Stephan's Monday Picks

• Impossible Foods wants to put plant-based burgers on European menus this year (Bloomberg)
• The value seeking customer (Deloitte)
• Matcha is having a moment - and it's putting pressure on Japan's tea industry (CBC)
• Unilever to buy Dr. Squatch in $1.5 billion deal (Reuters)
• The 33-year old meat heir feeding America's protein obsession (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The worst sandwich is back (The Atlantic)
• Couche-Tard cagey about likelihood of 7-Eleven takeover (Globe and Mail)
• Ruby Liu lacks 'foundational experience' to run former HBC stores, Cadillac Fairview CEO says (Globe and Mail)
• Mars' $36 billion deal hit by full scale EU probe (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2022): Mars CEO Grant Reid to retire, hand reins to pet-care unit chief (WSJ)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Do we need another green revolution (The New Yorker)
• General Mills' outlook misses on consumer pullback (Bloomberg)
• Target explores factory direct shipping model used by Temu (Bloomberg)
• Walmart looks to speed up delivery by opening 'dark stores' closed to public (Bloomberg)
• After a bruising year, casual dining chains try to stage a comeback (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• At Amazon's biggest data center, everything is supersized for AI (NYT)
• New York's Indian food is more creative than ever (The Cut)
• It's Indian mango season, and the cutthroat selling frenzy is on (NYT)
• A look at Jeff Bezos' expansive wealth (WSJ)
• Why customers prefer wider drinking glasses (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: The evolution of the strategic choice structuring process (Medium)
• The path towards a metabolic health revolution (McKinsey)
• Can Walmart shed its discount vibe? Its new home office offers a clue (NYT)
• A new meatpacking plant's novel approach to attracting American workers (WSJ)
• Tariffs test Sam's Club strategy of keeping prices as low as possible (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Big Grocery wants Ontario to lift ban on 'private label' wine, beer (CBC)
• The fast food gimmick that became an unlikely muse for chefs (NYT)
• The $10 billion delivery empire built on Shein and TikTok orders (Rest of World)
• Amazon rebuilt Alexa using a 'staggering amount' of AI tools (Wired)
• Home Depot bid kicks off battle for $5 billion building products company (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Why rice is poised to survive better in a warming world (Bloomberg)
• What is a 'fridge cigarette' (NYT)
• Canada's population growth slows to a crawl after moves to curb immigration (Globe and Mail)
• Hudson's Bay to change its name, landlords express 'concern' over lease deal (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2011): Diet Coke wins battle in cola wars (WSJ)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Is food really better in Europe (The Cut)
• How AI and automation can transform the consumer enterprise (McKinsey)
• Inside Walgreens' $90 billion meltdown (Fortune)
• Message from Andy Jassy: Some thoughts on generative AI (Amazon)
• Kellanova slumps on reports EU regulators to probe Mars deal (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The aisle-prowling Albertsons CEO taking on Kroger (WSJ)
• Can Lububu, this ugly elf, make China cool (NYT)
• Kraft Heinz is ditching artificial dyes (WSJ)
• Swiss chocolate dynasty doubles down on private equity (Bloomberg)
• Chobani CEO says food system needs immigration to function (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Influenceability, society, and strategy (Medium)
• A town's single largest taxpayer is also its biggest headache (NYT)
• Global food companies are struggling to deliver methane progress (Bloomberg)
• As alternative meats lose favor, Impossible Foods sets sights on flexitarians (WSJ)
• America's last mall king is still in charge (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Winning the battle for customer attention (McKinsey)
• State of the Consumer 2025 (McKinsey)
• Howard Schultz backs Brian Niccol's turnaround approach (WSJ)
• Couche Tard sees 'clear path' to Seven & i deal with US stores divestment (Bloomberg)
• Amazon draws Whole Foods closer in grocery business reorganization (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• How Pakistan fell in love with sushi (The Guardian)
• Walmart and Amazon are exploring issuing their own stablecoins (WSJ)
• Tesco beats estimates on own brand growth (Bloomberg)
• Big tech is dealing flat design a death blow (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (1974): Cooking with Julia Child (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• ICE raids have sent Latino shoppers into hiding and big brands are hurting (WSJ)
