CPG

Starbucks looks to broaden its appeal: Accessibility and inclusion considerations will guide the design of new company-owned stores.

Shake Shack’s revenues grew 20% in Q4: The company expects consumers to maintain a healthy appetite for its premium fast-food offerings, which stand in contrast to some lower-priced chains.

Cigna partnered with HelloFresh to help members eat better: The health insurer will offer discounts on meal kits to some members—a creative new twist on food as medicine.

Brands and retailers are responding to shifts in alcohol consumption, particularly those of the growing Gen Z demographic as they establish habits and steer the industry’s future. With younger people drinking less and mid-level beverages waning in popularity, product diversification is becoming an even bigger business imperative.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how buying alcohol online is different, what Uber’s shutdown of Drizly means for its retail media business, and how consumption habits are changing. Then for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us four spicy predictions about the future of alcohol. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

CPG companies need a new playbook: Price hikes can no longer paper over volume declines at Kraft Heinz, Hershey, and PepsiCo.

Instacart’s ad growth slowed in Q4: That could create problems for the company as it relies more heavily on ads to offset softening grocery delivery demand.

Molson Coors’ strategy is working: Upping its marketing spend in the wake of Bud Light’s marketing mishaps helped its core brands gain share.

Walgreens’ Nice! brand mango gummies went viral: An influencer’s TikTok video about the candy drove a surge in demand, offering a case study on why private label sales are soaring.

Ulta Beauty is using in-store vending machines to bring more joy to the shopping experience, and AI enables it to analyze more customer data for personalization. The retailer is also training its store associates to engage younger beauty consumers.

Domestic brands are gaining share in China’s beauty market: That’s dragging down demand for L’Oréal, Shiseido, and Estée Lauder.

L’Oréal, e.l.f. Beauty, and Coty see double-digit growth as beauty demand soars: Demand for dermatological beauty, dupes, and fragrances is keeping all three companies on an upward trajectory.

Fast food has gotten too expensive for low-income consumers: High prices are causing some to think twice before venturing to McDonald’s, Taco Bell, or Starbucks.

Estée Lauder announces layoffs as it loses ground to rivals: The company is struggling to capitalize on demand for skincare and premium beauty, while its reliance on China continues to sting.

McDonald’s is seeing a slower start to 2024: Those results stem from challenges related to the Middle East conflict, along with lower-income consumers pulling back on eating out.

The “The Sopranos” turns 25 this year, and the “mob wife” look—big hair, fur coats, animal prints, and lots of gold jewelry—is back and trending on TikTok.

US grocery store displays averaged 80.3 per store in 2023, a decline 10.2 from 2018, according to Q3 2023 data from Circana.

Bud Light’s sales are down nearly 30% YoY: A turnaround appears unlikely anytime soon after the brand once again stepped on a rake by partnering with controversial comedian Shane Gillis.

Gen Alpha’s obsession with skincare is driving beauty sales: Younger shoppers are gravitating toward premium brands and spending more time browsing the aisles at Sephora.

Starbucks posts weaker growth as headwinds weigh on sales: The company is facing pressure from cost-conscious consumers in China, as well as stagnating foot traffic in the US.