MARKETING

An example of the Consumer Reports badge that eligible brands will be able to license from the magazine. Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports, the 90-year-old product-ratings magazine, touts the fact that it’s run by a nonprofit, purchases all products it tests (rather than accepting freebies from manufacturers), and does not accept advertising, and that independence seems to resonate with consumers.

In a survey asking US respondents to identify trusted sources of product reviews for tech products, 69.7% selected Consumer Reports, far more than chose the Wall Street Journal (38.6%) or the New York Times/Wirecutter (29.6%), according to a poll conducted by research firm Audience Audit for Proper Propaganda, a public relations agency specializing in technology companies.

For decades, CR had prohibited brands from mentioning its ratings in advertising, but in 2021 rolled out a licensing program that loosened the restriction. If a product earned a “recommended” rating, brands could purchase the right to mention the rating in ads and other marketing materials along with a check-mark graphic, “CR Recommended.”

Now CR is extending its licensing program, and it’s not just for products, but rather entire categories.

Keep reading here.—AAN

      

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

Secret Santa, team outings, a bundt cake in the breakroom—now these are holiday traditions for a workplace. Seasonal hiring that makes you pull your hair out? Let’s skip that this year.

Just look at Gap Inc. They’re transforming the holiday hiring season with “Bridgette,” an AI-enabled virtual career guide from Paradox designed to make hiring simpler and more candidate-friendly.

Bridgette handles repetitive tasks—answering 24/7 candidate questions, coordinating schedules, sending reminders—and ensures that AI takes over administrative work, not human connection.

As Gap Inc. anticipates an estimated 200,000 seasonal employment applications, Bridgette’s mobile-first, conversational interface will guide candidates through the process and enable faster hiring decisions at participating locations.

Built using Paradox and integrated with Workday Recruiting, Bridgette is a tangible example of Gap Inc.’s overarching strategy to embed human-centered AI across the business.

Learn more about why it works.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

If the wilting spun-around jack-o-lantern on your porch is any indication, it’s officially Thanksgiving grocery shopping season.

Consumers continue to be price conscious this season, with 80% planning to stick to a budget, per PwC, but an expected 25% drop in consumer travel this holiday could actually benefit grocers.

“We do think that could be good for the overall grocery business because people will probably be staying home and spending more,” Kelly Pedersen, global retail leader at PwC US, told Retail Brew.

This year, many retailers vying for shoppers’ grocery business are slicing prices on their Thanksgiving meal deals compared to last year.

Walmart’s offering this year bested its 10-person, ~$40 deal last year, offering a 10-person feast for $35, with 18% more food items that the retailer says cost 12% less than last year. Aldi, meanwhile, notched its $40, 10-person meal from last year down $1 to $39. After dropping its 10-person deal by $10 to $36 last year, Lidl this year is marketing a 10-person, $34.40 dinner, and is promising to price match Walmart and Aldi’s comparable total Thanksgiving basket price.

Keep reading here.—EC

      

STORES

Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images

In Amazon’s latest earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy said “folks are sleeping a bit” on the progress the company has made in expanding its physical retail business.

So let’s break it down.

In Q3, the company reported $5.7 billion in net sales for physical stores. That’s up 2% YoY, which is the same rate as online stores. Unit sales also grew 15% year to date, and in absolute dollars terms, the company added $90 billion in gross sales in 12 months.

• At Walmart US, for comparison, physical stores raked in roughly $96 billion in Q2.
• At the same time, Walmart pushed farther into Amazon’s territory with global e-commerce sales rising 23% for the quarter.

But for a better sense of Amazon’s progress, let’s look at its own past sales numbers.

Keep reading here.—AV

      

Sponsored By WooCommerce

From data scale to boosting sales. WooCommerce notes that the brands pulling ahead right now aren’t the ones on the most channels. They’re the ones running every channel off a single, shared set of data. This guide from WooCommerce explains why orchestration can beat optimization every time. Read it here.

swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

On the market: The Children’s Place has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is beginning a search for a new owner. (CNBC)

What’s the beef: Cattle herds are shrinking across the US, pushing up beef prices. (the Wall Street Journal)

Robocops: Amazon released two new autonomous security robots under its Ring product line, including a flying indoor camera for homes and a rover to patrol businesses. (Reuters)

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Jobs

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