To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way consumers shop and stores sell is a vast understatement. As most retailers had to embrace technologies a few years before they were prepared to do so in order to stay afloat and to meet the needs of their customer base, the larger national and international chains have been at a far greater advantage because of their ability to invest heavily into those technologies. However, one of those heavy hitters is offering a potential solution to smaller businesses that otherwise would not have the same capital to finance the AI upgrades necessary to stay competitive in the retail game.
Walmart has announced a strategic partnership with American multinational computer software company Adobe in order to offer other retail businesses the ability to use the Bentonville, AR-based big-box store chain’s unique cloud-based services to provide seamless pickup and delivery to their customers.
The collaboration will integrate Walmart’s Marketplace, online and in-store fulfillment and pickup technologies with Adobe Commerce, a flexible and scalable end-to-end platform used to manage, personalize, and optimize the commerce experience across every touch point and across the entire customer journey. These businesses will be able to reach new customers on Walmart’s fast-growing Marketplace where they can leverage Walmart’s fulfillment services to offer 2-day shipping nationwide.
“We’ve built new capabilities to serve the evolving needs of our own customers, and we have a unique opportunity to use our experience to help other businesses do the same,” said John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S. “Commercializing our technologies and capabilities helps us sustainably reinvest back into our customer value proposition.”
“The core mission of helping people save money and live better is at the heart of every idea including Scan & Go and checkout technologies, AI-powered smart substitutions and pickup and delivery,” said Suresh Kumar, chief technology officer and chief development officer of Walmart Inc. “Combining Adobe’s strength in powering commerce experiences with our unmatched omni-customer expertise, we can accelerate other companies’ digital transformations.”
This move by Walmart not only opens up new revenue streams, it also should increase both its online Marketplace’s visibility and the number of products offered on the platform as the retailer vies to overtake Amazon in the e-commerce realm.
Adobe’s retail customers in the U.S. will be able to integrate Walmart’s omni-retail technologies in their own storefronts starting in early 2022.
FMI – The Food Industry Association, released its sixth annual “The Power of Foodservice at Retail” report late last month. The analysis, which was prepared by 210 Analytics and sponsored by Hussmann Corporation, offers a comprehensive review of shoppers’ perceptions and behaviors regarding prepared foods in grocery and also highlights ways for the industry to capture and expand its pre-pandemic share of the total food dollar.
Three significant themes emerged out of the survey:
Visibility at Retail: More than one-third of consumers, up slightly from 2019, do not recognize their local grocer as a foodservice option due to a lack of menu choices.
Hybrid Meals Support Shoppers: The analysis notes that shoppers are looking for comprehensive meal solutions, not just prepared items.
Convenience Enabled by Technology: Technology supports shoppers’ strong desire for convenience with more than half of consumers expressing a desire to order deli-prepared items with a smartphone.
“Grocery foodservice is at a competitive inflection point when we look at the state of the U.S. food dollar and the fact that 59 percent of Americans expect to cook as many meals at home as they do now,” said FMI VP, fresh food, Rick Stein. “The analysis suggests grocers are positioned to be the ultimate mealtime solution in that 39 percent of consumers view retail foodservice as a substitute for a both a home-cooked meal and a restaurant meal.” He continued, “Grocers confidently acknowledge the power in convenience-driven retail foodservice, as these programs continue to serve as differentiation strategies for their businesses. As evidenced in this analysis, with the right formula that caters to the customer with supportive technology, food retailers can increase their significance as a destination for health, well-being and meal solutions.”
The complete report can be purchased from the fmi.org online store.
Hats off to both Publix and Wegmans for not only making Fortune’s 2021 list of “100 Best Large Workplaces for Millennials,” but also for being the only two grocers in the country to do so this year.
The annual rankings are based on anonymous surveys representing more than 5.3 million U.S. employees conducted by Great Place to Work, a people analytics firm that focuses on building, sustaining and recognizing high-trust, high-performing workplace cultures. To be considered, companies had to meet the Great Place to Work-Certified standard and employ at least 50 millennials. Eighty-five percent of the evaluation is based on what millennials say about their experiences of trust and reaching their full potential as part of their organization, no matter who they are or what they do. The remaining 15 percent of the evaluation is based on an assessment of millennials’ daily experiences of innovation, the company’s values and the effectiveness of their leaders.
Although Publix dropped to the No. 76 spot this year (down from 69 in 2020 and 34 in 2019), this marks the sixth consecutive year that the Lakeland, FL retailer has made the list. According to a company statement, “Publix’s goal is to make it easy for its associates to stay and grow within the company, offering a variety of career paths, from serving customers in its stores to training its associates, and from designing its stores and warehouses to working with its suppliers to procure products Publix customers want. Associates have the ability to explore many opportunities within the company, no matter where they may be in their careers.”
“Millennials are the largest age group in the workforce today and represent over one-third of our team at Publix, so we are keenly focused on creating a diverse, vibrant workplace where they can build successful careers,” said Publix VP of human resources Marcy Benton. “We are pleased they recognize our efforts, especially during the pandemic, and ranked Publix so high among this critical audience.”
Wegmans, which was two spots behind Publix this year in the No. 78 spot, has been recognized on the list every year since the first one was published in 2015.
Congratulations to both retailers for not only making 2021’s Top 100, but for doing so consistently year-after-year!
 Until next month…
Karen can be contacted via email at: [email protected]
