Francois VAURIE

April's retail landscape presented a varied picture, with consumers selectively investing in areas like home improvement and online shopping. These trends underscore the ongoing resilience of U.S. consumers. Read my latest blog to discover more about the evolving patterns across different retail sectors.

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Retail Sales Continue to Grow Despite Economic Challenges The latest data from the NRF Retail Monitor highlights a steady increase in retail sales for August 2024, with core retail sales rising 1.93% year-over-year and total retail sales increasing 2.11%. While growth has slowed compared to previous months, consumer demand remains strong, particularly in sectors like online retail, clothing, and accessories. This provides a promising outlook as we head into the critical holiday season. It’s impressive to see how certain categories, such as online retail (up 17.03%) and clothing stores (up 11.44%), continue to thrive, this data underscores the importance of adaptability and understanding consumer behavior in today’s dynamic retail environment. Looking forward to seeing how these trends evolve as we move closer to year-end!

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A quick read that hits some key elements of effective loyalty programs.... Ultimately, the business goal of driving incremental trips profitably, requires a level of personalized and relevant messaging that deepens customers' affinity with the offering. Many try, but only few loyalty programs get it right, finding a true collaboration across ... 1.Data science teams (e.g., MLops, CRM, customer analytics, etc.), 2.Business acumen teams (e.g., merchant promo/offers, fp&a/mp&a, etc.), and, 3.Customer engagement teams (e.g., branding/creative, marketing channel, etc.).

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As we approach key milestones, both in business and society, the relevance of the Hispanic community in retail and beyond cannot be overstated. Hispanic consumers represent a significant and growing share of the market, with our diverse tastes and cultures shaping the retail landscape. Yet, no single voice can fully represent our broad and diverse community. As Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, said: "No one speaks for our community. We're too diverse. We're too broad. So we need everyone telling their stories." This is true not only for the products and assortments on retail shelves, where a stronger Hispanic presence is long overdue, but also for our role in shaping national conversations, especially as we look toward upcoming elections. Our voices in market share and political influence are growing, and it’s critical that businesses and policymakers recognize the value of our stories, our needs, and our contributions. It’s time for retailers to expand their Hispanic assortments to meet the growing demand, and it’s time for our stories to be told at every level of influence—from local markets to the ballot box. #HispanicHeritage #RetailTrends #LatinoMarket #DiversityInRetail #Election2024 #RepresentationMatters

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BJ's Wholesale Club Doubles Down on Fresh: Driving Loyalty and Growth with Fresh 2.0 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Fresh 2.0 Initiative Gains Momentum: BJ’s Wholesale Club reported strong Q3 results, with perishables leading comp sales growth, driven by dairy, meat, and produce categories. • Data-Driven Fresh Strategy: Members shopping BJ’s as their primary fresh destination visit weekly and spend ~30% more per trip compared to non-fresh shoppers, with an average of eight additional trips annually. • Investments in Fresh: Enhancements include expanded vendor relationships, improved produce in-stocks, seasonal assortments, and front-entrance coolers to emphasize quality and value. • Fresh Training Across Clubs: Comprehensive employee training is contributing to better execution and customer satisfaction. • Performance Highlights: Produce categories saw low double-digit comp growth in Q3, largely driven by unit volumes. Net Promoter Scores (NPS) in fresh categories have significantly improved. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀: ✅ BJ’s strategic focus on fresh demonstrates a clear path to stronger member loyalty and higher spending per visit. ✅ Investments in produce and perishables underscore the importance of fresh as a traffic driver and key differentiator in the competitive wholesale market. ✅ Training initiatives ensure consistent execution and improved member experience across all locations. ✅ Improved NPS and fresh comp growth signal long-term value creation, attracting higher-tier memberships and boosting member retention. ✅ Digital and membership growth further strengthen BJ’s ability to compete and innovate in the grocery retail landscape. Progressive Grocer | https://lnkd.in/gfGqa-KF #retail #supermarkets #freshproduce #membershipgrowth #grocerystores #businessstrategy #clubstores

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May's retail report reflects a bright uptick in consumer confidence and spending. As summer approaches, we see significant resilience and optimism in the market, influenced by positive job growth and robust consumer spending. Take a look at my latest blog to see how these dynamics are playing out across key retail sectors.

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Last year was a festive rush and nail-biting retail race to the finish due to low consumer confidence and that extra weekend before Christmas enabling more delivery time and last-minute purchases. (And, grandparents stepping in to make sure that Christmas was magical for the whole family!) Juli Lennett and the Circana team just published their annual Holiday Shopping Intentions study and we see a more optimistic outlook as consumers actively seek out holiday traditions that bring us back to a sense of normalcy and much needed joy and plan to lean into gift giving and ‘retail therapy’ to alleviate stress. And yes, it’s also about the deals, deals, deals! As we stand on the brink of Amazon Prime’s Big Deal Days starting tomorrow, it promises to be a fascinating unfolding. Will the early deals spread out the shopping frenzy or intensify it? How will other retailers respond to this early start to the discount season? This evolving dynamic offers invaluable insights into consumer behavior and retail strategies. It’s a crucial time for us in marketing to observe, learn, and adapt. It begins! Let’s go! #Circana #HolidayShopping #ConsumerBehavior #MarketingStrategy #AmazonPrimeDay #RetailTherapy