• An interview with Ligaya Mishan and Tejal Rao (NYT)
• Do US consumers care about sustainable packaging in 2025 (McKinsey)
• State of Beauty 2025 (McKinsey)
• Dollarama beats estimates with first quarter profit, sales growth (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• She built a cult baby food brand. Then RFK Jr. came calling (NYT)
• America's hottest chicken chain started with $900 - and just sold for $1 billion (WSJ)
• The secret to success with transformational M&A? It's the people (McKinsey)
• Kimberley Clark strikes a deal for its international tissue business (WSJ)
• Shop slow, spend more: The retailers hoping more customers linger (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Innovation-driven change (Medium)
• The evolution of commerce media: Navigating a new era in advertising (McKinsey)
• Starbucks reshuffles leadership in bid to accelerate turnaround (Bloomberg)
• Walmart CFO says shoppers remain focused on food, essentials (Bloomberg)
• That's bananas! Why it might be harder or pricier to find some brands in grocery stores (CBC)

Stephan's Monday Picks

• H&M billionaire quietly moves brand towards private ownership (Bloomberg)
• Walmart goes big with drone delivery expansion (Wired)
• Hudson's Bay stores close in Canada (NYT)
• When they stop selling your favourite thing (NYT)
• How a hazelnut spread became a sticking point in Franco-Algerian relations (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Gen Z doesn't want to start a bar tab (NYT)
• Court approves Canadian Tire's $30 million acquisition of Hudson's Bay assets (Globe and Mail)
• P&G plans to cut over 15% of office jobs over the next two years (Bloomberg)
• Lawsuit accuses Popeyes of selling 'unsafe' chicken on Ontario restaurants (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2021): Pellet ice is the good ice (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• A food reckoning is coming (The Atlantic)
• As cash fades, small retailers embrace efforts to rein in swipe fees (NYT)
• Hudson's Bay demise leaves large swath of empty real estate in its wake (Globe and Mail)
• Consumers are financing their groceries. What does that say about the economy (NYT)
• Retailers, ducking trade war curve balls, stick to their plans (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• How AI is changing how chefs cook (NYT)
• DoorDash CEO Tony Xu is taking on the role of industry consolidator (CNBC)
• Soaring costs expose a trans-Atlantic chocolate divide (WSJ)
• Amazon hit by German warning over price controls on marketplace (Bloomberg)
• The $2 trillion global wellness market gets a millennial and Gen Z glow-up (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Thinking more strategically about where to play (Medium)
• Building a destination for pet parents (McKinsey)
• Meet the pastry chef known as the 'Scone Master' (Globe and Mail)
• Life's ancient bottleneck (Quillette)
• Snack maker sues Aldi grocery chain over look-alike product packaging (NYT)

Stephan's Monday Picks

• Inside the final days of Hudson's Bay (Globe and Mail)
• The plan that could have saved Hudson's Bay as we know it (Globe and Mail)
• She always felt like an outsider. Now it's this CEO's superpower (WSJ)
• Aldi owners holding talks about possible merger (Bloomberg)
  
• Retailers flex their vocabulary to war of potential tariff-driven price hikes (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The billion-dollar battle to own 7-Eleven (Bloomberg)
• E.l.f Beauty to acquire Hailey Bieber skincare brand Rhode in deal valued at $1 billion (CNBC)
• Barbecue maker Napoleon has always been proud to be made-in-Canada. But a closer look shows the harsh reality of manufacturing at home (Globe and Mail)
• Costco defies tariff volatility with higher profit, lower prices (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2017): The case for good jobs (HBR)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• 7-Eleven shareholders back management as Japanese owner fights Couche-Tard takeover bid (Globe and Mail)
• JBS minority shareholders approve dual US-Brazil listing (Reuters)
• DoorDash seeks $2 billion in convertible bond after deal spree (Bloomberg)
• Inside the arms race to create a better lactose intolerance pill (NYT)
• Shein working towards Hong Kong listing after London IPO stalls (Reuters)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Inside the test kitchens helping restaurants navigate the trade war (Bloomberg)
• Canadian Tire will acquire trove of Hudson's Bay assets, but not Zellers (Globe and Mail)
