Best of Pax Westona: December 2020

• The death of the department store and the American middle class (Vox)
• DoorDash: The value of speed (The Generalist)
• Inside the (surprisingly) big business of packaged ice (The Guardian)
• Roger Martin: Strategy and design thinking (Medium)
• The rise of Japan's loyalty point influencers (Rest of World)
• It's time to replace the public corporation (HBR)
• An oral history of the world's biggest coupon (NYT)
• Roger Martin: Strategy and integrative thinking (Medium)
• Tire Change: How Canadian Tire's new CEO has managed a baptism by virus (Globe and Mail)
• Jenna Lyons' J. Crew afterlife (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Surprise ending for publishers: In 2020, business was good (NYT)
• Jenna Lyons' J. Crew afterlife (The New Yorker)
• Brazil is famous for its meat. But vegetarianism is soaring (NYT)
• What is 'lab-grown' or 'cell-based' meat (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2020): The Canadians in a billion-dollar race to cure coughing (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The items that defined 2020 (Vox)
• Chobani's anti-CEO is a pro-employee billionaire in expansion mode (Bloomberg)
• The future of home decor is green (Globe and Mail)
• Is dairy farming cruel to cows (NYT)
• What did 2020 do to retail (HBR)

Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• On the inseparability of where-to-play and how-to-win (Medium)
• Why Google's recipe results are meaningless (Slate)
• How SoulCycle lost its soul (Vox)
• With Alibaba investigation, China gets tougher on tech (NYT)
• Galen Weston becomes controlling shareholder of grocery empire (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Coronavirus pandemic crushes supply chain, workers on both ends (Globe and Mail)
• Last minute shoppers avoid stores, hit websites - and orders are piling up (Bloomberg)
• U.S Justice Dept. accuses Walmart of fueling opioid crisis (NYT)
• Gift cards are the go-to holiday gifts of 2020 (WSJ)
• From the archives (2014): The Steve Jobs of beer (The Atlantic)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Michael Medline has returned Sobeys back to health; now he looks to the horizon (Financial Post)
• How Amazon wins: By steamrolling rivals and partners (WSJ)
• How restaurants retooled for takeout - and survived (Wired)
• Walmart to pilot test livestreamed video shopping on TikTok (Tech Crunch)
• Amazon and Walmart have raked in billions during the pandemic - and shared almost none of it with their workers (Brookings)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Strategy and integrative thinking (Medium)
• Tire Change: How Canadian Tire's new CEO has managed a baptism by virus (Globe and Mail)
• Food delivery fees: How to avoid the $18 burger (WSJ)
• Auctioning off a dead mall (NYT)
• Metro pays out near-maximum bonuses to executives after topping profit targets (Globe and Mail) 

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• An oral history of the world's biggest coupon (NYT)
• How a real-life monopoly made Monopoly the world's biggest board game (The Hustle)
• How Pez evolved from an anti-smoking to a beloved collector's item (Smithsonian Mag)
• Demystifying consumer choice (BCG)
• The year of the dog: In 2020 furry friends were just what we needed to make it through the pandemic (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Christmas trees are the hot new pandemic item (The Atlantic)
• Coke's elusive goal: Boosting its Black employees (WSJ)
• Retailer Wish drops in trading debut after IPO spree (Bloomberg)
• For farmers and consumers, a crazy year in food (WSJ)
• From the archives (1992): Wicked problems in design thinking (MIT Press)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• It's time to replace the public corporation (HBR)
• Why is there financing for everything now (The Atlantic)
• High-end city dining turns to suburban delivery during the pandemic (WSJ)
• Aphria, Tilray combine to form the biggest cannabis company (Bloomberg)
• Former Away employees describe toxic work environment at the luggage startup (The Verge)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The rise of Japan's loyalty point influencers (Rest of World)
• Chewy to expand pet products, explores monetizing telehealth services (WSJ)
• Uber and DoorDash to add surcharges to cover worker benefits (FT)
• Here's why it might be too late to order your holiday gifts online (CNBC)
• On the glory days of the great American trade paperback (Literary Hub)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Strategy and design thinking (Medium)
• Asda paid parent Walmart $1.52 billion dividend (Reuters)
• Affirm: The morality of money (The Generalist)
• GameStop employees surprised by new shipment of Xbox, PS5 (Bloomberg)
• Not Amazon: Online initiatives encourage shoppers to think (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Is American dietetics a white bread world (NYT)
• The walk-in kitchen pantry is the new designer shoe closet (WSJ)
• How 2020 turned the store inside out (Bloomberg)
• How tight is the Christmas tree supply? An 8-footer can fetch $2,000 (WSJ)
• Vending machine pizza and robotic coffee in vogue as pandemic accelerates restaurant automation (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Inside the (surprisingly) big business of packaged ice (The Guardian)
• America's most hated garment (The Atlantic)
• Stealing to survive: More Americans are shoplifting food as aid runs out during the pandemic (Washington Post)
• Canadian firms sign global pledge to make plastic packaging more recyclable (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2017): Why Australian supermarkets continue to look to the UK for leadership (The Conversation)

Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Etsy was a twee culture punchline. Now it's a Wall Street darling (NYT)
• The role of food in video games (The Guardian)
• It's time to build a resilience into retail and consumer goods supply chains (Bain)
• How European shoppers will buy groceries in the next normal (McKinsey)
• "You're competing with the world": Small retailers starting from scratch in e-commerce during the pandemic (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Canada's Food Price Report 2021 (Dalhouse University)
• DoorDash: The value of speed (The Generalist)
• Barnes and Noble's new boss tries to save the chain - and traditional bookselling (WSJ)
• The artisanal Crocs have landed (The Verge)
• I've spent my life building restaurants. Covid-19 has killed their magic - and threatened their future (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• The $2 billion mall rats (Esquire)
• These gas station entrepreneurs favored food over fuel and got rich (WSJ)
• Avocados are the 'pandemic-proof' crop in lockdown health craze (Bloomberg)
• How retailers track your every move in exchange for coupons and convenience (Vox)
• How the biggest retail companies are companies essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (Brookings)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Why Sobeys is saying 'yes' to hero pay and 'no' to gouging suppliers (Toronto Star)
• With 3 billion packages to go, online shopping faces tough holiday test (NYT)
• Nestle redoubles efforts to combat climate change (Nestle)
• Investors seek growth now in paying later (WSJ)
• U.S. retail instalment plan financier Affirm buys Canada's PayBright for $340 million (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The state of fashion 2021 (BoF)
• Goodbye blazers, hello 'coatigans': Women adjust attire to work at home (NYT)
• Google, Facebook, and Amazon gain as Coronavirus reshapes ad spending (WSJ)
• Cultured meat has been approved for consumers for first time (MIT Technology Review)
• From the archives (2018): The great retail bifurcation (Deloitte)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Pharmacies add freezers, train staff to handle Covid-19 vaccination drive (WSJ)
• Coalition of retailers is calling on Ontario government to lift Covid restrictions (Globe and Mail)
• How consumer brands can get e-commerce right (McKinsey)
• Amazon shopping needs a Prime army (NYT)
• Amazon works to avoid Google's fate with EU regulators (NYT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The death of the department store and the American middle class (Vox)
• 'Bleak Friday' for stores as pandemic pushes holiday shopping online (NYT)
• Philip Green loses battle to retail of 21st century (Bloomberg)
• Kohl's to open 850 Sephora beauty shops in its stores by 2023 (CNBC)
• Debenhams collapse deals another blow to struggling UK retail sector (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Strategy & Time (Medium)
• The 'great man' theory of American food (The Atlantic)
• Why proper sleep hygiene is so important (Globe and Mail)
• As winter arrives, heaters become a survival tool for businesses (NYT)
• Predicting consumer demand in an unpredictable world (HBR)

 Best of Pax Westona: November 2020

Classic toys are making a comeback during the pandemic (Washington Post)

The decade of VC funding that shaped e-commerce and DTC brands (Retail Dive)

The future of U.S. grocery: Maintaining the momentum (Bain)

Adidas bet on the rebirth of Reebok. Has it paid off? (Bloomberg)

The future of McDonald's in in the drive-thru lane (Wired)

Roger Martin: From laudable list to how to really win (Medium)

How the Netherlands became a plant-based protein powerhouse (Fast Company)

The rise and fall of getting things done (The New Yorker)

Retailers cut back on choices (WSJ)

