Chris L.

The The FMCG Guys and I sure covered a lot in a quick 15 minutes! 🩵 A bit of background on Albertsons Media Collective and how far we’ve come … 🩵 A little slice into our #culture 🩵 A discussion on what Retail Media needs to consider as Google depreciates the 3rd party cookie. 🩵 How Brands and Retail media networks should think about expanding into #awareness channels. 🩵 How AI can be used as a tool for #retailmedia and the importance of data cleanliness and data fidelity. 🩵 Looking to Europe as to how to do in-store well.

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ICSC 🏬 July Store Expansion Highlights 🏬 Retailers and restaurants made significant moves in July, expanding their footprints and launching new formats. Here are the key updates: UNIQLO: The Japanese apparel brand is opening four new stores in Canada, targeting Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, and Langley, aiming for 200 locations in North America by 2027. Chick-fil-A Restaurants-fil-A: The beloved chicken chain plans to increase its presence in Puerto Rico, expanding from 5 to 20-25 restaurants by 2030. Humana at Walmart: CenterWell, part of Humana Inc., is set to open senior-focused primary care centers at 23 Walmart Supercenter locations across Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and Texas. BIRKENSTOCK: The iconic sandal brand opened a new two-story store in Paris and plans additional stores across major European cities. Cilantro Taco Grill: This fast-casual chain has secured agreements for 110 new locations, with a significant focus on Florida. Ace Hardware Corporation: Celebrating a milestone with 5,000 U.S. stores, marked by the opening of Fixit Ace Hardware in Roswell, GA. Qdoba Restaurant Corporation: Announcing a 30-unit expansion deal in the Carolinas with Thrive Restaurant Group, aiming for completion by 2028. The Wendy's Company: The quick-serve giant is set to enter the Republic of Ireland and Romania, part of a broader plan to expand across Europe. MANGO: Launched its teen-focused store concept internationally, with the first store opening in London. IKEA: Opening a new location in the iconic 570 Fifth Avenue in NYC, part of a prime retail and office tower. These expansions highlight the diverse strategies and ambitions of brands in the global market. #RetailExpansion #StoreOpening #RetailNews #GlobalRetail #BusinessGrowth #ICSC

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Hello Retail friends, “Phantom inventory” sounds like a scary term – and for good reason. It refers to goods that appear available in inventory systems but are physically missing from the shelves. The result? Lost sales, frustrated customers, and distorted demand forecasts. The good news is there is a better way, by using predictive inventory. This is a technology that leverages machine learning to identify inventory inaccuracies, improving the accuracy of automatic replenishment. It also helps retailers identify inventory gaps and their impacts on the business. It’s a powerful way to leverage modern AI and machine learning in the retail supply chain. We’ve got an entire webinar coming up about this - in the meantime read all about it, and sign up for the webinar, here: #machinelearning #ai #retail #futureofretail

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Our Voice of the Consumer—Canadian insights is here! Explore how consumers' mindsets are evolving in 2024 and the imperatives for retailers to build consumer trust. #ConsumerInsights #ConsumerTrends

