Dept. Perimeter

  1. Technology & Innovation

Are LLMs About To Hit A Wall?

Each new generation of large language model consumes a staggering amount of resources.  Meta, for instance, trained its new Llama 3 models with about 10 times more data and 100 times more compute than Llama 2. Amid a chip shortage, it used two 24,000 GPU clusters, with each chip running around the price of a […]
5 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Grocerant Guru’s Full-Flavored Forecast: 2024’s Flavorful Trends

  Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with a peek at what’s hot in the culinary world! Once again Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® and his team,  are seeing some new signals of our ever-evolving consumer focused adoption of fresh food with functionality; including botanical infusions, and even a […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Country Choice appoints allergen awareness ambassador

Country Choice, the provider of in-store bakery solutions for the convenience retail sector, has appointed its technical manager, Kerry Primarolo, as an ambassador for allergen awareness. Primarolo will be providing training to colleagues so that they can help customers to identify best practice in allergen… This story continues at Country Choice appoints allergen awareness ambassador […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Corporate Strategy

Planning For Brand Expansion

The growth of any brand will plateau if it is successful with its initial product range in its region of origin. Further growth must come from expanding the product range, extending geographically, or both. Before scaling your brand, the business fundamentals need to be in place. Investors seem keen to fund technology-based brands even if […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Meijer plans to open two supercenters in Ohio, one in Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer will open two new 159,000-square-foot supercenters, in Alliance and North Canton, Ohio, on May 14, increasing the retailer’s store count to 55 in the state. Meijer previously announced plans to open a 159,000-square-foot supercenter in Hillsdale, Mich. That store is also scheduled to open on May 14. The Ohio supercenters […]
3 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Accelerate Retail Success in 2024 with These Four Pillars

Retailers must be smart, proactive, and decisive about their strategic planning, tech investments, and integration processes. That’s not always easy, but there’s a lot of guidance in the form of best practices, industry experts, and partnerships that can help retailers thrive in the current market.  To dig deeper into these resources, RETHINK Retail recently held […]
5 min read
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  1. Department & Category

How and Where Consumers Buy Fast Meals is Evolving

  It’s at the intersection of yesterday fast-food restaurant and playground and time starved consumers that today’s consumers is opting for fresh food fast and simple according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  The drive-thru has been a fast-food staple for decades, but the way we get our burgers and […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Pesticide Risks in US Produce: What You Should Know

Consumer Reports has completed an extensive review of pesticides in 59 types of fruits and vegetables commonly found in the U.S. The study analyzed seven years of data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, revealing concerning findings about pesticide residues in our food.
< 1 min read
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  1. Channel: Restaurants

Restaurants vs. Grocery Stores: The Battle for the Plate

  Regular readers of this blog know that for decades, grocery stores reigned supreme as the go-to for meal preparation and home meal replacement. However, the evolving consumer has been migrating.  Recent trends show a shift in consumer behavior, with restaurants steadily chipping away at the grocery sector’s market share. According to Steven Johnson Grocerant […]
4 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Need to Know: What’s an identity graph and why do marketers need them?

Identity is a big topic in data-driven marketing. Advertisers want to target consumers at the person level, publishers want to monetize their audiences, and identity is crucial to ensure that the “John Smith” the brand is trying to reach and the “John Smith” currently shopping on Amazon, scrolling through TikTok, or searching for a weekend […]
5 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

Navigating AI in Marketing Mix Modeling: Risk and Rewards

Webinar Navigating AI in Marketing Mix Modeling:Risk and Rewards Discover how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the marketing measurement landscape and learn how to leverage that power to optimize your Marketing Mix Modeling approach. Watch the webinar Webinar Navigating AI in Marketing Mix Modeling:Risk and Rewards Watch the webinar Are you ready to explore the transformative […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Convenience Stores Elevated Fresh Foods Sales Success Crushing Blow for Grocery Deli’s

  At the intersection of growth fresh food sales specifically Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat prepared food the convenience store sector is simply trouncing the grocery store sector.  In fact, Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® stated, grocery stores should be embarrassed by the way the convenience store sector and garnered share of […]
3 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

The Total Retail Edge: Ultra-Precise, Fast, Hyperpersonalized Direct Mail

For retail marketing executives, one area that must not be overlooked is the value of utilizing extremely precise, high-speed, hyperpersonalized direct mail. Despite the rise of digital marketing, direct mail is still broadly utilized by retailers (and other industries) to get marketing messages out to target audiences. This article examines the benefits for retailers in […]
5 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Once Again Fresh Food Focus Pays Off as Busy Consumers Embrace C-Store Eats

  Time-starved consumers are increasingly turning to convenience stores for their prepared food needs, according to new research I’ve been digging into. This is a major win for the c-store industry, which has invested heavily in recent years to develop high-quality, fresh food offerings. The 2024 Convenience Store News Realities of the Aisle Study, surveying […]
3 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Why Amazon’s Just Walk Out initiative failed – and why it’s not the end of checkout free technology

It recently emerged that Amazon’s Just Walk Out offering is being dropped from Amazon Fresh stores. However, it’s not checkout-free tech that’s failing, it’s the fact that Amazon’s checkout free solution doesn’t work, especially in grocery retailers, argues Will Glaser, Founder and CEO at Grabango. In the dynamic grocery retail landscape, a transformative wave is […]
3 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

How GenAI Can Turbocharge Retailers’ Ad Creative

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has set the marketing world aflame. Tools like DALL·E and Adobe Firefly have demonstrated the potential of AI to produce engaging creative from limited resources. Looking beyond that, what can it offer in terms of media efficiency for brand and retail marketers? The ability of GenAI tools to remix and iterate […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Consumer Durables

