Campaign scoop
A little taste of Hell. Philadelphia recently released a limited-edition product called "A Little Taste of Hell," which is a cream cheese infused with ghost peppers with a Scoville Heat Unit measurement of 1,041,427. This product was only available to residents of Toronto who ordered it via Uber Eats on January 13th. The release was promoted through videos by influencers, including a partnership with TikToker Celina Spooky Boo.
Can’t adopt them all. Rachael Ray's pet food brand, Nutrish, has launched a campaign to promote its support of animal shelters. The campaign, "Feed Yours. Help More," created by Publicis Groupe's agency PSOne for J.M. Smucker Co, encourages people to make a difference for shelter pets by purchasing Nutrish products, as a portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting them. The ad features a man and his dog being followed home by a group of cute animals from the park.
Technology shaping the retail industry
Inventory management. Google Cloud is partnering with retailers to develop artificial intelligence-powered inventory management technology. The technology will use machine learning to analyze store data and predict when products will run out of stock, helping retailers improve their inventory management and reduce waste. The partnership aims to help retailers keep pace with the fast-changing demands of consumers.
Grocery shopping. Mercatus, a provider of digital solutions for grocery retailers, has launched a new mobile app for regional grocers. The app will allow customers to shop for groceries and have them delivered to their homes, using AI-powered product recommendations and personalized offers. Mercatus aims to help regional grocers to better compete with larger retailers by providing them with the technology to offer home delivery.
Expert advice
Communicating with consumers. “Are retail communications out of sync with consumers?” This was the topic of Retail Wire’s latest discussion. Retail experts shared their thoughts on the subject. Here’s what Neil Saunders mentioned:
Inflation ease. In Retail Wire’s discussion experts debated “How might a further easing of inflation affect consumer spending?”. Ken Morris shared his opinion on the matter:
Drinking trends and greener retailers
Gen Z drinking preferences. According to WGSN, a trend forecasting company, the drinking habits of Gen Z are shifting towards non-alcoholic options. WGSN predicts that the trend will continue in 2023, as Gen Z is more health-conscious and more inclined to seek out low and no-alcohol alternatives, as well as mocktails. As a result, WGSN suggests that beverage companies should pay attention to this trend and offer more non-alcoholic options to appeal to this demographic.
Go green. According to Supply Chain Brain, companies should focus on making their supply chains more green, diverse and compliant in 2023. To achieve this, companies can invest in sustainable technologies, implement green initiatives and establish partnerships with suppliers that align with their values. Additionally, promoting diversity and compliance throughout the supply chain by implementing fair labor practices, ethical sourcing, and safety standards will be crucial for companies to be more competitive.