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It's been a tough few days for Canadian retail. Store closures, brands 'trying out Canada' and failing, scaling without success... and next up is Ted Baker, Brooks Brothers and Lucky Brand 🇨🇦 I was interviewed by CBC news on what I think went wrong. --> Canada is not an extension of the US, just like France is not an extension of Germany because they share a border. Different customer needs. --> ABG just closed the deal to buy Champion so they have money. Not paying suppliers can't be the whole story. Or the excuse. --> Scaling a brand means investing in building brand loyalty + a merchandising & marketing strategy specific to that market 🗞 🗞 🗞 Liza Amlani, principal and co-founder of the Retail Strategy Group in Toronto, said the pending closures were not surprising to analysts. She said any problems between AGB and its suppliers is not the full story, given the large portfolio of brands AGB looks after. The real issues more likely involve the product mix at the store and a lack of understanding of the Canadian market, she said. "Every province you go in is very different," she said. "Customers are different, they're spending differently, they are dressing differently. So when I see brands coming into Canada without having that investment on the ground, that's where we start to see this sort of unravel." Amlani said Ted Baker did a good job of sorting its product mix, adding dresses, casual wear and athleisure wear, but "brands don't realize that what folks want in B.C. is very different to what customers want in Ontario." "Just like what happened with Nordstrom, that these bigger groups, these retailers, these brands coming into Canada, they think we're just an extension of the U.S., which is absolutely not true." "They're buying these brands because they can get them for cheap, not necessarily because they're using them to make a profit," she said. "I don't think that they're seeing this as a long-term investment. They're taking the intellectual property, the customer data. Data is worth so much more sometimes than the actual product that's selling on discount at these stores." https://lnkd.in/eAW64Dxd #retail #retailnews #tedbaker #stores #ABG Authentic Brands Group OSL Retail Services Paula Duhatschek

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Stellar work by Vincenzo Tirelli and the Strategy & Insights team at #dunnhumby. Health & Wellness is a huge segment that is growing and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Brands and retailers should anticipate those consumers needs to maximize the ability to capture their spend. This study proposes a framework and quantifies the size of the opportunity. Don’t miss it. #customerfirst

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Our most popular post from last week. And for good reason. If you're in #retail, you already know you're only as good as your District and Store Managers are. It's (finally) time to give them the training they need to succeed. Without hesitation, I can say these are the best #training programs we've ever developed. The secret sauce? A creative, effective and impactful learning journey each week. Learn. Apply. Accountability Sharing.

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🌟 Our AI Revolution is Underway! 🌟 I'm delighted to share some advancements in AI at ALDO Group as depicted in our 2023 Impact Report (pages: 56 to 58). Here's a glimpse of how we're integrating AI to drive efficiency, innovation, and sustainability: 🚀 Revenue Management Project: Partnering with SCALE AI | Canada's AI Global Innovation Cluster, IVADO Labs, Retailogists, and ITL - Intelligent Label Solutions , we're refining demand and sales forecasting using machine learning. This project aims to optimize markdowns, transactions, and order fulfillment, significantly reducing our environmental impact. 🎓 Capstone Project with McGill University - Desautels Faculty of Management: By predicting product fit, we're reducing returns and enhancing customer satisfaction, contributing to more sustainable retail operations. 🔍 Generative AI for Enhanced Product Search: Following our Retail Gen AI Hackathon, we're working with McGill's Data Sphere Lab to develop a dynamic recommendation engine, personalizing customer experiences and decreasing return rates. 🤖 Retail Gen AI Hackathon: In collaboration with McGill's Bensadoun School of Retail Management and Amazon Web Services (AWS), we hosted an event where students developed AI solutions for modern retail challenges. This initiative bridges academic knowledge with industry expertise. 📜 Advancing AI Governance: We're committed to ethical AI use, introducing comprehensive AI workplace policies and a whitelist of approved generative AI tools. Our tailored AI application, AldoWise, ensures secure, context-relevant insights. 🌐 In 2024, we'll publish our AI Governance Guidelines Framework and launch new trainings on Data & AI Literacy, emphasizing transparency and responsibility. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey towards a sustainable future! 🌍✨ #AI #Sustainability #Innovation #RetailTech #ALDOGroup #McGill Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or insights to share! 🚀

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Walmart is expected to beat estimates when it reports fiscal second-quarter earnings on Thursday (Aug. 15) for the period ending July 31. The consensus estimate is 65 cents per share, up 6.5% from a year ago. Revenue is forecast at $167.3 billion, up 3.5%. #retailsales #walmart #quarterlyearnings

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A very timely summary of current underlying trends in the luxury business. This article is even more relevant in the Canadian market, which is characterized by a (relatively) large middle class and high level of home ownership, leaving these middle class shoppers with less disposable income in the wake of increased interest rates and inflationary pressures.

