Shoppers are beginning to trade back up to premium CPG brands: While volume growth is recovering at Unilever and Kimberly-Clark, pressure on lower-income consumers is hurting Nestlé and PepsiCo.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of April. 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 Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
Apple adjusts Vision Pro expectations after lackluster sales: The device’s expensive price tag is likely to blame—opening an opportunity for Meta to focus on affordability in the AR/VR space.
Hasbro and Mattel reined in costs in Q1: Looking ahead, the toy companies plan to wring more value out of iconic brands such as Dungeons & Dragons, Hot Wheels, and Barbie.
Canadian consumers keep tightening their belts: Retail sales fell 0.1% MoM in February after contracting 0.3% in January.
Saks launches retail media network amid slowing sales: The ecommerce retailer is billing its offering as a unique opportunity to connect with luxury shoppers.
Starbucks resumes talks with union as public opinion forces concessions: But a Supreme Court ruling could shift power in the company’s favor by making it harder to challenge unfair labor practices.
Google tells employees to work faster to earn their keep: The generative AI marketplace shakeup and increasing regulation are causing stress at the company. Layoffs aren’t helping.
This could be a large setback for Affirm and may be a sign the retail giant wants to bring its other financial products in-house
The tie-ups highlight viable paths for growing open banking-powered payments in the US, including B2B and P2P payments
The BNPL’s push into AI to replace labor costs may have contributed to the fire sale
PepsiCo’s higher prices led to weakening demand: But robust demand from international markets helped the company beat analysts’ expectations.
The FTC pushes back against Tapestry’s $8.5 billion Capri acquisition: The commission argued the deal will reduce competition and raise prices for US consumers.
Amazon rolls out US grocery subscription as it tries to halt Walmart’s momentum: But the offering’s high cost relative to those of competitors could limit its impact on Amazon’s grocery business.
Meta raises AI stakes: Meta AI has a competitive advantage over ChatGPT in potential distribution and could eventually provide new surfaces to serve ads.
We look at the tailwinds that pushed Amex ahead—and one potential headwind coming its way.
Consumers are more ready for shoppable TV than ever. “The opportunity around shoppable TV is changing due to significant advancements in technology and shifts in consumer behavior,” said David Cohen, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), in its recent Retail Media Goes to the Movies report.
In a recent meta analysis, Grocery TV discovered that consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands averaged a 14% increase in incremental sales when advertising through its in-store retail media network.
Albertsons and Kroger try to appease regulators: The companies will sell more stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers to clear the pathway for their merger.