Dani Zuchovicki’s Post

Even when saving food and ensuring potentially wasted food isn’t part of my job description, I do my best to connect people to food before it goes bad in my free time. It is so crazy to me that sometimes there can be legal consequences to that. “As her store was closing, Ridley asked her boss if she could take home some food, at least the perishable stuff, and her boss told her no—that food belonged to the bank now. Which was true. But also—disgusting.” Something that gets me up in the morning every day is knowing that there are people working on the businesses and policies of the future, actively participating in the #greatturning and creating the preconditions necessary for all beings to thrive - with clean water, access to healthy food, and secure housing/environments to live in. Another very true story about the way the world works right now is that everything is falling apart as a result of business as usual. “Investors handed one young guy with an MBA $100 million to launch a bunch of convenience stores. Meanwhile, the amount of bank credit available for small businesses has been shrinking after adjusting for inflation. The issue isn’t that VC-backed companies are encouraged to take big risks and swing for the fences; it’s that they’re encouraged to pour in money, create a bunch of problems, and then speed off in their Teslas.” If anything, we need to look at things falling apart as an invitation to improve them. And keep fighting for common sense laws that ensure humans, and their very real urgent needs to house and feed themselves, not ‘starving creditors,’ are put first. I invite you, if your first reaction to these thoughts is based on business as usual - “yes but that’s just how it is,” or “well how else could it be?” - to take a deep breath and challenge yourself to see a different reality before responding. If you started backwards from a future where all humans are taken care of, where people and the planet came first before profits, what else could possibly be true about our current circumstances. What opportunities would be available to shift business as usual?

Costco- as soon as the doors open, queues form immediately at the food court: families - workers - retirees - a testament to Costco's food and drink value proposition. Stays like this until they close. Their secret sauce?... Reasonable pricing on food and drinks - solid products. It's a clever approach to nurture brand loyalty; show your customers they matter at every possible touchpoint - sticking to what they're exceptional at and consistently delivering that to the customer. (food and non-food) So, here's a shout-out to all businesses and entrepreneurs: Keep it simple, keep it consistent, create value, Be Remarkable and you might just find yourself building an empire of loyal customers. #costco #shoppingexperience #foodandbeverage #innovation #marketing #beremarkable #valuecreation #owneroperator

“HOW DO WE GET A TRADER JOE’S?” This question has been posed to me in virtually every Downtown where I’ve consulted over the last 25 years (except the ones where TJ’s already exists). So it was undoubtedly with great interest that many such districts read about the new smaller “Pronto” format the grocer just unveiled in Manhattan’s Union Square (link below). Alas, the 2,800 sq ft shop is just a “one-of-a-kind” extension of an overcrowded Trader Joe’s next door, with no plans for replicating it elsewhere. The news does call to mind, however, how TJ’s started in the first place. Joe Coulombe owned a small chain-let of convenience stores in 1960’s Southern California - called, yes, Pronto Market - when, in 1965, the Texas-based, proverbial 800-pound gorilla, 7-Eleven, announced that it would be expanding to the fast-growing region. “I knew eventually they were going to kill me,” said Coulombe, so he went to work on an adaptation of Pronto which debuted in 1967 as Trader Joe’s, and which evolved by the early 1970’s into the concept that we know today. Of course, most of TJ's growth nationwide has happened since the co-founder of Aldi, Theo Albrecht, acquired the then 27-unit operation in 1979, but those initial years are nonetheless instructive. Communities filled with the well-traveled and highly-educated today often bemoan the arrival of large brands, with some municipalities devising regulatory schemes to limit their presence or to insulate businesses they threaten. And yet it was largely because the doors had been open to 7-Eleven, and because Coulombe was then forced to innovate, that we now have the Trader Joe’s that those same people so treasure. I myself tend to gravitate to small businesses in my day-to-day life and I approve of efforts to address some of the free market's negative externalities, but I also realize that sometimes fierce competition - and the survival instinct it promotes - can be a good thing. After all, we don’t usually get something better if we try to freeze the present in amber; we might forestall the pain of loss for a little bit, but ultimately we miss out on the promise of what the future might hold.   #retailcontrarian #retail #retailtrends #retailmarket #retailindustry #retailers #downtown #mainstreet #mainstreets #citycenter #citycentre #highstreet #urbanretail #neighborhoods #icsc #ida #iedc #uli #icma #planning #marketanalysis #futureofretail #urbandevelopment #jll #citymanager #cnu #businessimprovementdistrict #bid #bia #retailbrew #downtownrevitalization #nyt #wsj #urbanregeneration #planetizen #urbanist #economicdevelopment #atcm #conveniencestore #grocer #grocerystore #traderjoes #pronto #freemarket #marketforces #legacybusinessordinance #formularetailordinance #chains #momandpops #indies #antichain #neighborhoodretail #communitydevelopment #independents #momandpop #nycretail #retailbrands #competition #preservation #gentrification #displacement #toobigtofail #mainstreetamerica #lisc #indie

Red Lobster misread the irony in the old saying, "we lose money on every sale, but make it up in volume." I shared my thoughts about the situation with Red Lobster with Daniella Alessandra Genovese earlier this week and thought I’d share it here too (link below). What’s not in the article: The Red Lobster outcome is just another proof point that the old revenue playbook in much of brick and mortar is dead. Retailers have been innovating for years on their e-commerce/digital strategy, yet it feels like their efforts to attract consumers to their physical stores are stale and one size fits all. Spare capacity IS an opportunity, but it creates risk as well...the difficult question is how to sell it without cannibalizing margin? The conversation is ripe for misinterpretation by consumers if retailers are not careful. Wendy’s got dinged for this kind of discussion in their Q3 2024 earnings call because it lacked the specifics on how to achieve a demonstrable benefit for the consumer. They wont be the last to face the media backlash if the perception of their plan is not managed more precisely. Retailers need to embrace innovative pricing strategies that bring consumers to their under utilized stores but these strategies MUST ensure they do not cannibalize margin if the purchase isn't incremental.