Can Shopify compete with Amazon without becoming Amazon (NYT Magazine)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Agriculture ministers to examine grocery retailers' fees charged to suppliers (Globe and Mail)
• What transporting ice cream across the country teaches us about vaccine logistics (CBC)
• Black Friday hints at chaotic shopping period to come (Globe and Mail)
• HBC's big plan to survive Covid may be to go small (CBC)
• Shoppers who shun credit cards will still borrow $20 for candy (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The joylessness of cooking (The New Yorker)
• Federal watchdog voices 'concern' over big grocers removal of $2 wage bonus (Financial Post)
• Empire reinstates bonus pay for workers in lockdown regions (Globe and Mail)
• John Pecman: Let the market manage food delivery pricing (C.D. Howe Institute)
• From the archives (1992): The names game  (Maclean's)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Can Shopify compete with Amazon without becoming Amazon (NYT Magazine)
• Four reasons the stay-at-home economy is here to stay (WSJ)
• McCormick buys Cholula hot sauce for $800 million (Eater)
• Cheese giant enters standoff with Canadian supermarkets over fines (Financial Post)
• Cargill's CEO on preventing Covid-19 from disrupting the food supply (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Chocolate makers are having a hard time cutting down on sugar (WSJ)
• Why Hudson Bay's unpaid rent puts landlords in a difficult position (Globe and Mail)
• A day in the life of an Amazon warehouse worker (WSJ)
• As customers move online, so does the holiday shopping season (NYT)
• Amazon's $3,000 signing bonuses irk workers who got $10 coupons (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Strategy as a practice (Medium)
• Amazon primes for another happy holiday and prosperous New Year (Bain)
• Your next favourite restaurant might not be a restaurant (Bloomberg)
• Coupon-clipping fades into history as Covid-19 accelerates digital shift (WSJ)
• Loblaw tests driverless technology in delivery network (Globe and Mail)