• Meituan, JD.com's food delivery war worsens $100 billion rout (Bloomberg)
• Robert F Kennedy Jr's battle with Big Food (FT)
• More than 8,300 Hudson's Bay employees will be out of a job next week (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Ontario judge approves $500 million settlement in Loblaw, George Weston bread price-fixing case (Globe and Mail)
• At Amazon, some coders say their jobs now resemble warehouse workers (NYT)
• Shein breaking EU consumer protection rules, watchdog says (WSJ)
• PepsiCo is pushing back its climate goals. The company wants to talk about it (WSJ)
• How chilly Winnipeg turned the humble Slurpee into a religion (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Are Kroger's secret shopper profiles costing you money (Consumer Reports)
• Federal Trade Commission drops pricing lawsuit against PepsiCo (WSJ)
• America's breakfast cereals are becoming less healthy, study finds (NYT)
• Nestle boss says predecessor 'weakened the fabric' of the company (FT)
• Read the full "Make America Healthy Again' report (NYT)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Building a strong middle class requires high productivity, high dignity service jobs (HBR)
• World crazy for chicken is losing its biggest supplier (Bloomberg)
• Plant-based meat has a problem. It may need more meat (WP)
• Walmart to cut 1,500 corporate jobs in restructuring (WSJ)
• From the archives (1997): The coolhunt (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Target sees sales falling this year as turnaround falters (NYT)
• Amazon gives refunds for years-old returns (Bloomberg)
• Marks & Spencer expects $400 million hit from cyber attack (WSJ)
• Kraft Heinz mulls deals after Berkshire Hathaway exits board (Bloomberg)
• Home Depot maintains guidance as US spending holds up (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Chinese Gen Z's 'emotional spending' fuels big gains for Pop-Mart-crazed investors (Bloomberg)
• The golden age of the fried chicken sandwich (The Atlantic)
• Two million meat sticks a day isn't enough for Chomps' CEO (Bloomberg)
• Why are we so obsessed with Costco (CBC)
• The booming business of returned products (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Generating creative strategy possibilities (Medium)
• What 350 retailers say about the future of merchandising (BCG)
• Former Burger King boss picked to oversee Panera, Pret a Manger (WSJ)
• The rising stakes of innovation in the consumer sector (BCG)
• Walmart warns about ability to 'absorb' tariff costs without raising prices (NYT)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Walmart becomes biggest retailer yet to pass through tariff price increases (WSJ)
• Walmart is prepping to meet its next customer: The next AI shopping agent (WSJ)
• Canadian Tire to buy Hudson's Bay stripe design, other intellectual property (Globe and Mail)
• Dick's Sporting Goods to buy Foot Locker for $2.4 billion (WSJ)
• From the archives (2010): Canadian Tire going back to the basics (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Hudson's Bay to choose a new owner in the next two to three weeks, court told (Globe and Mail)
• Woolworths is cutting prices. Expect more supermarket competition but not an all-out price war (The Guardian)
• Why America's 'beautiful beef' is a sore point for Europe (NYT)
• The new way bosses talk about workers (WSJ)
• Buying misfit fruits and vegetables can help reduce your grocery bill. And there's an app for that (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Chinese e-commerce giants make expensive bets on fast deliveries (Reuters)
• Are we ending the golden age of secondhand shopping (WSJ)
• Danone buys majority stake in plant-based formula maker Kate Farms (WSJ)
• Kohl's is looking to refinance just as it searches for a new CEO (Bloomberg)
• Carney's new cabinet adds several rookies, moves Anand to Foreign Affairs (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Integrating strategy with planning and budgeting processes (Medium)
• The stealthy lab cooking up Amazon's secret sauce (WSJ)
• An 80,000 year history of the tomato (Works in Progress)
• Formaje, the choicest cheese shop in the world (FT)
• South Africa's recently listed budget grocer plans more stores (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The demise of outdoor dining isn't really what anyone wants. How did we end up here (Slate)
• From $10 toothpaste squeezers to 'recession blonde' hair, women's beauty trends are a pulse on the economy (Globe and Mail)
• Why Marcella Hazan is still teaching us how to cook Italian (NYT)
• Hudson's Bay seeks to repay as much as $165 million in senior debt with cash from liquidation sales (Globe and Mail)
