Wednesday, 18 March 2026

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

  • Target's tech chief has a big role to play in the retailer's turnaround (WSJ)
  • JD.com's European push pits Chinese retailer against Amazon (Bloomberg)
  • Pop Mart bets on new toys as Labubu mania fades (Bloomberg)
  • Big bargains and 'white knuckle' buying: Inside the rise of TJ Maxx (FT)
  • Amazon launches 1-hour delivery in hundreds of U.S. cities (WSJ)

Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

  • Roger Martin: Becoming an EI augmented enterprise (Substack)
  • The dark side of Japan's convenience stores (FT)
  • How Jeff Bezos upended The Washington Post (NYT)
  • South Korea fell hard for this dessert, but that was so last month (NYT)
  • JBS beef plant workers begin industry's largest strike in years (WSJ)

Monday, 16 March 2026

 Stephan's Monday Picks

  • Weston family funding launch of a national digital media startup, sources say (Globe and Mail)
  • Who's really ordering all that DoorDash (The Argument)
  • Empire reports third-quarter loss amid shift in e-commerce strategy (Globe and Mail)
  • Japan loses its thirst for vending machines (FT)
  • The dieting myth that won't die (The Atlantic)

Friday, 13 March 2026

 Stephan's Friday Picks

  • Target boycott over DEI charges winding down (WSJ)
  • Coffee prices stay at record highs despite drop in market for beans (Bloomberg)
  • The highly exclusive way that everyone is shopping now (The Atlantic)
  • Rene Redzepi steps down at Noma amid allegations of past abuse (NYT)
  • From the archives (1997): What price the Snapple debacle (Bloomberg)

Thursday, 12 March 2026

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

  • Amazon wins court order blocking Perplexity AI shopping bots (Bloomberg)
  • The suburb that won't sleep (NYT)
  • In Canada's major cities, fertility rates are in steep decline. What happened? (Globe and Mail)
  • Walmart-backed Flipkart said to plan to invite banks to pitch for IPO in April (Bloomberg)
  • Campbell's cuts outlook as snack sales fall (WSJ)

Wednesday, 11 March 2026

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

  • A growth formula for the home and hygiene market (McKinsey)
  • A $1,000 dog grooming session? The wellness industry is booming (NYT)
  • The new food fad sweeping Korea (FT)
  • Graza's new mayo is the latest buzzy condiment to launch (Fast Company)
  • Liquor hasn't led to an explosion in alcohol sales, as some feared (Globe and Mail)

Tuesday, 10 March 2026

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

  • How Swig turned dirty soda into a national obsession (Bloomberg)
  • Luckin coffee backer Centurium is said to be in advanced talks for Blue Bottle (Bloomberg)
  • Iran conflict sparks global rush for critical fertilizers (Bloomberg)
  • Why dinner never gets easier (The Atlantic)
  • War in the Middle East threatens global food production (WSJ)