The Friday Checkout is a weekly column providing more insight on the news, rounding up the announcements you may have missed and sharing what’s to come.
Nearly five years after opening its first store with a barrage of discounts, Amazon Fresh is again wooing shoppers with enticingly low prices. But while the bargains the retailer offered in its early days were introductory, Amazon has made clear that its latest assault on grocery costs is here to stay.
The elephant in the room, of course, is whether Amazon Fresh can convince shoppers to make its stores their primary grocery destination instead of just novelties where they might pick up a few items when dropping by to return something they bought on Amazon.com. The chain has struggled to find its footing, despite backing from one of the biggest companies on Earth, opening and sometimes closing stores while trying to fine-tune the experience it offers shoppers.
“Amazon has so much firepower to do whatever they want in grocery” because the company rakes in money from its other business lines, including its global e-commerce and cloud computing operations, Arun Sundaram, senior vice president of equity research at CFRA Research, said recently. “They can operate at a loss for a very extended period of time to try to drive more traffic and loyalty, whereas just about every other grocery company can’t do that.”
The question now is whether Amazon is finally done tinkering with its homegrown grocery retail concept — and positioned to erase skepticism about whether it has the wherewithal to run a truly competitive traditional supermarket chain over the long haul. Amazon might be one of the world’s richest companies, but relying solely on low prices to win over grocery shoppers is a strategy even it can’t afford forever.
In case you missed it
Lidl wants people to visit the “midl” of its stores
Discount grocer Lidl has a clever name for its center store displays that feature frequently rotating general merchandise: The Midl of Lidl. The discovery-focused displays, which feature everything from coolers to electric massagers, will now offer new products beginning every Monday instead of Wednesday.
The latest eclectic mix of deals in the Midl of Lidl includes a 45-liter cooler for $75, a hand vacuum for $20 and a cold-plunge ice bath for $30.
Circana acquires NCSolutions
Data and research firm Circana announced earlier this week that it has acquired CPG advertising services company NCSolutions for an undisclosed amount. A joint venture between Nielsen and Catalina, NCSolutions offers ad targeting, optimization and measurement technology that will boost Circana’s advertising portfolio.
NCSolutions will fold into Circana’s Media team, which is led by former Kroger media executive Cara Pratt.
Simbe’s bots roll into another regional grocer
DeCicco & Sons, which operates 11 stores in New York state, will add shelf-scanning robots from Simbe to three of its stores, including its flagship location in Sleepy Hollow. Simbe’s Store Intelligence platform, which provides updates on product availability, pricing accuracy and inventory placement, will integrate with other technology DeCicco & Sons has added, including digital shelf displays and mobile programs.
The list of grocers Simbe has struck partnerships with includes Kroger, Schnuck Markets, Good Food Holdings and Price Chopper.
Impulse find
A supersized shoplifter
Grocers and technology companies have figured out all sorts of ways to deter and catch shoplifters. But there’s not much you can do when the perpetrator weighs several thousand pounds.
That’s the situation the owners of a convenience store in Thailand found themselves in earlier this week when a wild adult elephant wandered into their shop and helped himself to some snacks. The animal, which lives in a nearby national park and often hangs around the area, spent 10 minutes chowing down on packaged treats along with dried bananas and peanut snacks, CNN reported.
Rangers from the national park were eventually able to lead the elephant back to his home turf.
“He’s around here often but never hurts anyone. I think he just wanted snacks,” the store’s owner told CNN.