Stephan's Monday Picks

• America just can't get enough Lysol (Bloomberg)
• Instalment payment services for online shopping come to Canada (CBC)
• Panic buying returns on Covid jump (Bloomberg)
• Retailers cut back on choices (WSJ)
• Heather Reisman: Canadian bookstores are essential, now more than ever (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Chewy is having a great 2020 as pet care surges during the pandemic (Bloomberg)
• Will the pandemic reshape landmark high streets across Canada (Globe and Mail)
• Virus cases rise, but hazard pay for retail workers doesn't (NYT)
• TJX launches online platform as Coronavirus persists (WSJ)
• From the archives (1985): The fall of Black's Dominion (Maclean's)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• The rise and rise of Amazon during the pandemic (The Guardian)
• Kind Bars to be acquired by Mars (NYT)
• How Covid-19 sparked an unlikely startup boom for brands (Bloomberg)
• The rise and fall of getting things done (The New Yorker)
• Metro shifting e-commerce strategy to home delivery (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Strategic choice chartering (Medium)
• Home Depot to buy back HD Supply in $8 billion deal (Reuters)
• Amazon jumps into the pharmacy business with online prescription fulfillment (CNBC)
• How the Netherlands became a plant-based protein powerhouse (Fast Company)
• Kraft Heinz to bring ketchup production back to Canada after six years(Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Walmart retreats around globe to focus on e-commerce (WSJ)
• From laudable list to how to really win (Medium)
• Retailers are pushing their employees to become Tik Tok influencers (Modern Retail)
• Winning over the holiday consumer (BCG)
• Retail chains shed stores, but it isn't good for business (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The future of McDonald's in in the drive-thru lane (Wired)
• On Alibaba's Singles' Day in China, couriers clamor for more (NYT)
• Walmart adding 'pop-up' centers for online holiday sales (WSJ)
• Grocery shoppers trade up as Covid cases rise (CNBC)
• The big lessons from history (Collaborative Fund)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• A new Ulta beauty experience is coming to Target (Target)
• Can Supreme survive its acquisition by VF (Quartz)
• HBC staves off eviction in one legal fight with landlords (Globe and Mail)
• Masayoshi Son pulled Softbank back from the brink. This time he had help (WSJ)
• From the archives (2011): Where Wal-Mart failed, Aldi succeeds (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How Allbirds became Silicon Valley's favourite sneaker (WSJ)
• Adidas bet on the rebirth of Reebok. Has it paid off? (Bloomberg)
• UK sales of scented candles soar as Covid restrictions tighten (The Guardian)
• Chipotle to open its first digital-only restaurant as online orders soar (CNBC)
• Alibaba sees $56-billion of sales as Singles Day shopping event gets into full swing (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Automats make a comeback in COVID-19 pandemic (WSJ)
• Amazon charged with antitrust violations by European regulators (NYT)
• Beyond Meat plunges as pantry loading ends (Bloomberg)
• McDonald's unveils McPlant line (CNBC)
• Premium Brands, coalition of Mi'kmaq First Nations acquire Clearwater Seafoods (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Restaurants defend dining rooms as COVID-19 spreads (WSJ)
• The future of U.S. grocery: Maintaining the momentum (Bain)
• The pandemic's hottest accessory: nightguards (Globe and Mail)
• Smaller is big in new e-commerce warehouses (WSJ)
• VF soars most in 33 years after $2.1 billion Supreme deal (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Petco says it's filed confidentially for U.S. IPO (Bloomberg)
• Uber sees 'fundamental shift' in food delivery demand (BBC)
• How an Eataly executive spends his Sundays (NYT)
• What's fueling the sudden surge in international grocery stores in Moncton (CBC)
• Canadian Tire takes 'cautious approach' to holiday promotions to help manage store traffic amid pandemic (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Unifor expands Loblaw battle beyond Newfoundland (Globe and Mail)
• Fast Food's bet on breakfast goes bust during pandemic (WSJ)
• Aphria to buy beer maker Sweetwater for $300 million (Globe and Mail)
• Supermarkets get new looks as shoppers adapt to pandemic (WSJ)
• From the archives (1981): The controversy over infant formula (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Comcast, Walmart in talks to develop smart TVs (WSJ)
• Marks & Spencer boosted by Ocado revenue (Bloomberg)
• French shopkeepers revolt against orders to close (NYT)
• AB Foods says Covid won't prompt Primark online rethink (Reuters)
• The decade of VC funding that shaped e-commerce and DTC brands (Retail Dive)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Walmart scraps plan to have robots scan shelves (WSJ)
• Ikea says second round of lockdowns will have less impact on its business (FT)
• Are scenarios limiting your pandemic recovery strategy (McKinsey)
• Ocado raises profit target as online grocery demand expands (Bloomberg)
• Clorox books record sales jump on disinfectant demand (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Strategy as problem-solving (Medium)
• Nestle buys U.S. meal delivery group Freshly (Reuters)
• New online bookshop unites indies to rival Amazon (The Guardian)
• France to close supermarket bookshelves to quell shopkeeper ire (Bloomberg)
• Turning private labels into powerhouse brands (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Classic toys are making a comeback during the pandemic (Washington Post)
• In luxury market, being Amazon is still a burden (WSJ)
• How Yeti survived a pandemic while selling $300 coolers (Medium)
• Private equity group bets $11 billion that Dunkin and Arby's go together (NYT)
• Kraft Heinz signals the great grocery boom isn't over (WSJ)