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Thursday, June 6: 🧘🏽‍♀️ lululemon beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue estimates, but issued weak second-quarter guidance as it contends with a slowdown in the Americas, its largest market. 👕 Hanesbrands Inc. will sell Champion to Authentic Brands Group in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion with performance incentives. Authentic owns brands such as Reebok, Forever 21 and Quiksilver. 5️⃣ Five Below cut its outlook for the year, warning that its core low-income shoppers were facing an outsized impact from years of inflationary pressures. It posted an unexpected decline in same-store sales for the first quarter. 👙 Victoria’s Secret & Co. said it was encouraged by demand for its bras, sleepwear and other clothing in May, but the company said it was exercising restraint amid continued caution more broadly among the US consumer. 🏪 Foxtrot intends to reopen several locations in Chicago in the Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods. The news comes after Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen & Market closed on April 23. 🌳 Dollar Tree Stores Tree said that it had started a formal review of strategic alternatives for Family Dollar, which it said could include among others, a potential sale, spin off or other disposition of the business. 💵 Walmart is now offering bonuses to its hourly employees in the US., the company announced Wednesday. The longer an associate has been with the company, the higher the associate's bonus potential, to a maximum of $1,000. 📚 In a blow to publishers and authors, Costco Wholesale plans to stop selling books regularly at stores around the United States, four publishing executives who had been informed of the warehouse retailer’s plans said Wednesday. 🚚 Albertsons and Uber have launched a new food rescue initiative that aims to address food insecurity and food waste in several major US cities. The program donates surplus food from the grocer’s stores to local nonprofits. 📸The TJX Companies, Inc., parent of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, said it’s equipping some store employees with body cameras to thwart shoplifting and keep customers and employees safe. 🍔 McDonald's lost a European Union trademark dispute over the Big Mac name after a top European Union court sided Wednesday with Irish fast-food rival Supermac's in a long-running legal battle. ✂️ The Bank of Canada's decision on Wednesday to cut interest rates from 5% to 4.75% is expected to provide financial relief to Canadians and encourage consumer spending. 🧳 Shinola and Filson parent Bedrock Manufacturing Company has appointed Steve Katzman to the role of CEO and Kevin Wertz as chief marketing officer. 🇦🇺 ALDI Stores Australia is moving into the insurance sector, with the launch of a series of homes and contents, car, and landlord products. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Monday, September 9: 🏪 Alimentation Couche-Tard has told Seven & i Holdings that it wants to work together to agree on a friendly takeover, after the Japanese convenience store operator pushed back on the Canadian company’s initial proposal. 🚫 Discount retail chain Big Lots has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and has agreed to sell itself to an affiliate of private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. Nexus will serve as a stalking horse bidder. 💄 As part of its expansion strategy, E.l.f is partnering with top global retailers and distributors to drive demand and excitement in new markets. Notably, in Germany, the brand is launching in 1,600 Rossmann stores. 🍓 Kroger which reports quarterly results on Thursday. Those results will arrive right as it tries to defend itself and its planned $24.6 billion merger with rival Albertsons in court. 💊 GLP-1 drugs are booming among consumers. That means Americans are downsizing in fitting rooms and grocery aisles. One in eight U.S. adults have tried a GLP-1 medication and about 6% currently have a prescription. 🧴 Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop will slash nearly 20% of its workforce as it scrambles to pivot away from its image as a wellness and lifestyle brand to focus on peddling its beauty products, according to reports. 📱 Costco Wholesale has quietly rolled out a search warehouse inventory tool on its mobile app for some customers. The feature is in Beta testing. It can be accessed by clicking "warehouse" on the bottom of the screen. 🧵 Boston-based startup Galy says it has found an alternative that avoids the environmental issues of cotton production by growing it in a lab. Its process reduces water use by 99%, land use by 97%. 🚚 UPS is facing a backlash from extreme heat incidents. Driver Chris Begley’s death in August underscores a list of alleged heat-related incidents across Texas. 👩🏽‍⚖️ California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed emergency regulations to address the manufacture and sale of illegal hemp products containing intoxicating cannabinoids like THC. 🇬🇧 Nearly 70% of UK adults have purchased Fairtrade products like bananas, tea, or coffee in the past year, driven by concerns over how the climate crisis could raise food prices, according to a poll. 🏥 Toronto-based private equity firm Birch Hill Equity Partners says it has signed a deal with McKesson to buy Rexall Pharmacy Group and online retailer Well.ca. 🚢 International shipping costs have surged by 244% since the onset of the Red Sea crisis, driven by attacks on vessels by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and global supply chain issues. 🖥️ If you reserve big-ticket purchasing for your laptop, you are a Millennial. Gen Zers will happily buy anything on their iPhones. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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🇨🇦 Highlighting Our Employee Centric Culture I had the honour of taking the main stage at Retail Council of Canada RCC STORE 2024 Conference, where I sat down with Steve Worthy, MBA, Founder and CEO of Worthy Retail Global to highlight our culture of belonging at SEPHORA Canada. In case you missed it, here are a few takeaways from our conversation: 1. Culture doesn’t cascade from “the top”. Our 4,500+ people who work across all functions and in our stores bring this vibrant culture to life in all they do. 2. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion isn’t something we just “do” to check the box. It’s ingrained in how we approach our work, our client and employee experiences, and creating a space where everyone feels like they belong. 3. It's our responsibility as leaders to roll up our sleeves, remove barriers and support a culture of connectedness, acceptance and psychological safety. 🙏Thank you to all of our SEPHORA Canada teams who are leading the way in creating a culture that’s inspiring other companies to place belonging at the forefront of their organization. #RCCSTORE2024 #WeAreSephora #WeBelongtoSomethingBeautiful #lvmh

