RetailWire’s Post

How will the outcome of the proposed Kroger-Albertsons deal impact the industry?  How does grocery e-commerce fit into “new normal” behaviors?  How will grocers combine in-store and digital retail media?  How can grocers continue to gain on restaurants’ pain? How can grocers better meet consumer needs with alternative store formats? How will grocers evolve private label strategies to grow customer loyalty? How will grocers assess checkout technology investments and weigh risks? https://lnkd.in/gXQy-AGr Giant Tiger Walmart Walmart Canada Sobeys Loblaw Companies Limited No Frills FRESHCO, LTD. Metro Inc. Fortinos Supermarket Ltd Lococo's Starsky Fine Foods Inc.

"As so much talk within the grocery industry is centered around Amazon, Walmart, and a certain pending mega-merger aiming to compete with them, one grocery giant—Ahold Delhaize—is finding value in smaller, regional chains. “We think retail is local,” Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller told Retail Brew. “We think it gives a lot of ownership and accountability and engagement to local management to run the brand, be responsible, breathe the brand.” - Retail Brew https://lnkd.in/grCgcVPb #retail #grocery #business #businessnews #stopandshop #grocerybusiness #food #foodbuisness #shopping #bankruptcy #grocerystores #retailnews

The history of full-line grocery stores is fascinating, showcasing the evolution of retail and consumer habits over time. Here's a trivia snippet about the history of full-line grocery stores:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Did you know that the concept of the full-line grocery store as we know it today can be traced back to the 19th century? One of the pioneers in this field was Piggly Wiggly, which opened its first store in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916. The founder, Clarence Saunders, revolutionized the grocery shopping experience by introducing self-service, pre-packaged goods, and fixed prices. Before this innovation, customers typically handed a shopping list to clerks who gathered the items from shelves behind the counter.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Piggly Wiggly's introduction of the self-service model not only increased efficiency but also allowed customers to browse and choose their products directly. This groundbreaking approach marked a significant shift in the grocery retail landscape, influencing the development of full-line grocery stores that we are familiar with in the present day. The success of Piggly Wiggly spurred the widespread adoption of the self-service model by other grocery retailers, shaping the modern grocery shopping experience. #GroceryDistribution #DSDTrivia

The history of full-line grocery stores is fascinating, showcasing the evolution of retail and consumer habits over time. Here's a trivia snippet about the history of full-line grocery stores:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Did you know that the concept of the full-line grocery store as we know it today can be traced back to the 19th century? One of the pioneers in this field was Piggly Wiggly, which opened its first store in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916. The founder, Clarence Saunders, revolutionized the grocery shopping experience by introducing self-service, pre-packaged goods, and fixed prices. Before this innovation, customers typically handed a shopping list to clerks who gathered the items from shelves behind the counter.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Piggly Wiggly's introduction of the self-service model not only increased efficiency but also allowed customers to browse and choose their products directly. This groundbreaking approach marked a significant shift in the grocery retail landscape, influencing the development of full-line grocery stores that we are familiar with in the present day. The success of Piggly Wiggly spurred the widespread adoption of the self-service model by other grocery retailers, shaping the modern grocery shopping experience. #GroceryDistribution #DSDTrivia

The history of full-line grocery stores is fascinating, showcasing the evolution of retail and consumer habits over time. Here's a trivia snippet about the history of full-line grocery stores:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Did you know that the concept of the full-line grocery store as we know it today can be traced back to the 19th century? One of the pioneers in this field was Piggly Wiggly, which opened its first store in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916. The founder, Clarence Saunders, revolutionized the grocery shopping experience by introducing self-service, pre-packaged goods, and fixed prices. Before this innovation, customers typically handed a shopping list to clerks who gathered the items from shelves behind the counter.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Piggly Wiggly's introduction of the self-service model not only increased efficiency but also allowed customers to browse and choose their products directly. This groundbreaking approach marked a significant shift in the grocery retail landscape, influencing the development of full-line grocery stores that we are familiar with in the present day. The success of Piggly Wiggly spurred the widespread adoption of the self-service model by other grocery retailers, shaping the modern grocery shopping experience. #GroceryDistribution #DSDTrivia

