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☆ Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocery chain and more middle-income households are shopping there. Here are the no-frills tactics that help make it so cheap.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

More middle-income households are shopping there, lured by low prices and Aldi's "treasure hunt" approach. Smaller properties are cheaper to buy and maintain, and Aldi has said that its store layout enables "quick and easy shopping." Monford added that consumers "don't mind" that products aren't taken out of their boxes because they're shopping at Aldi for value. Campbell said the Aldi stores near her generally had just four or five aisles. Vadakkepatt said Aldi's stores have fewer employees and shorter hours than at other chains.

☆ CIOs in 2023 Want to Know: Who’s Got Talent?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

As the information technology talent gap continues into 2023, chief information officers are augmenting recruiting efforts with new models like upskilling, job sharing and rotations as well as raising salaries and offering perks to retain workers. Some also believe the shifting economy could make it easier to fill vacancies, although the short term talent market remains challenging. “It’s been a source of should we, not deprioritize, but re-sequence the work that we’re doing,” Kroger CIO Yael Cosset said of the talent shortage. Duke Energy is developing certification curricula and joining with software companies on education programs to help internal talent learn new skills, said CIO Bonnie Titone. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS What do you think CIOs can do to find and retain talent in 2023?

☆ From Amazon to The Trade Desk, experts predict these companies will be the most active acquirers of advertising businesses next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

There's a strong interest from acquirers in hot trends like commerce media and data consultancy. Experts predicted the companies most likely to be acquirers of advertising businesses in 2023. Many industry observers expect advertising industry M&A deal volume and value to be down next year due to volatile macroeconomic conditions. Experts across the advertising industry — from consultants, to agency executives, analysts, investors, and adtech leaders — named the companies likely to be active in the advertising M&A market in 2023 and why. Apple could make an under-the-radar adtech acquisition for its sleeping giant advertising businessIndustry insiders predict Apple has big plans for its $5 billion-and-growing advertising business next year.

☆ How to Spot a Ghost Restaurant on DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Thousands of virtual brands are flooding delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. According to a joint report by Grubhub and the market-research firm Technomic, 41% of independent restaurants are operating virtual restaurants. Uber Eats and GrubhubUber Eats and Grubhub do not label virtual brands. Our perspective is that a virtual restaurant is a real restaurant," Uber Eats told Insider. The Miami address for the virtual brand Sam's Crispy Chicken is listed as "MIA07-2" on the Uber Eats app.

This is why we have seen less activity," said Dirk Albersmeier, co-head of global M&A at JPMorgan. In the fourth quarter, there has been a 56% contraction in global M&A to $641.2 billion, partly caused by a 66% drop in private equity activity. Top rainmakers expect a pickup in cross-border M&A activity. Going forward, private equity funds are expected to kickstart the recovery as they seek assets at a discount. We were probably more optimistic a year ago," said David DeNunzio, global head of M&A at Wells Fargo.

☆ Retailers Rethink In-Store Tech as Shoppers Return
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Retailers during the pandemic poured investments into e-commerce, as many questioned whether shoppers would ever return in full force to physical stores. E-commerce is now 16.4% of all retail shopping, down from 18.8% at the height of the pandemic, according to the National Retail Federation. Photo: The Kroger Company“There is an opportunity to remove the friction,” said Mr. Cosset. “It’s never enough.”In addition to cost barriers, Mr. Cosset of Kroger said it is also wise to hold back on some investments based on what the consumer actually wants. But privacy concerns coupled with the cost of large-scale camera installation make it impractical, Mr. Cosset said.

☆ CVS, Walgreens limit purchase of children's pain medicines
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Pharmacy chains CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) limited purchase of children's pain drugs as they face supply constraints and high demand with the United States experiencing one of the worst flu season in a decade. CVS said there is currently a two-product limit on all children's pain-relief products at all its pharmacy locations and online, while Walgreens said it had put a limit of six over-the-counter pediatric fever reducers per online transaction. Bloomberg Law, which first reported about the purchase limit, said U.S. supermarket chain Kroger Co (KR.N) was also putting a limit over the purchases to two children's pain medicine products. Kroger did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reporting by Raghav Mahobe and Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - PepsiCo plans to roll out 100 heavy-duty Tesla Semis in 2023, when it will start using the electric trucks to make deliveries to customers like Walmart and Kroger, the soda maker's top fleet official told Reuters on Friday. PepsiCo is the first company to experiment with the battery-powered Tesla Semis as a way of cutting its environmental impact. When Tesla starts building them, PepsiCo "will rotate those up" into its fleet, he said. PepsiCo declined to share details on the price of the trucks, a figure that Tesla has kept quiet. O'Connell said that a 425-mile (684-km) trip carrying Frito-Lay products brings the Semi's battery down to roughly 20%, and recharging it takes around 35 to 45 minutes.

