The economic shockwaves of the Iran war have spread far beyond average American consumers, shaking their heads in disbelief or cursing at the gas pump. The businesses that depend on that shopper, which include every grocery retailer, food manufacturer, and CPG brand in the country, are sounding the alarm.
The Domino Effect of the Iran War Read More »
We’re taking a hard-boiled look at the billion-dollar fraud lurking behind wine labels, olive oil, honey and the scallop on your dinner plate. These are true crimes happening in the grocery industry, and the detective work is novel worthy.
Retail Fraud: A Detective Noir Crime Story Read More »
Food rescue is the most underfunded climate and hunger solution on the planet. Grocers are finally waking up — but it’s going to take a lot more than trendy algorithms to bring retailers and consumers to their senses.
There’s a $1 Trillion Opportunity You Don’t Know About Read More »
Research on human-computer interaction has consistently found that people respond positively to interfaces that feel conversational and warm, while younger shoppers are especially comfortable chatting with bots. As a result, human-like AI agents with a name and personality tend to generate higher customer engagement, satisfaction and trust. What happens when they go rogue?
Woolworths’ Chatbot Went Rogue Read More »
The grocery industry has spent three years watching Kroger struggle through a failed merger, a leadership crisis, a botched automation strategy, and the slow erosion of its competitive position relative to Walmart. What grocery is watching now is something different: a company that has made a clear-eyed bet that the best way to compete with Walmart is to hire the person who knows Walmart best.
Kroger vs. Walmart: The War Grocery Didn’t Anticipate Read More »
Every scan of your card, every clipped coupon, every “substitute” you accept when something’s out of stock is recorded. You’re not just earning points; you’re teaching the system how to give you what exactly you want.
Think You’re in Control Shopping for Groceries? Wrong! Read More »
A proposed class action lawsuit has reportedly been filed in San Diego claiming that Costco’s labeling on its famed $4.99 rotisserie chicken contains “No preservatives, MSG, gluten, artificial flavors, or colors” is…foul (fowl?).
Costco: The Robin Report Retail Miss of the Week, 1.31.2026 Read More »
If higher-income households in large metro markets are driving the e-grocery surge, what happens with everyone else? What happens to the budget-constrained families in smaller markets who can’t justify the premium? What happens to the traditional grocers who built their entire business model around serving those customers?
If You’re Not Watching Grocery, You’ll Miss the Future of Retail Read More »
Amazon’s new giant store is its latest shot at figuring out physical retailing. After all the wrong turns the online giant has taken, one has to ask if this new format is just another mismanaged dead-end.
It’s Walmart 4,606, Amazon 1 Read More »
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans reset the playing field for supermarkets, creating significant opportunities for retailers to lead on health, but also real risks if promotions and advertising simply chase short term sales instead of long term trust.
Will the New FDA Guidelines Change How We Shop for Food? Read More »
