International – North America

  1. Corporate Strategy
Ulta Beauty, which posted strong financial results for 2023, will move into Mexico next year as part of a joint venture with global brands operator Axo. The retailer’s $11.2 billion in net sales for FY 2023, which ended Feb. 3, 2024, was 9.8% higher than the previous year, fueled by a comparable sales rise of […]
  1. Channel: Mass
Strategic brand partnerships and collaborations can help merchants raise brand awareness and expand into new markets. Target is partnering with Hudson’s Bay to bring its popular kids apparel brand, Cat & Jack, to Canada. Target made its official exit from Canada in 2015, with CEO Brian Cornell reporting that area of the business was “losing […]
  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. Corporate Finance
The Body Shop has ceased its U.S. operations and is closing dozens of locations in Canada amid deepening financial struggles for the British beauty and cosmetics chain. The Body Shop’s U.S. arm ceased operations on March 1, according to a company announcement from earlier this month. And the brand’s Canadian subsidiary commenced liquidation of 33 […]
  1. Channel: Club
Fox Business reports that Costco followed up a successful run selling gold bars – it claimed to have sold more than $100 million of them in a single quarter – with a new offering of silver coins. According to the story, “Sold in 25 tubes, the 1-ounce Canada Maple Leaf Silver Coins are priced at […]
  1. Department: HBC
Karissa Bodnar, Founder and CEO of clean beauty brand and DTC success story Thrive Causemetics, grew up in a small town in rural Washington state. She lived off a dirt road where neighbors were few and far between, there was no cable and the internet was sporadic. Not exactly the kind of place one imagines […]
  1. Data & Insights
SharkNinja, a global product design and technology company, today named Horizon Next as their Media Agency of Record across the US and Canada. SharkNinja has engaged Next to design a data powered strategy that balances innovation and advanced analytics to accelerate retail and DTC growth. Next will leverage its game-changing proprietary connected marketing platform, blu., to identify actionable […]
  1. Technology & Innovation
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we close on 15,000 followers, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Klarna, Boots, Matalan, InPost UK, Aldi, Jisp, EE, Co-op, TalkShopLIve, Superdrug, and Gophr. Amazon Just Walk Out […]
  1. International
The Body Shop Canada has filed a Notice of Intention (NOI) to file for protection under the country’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, following a similar filing by the retailer’s UK arm last month. The Body Shop Canada has ceased online sales, and while its stores remain open, the company plans to close 33 of its […]
  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. Trends & External Forces
The New York Times has a piece about the impetus for shrinkflation, and the underlying economics. “Companies are downsizing products without downsizing prices, and consumer posts from Reddit to TikTok to the New York Times comments section drip with indignation at the trend, widely known as ‘shrinkflation’,” the story says, noting that “the practice isn’t […]
  1. Department & Category
Forbes has a piece about online membership retailer Thrive Market and the value proposition core to its operation. An excerpt: “For Thrive Market CEO Nick Green, access to good food is personal. Green grew up in the midwest in a middle class family. His mother, who’s Mexican-American, worked hard to get healthy, wholesome food on […]
  1. Department: HBC
The New York Times reports this morning that “a little more than six years ago, CBD, the nonintoxicating component that is derived from cannabis or hemp, was poised to be the next big ‘it’ ingredient, part of a wave of beverages and foods that were promoted as having healthful benefits or providing relaxation. Start-ups flooded […]
  1. Operations & Supply Chain
The call for brands and retailers to fortify their supply chains with robust traceability solutions has never been more urgent. Countries across the globe have enacted tighter due diligence laws to prevent child labor, poor working conditions, and environmental abuses, ranging from the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, to the German Supply Chain […]
  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. Department: Food
Tilda has expanded its product range with a new collection of Tilda Tasty Sides and the products are being launched via a new film campaign, created by independent creative agency Isobel. The ready-to-heat packs of vegetables and pulses in sauce come in four variants: Mexican… This story continues at New ad compaign for Tilda Or […]
  1. CPG: Food
Pringles has announced it is adding a hot range to its portfolio: Flamin’ Cheese Flavour, Mexican Chilli & Lime Flavour, Smokin’ BBQ Ribs Flavour, Kickin’ Sour Cream Flavour and Sweet Chilli Flavour. The range will replace Pringles Sizzl’N, which launched in 2021. Four of the… This story continues at Pringles adds a new spicy variant […]
  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. Data & Insights
Earlier this month: “Meta Platforms Inc. tripled its profit and posted sharply higher revenue in the final quarter of 2023, boosted by a rebound in digital advertising as well cost cutting and layoffs in what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the “year of efficiency.”” Meta increased revenue by over 25 percent from year ago with nearly […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
  Eating out can be a convenient and enjoyable way to spend time with your family, but it can also be expensive. On the other hand, cooking at home can be cheaper, but it can also be time-consuming and stressful. Is there a way to balance both options and save money while still enjoying quality […]
  1. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
The Associated Press reports that Amazon has been ordered by Mexico’s Federal Commission on Economic Competition (COFECE) to reveal its algorithms and inform vendors on the platform “of all the variables and factors that are taken into consideration in selecting promoted items, to encourage certainty and transparency.” In addition, COFECE is ordering Amazon to “wall […]
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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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