PepsiCo, which ordered the Semis in 2017, is the first company to experiment with them as a way of cutting its environmental impact. PepsiCo is deploying 36 electric trucks from Tesla, with 15 in Modesto and 21 in Sacramento, so far. When Tesla starts building them, PepsiCo "will rotate those up" into its fleet, he said. PepsiCo declined to share details on the price of the trucks, a figure that Tesla has kept quiet. O'Connell said that a 425-mile (684-km) trip carrying Frito-Lay products brings the Semi's battery down to roughly 20%, and recharging it takes around 35 to 45 minutes.

☆ Washington state court blocks Albertsons special dividend
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 16 (Reuters) - Washington's state supreme court on Friday blocked Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) from paying a special dividend ahead of its acquisition by Kroger Co (K.N), a court order showed. The court extended a block put in place by a lower court, and said the block would remain in place until a further order of the court. Reporting By Mike Scarcella in Washington, DC; writing by Peter Henderson; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Retail advertising surged in 2022 — but in 2023, these new ad businesses will need to steal TV ad budget to survive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Retailers will face more competition for ad dollars with smaller ad budgets from marketers in 2023. WPP's media buying unit GroupM said that retail media brought in $110 billion this year and is on track to generate $160 billion by 2027. But 2023 will be the year that determines which retail ad businesses will win and which will lose. But some retailers are trying to grow their retail media businesses by separating those two, so retail ads are no longer part of the distribution deal. Retailers are coming for TV budgetsIf retail media budgets increase, other types of ad budgets must get cut.

☆ Kroger and Albertsons would likely shutter stores as part of a planned merger. See if your local store is at risk.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kroger and Albertsons could sell or close stores if their $20 billion merger is approved. A map showing Kroger and Albertsons stores KrogerIn some ways, the companies' store networks complement each other. As part of the deal, Kroger and Albertsons have agreed to sell up to 650 stores. Eliminating stores in those locations is one way that Kroger and Albertsons could cut costs as a combined company, he added. In order to get federal approval for their merger, Albertsons and Safeway had to sell just under 150 to another grocery chain.

☆ Walmart shoppers are flocking to stores for cheap groceries, while website visits languish — proving how vital its stores are in a tough economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But while online shopping has dipped this year, more people have been flocking back to Walmart stores. According to estimates from Placer.ai, a location-data company, Walmart stores saw a 1% increase in the average number of daily shoppers through December 4 compared to the same year prior. But those customers are typically not buying food online, according to Yarbrough. Online food sales slowing across retailersWalmart is the top US grocer. The membership platform that launched in 2020 incentivizes online shopping by offering free delivery.

Here are the 12 hottest adtech companies of 2022. Marketers reined in digital ad spend, and adtech companies felt the blow, leading to industry-wide layoffs. Adtech companies with solid businesses that solved problems in hot areas like retail media and streaming TV stood out this year. And retailers like Walmart and Kroger signed new deals with adtech companies to expand their advertising businesses. Here are the 12 hottest adtech companies of 2022.

☆ These stocks could have the most to gain from peaking inflation, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Certain stocks are poised to gain the most if high inflation is past its peak, according to analysts from the Bank of America. In the past-peak inflation environment, certain stocks are set up to potentially gain, according to a Dec. 6 note by Savita Subramanian, head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Securities. This means that as inflation subsides, these stocks should get a boost. Other retail names on Bank of America's list include O'Reilly Automotive , Clorox , Ross Stores , Home Depot and Lowe's . Some of these companies picked out by Bank of America have also been able to hold up amid rising inflation.

[1/2] The Albertsons logo is seen on an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciDec 10 (Reuters) - U.S. grocery chain Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) said that Washington State Court had denied a request of preliminary injunction by the state's Attorney General to prevent the company from paying $4 billion to shareholders in a special dividend. The court has extended the existing temporary restraining order until Dec. 19 to give the Attorney General an opportunity to appeal, the company said late on Friday. The Washington Attorney General has said that the dividend payout "risks severely undercutting the grocery giant's ability to compete" during the lengthy regulatory scrutiny. Albertsons has maintained that it was in a strong position financially and that the dividend would not hurt it.