Best of Pax Westona: October 2020

• Are you ready for the new era of customer data (Bain)
• Why Americans have turned to DIY nesting (The Atlantic)
• The U.S. Army rolls out a new weapon: strategic napping (NYT)
• The path forward for U.S. retail (McKinsey)
• Behind China's 'pork miracle': How technology is transforming rural hog farming (The Guardian)
• The surprising upside of expensive products that don't sell (HBR)
• Roger Martin: How to think about market share (Medium)
• Influencers next frontier: Their own shopping channels (The Verge)
• Can The Gap become cool again (WSJ)
• Aritzia's Jennifer Wong built a fashion empire by leading with style - and plenty of substance (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Sunrise Records owner scoops up former DavidsTea leases, plans to launch competing tea stores (Globe and Mail)
• The three building blocks of successful customer experience transformations (McKinsey)
• Aritzia's Jennifer Wong built a fashion empire by leading with style - and plenty of substance (Globe and Mail)
• J.C. Penney enters asset purchase agreement with Brookfield, Simon (Reuters)
• From the archives (2006): Starbucks economics: The mystery of the 'short' cappuccino (Slate)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Canadian company Spin Master buys Rubik's brand for $50 million (Globe and Mail)
• Modern CPG product development calls for a new kind of product manager (McKinsey)
• How does one of the world's biggest pork firms go bust in a boom (The Guardian)
• Amazon launches shopping website in Sweden (Reuters)
• Michael Medline open to regulation of grocery industry (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Expect more marketing texts and emails in 2021 than ever before (CNBC)
• Dunkin Donuts is in talks to sell itself and go private (NYT)
• Can The Gap become cool again (WSJ)
• The second food stockpiling wave is here (Bloomberg)
• How the Coronavirus changed consumer behaviours and company valuations (Morningstar)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Sustainability in packaging: Inside the mind of the US consumer (McKinsey)
• Online associate is the job of the future (Bloomberg)
• How to trace a path to resilient, sustainable supply chains (Bain)
• Commodities king ADM pivots to pet food, veggie burgers, and probiotics (Bloomberg)
• Strategy is what you do, not what you say (Medium)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Influencers next frontier: Their own shopping channels (The Verge)
• America doesn't need so many Gap stores. Gap agrees (Bloomberg)
• Le Chateau files for creditor protection (Globe and Mail)
• Loblaw follows Walmart in imposing new fees on suppliers (Financial Post)
• How paid loyalty programs can help bring customers back to your brand (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Covid puts a spotlight on the food industry's role in obesity (Bloomberg)
• To survive, customers are taking takeout to the next level (WSJ)
• The story of America's first culinary celebrity (American Scholar)
• What's ahead for US restaurants (McKinsey)
• From the archives (2015): The war on Big Food (Fortune)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Uber founder turns real estate mogul with ghost kitchens startup (WSJ)
• What outdoor dining may look like in winter (Bloomberg)
• Whole Foods now offers free one-hour delivery (The Verge)
• Kraft Heinz gets into the food delivery business with its own 'ghost kitchen' (Globe and Mail)
• How Clorox's new CEO plans to turn to turn disinfectant wipes into future wins (Fortune)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• M&S and Ocado cause anger with different pricing on same item (The Guardian)
• Alibaba takes on Walmart in China with $3.6 billion investment (WSJ)
• Retailers revel as stuff, not experiences, makes a comeback (Bloomberg)
• P&G, Reckitt, clean up on pandemic-driven hygiene (WSJ)
• People don't need bottled water in a pandemic (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Eating direct and local is harder than it sounds (The Counter)
• Re-imagining consumer-goods innovation in the next normal (McKinsey)
• Scientist at the DFO says Ottawa is too beholden to fish farm industry (Globe and Mail)
• Retail workers to get new training: How to handle fights over masks (NYT)
• How to think about market share (Medium)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Why Target, Walmart and Best Buy are thriving amid the pandemic (Forbes)
• Ikea will buy back some used furniture to stop 'excessive consumption' (NYT)
• New ambitions for automation (Bain)
• How to think about market share (Medium)
• How the Coronavirus, the internet, and tons of money fueled sports card biggest boom (ESPN)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Pret A Manger will try anything to survive (NYT)
• Japan vending machines struggle amid pandemic (Bloomberg)
• The surprising origins of fried chicken (BBC)
• Loblaw to refer shoppers to health services, ties loyalty points to wellness behaviours (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2004): Workers assail night lock-ins by Walmart (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• The surprising upside of expensive products that don't sell (HBR)
• Spirit Halloween rises from the dead. Again and again (NYT)
• Beer can battle: Inside a war over recycling in B.C. (Globe and Mail)
• End of an era as Unilever UK shareholders back unification plan (Reuters)
• Amazon's Prime Day steals rival's Black Friday spotlight (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Behind China's 'pork miracle': How technology is transforming rural hog farming (The Guardian)
• Say goodbye to your local coffee shop in America's cafe shakeup (Bloomberg)
• Can Amazon upend the luxury sector (FT)
• The path forward for U.S. retail (McKinsey)
• Is the opposite of your choice stupid on its face (Medium)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Dollar General to open stores aimed at wealthier shoppers (WSJ)
• Customers still like to shop in person, even if they only get to the curb (NYT)
• The human touch at the center of customer-experience excellence (McKinsey)
• The role of management systems in strategy (Medium)
• Metro's Eric La Fleche named Canada's Outstanding CEO of the Year (Financial Post)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Department stores decade of decline (Retail Dive)
• Grocery giant Tesco sets its sights on Ocado (Bloomberg)
• Kroger launches on-premise ghost kitchens (Kroger)
• Six chicken-industry officials are indicted in price-fixing probe (WSJ)
• From the archives (1991): The MAC attack: A Canadian firm takes on the cosmetics giants (Macleans)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• The U.S. Army rolls out a new weapon: strategic napping (NYT)
• 17 retailers that could go bankrupt as the COVID-era wears on (Retail Dive)
• What Joe's Stone Crab can teach CEOs about the quest for profit (Fast Company)
• Amazon accused of using monopoly power as e-commerce gatekeeper (WSJ)
• Delivery workers and e-bikes are a perfect fit: This program puts them together (Fast Company)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• China pushes 'clean plate' amid food supply squeeze (Washington Post)
• Food makers add staff capacity as pandemic persists (WSJ)
• Why Americans have turned to DIY nesting (The Atlantic)
• People are eating healthier and cooking more, food execs say (WSJ)
• The history of mashed potatoes (Mental Floss)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Are you ready for the new era of customer data (Bain)
• U.S. consumer-packaged-goods advertising in the next normal (McKinsey)
• Clorox wipes are still the hard-to-find pandemic item (NYT)
• Heat lamps are tough to find (Bloomberg)
• Coca-Cola to discontinue Zico, may drop Coke Life (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Are you really innovating around your customers' needs (HBR)
• How supermarkets are dodging a second panic-buying calamity (Wired)
• The weird impact COVID-19 is having on the fast-food industry (The Ladders)
• Leaders need to harness Aristotle's 3 types of knowledge (HBR)
• Microsoft thinks you've been missing your commute during lockdown (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Walmart's new store design proves browsing is dead (Fast Company)
• Restaurants hit with skyrocketing insurance costs, dropped coverage (Globe and Mail)
• Ozaki beef is the premium upgrade on wagyu (Bloomberg)
• Store landlords face a battle for a cut of online sales (WSJ)
• From the archives (2014): Tesco's downfall is a warning to data-driven retailers (HBR)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How Gen Z and millennials are shaping the future of US retail (McKinsey)
• Ocado overtakes Tesco as UKs most valuable retailer (The Guardian)
• How delivery apps ruined grocery shopping (Grub Street)
• Costco CFO juggles managing inventory for products in high, low demand (WSJ)
• Giant Tiger's new CEO on the popularity of discount retailers (Globe and Mail)

