Thick Data

  1. CPG & FMCG

The Bifurcation Of The US Economy

The question is, which portrayal of the US economy do you want to believe? Which one are you experiencing?  Are your customers experiencing? There were several stories over the weekend that illustrated the bifurcation of the US economy. The Associated Press reported that “after splurging on the World Cup and Amazon Prime Day sales, Americans […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Nonfood

Legal Departments Move From Testing AI to Governing It

For decades, the legal department was one of the last enterprise functions to adopt new technology at scale. The work was too nuanced, the stakes too high, and the profession too cautious. Generative AI changed the pace of experimentation. Agentic AI is changing the pace of deployment, and this week the Prompt Economy turns its […]
3 min read
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  1. Department: Food

Goldman Sachs Says AI Spending Not Boosting Corporate Earnings

A jump in corporate artificial intelligence spending has not translated into a corresponding boost in earnings. That’s according to a report Sunday (Aug. 16) by Seeking Alpha, citing an analysis from Goldman Sachs which found that just 2% of S&P 500 companies quantified the effects of AI in second-quarter earnings reports. Of those, 11% cited […]
2 min read
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  1. CPG: Food

Smoothie King’s Flatbread Lesson: Why Hand-Held Food Is the Next Growth Platform

  Smoothie King may have started with smoothies, but its latest sales performance demonstrates something much bigger about the American foodservice consumer: beverages are food, flatbreads are food, and hand-held foods are increasingly becoming the format for how America eats. The Dallas-based chain reported 9% same-store sales growth in July, with its new Chicken Flatbreads […]
7 min read
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  1. Department & Category

Nearly 4 in 10 CFOs See Gen AI Paying Off Within Two Years

CFOs have stopped treating generative artificial intelligence returns as one date circled on the calendar. By December, 39.1% expected very positive returns within one to two years, even as 26.1% expected the payoff to take six years or longer. That split is the clearest sign that finance leaders are getting more practical about the technology. […]
2 min read
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  1. Media & Marketing

July E-Grocery Sales Up 21.5 Percent YOY

The July Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopping Survey is out, showing that total e-grocery sales were up 21.5 percent, primarily driven by continued growth – almost 15 percent – in average order frequency. A critical note from the report:   “Where there is growth in overall grocery spending, it comes from online sales. In contrast […]
2 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Burger King’s Comeback: 7 Food Marketing Lessons Restaurants Can Learn in 2026

  BURGER KING IS EATING ITS COMPETITORS’ LUNCH, The Whopper, Better Operations, Smarter Marketing and a Return to Consistency Are Turning Burger King Into One of Fast Food’s Most Important Comeback Stories according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Burger King didn’t win the second quarter of 2026 by inventing […]
10 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Clean Restrooms Are No Longer a Convenience—They’re a Competitive Advantage

  For decades, food retailers have spent billions of dollars improving menus, remodeling stores, and investing in technology. Yet one of the most influential drivers of customer loyalty remains one of the least glamorous: the restroom. Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® say’s just look at the latest Bradley Co. Healthy […]
4 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

How Short-Term Buying Decisions Create Long-Term Economic Problems

Washington Post financial columnist Michelle Singletary writes about a new “Urban Institute survey on family well-being and basic needs” that “highlights a critical shift in consumer behavior. Last year, more than 1 in 3 working-age adults used credit cards to buy groceries — and many of them had trouble paying them off. “While 34.9 percent […]
2 min read
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  1. Shopper & Customer

Local retailers can help online shoppers meet delivery choice demands

Research from PayPoint has revealed that consumers increasingly value having a choice of delivery and collection options when shopping online, highlighting the growing importance of flexibility for retailers looking to meet evolving customer expectations. The research, based on a survey of more than 2,000 UK… This story continues at Local retailers can help online shoppers […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Department & Category

Promotional feature | Retailers vote Prawn Cocktail Spirals Bobby’s top product

Independent retailers have named Bobby’s Snack Range as the brand’s strongest-performing category, with Prawn Cocktail Spirals emerging as the leading product in Bobby’s Retailers’ Choice Survey 2026. The survey asked convenience retailers which Bobby’s categories and products perform best in their stores and what helps… This story continues at Promotional feature | Retailers vote Prawn […]
< 1 min read
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  1. Trends & External Forces

Falling retail crime stats received with very cautious optimism

The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales, published today (23 July) by the Office for National Statistics, has shown that in the 12 months to March 2026, there were 507,086 recorded shop theft offences compared to 530,324 in the previous year. The National President… This story continues at Falling retail crime stats received with […]
< 1 min read
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  1. ESG
  2. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
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5 Things NOT to Do When Pitching to a Retail Buyer (and What to Do Instead)

Pitching your product to a retail buyer can be one of the most exciting—and nerve-racking—moments for any product manufacturer. The stakes are high, competition is fierce, and buyers are constantly evaluating which brands deserve a spot on their shelves. Landing a retail deal can mean massive brand exposure, increased credibility, and a major jump in […]
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  1. Media & Marketing
  2. CPG & FMCG
  3. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  4. Department & Category
  5. Media & Marketing
  6. Data & Insights
  7. Shopper & Customer
  8. Trends & External Forces
  9. Operations & Supply Chain

July E-Grocery Sales Up 21.5 Percent YOY

The July Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopping Survey is out, showing that total e-grocery sales were up 21.5 percent, primarily driven by continued growth – almost 15 percent – in average order frequency. A critical note from the report:   “Where there is growth in overall grocery spending, it comes from online sales. In contrast […]
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  1. Channel: Grocery
  2. Channel: Grocery

Kroger acquiring Giant Eagle in $1.65B deal

Kroger Co. is acquiring Giant Eagle, a family-owned food and pharmacy retailer, for a purchase price of $1.65 billion. Giant Eagle has approximately $9 billion in annual sales and 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana, according to a press release. The purchase is comprised of […]
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