TL;DR: Instacart’s growth rate has stepped up in recent quarters, widening the gap versus the total grocery market and strengthening the case for brands to lean in on the platform.We recommend brands plan for Instacart Ads investment of ~3% of sales, with most dollars in lower-funnel search where returns are provable; co-branding campaigns and the […]
TL;DR: Walmart delivered sales at the top of its guidance and raised its full-year outlook, with eCommerce once again driving all of its U.S. growth while stores declined for a third consecutive quarter. The headline for brands: $2.9 billion of tariff refunds went into more than 11,000 rollbacks to ease a fuel-pressured consumer. 8 minute […]
TL;DR: Target raised its outlook again after a strong 2Q (3.8% comp, margins up 70 bps), driven by store traffic and fast-moving category resets. Digital is the lone question mark: it’s growing slower than rivals and contributing far less to total growth. Our action items: raise forecasts if you’re in priority categories, engage on culturally […]
TL;DR: Instacart posted a strong 2Q, with +14.0% GTV growth and +16.5% Advertising growth, leading us to raise our 2026-2028 outlooks. The quarter strengthened Instacart’s position as a must-win platform for any grocery brand as it outpaces the total U.S. grocery market by ~4-5x. We continue to recommend ad investment around 3% of GTV, with […]
TL;DR: Amazon’s 2Q26 results beat the top of its own guidance, with estimated GMV growing +14.4%, but Prime Day’s move into June did most of the heavy lifting. Stripping out the event, we estimate GMV grew +8.7% and ads grew +20.3%, both faster than the respective markets, but decelerations from 1Q. We have lowered our […]
TL;DR: This comprehensive strategy workbook combines forecasts, consumer brand benchmarks, and expert intel with 5 hands-on tools for best-in-class Walmart strategy and execution in 2026-27. 1 minute read Log in to download the full workbook linked at the bottom Our Walmart Strategy Workbook includes All-Signal, No Noise insights retail leaders need to forecast their business, […]
TL;DR: Kroger is evolving into a complicated retail partner. Its business is rapidly shifting towards eCommerce, now profitable for the first time and accounting for effectively all of its growth in recent quarters. Its new CEO is demanding every SKU earn its place on the shelf. And the rise of its private label items makes […]
TL;DR: Walmart delivered another strong quarter despite mounting macro pressure, with eCommerce once again driving 100% of incremental growth. Advertising, marketplace, fulfillment, and membership continue scaling rapidly, all with clear implications for consumer brands across pricing, assortment, media, content, and brand control decisions. 8 minute read Walmart delivered another strong quarter, accelerating growth and continuing […]