The economics of modern retail: channel power dynamics, media networks, supply chain pressures, and the structural shifts redefining vendor relationships.
Costco's merchandise operations generate a gross margin of approximately 11% — the lowest in major retail. After operating expenses, Costco's profit from selling products is essentially zero. Nearly a
Read Analysis →Dollar General and Dollar Tree operate over 38,000 stores in the United States — more locations than Walmart, Kroger, and Costco combined. In rural markets, dollar stores have become the de facto groc
Read Analysis →Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Amazon Fresh have collectively invested tens of billions in grocery delivery infrastructure. The fundamental unit economics remain challenged: the cost of picking,
Read Analysis →US retail shrinkage totaled an estimated $112 billion in 2022. Organized retail crime is a genuine operational challenge. But shrinkage data conflates theft, employee fraud, administrative error, and
Read Analysis →After a decade of expansion, major retailers including Walmart, Target, Dollar General, and Costco are pulling back on self-checkout. The labor cost savings were real but were offset by higher shrinka
Read Analysis →Post-pandemic supply chain diversification has accelerated. But the data shows that production is shifting from China to Mexico, Vietnam, and India — not returning to the United States. For US retaile
Read Analysis →Digital point-of-sale systems have expanded tip prompts to counter-service restaurants, coffee shops, self-service kiosks, and even retail stores — contexts where tipping was not historically expected
Read Analysis →Consumer packaged goods companies allocate 15-25% of gross revenue to trade spending — promotional funding, slotting fees, cooperative advertising, and display allowances. Yet industry surveys consist
Read Analysis →Walmart's US revenue exceeds $440 billion. The vendor ecosystem that supplies it — from P&G to single-product startups — represents one of the most concentrated and consequential buyer-supplier networ
Read Analysis →Grocery prices rose approximately 25% between 2020 and 2024. Even as inflation has moderated, consumer behavior has not reverted. Shoppers who traded down to private label during peak inflation are no
Read Analysis →Quick commerce — the promise of grocery and convenience delivery in 15-30 minutes — attracted billions in venture capital and has now entered a consolidation phase. Unit economics remain challenging:
Read Analysis →Private label now commands 20-25% dollar share across US grocery categories, with unit share significantly higher. The growth is not a recession response — it is a retailer strategy to capture manufac
Read Analysis →Major retailers set on-time in-full targets at 97-98%. The gap between 96% and 98% is not two percentage points — it is the difference between a clean scorecard and a chargeback conversation. This ana
Read Analysis →Grocery e-commerce has reached 10-15% of total US grocery sales. The fulfillment costs — picking, packing, last-mile delivery, cold chain maintenance, and return handling — erode margins that were alr
Read Analysis →In-store demonstrations convert at rates 5-10x higher than digital advertising. Endcap displays increase category sales by 30-50% during promotional periods. Neither generates attribution data. The mo
Read Analysis →Retail media spending is projected to exceed $60 billion in the US. For CPG vendors, this represents a new mandatory cost layer on top of existing trade spend, slotting fees, and promotional funding.
Read Analysis →Every linear inch of shelf in a major retailer has a revenue target. Category management is the discipline of proving that your product meets or exceeds that target better than the alternatives. This
Read Analysis →The headline says retail is dying. The data says retail is relocating, resizing, and restructuring. Store closures are concentrated in legacy formats (department stores, large-format discount) while o
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