Once upon a time, in a small town, there was a bakery. It was called "Sunny Side Bakes". They baked the finest bread. Yet, few knew about them. Next door was a popular coffee shop. Lines went around the block. Every morning, the bakery owner, Jane, saw this. She had an idea. One day, she visited the coffee shop. Not as a competitor, but as a partner. She offered free bread samples to their customers. Only for a day. That day, something magical happened. Customers loved the free bread. They asked, "Where can I buy this?" Pointing next door, she'd smile. Word began to spread. Fast. Jane's simple idea became a sensation. Sales skyrocketed. Soon, Jane's bakery had its own long lines. But she didn't stop there. With each bread purchase, she gave a coupon. "10% off your next coffee." Now, both businesses thrived. It was a win-win. People loved the pairing. Fresh bread with their morning coffee. News outlets took notice. They featured the unique partnership. "Sunny Side Bakes & Joe's Coffee: Better Together." Headlines read. More townsfolk started visiting. Tourists too. Jane's bakery expanded. She now offered pastries, cakes, and more. But she always remembered that simple hack. Collaboration over competition. That was the key. This tiny bakery's success story was all thanks to a simple idea. A reminder that sometimes, small changes can lead to big results. It wasn't about fancy ads or huge campaigns. Just mutual support. The story of "Sunny Side Bakes" inspires us all. To think differently. To seek collaboration. And most of all, to never underestimate the power of a simple gesture. Remember, every business has its story. Yours might just be waiting for its moment to shine. 1. #MarketingGenius 2. #CollaborativeMarketing 3. #GrowthHack 4. #BrandBoost 5. #partnershippower

The landscape of grocery retail is changing, and Upside is part of that transformation! Our VP of Grocery, Tyler Renaghan, recently spoke with The Shelby Report about how we're using data to create personalized cash back offers and maximize efficiency. We're excited about what's ahead, and we're curious to hear your thoughts. How do you envision the future of grocery? Check out the full story and join the conversation ⬇️

🦞 A runaway marketing promotion put Red Lobster in the hottest of hot water. Now they're filing for bankruptcy. CEOs have to take unprofitable customers seriously. Today's consumer is very different; the answer to "how bad could it be?" is now "as bad as you can imagine." Grow as fast as you can, but keep your business safe. https://lnkd.in/eDQW-U_u

🛒 When it comes to grocers, there are few more beloved than Trader Joe’s. The retailer has transformed the grocery shopping chore into a joyful experience that elevates the minutiae of everyday errands into moments of delight and discovery. Trader Joe’s appears to launch products that quickly gain a cult following as if it’s no big deal. Behind the scenes, the grocer has carefully woven groundbreaking innovation into their business DNA, consistently delivering scrumptious surprises to customers across the U.S. The secret to their process is sticking to “The Big Three”—be a fan of your own products, prioritize customer delight, and keep things simple. Their product assortment is carefully curated, and their product developers travel the world for inspiration, with an extensive judging panel made up of different teams voting on iterative tests for new recipes before they launch in stores. If a particular product doesn’t sell well, they take that as valuable feedback that the product just doesn’t resonate with customers—and then they work to develop something else that will. From the handwritten signs to the friendly staff members in Hawaiian shirts, the chain has mastered the art of fostering a sense of community and human connection in a world that often feels impersonal. THOUGHT-STARTERS 🤔 Are you willing to make the big sacrifices that can truly lead to breakthrough practices (ex. investing in people or being brave enough to quickly abandon products that don’t work)? If not, how should you adjust your strategy? 🤔 How can you better leverage your consumers as both research and marketing resources? Like what you see here? Join the waitlist for the next issue of Elevations. https://hubs.la/Q02hbxgK0 —————— If this post inspired you to connect the dots of your own innovation efforts, we hope you’ll reach out to us. We’d love to create something magical for you. In innovation we trust. Erin Jacobs Mays + Kalyn Rozanski 👍🏻 Like, repost, or comment if you are interested in Elevations magazine ➡️ Learn more about Ebco's innovation services: https://hubs.la/Q02hbFrN0 💡 Follow for more innovation updates #innovation #future #trends #insights #magazine #foodandbeverage #grocerytrends #marketresearch

What’s the one quality we have had to dig into to make a comeback? Being brutally honest with ourselves. As you know SwitchGrocery went on pause in August of 2023 as we work through a: #1 label review #2 answering the question - can we be profitable? And finally, do we want to continue this personally? Because when you’re working so hard on a small business, there’s gotta be some sense of joy and enjoyment - because it is not easy! I’m so happy to share that we have opened our store with 3 brands Kaizen Food Company pasta, JOI plant based milk bases, and Keto Brick LLC bricks! We are taking small steps and proud to share that we were profitable in January! It’s a small profit, but it is to be celebrated. Read more of our update here 👉🏽 https://lnkd.in/gi6T6N6F And please root for us, will you? Small, profitable, fun is what we are focussed on 💕 Thanks for being here LinkedIn Fam - this is a special platform to us. Would you like to hear more about the steps to restarting our business? Mentally, physically, financially! - Neha #switchgrocery #ecommercebusiness #foodbusiness #cpgindustry #cpgbrands #canadabusiness

How are other small businesses doing out there? Brutal honesty over the past 6 months has been the key to us clawing our way back slowly and surely! Pls read for a full update on SwitchGrocery and let me know if you would find learning all our steps, our internal debating, useful!