Miguel Murta Cardoso’s Post

It seems the traditional season of the "year-in-review" has just take off at Grocery Dive for #walmart as a start. #Walmart, like many supermarkets worldwide, have experienced a surge in grocery sales as people relied more on supermarkets instead of restaurants during the pandemic and the challenge for Walmart has been to capitalize on this momentum and retain the market share gains by keeping customers engaged and away from restaurants as normalcy returned. To make it happen, Walmart has introduced several new strategies to keep its customers shopping for groceries and dining at home, which include expanding its in-store dining options by partnering with fast-casual restaurants, providing convenient and appealing "Affordable Restaurant-Quality meals". Additionally, Walmart has revamped its grocery offerings, launching a new private brand to cater to both low- and high-income shoppers. On the #sustainability's side Walmart as invested in crop monitoring tech to ensure fresher produce in store and reduce food waste, Is all of these propositions will continue to made Walmart a Grocery Destination with its "Affordable Restaurant-Quality Meals" offer to continue to compete with restaurants ? Furthermore, to solidify its grocery dominance, Walmart opened new #Neighborhood #Market format with enhanced grocery offerings tailored to customer demand for high-quality and fresh more often locally harvest food. Opening more convenience stores format supports the company’s e-commerce growth for its #clickandcollect" offer thus creating an ecosystem where in-store and online experiences converge, which is part of Walmart’s five-year growth plan including building or converting 150 new locations and remodeling 650 stores by 2029.

Industry News Update Whole Foods Prepares for National Rollout of Small-Store Format Whole Foods Market is gearing up for a national rollout of its Daily Shop concept, which will begin after the opening of several New York City locations under the small-store format. The first Daily Shop is slated to open this fall on the Upper East Side. The grocer plans to open its second Daily Shop in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. A third New York City Daily Shop will be announced soon, followed by a nationwide rollout. Whole Foods’ Daily Shops will be about half the size of the grocer’s traditional stores, and aim to bring fresh, quality food and ingredients to urban customers. The new store rollout plans align with Amazon’s continued efforts to bolster its grocery business, with recent initiatives including a grocery subscription for Prime members and a growing roster of grocery delivery partners. #grocery #retail #brickandmortar #stores #ecommerce #delivery

The FTC’s continuing resistance to the proposed Kroger/Albertson’s combination due to anti-competitive reasons illuminates its persistent lack of practical knowledge relating to food retail. Its “analysis” has no basis in the actual reality of how US food shoppers actually shop. Among other things, the FTC is failing to consider the 180 degree turn the US food retailing industry has undergone in the past two decades, or roughly since Walmart’s explosive growth via its Supercenter explosion. Food retailing is among the most fragmented segments of retail, with fragmentation increasing, with operators also forced to deal with “variability” from the shopper base as consumers typically shop several entities and formats. There are myriad non-supermarket/discount/warehouse club avenues, including convenience stores, drug stores, and dollar stores, all of which have ramped up food offerings, rightfully recognizing the opportunities to increase share that continue to manifest themselves in the segment. Competition in food retail is acute, and as we have seen with Amazon, difficult to execute. Amazon’s inevitable dominance of the segment as predicted by pundits and analysts following its acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017 has proven to be a myth as its lack of meaningful brick-and-mortar continues to be problematic. However, this acquisition served to heighten competition due to Amazon’s very deep pockets, and its mere presence forced reaction from indigenous competitors. All players have upped their games, with the pandemic creating new opportunities that the savvier, stronger players have exploited, which has also served to deepen the competitive pool. Concerns about the ability of CS to effectively manage the divested stores that are part of the “competition enhancing” disposition process are insulting as in my experience CS is an extremely well-managed entity with a deep bench. In addition, “overlapped” Kroger/Albertson’s personnel would be more than able to manage the new store network as needed. Contrary to the FTC’s base-level view that bigger is worse, this proposed deal is a positive for everyone concerned. Kroger/Albertson’s is a shining example of 1+1=3 as best practices will be the result of this melding, leading to lower, not higher prices. Paraphrasing Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, why would I raise prices when someone can easily undercut me? Seems a pretty fair question that maybe someone in Washington could try to answer.

"As so much talk within the grocery industry is centered around Amazon, Walmart, and a certain pending mega-merger aiming to compete with them, one grocery giant—Ahold Delhaize—is finding value in smaller, regional chains. “We think retail is local,” Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller told Retail Brew. “We think it gives a lot of ownership and accountability and engagement to local management to run the brand, be responsible, breathe the brand.” - Retail Brew https://lnkd.in/grCgcVPb #retail #grocery #business #businessnews #stopandshop #grocerybusiness #food #foodbuisness #shopping #bankruptcy #grocerystores #retailnews

