With customers continuing to seek lower-priced options due to inflation, the major players in value retailing are already far outpacing others in opening new stores in 2022 and appear to be riding mighty tailwinds heading into 2023. For the fiscal year in January, Dollar General and Dollar Tree are on track to open 1,300 new […]

As the end of 2022 approaches, it is an appropriate time to wonder how the year will be remembered.  However, 2022 has been such a volatile year, it will be hard to define.  Was 2022 the year that crypto currencies gained legitimacy and entered the mainstream? Or was it the year that the face of […]

This past September, my colleague Paul Alexander wrote about the rise of ready to drink (RTD) cocktails in this space. He detailed several key developments, including Coca-Cola’s partnership with both Brown-Forman and Constellation brands to launch alcoholic beverages. It seems that partnership was just the beginning for Coca-Cola’s foray into alcoholic beverages. In late September, […]

Small brands and major retailers alike have been bracing for a muted holiday shopping season this year due to concerns about a weakening economy, high inflation, excess inventory, and softening consumer demand. Anxiety built further when major fall seasonal sales, including Amazon’s second Prime Day of 2022 (the first time the company has ever had […]

Target’s same-store sales have been trending in the wrong direction. Third quarter comps by month showed a 2.8 percent gain in August, followed by a 4.0 percent increase in September. But October proved challenging, with same-store sales declining 0.9 percent. This occurred despite the Target Deal Days promotion that ran between October 6 and 8. […]