The National Retail Federation named Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, The Visionary at the NRF Foundation Gala on Sunday, honoring him for his contribution to the retail industry.
Category Archives: FOOD & BEVERAGE
Walmart’s decision to close 63 Sam’s Club stores on the same day it announced raises for its hourly workers was a poor one, to say the least. But its decision to shutter those underperforming club outlets and convert 12 of them to e-commerce fulfillment centers, industry observers agree, was tough but necessary.
While changes today may be more complicated, they’re all focused on the same goals grocers and other retailers had more than a century ago: To offer better food, more efficiently and stand out.
Craft beer has taken off over the past five years, with the industry now boasting over 6,000 craft breweries in the US alone, 700 of which opened in the past year. In order to continue this momentum, Anheuser-Busch (A-B) has launched Elevate, a new initiative that aims to take craft brewing to the next level by creating a stronger, safer, more sustainable category and raising awareness of its craft beer and cider brands.
Global online food and beverage sales will increase 80% over the next five years, according to research firm Euromonitor International. This growth will outpace the 73% growth projected for the broader retail industry during the same time period, the firm notes. By 2022, Euromonitor forecasts that global online retail sales will eclipse traditional grocery sales.
A consumer survey released by Retail Feedback Group Study had positive news for Aldi and cautionary news for everyone else. The 2017 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study, which examined shopper attitudes on a range of industry topics, indicated Aldi is winning with shoppers on value and checkout experience, while Walmart received the lowest scores in all core areas of grocery shopping.
From meatless meats to digital twins, the latest “emerging trends” identified by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. include technologies and investing strategies that have been around for a while. “What happens when everything old becomes new again?” the bank asked Wednesday in the second edition of its “Outsiders” series, meant to help investors “separate the hype from reality.”
BJ’s Wholesale Club — simply known as BJ’s — has 215 stores in 16 states with 25,000 associates and sells more fresh food per member per year than its competitors, says President and CEO Chris Baldwin. He sees the company as a high-frequency club store that adds immense value to its 5 million members. “We save them 25 percent a year on their grocery bill,” he says, “so our role in their lives matters.”
Surely you’ve already heard about Amazon’s latest move. On June 16, Amazon announced that they were buying grocery chain, Whole Foods, for $13.7 billion. This acquisition has huge implications for not just the food delivery industry, but the delivery industry in general.
Hybrid foods and flavors are driving new product development across the global snacking landscape. Sweet bakery flavors, such as cakes, cookies and pies, are growing in global snack launches, said Kara Nielsen, manager of sales and engagement USA at market research firm Innova Market Insights.