Supermarkets... According to AARP, the top 10 supermarkets in America are: 1. Costco 2. H.E.B. 3. Publix 4. Trader Joe’s 5. Sam’s Club 6. B.J.s 7. Target 8. Wegmans 9. Whole Foods 10. ALDI # 11-19: Meijer, ShopRite, Albertsons, Hy-Vee, Ahold Delhaize, Kroger, Giant Eagle, Save A Lot, and Walmart. Top 10 Observations: -Three Membership Warehouse Clubs are in the Top 10. -Three Top chains are acknowledged for their superior customer service: H.E.B, Publix, and, Wegmans. -Two Top-end chains: Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. -One Value, no-frills chain: ALDI As a salesperson for the past 40 years, I have shopped in or visited all of the Top 10 and five from the # 11-19 group. In my experience, a few of these stores are only on this list due to their size and number of locations. I will not name names, but I am sure you can tell which ones I am talking about. H.E.B., Publix, and Wegmans are the standout traditional supermarkets. Easy to shop, great bakery & deli, eat-in options, and fantastic customer service. Costco is the standout of the membership warehouses, with Sam’s Club and BJ’s being on the level below Costco. -ShopRite and Kroger are similar types of stores. -Ahold Delhaize (Food Lion, Giant, Stop & Shop, and Hannaford among others) can be very good or just average. -Target is here because Walmart is here. -And of course, Walmart is Walmart. To some, shopping is a very personal decision. For others, it is a chore that needs to be done. But supermarket chains have loyal customers, some of which have been shopping in the same store, or with the same chain for decades. Some are more expensive, or offer specialty products or services. Others offer lower price but a smaller selection or more private label products. But no matter where you shop, it is a personal decision. Maybe it is where your mom shopped, was a sponsor of a little league team you played on, or it was the most convenient. *When I lived in Northern NJ, ShopRite was the favorite. *In Upstate NY, one of my customers, Golub/Price Chopper was the choice. *In Charlotte, it was Harris Teeter (now owned by Kroger) or Lowes Foods. *And in Atlanta it is Publix, Costco and Kroger. What is your favorite supermarket?

A Bigger Slice: Domino’s Is Winning The Store Count Wars. On Thursday, Domino's Pizza reported third quarter #earnings, with U.S. same-store #sales rising 3.0%, slightly worse than expected, contributing to the company revising its forecast for sales growth this year. The company now expects global #retail sales to grow 6% this year, down from 7%. The news comes just two days after the company renewed its “Emergency Pizza” promotion to drive sales, where customers can get a free medium, two-topping pizza... if they place a qualifying order. The company also revealed that it now has 21,002 stores across the world, as it continues to build on its ambitious global #growth plans or, as Domino’s calls it, the “Hungry for MORE” strategy. A substantial slice of those — some 33% — are in the U.S., with the rest spread across its 90 #international markets. The new additions widen the gap to its nearest rival, Pizza Hut, which had fewer than 20,000 locations at the latest count. Most of the store growth for Domino’s came from overseas: in Q3, the company’s international division opened 184 new stores and closed 136, for net growth of 48 stores. That feels pretty typical for most large chains. Some restaurants naturally close every quarter for a host of reasons (underperformance, franchisee change, etc.). What’s slightly odd is that — out of more than 6,900 restaurants in the U.S. — Domino’s didn’t shut down a single store; it opened 24 with no #closures. In the previous two quarters combined it closed only three stores, and in the previous year it closed only 10. Either the company is firing on literally all cylinders, or underperforming stores just don’t close down. The takeaway? If a Domino’s opens up near you, chances are, it’s sticking around for a long time. [email protected] 818-914-9271 #tradecreditinsurance

Most interesting quote: "The company said in October that its sales had increased by more than 40% since its acquisition by Amazon in 2017". That's about 5% to 6% sales CAGR. Food at home inflation during the same time period is about 4% CAGR. Implication is that Whole Foods Market has achieved 1% to 2% real growth since the acquisition. Or for comparison, Kroger growth since 2017 is about 30%, Walmart is about 33% and so is Albertsons Companies. Whole Foods post sale to Amazon is a low real growth business but has outpaced the largest mainstream competitors by a point or so per year.

Better for you(like it or not) is the future of CPG if done correctly. In my experience it takes a bit more effort from retailer to: 1. Manage the assortment balance between large CPG essentials + Private Label + incremental better for you brands. 2. Plan out the marketing/ promo strategy of these emerging brands(most with limited funds)/ category disruptors tailored to BFY consumer(who is more likely to spend more $$ on total basket). 🔗https://lnkd.in/e4PWcYmE 🔗https://lnkd.in/eNZs_GPS 3. Utilize creative Retail Media opportunities/ high ROAS Shopper Marketing or E-commerce events to take advantage of the growing trends in Personalized/ Targeted loyalty ADs. (Such as ADUSA’s new partnership with Eagle Eye A.I Loyalty software 👀) 🔗https://lnkd.in/eCsQYfpV Just my thoughts 💭 #BetterforYou #CPG #Loyalty #EagleEye

Alimentation Couche-Tard is strategically expanding its footprint, making significant moves by bidding for 7-Eleven stores and acquiring GetGo Café + Market. This aggressive expansion underscores Couche-Tard's commitment to growing its presence in the convenience store and café market. 🌎🏪 Couche-Tard's acquisitions are not just about increasing the number of stores; they're about enhancing the retail experience and offering more services and products to a broader customer base. As they deploy their substantial war chest, it will be interesting to see how this reshapes the competitive landscape of the convenience retail sector. #RetailStrategy #BusinessExpansion #CoucheTard #ConvenienceStore #FoodTrends https://lnkd.in/gnnzM59t

Last year, the grocery industry witnessed intense competition when it came to expansion. In 2023, Aldi opened 109 new locations, contributing to a total of 253 new stores and 8.4 million square feet of new space among fast-growing grocers. Sprouts Farmers Market hit its 400th store milestone, and Publix expanded significantly. Online grocery services and e-commerce sales surged, with an anticipated 80% increase by 2027. Despite this, spending at restaurants and bars remained higher than grocery spending. Investments in grocery-anchored retail properties are increasing, and access to fresh groceries is improving, reshaping the grocery shopping landscape.   #NNN #retail #realestate #investment #investing #commercialrealestate #property #passiveincome #cre #investor #realestateinvesting #commercialproperty #netlease #retailrealestate https://lnkd.in/ePksUZe2