WHAT ALDI’S EXPANSION CAN TEACH AMAZON ALDI USA has announced it will add 800 new stores nationwide. Aldi operates 2,300 stores and it will operate 3,100 stores by the end of 2028. Let’s compare the announcement by Aldi to recent discussions I had with three individuals who work on Amazon’s grocery team. I’ve pushed since 2019 for Amazon to pilot a system from AutoStore™ as I knew Amazon’s robotics team would be unable to build a scaleable micro-fulfillment system. I was right. Bastian Solutions has installed one AutoStore MFC and they will start installing another MFC soon for Amazon. I’ve recommended since 2022 that Amazon also pilot an MFC from Brightpick. I believe Amazon will soon sign an agreement with Brightpick to do so. It’s possible that Amazon could acquire Brightpick or AutoStore. MFCs are strategic to Amazon. I recommend they open 300 to 500 MFCs to complement their physical stores. We also discussed Amazon Fresh. I reiterated Amazon should leverage Whole Foods proven brand recognition and reputation vs. trying to scale Amazon Fresh. However, Amazon’s executives have a love affair with the technology utilized by Amazon Fresh stores. Unfortunately for Amazon, customers fall in love with stores that offer the best assortment, deals and shopping experience - not technology. I continue to insist that the only physical store concept Amazon should want to scale is what I refer to as ‘Whole Foods+’ stores. The stores are a must-have in my opinion. 70% of Whole Foods customers leave the stores to finish their grocery shopping at another retailer; primarily Walmart. Why? Because Whole Foods stores don’t sell Coke, Pepsi, Cheetos and other CPG products consumers love. I designed Whole Foods+ stores to sell a combination of organic products and the best-selling CPG products that consumers buy. Whole Foods+ stores will meet the needs of ALL grocery customers and significantly increase sales. An Amazon executive stated to me, “The reason why we are pushing back against opening Whole Foods+ stores is because Amazon agreed to let Whole Foods operate as a separate company. They don’t like your idea of opening Whole Foods+ stores or selling CPG products inside Whole Foods. They only want to sell products with natural ingredients.” Come again? Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for $13.7B in 2017. Amazon must stop watching Whole Foods customers leave and shop at Walmart and other grocers. Amazon should name an executive to be CEO or co-CEO of Whole Foods to drive strategy. Amazon must maximize the value of the Whole Foods brand. While Amazon continues to ponder their grocery strategy, Aldi is opening 800 more stores. This is on top of the 1,100 stores Aldi built over the last five years in the USA. Aldi is an execution machine. The biggest obstacle to Amazon becoming a major player in groceries is the lack of leadership. Note to Amazon: Hire Aldi’s CEO Jason Hart. He’s a proven leader. #retail #groceries

The history of full-line grocery stores is fascinating, showcasing the evolution of retail and consumer habits over time. Here's a trivia snippet about the history of full-line grocery stores:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Did you know that the concept of the full-line grocery store as we know it today can be traced back to the 19th century? One of the pioneers in this field was Piggly Wiggly, which opened its first store in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916. The founder, Clarence Saunders, revolutionized the grocery shopping experience by introducing self-service, pre-packaged goods, and fixed prices. Before this innovation, customers typically handed a shopping list to clerks who gathered the items from shelves behind the counter.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Piggly Wiggly's introduction of the self-service model not only increased efficiency but also allowed customers to browse and choose their products directly. This groundbreaking approach marked a significant shift in the grocery retail landscape, influencing the development of full-line grocery stores that we are familiar with in the present day. The success of Piggly Wiggly spurred the widespread adoption of the self-service model by other grocery retailers, shaping the modern grocery shopping experience. #GroceryDistribution #DSDTrivia

