kroger achieved strong 2023 results, in line with our long-term growth model and built upon three consecutive years of historic growth.

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