Dept. Fuel

  1. Technology & Innovation
It’s Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here’s your briefing on the most important stories from the past five days, including Emperia, Recite Me, Amperity, Walmart’s incubator arm Store No8, and Outlier Ventures. 1. Emperia – new Apple mixed […]
  1. Channel: Dollar/Value
Newsweek reports that “Aldi has been named in a class action lawsuit in California that alleges it misrepresented its fruit and grain bars to consumers by claiming they only contain natural products. “In a filing with the U.S. District Court for central California on May 30, a lawyer for plaintiff Deana Lozano, a health care […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
Yesterday we took note of a Boston Globe story about how youth organizers with the Hyde Square Task Force in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, did significant market research and figured out that a grocery cart of items at their local Stop & Shop cost $34 more than the same products at the chain’s store in suburban […]
  1. Data & Insights
Amperity, an enterprise customer data platform (CDP), has announced a partnership with Forever 21. The fast fashion retailer says that it will now be able to provide more relevant, personalised customer experiences. reach more consumers, while enriching advertising campaigns through insights on cross-channel behaviour, data science scores, and content affinities. Forever 21 has a significant […]
  1. Channel: Dollar/Value
Fascinating piece in the New York Times about some resistance Dollar General is facing in one rural community to its plans to build a new store there. An excerpt: “Anne Hartley’s brick house in Ebony, Va., overlooks windswept fields, a Methodist church, a general store and the intersection of two country roads, a pastoral setting […]
  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
Evri says that it has reduced its operational carbon emissions by nearly a third in the parcel delivery firm’s financial year to February 2023, as part of a wider investment in its environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy.  This 31% reduction includes efficiency improvements, augmented use of renewable energy and other carbon emission elimination strategies, […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
  When your competitors evolve and you don’t more often than not that spells trouble.  Here is why, consumers over acknowledge that they like change that is slow. What they do like even more than change is ‘discovery’ according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Johnson went on to say, […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
Today’s uncertain economic landscape is plagued with high inflation and continued supply chain issues, and experts predict a 70 percent likelihood of a U.S. recession in 2023. With a potential downturn on the horizon, a reported 62 percent of consumers have stated they’re cutting back on their spending or looking for additional ways to save. […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to garner customers, drive top-line sales, and bottom-line profits. Regular readers of this blog have been reading about the continued success that Casey’s General Stores have had ever since the first test experiment they had with pizza.  What a 15-year run it has been. According to […]
  1. Department: Food
  When you think about selling a meal or meal component, have you continued to say no way, not at all, or I tried it and it did not work for me? Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® wants you to rethink your position. Ask yourself why us and why now? […]
  1. Media & Marketing
  Consumers are dynamic not static and today that means smartphones are fast becoming the food marketing platform of choice according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. In a battle for share of stomach C-stores, restaurants, bodegas, and grocery store delis all need a fresh focus on smartphones. Art Sebastian, […]
  1. Channel: Drug
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens said this week that it will cut more than 500 jobs, most of them at the company’s Deerfield headquarters and its Chicago office. About 504 employees — or about 10% of the corporate staff — will be laid off, Walgreens spokesman Marty Maloney confirmed, adding that the cuts will not impact […]
  1. Channel: Mass
CNBC reports that Walmart “has inked a deal with veterinary telehealth provider Pawp to offer Walmart+ subscribers access to the startup’s membership for a year.” According to the story, “Unlimited access to veterinary telehealth via video or text will be available to Walmart+ subscribers beginning Tuesday when Walmart is expected to announce the partnership publicly. Remote […]
  1. Channel: Convenience
  Regular readers of this blog know that Wawa is a fast casual convenience store aka restaurant chain that sells gasoline.  Wawa’s customer loyalty was built on Milk, Coffee, and their famous Hoagie according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Mix and match meal bunding is the foundation of success […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
ZAANDAM, Netherlands — Ahold Delhaize reported better-than-expected first quarter sales, driven by strong performances by its U.S. businesses. The company’s U.S. operations, which include the Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Hannaford Bros., the GIANT Co. and Giant Food chains, posted net sales of €13.5 billion ($14.8 billion) for the quarter, an increase of 5.7% at […]
  1. Merchandising
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. today posted first-quarter earnings that the warehouse club operator said reflect strong traffic growth, market-share gains and an improved merchandise margin. “We reported a record first quarter in net income and adjusted EBITDA, demonstrating the power of our business model and the warehouse club channel,” Bob Eddy, […]
  1. Channel: Mass
Who cares about sustainability? Consumers, that’s who. According to our USA Plus data set, a whopping 46% of Americans think sustainability is very important, and a further 33% think it’s somewhat important.  But here’s the kicker – consumers think it’s on you (aka brands) to get us out of the woods. Yep, that’s right. 64% […]
  1. Data & Insights
Sign up to explore EASI data and category level trends for free in Earnest Dash. Powered by Earnest’s Orion transaction dataset. Access chart in Dash. Earnest Analytics Spend Index powered by Orion transaction data decreased below year-ago levels in April, with both spending channels decelerating. Online spend slowed slightly more than in-store spending. Gyms and […]
  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
What makes an Amazon.com seller stand out on such a mammoth platform? What turns some sellers into Amazon Marketplace success stories and leaves others practically invisible? A leading brand on Amazon is one that manages to be a top seller in its category. However, volume alone doesn’t determine a leading brand; many large retailers dominate […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
Consumers barely kept up with inflation in April, as retail sales increased but fell short of expectations, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The advanced sales report showed an increase of 0.4 percent, below the Dow Jones estimate for 0.8 percent. Excluding auto-related figures, sales increased 0.4 percent, which was in line with expectations. As the numbers are not […]
  1. Data & Insights
Click to view this graphic in a higher-resolution. Visualizing the American Workforce as 100 People In 2022, the U.S. population stood at 333 million. Of that, roughly 60% were employed in various jobs, positions, and sectors in the U.S. economy. But where did all these people work? What jobs did they do and what positions […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
WASHINGTON – Retail sales bounced back in April, the National Retail Federation said Tuesday, noting that sales increased both month-over-month and year-over-year. “Retail sales rebounded in April, reflecting consumer resilience in the face of elevated economic uncertainty,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Moderating price levels, continued labor market strength and wage gains have […]
  1. Department & Category
As retailers do their best to try and predict consumer behaviour, which continues to morph due to stubbornly high inflation, they are facing fall-out from the higher prices shoppers encounter at the grocer and petrol pump: decreasing brand loyalty. Shoppers are increasingly focused on finding the best deals, discounts, and coupons, and many are abandoning […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
The demo was beautiful. At Google’s IO developer conference this week, the company showed an experimental version of its search engine handling an almost unimaginably difficult query. Asked whether a family with kids under three years old and a dog would prefer Arches National Park or Bryce Canyon, Google scoured the internet and returned a […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
WCPO News has a piece about why Kroger is ready to go to the mattresses to complete its $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons. It has less to do with growing grocery market share, the reasoning goes, and more to do with growing a retail media empire. “Long term, the biggest accelerator for profit growth for […]