• The secret to high-performing strategy teams (BCG)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• 25 years of NYC dining (NYT)
• Amazon makes 'fundamental leap forward in robotics' with device having sense of touch (The Guardian)
• Where grocery price inflation is causing the most shopper stress (Bain)
• Costco in deal with with Affirm giving shoppers monthly payment plans (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (1999): Don't eat before reading this (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Instacart debuts 'Fizz' alcohol ordering app to target Gen Z users (Bloomberg)
• When did restaurant salads get so ... unwieldly (NYT)
• Grubhub owner Wonder gets $7 billion valuation in new funding (Bloomberg)
• How the best restaurants can make you feel (The Atlantic)
• Ambani's 12-cent cola erodes Coke, Pepsi dominance in India (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Uber to buy a $700 million stake in Turkish delivery app Trendyol (Bloomberg)
• PepsiCo makes bigger bet on sports with revamped marketing unit (Bloomberg)
• WK Kellogg cuts outlook over tariffs, softening sales (WSJ)
• DoorDash buys Deliveroo for $3.86 billion (WSJ)
• Clorox revenue drops, expects slowdown in shopping to continue (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Training a novice strategist (Medium)
• 3G to buy Skechers footwear brand for $9.4 billion (Bloomberg)
• Temu stops China shipments to U.S. consumers (WSJ)
• When launching a product during a recession pays off (MIT SMR)
• High beef costs hurt Tyson Foods (WSJ)

Stephan's Monday Picks

• Big Farming's big battleground: an English village making a stand (Bloomberg)
• How Scheel's conquered Middle America (Washington Post)
• Chef Boyardee sold to private equity for $600 million (WSJ)
• Kohl's CEO fired for funneling business to romantic partner (WSJ)
• The MAHA-friendly app that's driving food companies crazy (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The end of the 'generic' grocery store brand (The Atlantic)
• Loblaw has added dozens of new Canadian suppliers, but expects the Buy Canadian movement to taper off (Globe and Mail)
• E-commerce sellers brace for end of de minimis (WSJ)
• Couche Tard wins access to 7-Eleven owner's confidential financial information (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2010): Inside The Bay's scheme to steal the fashion crown from Holts (Toronto Life)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Is this the end of cheap stuff (Bloomberg)
• Amazon pressures suppliers to cut pries to limit Trump tariff shock (FT)
• Healthy sodas are drawing Coca-Cola's and PepsiCo's attention (Bloomberg)
• How 5 restaurants work wonders with no kitchens (NYT)
• US shoppers pay for Trump tariffs on Temu, doubling some prices (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Move over quinoa. There's a new 'it' crop in town (WSJ)
• Deliveroo shares jump after $3.6 billion DoorDash offer (Bloomberg)
• Colgate-Palmolive cuts outlook as economic uncertainty spooks shoppers (WSJ)
• Sweetgreen's CEO on robots, 'MAHA', and why salads are so expensive (NYT)
• Costco switched its Kirkland diapers and parents aren't happy (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Dealing with intuitive, non-strategists (Medium)
• A sign that consumers are anxious: They're cutting back on snacks (NYT)
• P&G CEO says price hikes are likely (CNBC)
• How Chili's won when America raged over fast food prices (WSJ)
• Protein is in everything these days. Even popcorn (NYT)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The fall of Hudson's Bay: How Richard Baker presided over the failure of a retail icon (Globe and Mail)
• Empire CEO Michael Medline to retire in May 2026 (Globe and Mail)
• Once shunned by Japanese customers, Korean rice now flies off the shelves (NYT)
• My matcha-dusted, lemon-scented, tahini-drizzled adventures in flavormaxxing (NYT)
• Mountain Equipment Co. finds buyer with textile executive set to gain control (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Hudson's Bay to begin clearance at six stores originally left out of liquidation (Globe and Mail)
• Nestle sales get boost from coffee, chocolate price hikes (WSJ)
• Starbucks opens its first 3D-printed store. Is it cheaper than the real thing (Fast Company)
• Unilever confident for 2025 amid turnaround plan, ice cream spinoff (WSJ)
• From the archives (2008): Woolworths: The rise and fall of a department store empire (The Guardian)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Amazon and Walmart sellers hoard goods in Canada to avoid tariffs (FT)