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Dollar General is enhancing its retail media program by teaming up with solutions provider Criteo. The commerce media platform will work with the retailer's Dollar General Media Network (DGMN) arm to support onsite sponsored ad offerings. Through this arrangement, brand partners can access inventory and campaign execution and utilize Criteo’s self-service demand-side platform. Among other capabilities, brands can leverage DGMN’s inventory within their private market through Criteo’s retailer monetization platform. In addition, the technology enables brands to reach Dollar General’s digital customers who often build lists online before making their weekly in-store purchases. Omnichannel insights will be available for marketers to see if sales are taking place online or in-store. | Progressive Grocer https://lnkd.in/gATgumgr #retail #retailmedia #grocery #shoppers #media #digital

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Are you maximizing your loyalty program to drive both customer acquisition and retention? If your program isn’t working to attract new customers, it’s only pulling half its weight. Ulta Beauty aims to do just that with its Ulta Beauty Rewards program. With over 40 million members and projections of 50 million by 2028, loyalty is a central growth lever, and Ulta is using the program to deepen engagement while attracting new customers in a highly competitive market. In a recent investor meeting, Ulta set cautious expectations for 2024, marking 2025 as a transition year. Despite major investments like Warren Buffett’s $200M stake and a collaboration with the movie Wicked, Ulta stock is down ~22% YTD, indicating that competition, particularly from Amazon’s expanding beauty category, is pressuring margins. Amazon's partnerships and Prime benefits make it an increasingly formidable rival in cosmetics. As Ulta rolls out Early Black Friday Deals, loyalty members gain exclusive benefits beyond discounts, providing an ideal opportunity to retain members and drive incremental sales. Ulta’s expansion plans for its stores and eCommerce will be critical in capturing market share. Still, the question remains: Can Ulta’s loyalty strategy sustain growth across its 600+ brands and 1,400 stores? Here are five standout loyalty benefits for members this holiday season: 1️⃣ Enhanced Points Multipliers: Ulta frequently offers bonus point multipliers during the holiday season, allowing members to earn points faster on their purchases. These promotions make it easier for shoppers to accumulate points for future discounts, turning holiday shopping into opportunities for even more savings. 2️⃣ Exclusive Gift Sets and Bundles: Ulta introduces special holiday gift sets at various price points, offering great value across categories like makeup, skincare, and fragrance. These curated sets are designed to maximize savings and are often exclusive to loyalty members, making them ideal for both gift-giving and self-care. 3️⃣ Gifts with Purchase: Ulta provides exclusive "gift with purchase" deals for loyalty members, where specific purchases come with additional items at no extra cost. These bonuses vary across product categories, adding a festive bonus to members’ holiday shopping. 4️⃣ Personalized Offers and Early Access: Platinum and Diamond members often receive early access to holiday sales and product launches, giving them the first pick on popular items before they sell out. Additionally, Ulta tailors its holiday promotions based on member preferences, ensuring relevant and personalized deals. 5️⃣ Revamped Birthday Gift Options: Although available year-round, Ulta’s birthday gifts have been revamped to offer more choices across various popular brands. Members can select from various options, adding a personalized touch to this benefit. #loyalty #rewards #marketing #retention #personalization

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Retail Media Network Basics At A Glance At the Path to Purchase Institute, we've curated all the essential retail media intel, terms, and definitions you need to know. Whether you're new to retail media or looking to refresh your knowledge, this article is packed with valuable resources to help you stay ahead of the curve. Take a look and get up to speed on the latest in retail media. #RetailMedia #Marketing #P2PI #membership #MediaTrends https://lnkd.in/eS4Jnid8

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In a highly competitive marketplace in which inflation is easing but still above norms, shoppers are spending more time thinking about what to buy. It's a perfect time to sit down with The CPG Guys to discuss shopper behavior, retailing, and IGA, INC. and how it fits into the ecosystem. 🙏 Thanks to Sri Rajagopalan and Peter V.S. Bond for asking me to join their podcast, which is at the top of the industry. If you've not been listening, then you've been missing out! #Podcast #Retailing #RetailMedia #ShopperMaketing #Grocery #Strategy #IGALife

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Retail sales rose significantly, showing strong increases both month-over-month and year-over-year, as consumers continued to spend and drive growth https://lnkd.in/ekHc4QcA Total retail sales (excluding automobiles and gasoline but including restaurants) rose 1.35% month-over-month in May and were up 3.03% year-over-year #retail Chain Store Age