Best of Pax Westona: September 2020

• The end of open-plan everything (The Atlantic)
• Beer, Band Aids, and Ben & Jerry's (Forbes)
• It's time for grocery retailers to simplify (BCG)
• Stop over-engineering people management (HBR)
• The high price of salmon farming (The Guardian)
• Fear rules: Part II (Roger Martin)
• The race to redesign sugar (The New Yorker)
• Indigo's Heather Reisman on balance e-commerce development with bricks and mortar (Globe and Mail)
• Shaping the consumer of the future (Bain)
• How great supply chain organizations work (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Why American Eagle is the last mall brand standing (Fast Company)
• Gas station billionaires in running to buy Asda from Walmart (Bloomberg)
• The consumer data give and take  (Deloitte)
• Whole Foods CEO says Amazon merger enabled long-term thinking (Bloomberg)
• Food insecurity is hurting Canadians physical and mental health, social life, and ability to find work (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• How great supply chain organizations work (McKinsey)
• Grocers stockpile, build 'pandemic pallets' ahead of winter (WSJ)
• How Amazon conquered Italy in the pandemic (NYT)
• Kellogg's Nigel Hughes discusses innovation in the COVID era (McKinsey)
• Amazon to add another 3,500 employees to its Canadian work force (Globe and Mail)