• Could strawberries grow in Canada year-round? An Ontario greenhouse is trying (Globe and Mail)
• Danone sales rise as consumers seek healthier products (Bloomberg)
• Hudson's Bay leases draw interest from bidders (Globe and Mail)
• Frank and Oak to close all stores, sell intellectual property (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Value retailers have been waiting for the higher-income consumer. They've arrived (WSJ)
• Three factories, $355,000, and the maddening quest to make a clear can (WSJ)
• Trump's tariffs threats chill Italy's cheese makers (NYT)
• Premium chocolatiers thrive as consumers develop taste for luxury (FT)
• Chobani plans to invest over $1 billion in new New York factory (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: The myth of objectivity and strategy (Medium)
• Snack makers are removing fake colors from processed foods (Bloomberg)
• How organ meat got into smoothies (The Atlantic)
• Supermarket price war looms as Sainsbury's joins fight (BBC)
• Amazon is better prepared for the trade war than investors think (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Nestle chided over lack of transparency in Perrier filtering (Bloomberg)
• Inside Home Depot's $20 billion secret garden (WSJ)
• Pepsi vs. Coke: How the soda rivals are faring in the tariff war (WSJ)
• Temu and Shein will raise prices for US customers due to Trump's tariffs (AP)
• Americans are obsessed with protein and it's driving nutrition experts nuts (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The rise of the 'it' shake (FT)
• Worth thousands on the black market, Lego sets are now targeted by thieves (NYT)
• How Bentonville became an epicenter of the biking world (NYT)
• 'Ghost stores': The online retailers promoting closing-down sales for physical shops that don't exist (The Guardian)
• From the archives (2011): Zellers CEO rewrites the book on liquidation (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Deal for Mountain Equipment Co. under review by Competition Bureau (Globe and Mail)
• The energy drink that hooked young women - and Celsius (Bloomberg)
• How Costco's Jim Sinegal built the $400 billion retailer (WSJ)
• Trade war starting to show up in higher grocery prices for some items (CBC)
• Loblaw CEO's pay drops in 2024 after getting signing bonuses the year before (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Albertsons sales grow on boost from pharmacy business (WSJ)
• A scientist is paid to study maple syrup. He's also paid to promote it (NYT)
• At China's wholesale hub, U.S. orders have suddenly halted. One example: socks (WSJ)
• HBC employees could use disability benefits with company's court restructuring (Globe and Mail)
• The colourful cult of Le Creuset (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Stop working for loser strategists (Medium)
• The locker-room mentality for managing Gen Z employees (WSJ)
• Reckitt home care suitors temper valuations amid tariff worries (Bloomberg)
• Luxury confectioner looks to take LVMH-backed Saudi brand global (Bloomberg)
• Amazon wants to keep prices low. One sellers' tariff woes show why it's hard (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Andy Jassy's 2024 Letter to Shareholders (Amazon)
• Will the U.S.-China tariff war drive up online shopping prices for Canadians (CBC)
• How Costco's CEO went from forklift driver to Kirkland's final signoff (WSJ)
• Are you paying more than before to buy Canadian? Experts say it's complicated (CBC)
• Shein's bargain-app formula crumbles under Trump (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Tesco braces for price war with rivals (FT)
• Multiple potential Hudson's Bay bidders interested in sale (Globe and Mail)
• Walmart's missing prices show trade chaos coming for consumers (Bloomberg)
• Is the restaurant good? Or does it just look good (NYT)
• From the archives (2015): Tesco posts $9.5 billion loss in latest hurdle (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• State of Grocery Europe 2025 (McKinsey)
• Harry's razor brand seeks to build consumer goods empire (NYT)
• A frenzy at Trader Joe's: Everyone's here for the tote bags (NYT)
• 7-Eleven owner targets profit growth despite tariff uncertainty (WSJ)
• How can I find a healthy breakfast cereal (NYT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Walmart confident about tariff resilience despite sales volatility (WSJ)
• Apparel brands grappling with 'tariff hell' (CBC)
• Hershey strikes $750 million deal for LesserEvil popcorn brand (WSJ)
• Leaders in Latin American CPG: A commercial excellence revolution (McKinsey)
• Walgreens sales rise on U.S. retail pharmacy segment growth (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Personality and strategy (Medium)
