CPG

As the top two retailers in the US, Walmart and Amazon are battling for holiday success by rolling out the best deals, the fastest delivery, and the best in-store experience. Here’s who we expect will come out on top in each of those areas, plus a post-holiday outlook.

Amazon will offer grocery delivery to non-Prime members nationwide: The retail giant also plans to resume opening Amazon Fresh stores next year.

Both Kellanova (formerly Kellogg) and its spun-off cereal business beat expectations: While price hikes helped pad the two companies’ margins, both saw volumes dip.

Getir pivots to grocery with FreshDirect acquisition: But that may not be enough to win shoppers over, especially as delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats push deeper into quick commerce.

Instacart leans on advertising to bolster its bottom line: The company’s advertising revenues grew 19%, significantly outpacing the 4% growth in the number of online orders on its platform.

There’s no doubt that the combination of all digital activities drives far more product and brand awareness than the physical store. But no single online channel—whether third-party retailers, brand websites, or social networks—has overtaken the power of the store.

The UK’s cost-of-living crisis is squeezing household budgets: While sales volumes fell in October, consumers did stock up on lower-priced indulgences such as cosmetics and food and drink.

Grocery spending is slowly shifting online as consumers seek convenience: More shoppers are leveraging grocers’ ecommerce options as well as delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats.

LVMH deepens investment in new categories, markets to offset sales slowdown: The luxury company is expanding its luxury eyewear portfolio and growing its retail presence in India.

Dupe culture powered e.l.f. Beauty to a 76% YoY sales increase last quarter: Gen Z’s favorite drugstore brand is reaping the rewards as consumers look for budget-friendly ways to stay on top of beauty trends.

Starbucks, DoorDash, Mondelēz beat expectations as consumers spring for affordable indulgences: Shoppers continue to spend big on food delivery, snacks, and pumpkin spice lattes.

The much-hyped “Ozempic effect” looks increasingly like a myth: Shoppers on GLP-1 drugs aren’t buying less, although what they put in their baskets is changing.

Taco Bell’s US same-store sales rose 8% in Q3: That made it the bright spot in parent company Yum Brands’ results thanks to aggressive promotions that appealed to cost-conscious consumers.

AB InBev’s beer volumes fell 3.4% in Q3: Declining Bud Light sales weighed down the company’s US performance.

The Hershey Co. found a way to apply retail media data from Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to other consumer packaged goods ads. The company learned that shoppers were buying shapes of Reese’s Cups based on their chocolate to peanut butter ratio, so it made two new products—one for peanut butter lovers and one for chocolate lovers, said Vinny Rinaldi, US head of media at The Hershey Co.

Higher prices aren’t scaring away McDonald’s customers: The fast-food chain surged past analysts’ expectations thanks to rising check sizes, and growing digital and delivery sales.

The D2C CPG business model is challenging: Hello Bello, Dollar Shave Club, and Honest Co. are among the brands that have stumbled as they’ve sought to balance acquisition costs and customer spend.

Nearly one in three Gen Z consumers never drinks alcohol: That’s driving growth of products like Heineken 0.0. Meanwhile, those who do drink are fueling the ready-to-drink beverages category.

Consumers aren’t trading down from Coca-Cola products: The company’s volumes rose, which speaks to the strength of its brands—including its namesake soda, Simply juice, and Powerade.

E.l.f. Beauty’s “Make up over Makeup” campaign, which launched in May, was a departure from what many think of as creator marketing. The campaign brought creators Chris Olsen, who boasts 12.1 million followers on TikTok, and Ian Paget, who has 2.5 million followers on TikTok, together after their high-profile breakup for a conversation and makeover.