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Happy Monday. We live in an era of personalization, and Reese’s recently introduced the Deconstructed Peanut Butter Cup Kit, an empty 9-ounce milk chocolate shell and a 10-ounce jar of Reese’s sugary peanut butter for candy lovers to assemble themselves. Hershey’s reports it sold out “in record time” on its e-commerce site, so please join us in praying to the candy gods for its return.

In today’s edition:

—Erin Cabrey, Alex Vuocolo

STORES

Ahold decision

Newsday Llc/Getty Images

As so much talk within the grocery industry is centered around Amazon, Walmart, and a certain pending mega-merger aiming to compete with them, one grocery giant—Ahold Delhaize—is finding value in smaller, regional chains.

“We think retail is local,” Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller told Retail Brew. “We think it gives a lot of ownership and accountability and engagement to local management to run the brand, be responsible, breathe the brand.”

In the US, the company owns Mid-Atlantic and Southeast chain Food Lion; Mid-Atlantic grocers Giant Food and The GIANT Company; and Northeast banners Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Some of these chains are solid, as Food Lion and Hannaford recently notched 47 and 12 quarters of positive sales growth, respectively, while Stop & Shop is shuttering 32 underperforming locations.

Ahold Delhaize is working to restore growth across all of its banners, in May unveiling its “Growing Together” strategy outlining goals it aims to achieve by 2028. These include growing its Own Brand to become 45% of total store sales, pushing for “more pronounced” organic store growth for its banners, and steadying its struggling Stop & Shop.

Speaking with Retail Brew at Groceryshop, Muller shared details on these efforts and the challenges they entail.

Keep reading here.—EC

Presented By Klaviyo

Start shopping season strong

The only thing more important than a robust BFCM strategy is an engaged audience to target. With holiday shopping just around the corner, it’s time to pull out all the stops on your strategy.

Klaviyo’s and Northern Commerce’s webinar digs into everything you need to know about before the holiday rush. Wanna win big during the biggest shopping weekend? It’s all about retargeting and remarketing to your audience.

Watch the webinar on demand to learn how to use data to boost your strategy on TikTok, Meta platforms, Google, Pinterest, + more. Klaviyo covers three tactics you can use to attract more shoppers and start the shopping season strong.

Tune in here.

RETAIL

Going low

Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

Joining the frenzy of early promotional activity from retailers, JCPenney is promising big deals and low pricing this holiday season. The department store, which a year ago reinvested $1 billion into its business, said it plans to price 70% of its gift assortment at below $20 and offer discounts up to 75% on jewelry and 60% on apparel, among other deals.

These deals are more than one-off promotions, however. They reflect a deeper shift in strategy around how the department store manages its inventory and chooses its assortment, Michelle Wlazlo, chief merchandising and supply chain officer for JCPenney, told Retail Brew via email.

“Our ‘Gotta Have It’ pricing means that every day, our customers understand the great value that can be found at JCPenney, including top items with relatively consistent pricing throughout the year, and which are still eligible for use with our coupons,” she said.

Keep reading here.—AV

RETAIL MEDIA

Halloween debrief

Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images

It’s the first week of November, and while there’s some other things happening in the next few days that you’ve probably have gotten a text or two about, the retail industry is barreling into the heart of the holiday season with a mix of post-Halloween data points, earnings calls, webinars, and other events.

In events: Marketing association DPAA has declared November Retail Media Month to showcase how in-store media networks are changing advertising, and it’s kicking off the celebration with an event on Wednesday. The webinar will present a case study on Dell that highlights how digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising can “support brand marketing within retail media environments.”

Keep reading here.—AV

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HOT TOPIC

At the mall, it’s where band tees are the only tees. In Retail Brew, it’s where we invite readers to weigh in on a trending retail topic.

TGI Fridays and Red Lobster have both declared bankruptcy in recent months.

You tell us: Do you think TGI Fridays or Red Lobster is more likely to still be in business a year from now? Cast your vote here.

Circling back: Last time, we told you about how Australian surfwear brand Rip Curl is awarding points for every wave that its loyalty club members catch. It’s an example of brands increasingly awarding points for behaviors besides purchases, what some call “emotional loyalty” as opposed to transaction-based “rational loyalty.”

We asked whether you thought it was a good strategy for brands to award loyalty points for actions besides purchases, and the vast majority of you did, with 78.8% of you responding it was a good strategy, 18.2% of you responding it was not a good strategy, and 3% of you responding that you didn’t know or weren’t sure.

SWAPPING SKUS

Today’s top retail reads.

Civics lessen: Why companies, including Nike and Under Armour, that ran non-partisan get-out-the-vote campaigns in advance of the 2020 election did not do so this year. (CNN)

Mini-market forces: Why there’s been so much consolidation in convenience-store ownership over the last two decades. (the Wall Street Journal)

Old ban river: How California’s new plastic ban could close loopholes from its prior ban and ease the persistent problem of LA River trash. (Marketplace)

Ready for BFCM? Run up the score + attract more shoppers by optimizing key channels like TikTok and Meta. Klaviyo’s webinar explores the data-driven strategies you’ve gotta know about before the holiday rush. Watch on demand.*

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