Stephan's Monday Picks

• Consumers with allergies - A growing market that remains under-served (McKinsey)
• How McCain Foods' CEO steered the french fry giant through COVID-19 (Globe and Mail)
• Shaping the consumer of the future (Bain)
• Demand for sports equipment and home gyms booms as Canadians prepare for pandemic winter (CBC)
• Meet the secretive billionaire who makes McDonalds' McNuggets, Burger King's Impossible Whopper and more (Forbes)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Ulta Beauty shelves plans for Canadian expansion (Globe and Mail)
• Aldi and Lidl at back of the queue during pandemic (FT)
• Indigo's Heather Reisman on balance e-commerce development with bricks and mortar (Globe and Mail)
• Beyond TikTok, Walmart looks to transform (NYT)
• From the archives (2006): Giant Tiger on the prowl (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• In China, paying with your face is a hard sell (WSJ)
• The race to redesign sugar (The New Yorker)
• Walmart expands fashion focus with new clothing line (CNBC)
• Canadians are buying record number goods. Services, not so much (Globe and Mail)
• Grocery bills are set to go higher and it's not just because of the pandemic (Financial Post)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Six problem-solving mindsets for very uncertain times (McKinsey)
• Fear rules: Part II (Roger Martin)
• Loblaw to resume fines on light shipments (Financial Post)
• Group of Co-op members raises funds to fight MEC's sale (Globe and Mail)
• Meat was once in short supply. Now it's on sale (Globe and Mail)

Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Canadian megamall developer's U.S. project on shaky ground due to pandemic (CBC)
• Couche-Tard founders to lose special voting rights (Globe and Mail)
• The high price of salmon farming (The Guardian)
• Coffee rust is going to ruin your morning (The Atlantic)
• Is Walmart letting Amazon set the rules (Retail Dive)

 Stephan's Monday PIcks

• Grocery tech star Ocado is a bet on big warehouses (WSJ)
• H-E-B jumps into micro fulfillment (Retail Dive)
• Why is everything sold out right now (The Atlantic)
• U.S. will delay TikTok app store ban as Trump supports Oracle-Walmart deal (CBC)
• How Amazon automated its work and put its people to better use (HBR)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Chipotle CEO on Coronavirus, online ordering, and delivery (Bloomberg)
• World isn't meeting biodiversity goals, UN report says (Globe and Mail)
• PepsiCo to launch drink to aid sleep as consumers struggle with stress (CNBC)
• How retailers should prepare for a weird COVID-19 Black Friday (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2016): Canadian Tire ousts CEO, reinstates predecessor in surprise move (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Kraft Heinz to sell part of cheese business for $3.2 billion (WSJ)
• Why 600 books are being published on Thursday (BBC)
• Oatly said to plan 2021 IPO (Bloomberg)
• Tensions mount as Walmart starts chargin suppliers to pay for its retail revamp (Financial Post)
• MEC faces objectives to proposed deal to sell business to U.S. investment firm (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Loblaw makes $75 million investment in telemedicine provider Maple (Globe and Mail)
• Why swanky grocery stores are rare in Australia (The Guardian)
• Aldi UK trials click-and-collect grocery service (Reuters)
• How Hermes got away from LVMH - and thrived (The Economist)
• Hershey maps trick-or-treating risks in hopes Coronavirus won't scare off Halloween sales (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• MEC to be acquired by private U.S. investment firm (CBC)
• Stop over-engineering people management (HBR)
• Hao Noodle's Zhu Rong on reopening in China and New York (Grub Street)
• Amazon's relentless growth means more hiring, more offices (WSJ)
• Loblaw moves back into banking three years after cutting ties with CIBC (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The rise of dark stores (Fast Company)
• Diseased chicken for dinner? The USDA is considering it (Bloomberg)
• Winning the future of retail with real estate (BCG)
• Whole Foods CEO says many people done with grocery stores (WSJ)
• Memo to the CFO: A new approach to 2021 budgeting starts now (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• It's time for grocery retailers to simplify (BCG)
• Walmart to test drone delivery of grocery, household items (Reuters)
• Amazon's murky world of one-star reviews (BBC)
• 10 food trends for the next decade (WSJ)
• From the archives (2013): Why Canadians are paying more at Target (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• The two men buying your favourite retailers (NYT)
• Retail is having a Darwin moment that will change it forever (Fast Company)
• Tiffany sues LVMH for backing out of $16 billion deal (Bloomberg)
• J.C. Penney reaches tentative rescue deal, averting liquidation (Reuters)
• Shopify, suddenly worth $117 billion, emerges as one of the biggest pandemic winners (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The pandemic has created a class of super-savers (The Atlantic)
• Beer, Band Aids, and Ben & Jerry's (Forbes)
• Amazon's profits, AWS, and advertising (Benedict Evans)
• 7 ways the pandemic has changed the way we shop for food (NYT)
• Ikea's e-commerce was already pretty bad. During Covid-19 it fell apart (Fast Company)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• The butcher's shop that lasted 300 years (The Guardian)
• The end of open-plan everything (The Atlantic)
• The workplace will be a whole new world (Globe and Mail)
• Generation work-from-home may never recover (The Atlantic)
• Loblaw vows 'no improved offer' as Unifor digs in heels on Dominion strike (CBC)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Has the pandemic changed how we eat forever (Globe and Mail)
• America at hunger's edge (NYT)
• The sports trading card boom (Axios)
• America's department stores could be in 'their last stages' (CNBC)
• From the archives (1997): Setting value, not price (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• The makeup artist at ground zero of the internet beauty culture (The New Yorker)
• Who's winning the battle for India's $700 billion retail industry (Quartz)
• Amazon workers are hanging smartphones in trees to get more work (Bloomberg)
• Recovery in Canadian consumer confidence shows signs of cooling (Bloomberg)
• Dollarama sales climb as Canadians spend on cleaning supplies, summer products (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Vanishing jobs and empty offices plague Britain's retailers (Bloomberg)
• Amazon receives U.S. regulatory approval to start drone delivery trials (Reuters)
• Knowledge workers are more productive from home (HBR)
• Beauty stocks face new reality amid Coronavirus pandemic (WSJ)
• A tenth of the world could go hungry as crops rot in the ground (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• The Canadian consumer: Too big to fail (BCG)
• There's a reason parents miss back-to-school shopping (The Atlantic)
• Blue Apron's CEO talks about meal-kit company's Coronavirus revival (Bloomberg)
• Nestle moves further into health, buying peanut allergy treatment maker (WSJ)
• Convenience stores turn to home delivery to fight pandemic slump (Bloomberg)