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Sunday, August 4: 🪿 Canada Goose reported a revenue of C$88.1m for the first fiscal quarter, surpassing expectations with help from strong sales in Asia and new lightweight product lines. 👕 For more than six decades, Fred Segal was a fixture of L.A.’s retail landscape and a pop culture touchstone. That all but came to an end Tuesday, when Fred Segal shut its two remaining LA-area clothing stores. 🍓 Kroger has launched Field & Vine, a new private brand comprised of produce grown by US farmers. The fresh produce line currently includes blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. 👖 Fashion mogul Mahmud Kamani, co-founder of boohoo, is facing a backlash as the company struggles. Boohoo employees have criticized senior executives for taking a lavish trip to Bodrum while the business is in turmoil. 🍗 A woman from Queens filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Boar's Head Brand following a massive recall due to listeria contamination. Boar's Head is accused of "false, misleading and deceptive" marketing. 🏬 Wegmans is gearing up to make its debut in Connecticut next year. The grocery chain announced that hiring and training are underway for workers at its upcoming store in Norwalk, with plans to staff approximately 500 people. 👰🏼 Inflation is shrinking the American wedding: Guest lists are dwindling, cakes are getting smaller and bridal shops are stocking simpler, shorter dresses.  Four years of inflation have lifted wedding costs by more than 20 percent. 🇯🇵 Tourists are flocking to Japan to take advantage of the weak yen and purchase high-end products at discounted prices. Luxury goods brands are facing challenges as their products are now cheaper in Japan than elsewhere. 🍳 A Reddit user's recent post about the cost of a Lumberjack Slam at Denny's received shocked reactions from others at how quickly the prices at the breakfast chain have increased. 🎬 Cinemas and movie screens in the US have contracted in number since the pandemic, falling by about 1% from 2020 to 2022. In 2023, the situation worsened, with cinema sites and screen numbers dropping more than 6%. 📉 A surprising rise in the US unemployment rate last month has rattled financial markets and set off new worries about the threat of a recession. The report coincides with other signs the economy is cooling. 🇿🇦 South Africa's largest supermarket group, Shoprite, announced a 12% increase in annual merchandise sales, driven by new store openings and significant growth across its store brands. 🇹🇭 Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok are planning to increase their sales transaction fees, which will have an impact on local merchants in Thailand. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Ted Baker has been through the ringer. And it's not the first time this brand has been in hot water. Authentic Brands Group was thought to be the one to save this iconic 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 brand but it seems that ABG added a lot of fuel to this fire. My comments were featured in Retail Insider: It seems the root cause of the demise of Ted Baker is ABG failing to make payments to suppliers. But that can’t be the full story. ABG has a lot of brands under its portfolio so why the delinquency of payments to Ted Baker’s vendors? If vendors aren’t paid and are holding shipments, their own stores would be empty and wholesale accounts would be furious. Something doesn’t add up. The WSJ quoted: A decline in sales and a technology transition that occurred in the midst of the company’s busiest selling season were also to blame, according to the court filing by Adams and a filing by Alvarez & Marsal, the monitor appointed to oversee the Canadian insolvency. Why risk reputation and retail partner relationships just to close Ted Baker’s doors? Last year, Ted Baker expanded their North America merchandising team and leveled up staff to scale the US/Canada business. Hiring merchants would improve product assortments and increase revenues and relevance in the market. In fact, just 8 months ago, the NYC team was looking for buyers and planners to join the team. If an unsuccessful technology transition was to blame, why didn’t ABG work with OSL, who has a Canadian investment in the brand, to work on these issues? OSL is a technology solution provider. Again, something just doesn’t add up. The Wall Street Journal Mario Toneguzzi OSL Retail Services #retail #retailnews #tedbaker #ABG #fashion #stores #merchandising

