CPG

Foot traffic to Aldi stores grew 12.3% YoY in Q4 2024, over twice the growth of low-cost competitor Trader Joe’s, according to data from Placer.ai.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of February. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Analyst Arielle Feger and Senior Analyst Sara Lebow will defend their list against Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

McDonald’s zigs when others zag: Rather than follow the lead of Denny's and Waffle House in adding an egg surcharge, the fast food giant is slashing the price of its Egg McMuffin.

Instacart projects healthy order growth thanks to Uber partnership, affordability initiatives: But profitability is under pressure as ad growth slows and basket sizes shrink.

Ecommerce penetration of beauty and personal care sales is rising: 41% of category sales take place on platforms like Amazon and TikTok Shop as consumers respond to virality and convenience.

Unilever is unhappy with turnaround progress: The CPG company abruptly replaced CEO Hein Schumacher as it pushes for a faster recovery.

Warehouse club membership has its privileges: Strong sales show that consumers see these stores as a smart way to save as costs rise.

Starbucks to lay off 1,100 workers in a bid for efficiency: The coffee company is also reducing its menu by 30% to improve order speed and consistency.

Prosus to buy Just Eat Takeaway for $4.3 billion: The firm plans to reuse the playbook that drove growth at its Brazilian food delivery company iFood.

Shoppable beauty ads lose luster: Industry KPI engagement data suggests the sector’s social commerce wave is slowing.

As younger consumers grow increasingly comfortable with abstinence, and the non-alcoholic sector grows, brands and retailers should reconsider how to approach Dry January.

News and magazine apps have the highest engagement score in North America, with 29% of monthly active users coming back daily, according to a September 2024 Airship survey.

Walmart and Kroger would be hit hard by SNAP benefit cuts: Democratic lawmakers warn Republicans could make steep cuts to food assistance, producing significant challenges for grocers.

Coca-Cola takes on Olipop, Poppi: The company is getting in on the “better for you” trend with Simply Pop, a high-fiber, low-sugar prebiotic soda.

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to the Friday 5. This week, Temu and Shein get a scare, consumers use buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps to discover new products, and Super Bowl viewers don’t really care about ads for AI products or services.

Amazon opens a “parapharmacy” in Milan: The store is part of a broader push into beauty and personal items and marks its latest attempt to crack the brick-and-mortar code.

Beauty brands and retailers target Gen Alpha spending as growth slows: Their beauty obsession makes them a natural focus, but companies have to tread carefully.

Unilever’s 30 largest brands grew 5.3% YoY in Q4: That significantly outpaced the company’s overall 4% growth rate, which was just shy of analysts’ expectations.

Egg prices are up, and so are consumers’ concerns about affording groceries amid rising cases of avian flu, inflation, and President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Here’s how grocery shopping may change in the year ahead and what retailers need to know.

Inflation accelerated in January: Rising prices of eggs, chocolate, and other goods keep costs in the spotlight, potentially squeezing discretionary spending and pressuring retailers.