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Editor’s Choice

  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Channel: Grocery - Natural
  3. Channel: Mass
  4. Channel: Specialty & Other
  5. Department & Category
  6. Department: Consumer Durables
  7. Department: Nonfood
  8. Corporate Strategy
  9. Media & Marketing
  10. Shopper & Customer
  11. Trends & External Forces
  12. Merchandising
  13. Stores & Formats
Bloomberg has a story about how “a slew of retailers are beefing up their grocery investments to lure in consumers cutting back on non-essentials like clothing and electronics. But as they lay out plans to improve their food offerings and supply chains, the big question is how does one compete with the mighty Walmart Inc. on […]
  1. Department: Beverage
  2. CPG: Adult Beverage
  3. CPG: Beverage
  4. CPG: Food
  5. CPG: Food & Bev
  6. CPG: HBC
  7. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  8. Channel: Restaurants
  9. Department & Category
  10. Department: Adult Beverage
  11. Department: Beverage
  12. Department: Food
  13. Department: HBC
  14. Department: Nonfood
  15. Corporate Strategy
  16. Corporate Finance
  17. Corporate Purpose
  18. ESG
  19. Media & Marketing
  20. Agencies & Vendors
  21. Data & Insights
  22. Shopper & Customer
  23. Technology & Innovation
  24. Trends & External Forces
  25. Merchandising
  26. Operations & Supply Chain
CHICAGO – Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, has released its 2022 New Product Pacesetters, the 28th annual report revealing the top new product launches across food and beverage and nonfood sectors. The report illustrates the enduring power of CPG innovation, revealing that consumer spending on new product offerings remained elevated last year despite challenges […]
  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Channel: Mass
  3. Acquisitions, Divestitures & Mergers
  4. Media & Marketing
  5. Retailer Media
  6. Shopper & Customer
  7. Trends & External Forces
  8. Owned Brands (Private Label)
From Advertising Age: “Walmart Connect, which has made huge gains in recent years through digital advertising, is testing ways to bolster in-store pieces of its retail media network. “For the first time, Walmart Connect is selling ads on its revamped in-store radio network and integrating sampling programs with online offerings. While aspects of Walmart Connect’s […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
  2. Trends & External Forces
  3. Stores & Formats
Several years after opening its last Joe V’s location, H-E-B is reigniting the banner with two locations set to open in Dallas by 2025. Dive Brief: H-E-B announced Tuesday it is opening two Joe V’s Smart Shop by H-E-B stores in Dallas, marking the first time the grocer’s discount format will appear outside of the Houston area. […]
  1. Retailer Media
  2. ESG
  3. Media & Marketing
  4. Retailer Media
  5. Shopper & Customer
  6. Operations & Supply Chain
The platform leverages the chain’s loyalty program, bringing personalized ads to shoppers in-store, in-app, on social media and elsewhere, said Damian Scott, who heads up the grocer’s retail media and front-end digital operations. Dive Brief: Giant Eagle announced on Wednesday the debut of Leap Media Group, an in-house retail media arm that leverages the regional […]

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