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I recently stumbled upon an insightful and highly useful interview with Lia Grimberg, MBA. I highly recommend giving it a read for valuable insights. Here's the link: https://lnkd.in/gtvuWr8r In essence, maintaining customer engagement and consistently delivering value are paramount. Rather than viewing loyalty programs as inherently flawed, it's an opportune moment for reinvigoration. In this post, I aim to present various strategies to enhance customer experiences: 1. The human brain processes visuals more swiftly than text. Therefore, consider incorporating more video content, such as explanatory or promotional videos. Creating captivating videos doesn't necessarily require large budgets; the crucial aspect lies in the message conveyed to your audience. 2. Social media is a potent tool. Engage your audience in dialogue through stories and posts. Depending on your products or services, invite them to share about their day and complement it with a limited-time offer. Encouraging interaction fosters a sense of community and strengthens brand-customer relationships. 3. Swiftly respond to customer comments, especially negative feedback. Demonstrating attentiveness to concerns not only resolves issues but also showcases your commitment to customer satisfaction. Such proactive engagement can attract new customers impressed by your brand's responsiveness. Thank you for reading my post! I hope you have found it helpful. #marketing #loyaltyprograms #taregtaudience #strategies #socialmedia #contentstrategy #feedback #customerengagement #retail

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Just in time for your morning commute. Get ready to cut through the Bullshit on the next episode of The Brian Librach Show! We're diving straight into the reasons why you're not getting what you want from people – no sugar-coating, just straight-up truth bombs. Plus, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're spotlighting Dr. Doug Brackmann book, "Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, and Maybe You!" Get ready to uncover what it takes to unleash your full potential. And hey, to all the folks at Rue 21 and Express facing bankruptcy, here's your reality check: Stay confident and keep pushing forward. I've got some tips to help you navigate your next steps. But that's not all – we're also tackling the empathy deficit. What's holding you back from truly understanding others' perspectives? Tune in for some hard-hitting insights and practical strategies to become a more empathetic badass. YOOBIC RETHINK Retail Don't miss out – join us, let's #getupandgop and kick some excuses to the curb! Click to Listen: https://lnkd.in/e8iV9gd4 and here to grab a copy of The Retail Leaders Roadmap https://a.co/d/2qjoAZe

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