CPG

Sweetgreen is in a very different position than it was prepandemic: Both its menu and physical footprint are evolving as it looks to widen its potential customer base.

Fewer than a third of US shoppers turn to department stores’ websites (31%) or brick-and-mortar locations (24%) when conducting beauty research, according to a May survey conducted by PowerReviews. In contrast, 71% turn to a specialty retailer’s website when researching new products.

Target is taking a page from Trader Joe’s: The retailer is adding over 20 new seasonal private label food items this fall, such as apple pie-filled cookies and honey-pumpkin goat cheese ravioli.

Key stat: 28.0% of Gen Z consumers have discovered grocery products via search engines, compared with 16.7% that have discovered products while browsing store shelves, per our forecast.

Instacart's IPO filing highlights its shift: From a grocery delivery service to a booming retail media platform covering 85% of the US grocery industry.

E.l.f. Beauty’s Naturium acquisition will double its share of the fast-growing skincare market: The company is looking to take full advantage of the lipstick effect as shoppers continue to splurge on beauty.

Hostess Brands wants to cash in on CPG acquisition boom: The Twinkie manufacturer is reportedly seeking a buyer as snack demand stays strong.

Boots leans into beauty: The UK retailer plans to open a beauty-only store that offers free consultations and skincare advice.

Indian startup Zepto bucks rapid grocery skepticism with $200 million funding round: But it’s proving to be an outlier in the quick-commerce space, as Getir and Gopuff both struggle to find a sustainable model.

Younger generations are more likely to discover new grocery products via social media and search engines.

The slowdown in discretionary spending hurt Petco’s Q2 results: The retailer’s supplies and companion animal business fell 9.4% YoY, and some shoppers are trading down to lower-priced food.

Shoppers will be able to get their pumpkin spice fixes earlier than ever this year: Starbucks, 7-Eleven, and more are hoping that an earlier launch will enable them to capture more sales from PSL devotees.

Coty’s revenues rose 16% YoY in fiscal Q4: While consumers pull back on discretionary spending in many categories, they continue to splurge on Coty’s beauty and cosmetics brands.

Instacart’s gross transaction volume grew just 5% in the first half: That’s a troubling number that can’t be glossed over by the company’s 30% revenue growth.

Lower-income consumers are feeling pinched: Although inflation is cooling, many are shopping discount stores for everything from basic necessities to groceries.

Estée Lauder has significant challenges: The combination of too much merchandise and weak travel retail demand is weighing on Estée Lauder’s results.

Farfetch embarks on major cost cuts as luxury demand continues to soften: The luxury ecommerce platform is laying off around 11% of its workforce and sunsetting its beauty business as it tries to stem losses.

Aldi’s Winn-Dixie acquisition marks a departure for the discount grocer: The deal will allow Aldi to experiment with larger stores, but it could force a shift in its private label strategy.

Though growth is slowing, digital grocery will continue to fuel overall ecommerce growth in the US. “Growth is no longer driven by new adopters, but heavy digital grocery users,” our analyst Blake Droesch said on a recent “Reimagining Retail” podcast episode. Here’s how retailers like Instacart, Amazon, and Walmart can capitalize on frequent buyers.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss the changes in how US consumers buy groceries, strategies for building future growth in grocery, and who has the best shot at winning. Then in a newish segment, "Loyalty Point, Counter Point," we present arguments both in favor of and against Uber and DoorDash being able to push even further into grocery. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and director of content Becky Shilling.