Week of December 4, 2023
Accelerate Your Insights is a weekly news recap of the top trends in CPG focusing on retailer headlines, key shopper behaviors, and industry events.
Click the sources links below each headline to read more
Industry News
Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement Opens for Claims
Claim notices began mailing out December 1.
NIQ Getting New President of North American Business
Elizabeth Buchanan will succeed Jeanne Danubio, who is retiring
Online grocery sales dip
Online grocery sales saw a notable year-over-year dip during the third quarter, according to the latest data from Brick Meets Click.
Which Grocers Ranked High for Loyalty During Q3?
InMarket releases quarterly fidelity index showing H-E-B, Kroger led the pack
Natural Grocers Shares What’s Trending in Food, Health and Personal Care
Natural and organic retailer releases predictions for 2024
Report Highlights Challenge Of Retaining Online Customers
The year-over-year sales decline was driven by a higher rate of lapsed customers who shifted back to in-store or switched to a rival’s online service.
Retailer News
Kroger Doubles Down on Value as Sales Ease
Macro trends like slowing inflation and wary consumers spur retailer to revise full-year guidance
AWG’s Smith Reflects On Storied 48-Year Career In Grocery
Shelby Publishing is inducting Smith into its Food Industry Hall of Fame, and he recently reflected on his career and the bright future he sees for AWG as new leadership prepares to take the reins.
Safeway Partners with YouTube Sensation MrBeast to Donate Over $450,000 of Goods to Local Non-Profit Organizations
Available to watch now, the “Survive in a Grocery Store” video shows MrBeast challenging a contestant to see how many days he can live inside a Safeway grocery store.
Wegmans' Trend Toward Smaller Spaces Continues With New Pennsylvania Store
Yardley store to open in March 2024
Meijer to Debut Smaller-Format Banner in Cleveland
Retailer to unveil 1st neighborhood market outside of Michigan, under different name
Walmart CEO says consumers may not be as resilient next year, even as deflation starts to show
Holiday shoppers are turning to Walmart for groceries and gifts, but CEO Doug McMillon said it's hard to predict how sales will look in the months after the peak shopping season.
Dollar General to Open 800 Stores in 2024; Q3 Tops Street
Retailer reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings
Associated Grocers of New England Automates Traceability Process
Adoption of ReposiTrak solution helping wholesaler comply with FSMA 204 recordkeeping
Losses Add Up at UNFI in Q1, While Sales Edge Higher
Natural and organic wholesaler/distributor continues transformation effort
AWG’s All-In-One Distribution Hub First In North America
The first of its kind in the U.S., and just the third such facility in the world, the AIO will replace warehouses in Southaven, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, while also housing an expanded variety of items and new products.
Walgreens’ Shah outlines the future of pharmacy
Rina Shah shared her thoughts on the future of pharmacy and how their current VillageMD model serves as the template for the future.
Walmart’s Lisa Smith emphasizes efforts to correct vaccine misinformation
Lisa Smith, senior director of clinical strategy and operations support at Walmart, sheds light on how its pharmacists are working to correct vaccine misinformation.
Alimentation Couche-Tard Charts a Mix of Growth Activity
The parent company of Circle K has more than 100 sites in its construction pipeline, along with 1,000 sites identified for future growth opportunities.
Walmart can’t predict how shoppers will spend in 2024
CEO Doug McMillon says there are some red flags, even in grocery
Pilot Co. Completes 100 Remodels Under New Horizons Initiative
The travel center chain introduced the program in spring 2022.
Aldi opens nearly a dozen stores across 10 states in December
10 ribbon cuttings happened on Dec. 7
Dollar General CEO has a comeback plan
More shopper interaction and better inventory management are just two areas of improvement
Trader Joe’s is No. 1 in retail customer service: survey
And Publix also made the Top 10 list
Amazon tests fee-free grocery delivery in three cities
The pilot project was launched in Denver, Colorado; Columbus, Ohio; and Sacramento, California
Shopper News
AI Winning Over More Holiday Shoppers
Multiple data sources affirm growing use of technology this season
Cook-at-Home Behaviors Becoming Dominant: Report
NFRA’s latest study also points to the priorities of convenience and healthfulness
Report: Consumers turning to AI for holiday recipes and grocery lists
More than two out of every five shoppers said they’ll rely on the technology for holiday planning
Black Friday by the Numbers
NIQ’s Black Friday by the numbers offers rapid consumer insights on one of the biggest shopping holidays of the year. We asked US shoppers, when, where, and how they shopped Black Friday—read on for details on their holiday budgets, which retailers came out on top, and more.