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#RetailMediaNetworks have a promising role to play in the #FutureOfRetail and consumer experience. Why?   Retail media networks offer unparalleled access to first-party data, allowing brands to tailor their messaging and reach the right audience, creating seamless and relevant shopping experiences. Think about tailored ads and promotions that meet consumers where they are and make their journey more enjoyable.   Happy customers are loyal customers, and that’s a win for everyone.    Retail is a service now and brands must align and strategize to deliver on the customer promise, simultaneously improving their bottom line.   Find more in our latest video👉 https://lnkd.in/e468RVZG   #RetailInnovation #RetailRevenue #BusinessStrategy

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📺 Steve Liesman recently gave a good breakdown on the state of retail, the shopper, the economy on Squak Box. 📊 Full National Retail Federation report for March here: https://lnkd.in/eQS8Vm9a 🛍 In short, consumer spending has been surprisingly solid. There is a risk that it drops, but that is not a weakness as of the latest reporting. 💸 That said, one thing which is a struggle for retailers is MARGIN. Labor costs are up and inflation is hitting supply side hard. Consumers are hunting value right now more than usual, so there is a lot of pressure from both sides squeezing out the margin. This makes it most imperative to align limited resource to sources of value as a retailer. 🔎 I have been developing tools and implementing practices with my data team to empower small business retailers to be able to identify and label the diverse customers in their customer base and execute strategy which acquires, develops, and retains high-value. 💡 We can get through this - we've just got to use our data to focus our resources! #usretail #useconomy #retailbusiness #smallbusinessstrategy

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Now the most viewed television show pulls in approximately 10 million viewers, and top 10 shows may attract fewer than 5 million. Meanwhile, there are U.S. grocery retailers that have tens of million transactions daily. So, in this age of truncated attention spans and increasingly fragmented media, retailers and brands have discovered a relatively new and highly effective way of reaching shoppers — retail media networks. #retailmedia #retailtech #digitalmarketing

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The June issue of NACS Magazine is out, including key insights from the association's SOI event earlier this year. Let's take a look. ⬇️ These six ideas for convenience retailers, highlighted by Jeff Lenard, could be advice to operate by for years to come. Once again, as these cycles seem to come, many themes show we're headed back to the basics. 🍕 Foodservice is the difference 🏬 Everyone is competition 👨‍🔧 It's all about the consumer ⛔ Be ruthless with efficiencies ❇️ AI is coming (and already here) 📳 It's time to get phygital As we head toward the midpoint of 2024, take time to assess your plans and how they've played out. We're just getting into summer – our industry's busiest time of year – so there's still opportunity to adjust your approach and capitalize on new ideas. But most of all, as Jeff reminds us in his closing, remember this: 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀-𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀. Leverage your brand's strengths and focus on serving your customers as best 𝙮𝙤𝙪 can.

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Target didn't just miss on revenue and earnings (20%!)- this was standing in the batters box and flailing wildly at a ball 3 feet off the plate. When you permanently lower prices on 10,000 items (including staples like diapers, bread, and milk), increase same store foot traffic by 2.4% YoY, and still have same store declines of 1.9% - all while your biggest rival, WalMart RAISES their quarterly and annual revenue forecast the day before - retailers and brands would be near criminally negligent not to take notice. Even front running the Holiday sale didn't help. Other take aways for brands to consider: ➡ Forecasting - Target now expects fourth-quarter comparable sales to be approximately flat. ➡ Consumer Demand- lingering softness in discretionary categories / deceleration in discretionary demand ➡ Consumer Strategy- Target offered discounts after hearing from shoppers about “the importance of value and affordability" ➡ Category growth: Customers gravitated toward food and everyday essentials during the quarter, along with beauty items (Comparable sales in beauty grew more than 6%). Two other categories, food & beverage and essentials, posted low single-digit gains compared with the year-ago period. Other Key take aways: ➡ Groceries account for about 60% of Walmart’s U.S. business but only about 23% of Target’s. ➡ "The retailer is contending with savvy and selective shoppers who aren’t willing to buy until the price is right....Consumers have become increasingly resourceful and strategic on how they shop” - TGT Chief Commercial Officer For as long as I can remember, if you're an emerging CPG company getting into Target was the holy grail. The collab with ULTA expanded the Heath and Beauty category and the "Target Shopper" embodied who brands catered to. That strategy appears to have holes - and you can bet when your share price drops by 20% while margins reduced across the board, category buyers will be extra diligent, selective and demanding with their assortments. Unit Velocity and high margin items will carry a premium. The other take away - and this is just my opinion - consumer fatigue has set in and demand is tapering off. I've written about Care Free Carrie and Anxious Anne in recent posts, as well as consumer debt being at an all time high. With Target forecasting a flat Holiday season YoY, brands and retailers need to be prepared and not wait too long to discount. This will be a holiday season driven by bargains.... and there is nothing AI can do about it. Where do you see holiday spending trending this year? #cpg #retail #branding #RetailTrends #ConsumerBehavior #RetailStrategy #ConsumerInsights #EmergingCPG #ConsumerDemand #InflationImpact #HolidayShopping #BrandStrategy #CPGTrends #MarketingInsights #SalesAndMarketing #CategoryGrowth

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Great insight into what Co-Op retailers need to do in order to be successful in retail media

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