☆ Albertsons’ $4 Billion Dividend Payout Remains Blocked as Washington State Attorney General Seeks Appeal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kroger is the top U.S. supermarket operator by sales. A Washington state judge on Friday extended a temporary restraining order blocking a $4 billion dividend that Albertsons Cos. planned to pay its shareholders amid its plans to be bought by Kroger Co.Judge Ken Schubert for the King County Superior Court in Washington sided with Albertsons and Kroger, allowing Albertsons to pay the dividend. The ruling came after the state’s attorney general filed a lawsuit in November against the companies to block the dividend.

☆ Albertsons says Washington AG is denied request for injunction to stop Co's dividend payment
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Industry Insight | Insights In Action | Service Is Now Table Stakes As Clients Seek Higher Value Firms | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] The Albertsons logo is seen on an Albertsons grocery store, as Kroger agrees to buy rival Albertsons in a deal to combine the two supermarket chains, in Rancho Cucamonga, California, U.S., October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciDec 9 (Reuters) - Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) said late on Friday that Washington State Court has denied a request of preliminary injunction by the state's Attorney General to prevent the company from paying a dividend to its shareholders. The attorneys general of California, Illinois and Washington D.C. asked a federal court last week for a preliminary injunction that would prevent Albertsons, which is being purchased by rival Kroger Co (KR.N), from paying a $4 billion dividend to shareholders. Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Albertsons’ $4 Billion Dividend Payout Remains Blocked
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jaewon Kang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Bank of America says these stocks have the most 'potential upside' this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Analysts at Bank of America named five stocks this week that they say every investor must own heading into 2023. CNBC Pro combed through Bank of America research looking for stocks with major upside potential. Netflix Shares of Netflix are down 46.8% this year, but analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich is standing by the streaming giant. Kroger Kroger shares have gained nearly 2.6% this year, but the stock has a lot more room to run, according to analyst Robert Ohmes. ... We rate Solo Brands' shares Buy as we believe its unique platform strategy should enable its high growth Leisure brands."

☆ Jim Cramer's Investing Club meeting Friday: Inflation data, Salesforce, Microsoft trouble
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. "I think things have kind of bottomed, and the publicity and the long knives are overdone to me at this point," Jim Cramer said Friday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

When she checked availability of these pain- and fever-reducing meds this week, out of 40 products – different flavors, sizes and strengths – none was in stock. For kids over 2 months of age, there is no magic number at which a fever needs to be treated. She says this is a great option for kids who can’t keep food or liquids down, too. What not to doThere are also some important things not to do if you can’t find the medication you need. Also, lukewarm baths are OK, but it’s not a good idea to put a child with a fever into a cold bath, Ahmann says.

☆ Kroger's stock is a solid bet, with or without the Albertsons' deal, Bernstein says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Analyst Dean Rosenblum said he's bullish on Kroger without the deal, seeing 25% potential upside for the stock from Tuesday's close. Although the grocery market is highly fragmented, Kroger and Albertsons are two of its biggest players. Says 90% chance the deal will close Rosenblum said he has "pretty high-conviction" that the deal will close, based on his research. Once the deal closes, Albertsons shares should be worth about $27, based on the deal price, net a special dividend the company plans to pay as part of the transaction. The bigger picture Beyond the strategic reasons for the Kroger-Albertsons deal, Rosenblum also sees reasons to be optimistic about both grocery and home improvement sectors.

Even as inflation persists, there are some bright spots where high prices are easing, Walmart's CEO said Tuesday. Toys, clothing, and sports equipment categories are all seeing prices come down, Doug McMillon told CNBC. “In toys, sporting goods, apparel, and categories like that, prices have come down more aggressively,” McMillon said in the interview. The categories are all ones in which big-box retailers placed large backlogs of orders as the pandemic set in. In the same interview on Tuesday, Walmart's McMillon warned that some grocery prices are still rising, including chicken and some dry goods.

☆ Kroger receives FTC request for additional information on Albertsons deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Kroger Co (KR.N) said on Tuesday it received a request for additional information from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission as part of the regulatory review process for its planned $25 billion merger with Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N). The deal, which was announced in mid-October, has drawn fire from lawmakers and consumer groups amid concerns the tie-up of the No. 1 and 2 standalone grocers in the United States could boost already-high food prices and stifle competition. The request from FTC extends the required waiting period until 30 days after the companies have "substantially complied" with the requests, Kroger said. The company added it still expects to complete the deal in early 2024.

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