As consumers flock to grocery stores during the holidays to stock up for festive gatherings, they’ve historically reached for their favorite name-brand products. But this holiday, with inflated prices and new retailer innovations, private-label products might start to give them a run for their money.

NielsenIQ predicts US private label dollar share of US CPG to increase to 19.6% in Q4, up from 19.3% in 2022 and 18.4% in 2021. This trend comes as 27% of survey respondents said they plan to buy more private label products to save $$ this holiday season and 40% of consumers view private label products as being of higher or equal quality compared to name brands.

Private labels have seen a strong year, with dollar sales across all US retailers growing 8.2% to $108 billion in the first six months of 2023, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association and research firm Circana. While they have yet to outperform name brands during major holidays, private labels could have a “fierce moment,” to end the year, Lauren Fernandes, director of global thought leadership at NielsenIQ, told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—EC

It’s no secret that IKEA has absolutely crushed the global commerce game. We’re talking a $45b retail operation featuring 12k products across 400 stores in 50 countries. Heck, you probably have one of their products in your home right now.

How’d they do it? Uptempo is hosting a live webinar on IKEA’s Blueprint for Global Commercial Agility that’ll take you behind the scenes of IKEA’s sophisticated commercial planning, analytics solutions, and marketing strategies.

In the webinar, you’ll get:

• an in-depth look at the comprehensive calendar of global commercial activities
• info on an initiative that enhances the furniture giant’s remarkable agility
• insights into IKEA’s future plans for continued innovation

Oh, and the recording will be available to all registrants, so no worries if you can’t make the Dec. 11 date.

Save your spot.

Buybuy Baby has new parents, and they’re letting it play outside again.

The retailer is making a comeback: Its new owner, Dream On Me, announced it will reopen more than 100 stores over the next few years. Parent company Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April—the culmination of a years-long struggle that included inventory and leadership issues.

• Buybuy Baby’s new owner also plans to expand internationally and open smaller-footprint locations.
• CEO Pete Daleiden told the Wall Street Journal that the company hopes to strike a balance between online and IRL shopping, while attempting to remain competitive with larger retailers such as Target and Walmart, which have encroached on the company’s turf.

Keep reading here.—KM

You’ve probably heard that consumers are stressed about spending too much for the holidays, but have you heard about spending too much because of that stress?

All right, let us explain. A new report from Intuit Credit Karma found that while 96% of more than 1,000 US adults surveyed are worried about the economy, 27% are “doom spending,” aka buying despite economic challenges to cope with stress.

In fact, a third (32%) of shoppers in the US have taken on debt in the past six months because of increased spending, especially among millennials and Gen X, the report noted.

The doom spending phenomenon is more frequent among younger consumers, affecting 35% of Gen Z and 43% of millennials.

Keep reading here.—JS