Corporate Social Responsibility: What Retailers Need to Know

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), once a differentiator for brands, is now the norm. Today’s consumers expect those they do business with, including retailers, will have positive impacts on the world. In fact, Gen Z consumers are three times as likely to say that the “purpose of business is to serve communities and society” rather than […]
3 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

New Report Identifies the US Merchants With the Best Gift Card Programs

For the seventh consecutive year, NAPCO Research and Blackhawk Network have partnered to produce an industry-leading report on U.S. merchants’ gift card programs. The 2024 assessment included a review of retailers’ e-commerce gift card offerings (desktop, mobile web, mobile app, device agnostic), including the purchaser and recipient experience for both digital and physical cards of […]
3 min read
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  1. Data & Insights

The Grocerant Guru: Unveiling the Efficiency Engine of the Future – The Rise of Grocerants

  Steven Johnson is the Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  He has spent years dissecting the ever-evolving food industry landscape. Today, he wants to delve into a niche that’s not only thriving but fundamentally transforming how we source, prepare, and consume food: the grocerant niche. For the uninitiated, grocerants are establishments including […]
3 min read
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  1. Department & Category

FMI names Furman to food and product safety team

ARLINGTON, Va. – FMI – The Food Industry Association has named Shelby Furman, Ph.D., as the association’s new director for food and product safety programs. In her role, Furman will be responsible for developing and implementing food and product safety programs as well as directing food protection activities and providing technical expertise for the FMI […]
2 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Surprising Fresh Meal Solutions: Convenience Stores

  Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes that customer migration from the restaurant sector to the convenience store sector will continue. In the bustling world of quick bites and on-the-go meals, convenience stores have quietly transformed into unexpected champions of fresh food. These unassuming neighborhood pit stops, once synonymous with chips, sodas, and […]
5 min read
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  1. Channel: Drug

The PR Perils of Inaccurate Sales Tax

It’s rare that sales tax issues make the news, and when they do, it’s generally not great for the seller. Earlier this year, things held to form when media in Massachusetts reported a sales tax calculation error on the Walgreens ecommerce website. The facts as reported support the notion of an honest mistake by the […]
4 min read
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  1. Technology & Innovation

Waitrose Reacting is not Enough CEO’s Need to Lead with Relevance

  Focusing on the consumer is a success clue no CEO can overlook. Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes that reshuffling the chains in the executive office makes little sense unless the focus shifts away form hot button short term tactics to a customer focused strategy that evolves with consumers […]
4 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Emotion-Informed GenAI: Making Your Marketing Content More Human

Emotions are central to how we engage, communicate with, and react to our world, motivating our behavior and deepening our interactions. Brands that lean into the intricacies of human emotions are proven to generate more sales and loyalty. According to McKinsey, 76 percent of consumers reported that receiving personalized communications was a top factor in […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Food

One Stop further expands fresh range

Last October, One Stop extended its fresh food offering with its first range reset in over two years. Five months on, the convenience retailer has expanded its range even further, bringing in another 39 products to their stores. “This is a really exciting time for… This story continues at One Stop further expands fresh range […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Department & Category

Grocerant Guru: AI Meets Appetizers at Re-Up Convenience Stores

  Technology is important but it never replaces flavorful fresh food service fast according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.   Johnson is your one-stop source for all things Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared at grocery stores, convenience stores, and within the restaurant sector. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Re-Up, […]
2 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

How Do Democrats and Republicans Feel About Certain U.S. Industries?

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Industry Favorability, by Political Party This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Much and more has been written, in the last decade particularly, about the U.S. […]
3 min read
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  1. Department & Category

UK bakery chain Greggs flags progress being made towards its 2025 sustainability targets

Greggs has published its fourth annual sustainability report, which outlines the progress made towards its 2025 green targets and sets out key focus areas for the year ahead.  Three-years into a five-year sustainability plan, Greggs says that it has made significant progress on its ten commitments and has reached the following key milestones:  ·       896 […]
2 min read
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  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Channel: Mass
  3. Department: Consumer Durables
  4. Department: Nonfood
  5. Media & Marketing
  6. Data & Insights
  7. Shopper & Customer
  8. Trends & External Forces
  9. Merchandising
  10. Operations & Supply Chain

Target’s April 2024 Circle Sale was its largest by sales lift

Track General Merchandise spending free Access chart in Dash. Target’s April Circle Sale generated 7% more sales than the weekly average in the previous 4 weeks according to Earnest credit card data. This represents a 2 point acceleration in the Circle Sale’s contribution to Target’s topline compared to Target’s October sale. Target Circle is a […]
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  1. Department: Consumer Durables
  2. Media & Marketing
  3. Data & Insights
  4. Shopper & Customer
  5. Trends & External Forces
  6. Stores & Formats

TikTok Shop customers spend more at lower ticket apparel retailers

Download full TikTok Shop report Access TikTok and Panel data in Dash. TikTok Shop customers spent 26% of their apparel wallet on Off-Price Department Stores and 11% on Fast Fashion in the 12-months ended February 2024, compared to 24% and 7% for the average shopper. Conversely, TikTok Shop users spent less than their peers at […]
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  1. Trends & External Forces
  2. Corporate Finance
  3. Corporate Purpose
  4. ESG
  5. Media & Marketing
  6. Data & Insights
  7. Technology & Innovation
  8. Trends & External Forces
  9. Associates & Employees

Where Does One U.S. Tax Dollar Go?

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app. Where Does One U.S. Tax Dollar Go? This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on Apple or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Come tax season, a common refrain is: “what do my taxes even […]
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