• The journey of an Ontario-grown cucumber into U.S. cities offers a glimpse into a delicate supply chain (Globe and Mail)
• Beef is expensive. Meatpackers are scraping every morsel from bones (WSJ)
• More grocery stores that are also great restaurants (NYT)
• Loyalty points aren't worth what they used to be (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Carrefour raises offer to take Brazilian grocery unit private (Bloomberg)
• As it seeks sale, Hudson's Bay mulls fate of trove of art, artifacts, including 1670 charter (Globe and Mail)
• Dollarama CEO expects trade war with U.S. to hit discount stores (Globe and Mail)
• Where will we eat when the middle class restaurant is gone (NYT)
• A Danish supermarket hits back against U.S. tariffs (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The new Pepsi challenge: Saving Pepsi from years of decline (WSJ)
• Hudson's Bay pitches plan to save six stores and e-commerce business (Globe and Mail)
• Steak fries: Deservedly reviled or underappreciated edible spoons (NYT)
• Eating your way through Europe. Or anywhere really (NYT)
• From the archives (2003): Kmart's Eddie Lampert struggles to bring profit to retailer (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Amazon's new AI agent is designed to do your shopping (The Verge)
• Chipotle went on a seven-year quest to find avocados outside of Mexico (WSJ)
• Walmart keeps price pressure on suppliers after Beijing pushback (Bloomberg)
• Ben & Jerry's co-founder calls on Unilever to 'set it free' (WSJ)
• Amazon's new movie strategy starts with theatres (NYT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Walmart bets $6 billion on Mexico even as economy slows (Bloomberg)
• That H&M model showing off a new look might be a digital clone (NYT)
• How Costco's Kirkland Signature brand became a powerhouse (WSJ)
• Ultra luxe food supplier thrives on cravings for snow crab and wagyu (WSJ)
• With Shake Shack in first class, airline food is no longer a joke (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Playing to win & regional strategy (Medium)
• Why is it so hard to find a good nonalcoholic wine (NYT)
• New Zealand mulls interventions to break supermarket duopoly (Bloomberg)
• Is Ozempic really the reason Americans are snacking less (WSJ)
• Is the doggy bag dead (NYT)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Why are we living in the golden age of gut soda (NYT)
• Dollarama to buy Australia's largest discount retailer, The Reject Shop (Globe and Mail)
• Spaghetti science: What pasta reveals about the universe (BBC)
• Denmark considered U.S. one of its closest allies. Now many Danes are refusing to buy American (CBC)
• What Canada's 300% tariff on dairy actually means (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Unlocking Canada's superpower potential (FT)
• Hudson's Bay lenders should not be given control over restructuring, landlords argue (Globe and Mail)
• Peppercorns are the hottest thing on menus across America (Bloomberg)
• There are two kinds of credit cards (The Atlantic)
• From the archives (2008): Metro to dump A&P, Dominion names (CBC)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Dollar Tree is selling Family Dollar for $1 billion (NYT)
• Hudson's Bay managers will get up to $3 million in bonuses, but workers will get no severance (CBC)
• Kroger fights Albertsons suit over failed $24.6 billion deal (Bloomberg)
• Couche-Tard sees strong interest in U.S. stores for Seven & i deal (Bloomberg)
• Coca-Cola sites were among secret targets of EU antitrust raids (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• America is done pretending about meat (The Atlantic)
• The surprising good news for mall owners: Forever 21's bankruptcy (WSJ)
• Morrisons to close 52 cafes and 17 convenience stores (BBC)
• OECD Economic Outlook, Interim Report, March 2025 (OECD)
• 7-Eleven parent says Couche-Tard is understating potential antitrust risks (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Will artificial intelligence eradicate practitioners of strategy (Medium)
• Why shoppers abroad are boycotting U.S. goods (NYT)
• DoorDash announces 'buy now, pay later' partnership with Klarna (NYT)
• Thousands of Hudson's Bay employees facing layoffs with company set to liquidate stores (Globe and Mail)
• Fast-er food: A productivity surge at U.S. restaurants (NPR)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The Bay's downfall ensnares vendors, suppliers (Globe and Mail)
• Instant coffee is a hit with Gen Z customers looking to cut costs (Bloomberg)
• Coles, Woolworths have little reason to compete: inquiry (Bloomberg)
