June is flying, the weather is great for sales in retail and the hope is that the ongoing positive news, despite variants, will see us exit further restrictions in the coming weeks re: COVID-19.

Hopefully, we are over the worst, despite the negative headlines. Retail, like hospitality and so many other sectors has been battered by the issues with COVID19 and there has to be light at the end of the tunnel, we hope(!)

For the trade plan; warm weather is good news and the lack of overseas travel looking likely for the entirety of Summer (face facts, they will find an excuse) means that the UK will boom in the holiday towns alongside almost everywhere else, it seems.

From an events perspective, there's a lot going on and the retailers will be able to capitalise on some welcome commercial monies from the suppliers eager to spend their budgets in the power aisles as Euro 2020(1) kicks off, alongside the Olympics too, later next month.

Alongside this, there are a number of other smaller events that will capture the hearts and minds, notably Thank you Teacher (a miss last year after the school closures) alongside the ongoing strong Summer campaigns that we have seen up and down the land.

As a reminder, we are still talking to lots of people in the sector to gather their thoughts on insight, how we make retail great again and also, how we might be able to help. Please get in touch, if you'd like to discuss!​

We've also been sharing our thoughts on John Lewis in recent days, as you will have no doubt seen via our sample emails, shared on this very newsletter service.

Based on feedback, we have added a pay monthly option for people who prefer a lower monthly payment, rather than an up front obligation. (although a yearly sub is still available).

On with the show!

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1. Shoplifting causes the closure of Walgreens stores.

Walgreens have had to close some 17 stores in California due to persistent shoplifting, driving the stores to tip in to loss making territory and thus, closure.

How long before we similar in the UK? Attacks on shop workers and theft remain stubbornly high. For all the government debate and various trade bodies jumping on the work done by the Coop (alone) for year, it doesn't look to be getting any better.

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2. Florida state closing COVID testing centres.​

Scenes we hoped to be seeing in the UK, instead we're seeing more and more mobile buses turning up left, right and centre to the hotspots to try and contain the delta variant.

Florida, like many other states have removed their mandates for masks and are now closing down their bigger COVID testing centres too.

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3. Great story about Evergreen, an alternative to the mass produced product from the likes of Kelloggs.​

A good story about a entrepreneur who was tired of the preservatives and all kinds in the leading products in Pancakes, often produced by big FMCG suppliers. So she produced her own using more natural ingredients and has been listed by Whole Foods (who else!)

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4. 7-11 acquires Speedway in the largest c-store acquisition in history.​

Big news with one major c-store operator buying another, with a huge number of gas stations within this deal, It's yet to get approval so it remains unclear what will actually occur in the shakedown. It's managed to get both the democrats and republicans agreeing that it could harm competition, which perhaps shows what needs to happen for it to get approval.

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5. Whole Foods goes to centralised buying.​

An understandable move perhaps, but their unique nature has been centralised around the fact they're able to buy locally and the regional teams have a greater understanding of the markets they serve.

However it's another sign of the creeping corporatisation that is occurring under the Amazon rule.

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6. Coles, Woolworths and others go big on a pact to reduce Plastic in Australia. ​

A huge piece of work for every retailer, supplier, manufacturer and indeed, every single person on the planet. How can we reduce our waste and thus, the impact on the planet? Recycling doesn't appear to be the answer given that the UK shipped a fair amount of recycled product to Turkey, which then ended up in their waters as pollution.....

Reducing waste is the big task, but how? Needs a step change from customers.

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7. Anycart has launched in the US, backed by Amazon and Albertsons.​

There are so many different online services in the market now, with the growth of quick commerce it's only likely to get even bigger. Anycart is different in that it's invested in by both Amazon and Albertsons.

There is a long standing problem of how to merge recipe ideas with a shoppable list to aid meal planning. Anycart solves this and offers products from across Ahold Delhaize (selected banners) alongside Amazon and Whole Foods, with no charges for a subscription.

The shopping list is picked by store employees once completed, but delivery updates and information comes via Anycart.

An interesting piece of work and it will be interesting to see if it expands.

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8. Kroger open a spoke in Jacksonville, Florida​

Their Ocado partnership continues to perform well and now the chain is expanding to North Florida with their online offer.

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9. 43 Whole Foods stores to open across the US.​

Physical retail is not dead (not sure who said that first, but I've said it since I started this journey) and indeed, 43 new stores for Whole Foods this year, including 4 new stores in New Jersey.

Further expansion needed; but it feels like Amazon are trying to work out how to fulfil online demand from these stores, alongside offering a good store for the customers.