 Best of Pax Westona: August 2020

• The collectors who spend thousands on rare Hot Wheels (The Hustle)
• Once the innovators, department stores fight to stay alive (WSJ)
• What always changes (Collaborative Fund)
• How the global crisis has changed Canadian's spending habits (Globe and Mail)
• The jollof wars (Eater)
• The scramble to pluck 24 billion cherries in eight weeks (NYT)
• Avoiding the pitfalls of our same/different impulse (Medium)
• Equality in the U.S. starts with better jobs (HBR)
• Bias busters: lifting your head from the sand (McKinsey)
• Behold, workleisure (NYT)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Despite a pandemic, mega-mall developers bet on the American Dream (Globe and Mail)
• Reinventing retail with people analytics (McKinsey)
• Is this the end for America's mom-and-pop stores (FT)
• Target is having a pretty good pandemic (New York Magazine)
• Pair of entrepreneurs aim to refashion zombie retailers into online powerhouses (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Walmart is teaming up with Microsoft on Tik Tok bid (CNBC)
• The imperatives for automation success (McKinsey)
• Walmart and other grocers engage in a costly big squeeze (Globe and Mail)
• Amazon opens its first Amazon Fresh physical grocery store, in LA (Tech Crunch)
• From the archives (2015): The Greek-Canadian origins of the Hawaiian pizza (Gasto Obscura)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Tech talk with Loblaw Digital's Herman Paek (Canadian Grocer)
• Walmart's supermarket rivals are eating into its grocery share (Bloomberg)
• Unlocking the online retail opportunity with European farmers (McKinsey)
• Coronavirus is causing a can shortage (WSJ)
• How the U.K. restarted its restaurant industry: Paying half its bill (NYT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Big-box stores, worried about Amazon, were ready for the Coronavirus (WSJ)
• Big grocers face more potential trouble as Dominion workers in Newfoundland strike (Financial Post)
• Provision says revenue has skyrocketed as food producers sign up for its new COVID-19 tracking software (Globe and Mail)
• Retail landlords offer pandemic clauses in new leases (WSJ)
• Where the produce includes pepperoni: The pizza farm (NYT)