Inflation drove consumers to buy more store brands: But as sales remain strong, retailers look to premium private label items to foster loyalty.
Fast-food chains hope value meals hook customers: While Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, and Burger King turn to promotions amid sluggish demand, consumers keep splurging on pricier options like Cava.
US consumers keep spending: Better-than-expected results from Abercrombie, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Cava demonstrate that shoppers are willing to splurge on some nice-to-have items.
Starbucks’ staffing issues lead to worker and customer dissatisfaction: Chronic understaffing is increasing wait times and hurting sales, while giving the union more room to extract concessions.
Restaurants ramp up hiring in preparation for a busy summer season: But operators face an uphill battle to win over value-conscious customers.
Red Lobster files for bankruptcy after disastrous Endless Shrimp promotion: The company is closing restaurants and pulling back on promotions as it tries to turn its business around.
How are consumers adapting to digital dining tools designed to make ordering and delivery more convenient? Are they embracing restaurant apps, delivery platforms, and digital ordering kiosks?
McDonald’s embraces “grandmacore”: The company’s limited-time “Grandma McFlurry” aims to recapture the success of last summer’s Grimace shake.
When it comes to retail spaces, smaller is better: More than two-thirds of the executed leases in the retail sector in Q1 were less than 2,500 square feet.
41% of US restaurant operators are planning to use AI for sales forecasting and scheduling, while 33% are using the tech for personalized marketing, according to December 2023 data from Restaurant365.
“The restaurant industry is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic,” our content director Becky Schilling said on an episode of “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. On top of that, inflation and economic uncertainty has made for a tough four years. In face of these persisting challenges, restaurants are turning to AI and unified commerce solutions to improve the customer experience, build loyalty, and supercharge personalization.
Promotions were tied to 28% of Applebee’s transactions in Q1: That’s up from 19% in the previous quarter as casual dining customers spend cautiously.
On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why the restaurant industry is facing another year of uncertainty and how restaurants are boosting loyalty. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top restaurant loyalty programs. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and senior director of media content Becky Schilling.
The beer industry sees brighter days ahead: After several quarters of declines, Heineken, Carlsberg, and even Anheuser-Busch InBev expect to return to growth.
Uber posts earnings miss due to weaker demand in some markets: But its delivery business was a bright spot as order frequency reached an all-time high.
Instacart and Uber team up to keep DoorDash at bay: Instacart hopes the deal will protect its grocery business and widen consumer appeal, while Uber looks for new customers.
Howard Schultz says Starbucks’ ‘fix needs to begin at home’: Following a tough quarter, the company’s former boss took to LinkedIn to detail how it should revamp its US operations.
Inflation is on the rise and the competition for consumer dollars is heating up between restaurants and retailers. Here are five insights into how consumers are purchasing their food as prices continue to rise.
QSR customers focused on value in Q1: The common thread in the earnings of Starbucks, McDonald’s, Yum Brands, and Restaurant Brands International is that consumers are feeling jittery.
DoorDash delivered strong top-line results in Q1: The total order volume rose 21% during the quarter and the company gained share in “virtually all lines of business.”