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10. Kroger pushing on with drone deliveries​

More work from Kroger as they trial drone deliveries, we have seen / heard the trial before from any number of retailers. Given the ability to use drones (they've been mass market for years now) exists, why has this not expanded further?

I imagine the load for one drone in terms of weight will be negligible(?)

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11. Walmart doubling down on rollbacks as inflation hits.​

Inflation is coming to the UK, already hitting in some cases but for the US, the pace of people buying things, coupled with supply chain challenges and supply challenges has seen prices sky rocket.

Lumber (Timber) is +240% in price versus two years ago for example. How to navigate inflationary pressure is a key challenge for all, there are very few better than Walmart in this regard.

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12. Hidden cameras at the checkouts in Woolworths.​

Not a new story given a number of cameras are now seen on self service checkouts in the UK of course; mainly for security to try and scare customers in to not stealing, making a mockery of the adage of innocent until proven guilty.

Almost treating every customer as a thief first and foremost....

Anyhow - Woolworths have added a camera in to the checkout scanner which aids the customer picking loose fruit and bakery items, an issue without self checkouts (the colleagues in some cases were poor at picking the right item) which will aid inventory control and reduce shrinkage.

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13. DunnHumby put the customer first with Wakefern.​

UK's DunnHumby continue to roll out their wares and have signed up with Wakefern (owner of Shop Rite US) to be their category management partner.

Putting the customer at the centre of their category planning work.

Where was the customer before?

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14. Picnic leapfrogs Jumbo in the Dutch online market.​

Interesting in Holland as Picnic have overtaken Jumbo as the 2nd biggest operator of online groceries in the Netherlands. Albert Heijn is the clear leader out on 41%. Picnic on 27% and Jumbo 21%.

These stats are generated by a customer survey, where twice a year, customers are able to feed back on who they shop with and their thoughts on grocery online shopping.

Interestingly - 27/28% of customers in the central and southern areas of the Netherlands utilise online shopping, however in the north - it's just 11%.

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15. Jumbo to open more stores in Belgium.​

Three more are to open with their first in the coastal province of West-Flanders. This takes their total store number to 11, with their long term goal of 100 stores still very much the aim.

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16. Fast delivery now in 6,000 7-11 stores.​

Quick commerce remains the growth engine and attracting monies galore from the various investment houses, wanting a piece of the pie before they get to the moon (or crash to earth).

Instacart are a major fulfilment partner in the US to a number of retailers (despite seemingly just shopping as a normal customer and using their own credit cards to pay at a normal register) before moving the totes to the dedicated online area.

They're now offering 30 minute delivery in an extra 4,000 7-11 stores, which underlines the possibility for this channel, it can work and the US is relatively immature in terms of online groceries and deliveries, so it could end up working well, especially via c-stores / gas stations.

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17. CVS and Walgreens slump with Amazon planning a drug store.​

​I called this! Around a year ago pre COVID; their stores frustrated me, again, in New York City mainly but also in other suburban areas around Philadelphia and indeed Florida, where their prime locations for superb convenience stores would be ideal to trade hard, with the right ranges, standards and offer.

However, they don't.

Even prime retail space in NYC features poor stores with a bland offer, featuring no differentiation at all. It's absolutely baffling. Prescriptions are their main game and filing these is where their money is.

The reality is a c-store offer, or offering more reasons than just prescriptions / pharmacy would not stack up given the low balling returns. However, it would drive footfall.

With Amazon sniffing around and rumoured to be looking at opening a select number of standalone pharmacies; alongside potentially dropping pharmacies in to Whole Foods too, didn't bode well for the share prices of Walgreens, Rite-Aid, or CVS.

$6 prescription charges are also rumoured via Amazon!

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18. Plant based to soar this Summer according to Whole Foods.​

Of little surprise given the moves by Target (own brand) and indeed Whole Foods who are progressing strongly in this arena, alongside a huge number of other retailers.

It's a growing trend with the younger customers too, who are more aware of the impact of eating meat and what it does to the environment, linking with net zero and wider sustainability considerations too.

More of this is likely to come, with Tesco notably strong in the UK under their Wicked Kitchen brand. We collate and collect Vegan products every single week from our stores visits and we track this category relentlessly.

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19. $5m in prizes if you get a COVID vaccination at Kroger.​

Amazing! Alongside scratch cards for those having the vaccine in New York, Kroger are aiding the efforts with their own offering of cash prizes alongside the chance to win free groceries for a year...

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So there we have it! A US heavy edition perhaps but it rolls up the various headlines well - continuing to see quick commerce and what's next for digital, alongside inflationary pressure coming post COVID too.

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Trade well, until next time.

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