It seems the traditional season of the "year-in-review" has just take off at Grocery Dive for #walmart as a start. #Walmart, like many supermarkets worldwide, have experienced a surge in grocery sales as people relied more on supermarkets instead of restaurants during the pandemic and the challenge for Walmart has been to capitalize on this momentum and retain the market share gains by keeping customers engaged and away from restaurants as normalcy returned. To make it happen, Walmart has introduced several new strategies to keep its customers shopping for groceries and dining at home, which include expanding its in-store dining options by partnering with fast-casual restaurants, providing convenient and appealing "Affordable Restaurant-Quality meals". Additionally, Walmart has revamped its grocery offerings, launching a new private brand to cater to both low- and high-income shoppers. On the #sustainability's side Walmart as invested in crop monitoring tech to ensure fresher produce in store and reduce food waste, Is all of these propositions will continue to made Walmart a Grocery Destination with its "Affordable Restaurant-Quality Meals" offer to continue to compete with restaurants ? Furthermore, to solidify its grocery dominance, Walmart opened new #Neighborhood #Market format with enhanced grocery offerings tailored to customer demand for high-quality and fresh more often locally harvest food. Opening more convenience stores format supports the company’s e-commerce growth for its #clickandcollect" offer thus creating an ecosystem where in-store and online experiences converge, which is part of Walmart’s five-year growth plan including building or converting 150 new locations and remodeling 650 stores by 2029.

Walmart's Next Big Move: Rolling Out Electronic Shelf Labels Nationwide 🛒💡 As the retail industry evolves, price management is undergoing a transformation. Walmart’s recent announcement to implement electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across 2,300 stores by 2026 is a testament to this change. These ESLs can update prices every ten seconds, allowing for dynamic pricing strategies. 📈 Grocery industry analyst Phil Lempert highlights the flexibility ESLs offer, like raising the price of ice cream on hot days or discounting items nearing expiration. This dynamic approach mirrors surge pricing models seen in apps like Uber and fast-food chains like Wendy’s. 📱🍔 However, the benefits of ESLs extend beyond dynamic pricing. Daniela Boscan, who participated in Walmart’s Texas pilot, notes the productivity gains and reduced walking time for employees, facilitating quicker shelf restocking. ⏱️🚶♂️ Major retailers like Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh already use ESLs, common in Europe, for similar advantages. These tags also enhance the shopping experience by providing detailed product information via barcodes, improving transparency for health-conscious customers. 🌍📊 Santiago Gallino from the Wharton School underscores the labor cost savings for both large and small retailers. ESLs ensure price consistency between online and in-store purchases, minimizing customer confusion and enhancing satisfaction. 🤝🛍️ At Aptimyz Retail, we recognize the potential of electronic shelf labels to revolutionize retail pricing and operations for businesses of all sizes. “We believe that embracing cutting-edge technologies like electronic shelf labels is essential for staying competitive and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Our goal is to empower retailers to optimize their operations and meet the ever-changing needs of consumers,” says David Soden, CEO of Aptimyz Retail. By staying ahead of such technological advancements, we continue to empower retailers to enhance efficiency and customer experience. For more details, check out the full NPR article #RetailInnovation #DynamicPricing #RetailTechnology #CustomerExperience #AptimyzRetail

One of the key messages at Grocery Shop I heard from multiple speakers is the need to rethink the supply chain for digital grocery. For most retailers, Pick-up has been bolted on to their stores. This is causing a drain on margins due to the high cost to pick orders while requiring the customer to accept certain restrictions. ❌ Pick-up has to be scheduled in advance to pick the order ❌ Only so many order slots are available on a given day ❌ Substitutions are an issue due to imprecise inventory accuracy ❌ Wait times during pickup due to distance or staffing challenges ❌ Inconvenience of navigating a crowded grocery store parking lot Looking for disruptive solutions, I was introduced to Alex Ruhter at JackBe. They looked at these same restrictions and came up with a better solution. A stand-alone facility designed for on-demand grocery pick-up. Leveraging process & technology, they are able to get a customer in & out in less than 3 minutes while spending less than 5 minutes picking the order. The power of this concept is the ability to offer convenience to customers who want to shop digitally without limiting when or how they can receive their order. For a retailer, it offers a new channel to meet your customers' needs with a positive impact on your margins versus the drain seen today. I realized the value in this model as I've either sat waiting longer than expected for my pick-up order or had to run into the store for just a few items. Knowing the pain myself, I see the potential JackBe has to enable the growth of digital grocery. I'm excited to partner with the JackBe team as their Chief Commercial Officer to bring this concept to grocery retailers. Thank you to Alex Ruhter, Mitch Friesen, and Chad Orlikowski, MBA for trusting me to join the team. #groceryretail #cpg #processimprovement