• Consumers, retailers change tack to counter tariff stresses (WSJ)
• AI will soon take your order at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Ben & Jerry's accuses parent company Unilever of firing its CEO for political reasons (NYT)
• Are we in an omakase bubble (Globe and Mail)
• P&G takes lead in 95-year rivalry with Unilever (WSJ)
• Trump's 200% alcohol tariff threat shocks European drink firms (Bloomberg) 
• From the archives (2000): Unilever buys Ben & Jerry's, SlimFast, for over $2.5 billion (WSJ)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Hudson's Bay landlord RioCan calls CCAA filing 'disappointing', makes plans for any vacated space (Globe and Mail)
• Hudson's Bay heads back to court as talks with landlords, lenders progress (Globe and Mail)
• Couche-Tard looking at other global acquisition opportunities as pursuit of Seven & i inches forward (Globe and Mail)
• Hudson's Bay shoppers scramble for striped products as company seeks liquidation (Globe and Mail)
• Canada's temporary resident population declines for the first time in three years (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Richard Baker's mastery of real estate deals wasn't enough to save Hudson's Bay (Globe and Mail)
• Danish grocery stores have a new trick for boycotting U.S. products (Fast Company)
• Forever 21 operator files for bankruptcy (NYT)
• Hudson's Bay's demise marks the death of the traditional department store in Canada (CBC)
• A genocidal militia in Sudan controls a key ingredient in Coke and Pepsi (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Developing a powerful playing to win: From pixels to portraits (Medium)
• Hudson's Bay stores could start liquidation sales as early as Tuesday (Globe and Mail)
• Buying Canadian is a matter of pride for shoppers. For major grocery chains, it's an opportunity (CBC)
• Tariffs set off scramble in the supermarket produce aisle (WSJ)
• How America got hooked on H Mart (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Couche-Tard says ready to boost bid if Seven & i engages (Bloomberg)
• The fall of Hudson's Bay Co, a Canadian retail icon (Globe and Mail)
• Pet owners are changing. How will the industry respond (BCG)
• PepsiCo is near $1.5 billion-plus deal for soda brand Poppi (Bloomberg)
• Supply management is the trade barrier Canadian politicians are reticent to tear down (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• The latest overhaul of Starbucks - by the numbers (WSJ)
• Why it's hard to buy Canadian when shopping online (Globe and Mail)
• Shoppers are skimping on cigarettes, Doritos, and Twinkies (WSJ)
• Empire's U.S. product sales dropping during trade war, CEO says (Globe and Mail)
• From the archives (2014): Sobeys' Marc Poulin: The shrewd negotiator at the heart of Canada's grocery wars (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Hudson's Bay creditor protection leaves Indigenous business owner in limbo over unpaid bills (Globe and Mail)
• Expert says language on labels leave a lot of room for guesswork about how Canadian a product is (CBC)
• The rush is on for Oregon truffles (NYT)
• Walmart faces heat for Beijing from Beijing after demand for price cuts (Bloomberg)
• People are paying up for this $39 yogurt that went viral on TikTok (Fast Company)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Is anything really on sale when everything is on sale (Slate)
• How retailers are coping with retaliatory tariffs on imports (Globe and Mail)
• Unilever to speed up sale of food brands, CEO says (WSJ)
• Kennedy rattles food brands with vow to rid food of artificial dyes (NYT)
• The gift card industry is booming - and so is organized crime and related fraud (CBC)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Management tasks, responsibilities, practices, and playing to win (Medium)
• Why Canadian grocery shoppers are seeing discounts, despite tariffs (Globe and Mail)
• Kroger seeks to shuffle supply chain, sidestep tariffs (WSJ)
• More CEOs are getting fired. Blame FOMO boards (Bloomberg)
• Food beyond sustenance: A conversation with Mars' Shaid Shah (McKinsey)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Hudson's Bay granted creditor protection to restructure its business (Globe and Mail)
• Hudson's Bay anticipates closing about half its 80 stores in restructuring plan (Globe and Mail) 
• Walgreens seals $10 billion take private deal with Sycamore (WSJ)
• Walgreens goes from $100 billion health giant to private equity salvage project (WSJ)
• Couche-Tard holds talks for US shops sale in Seven & i deal (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Canadian Tire launches new $2 billion investment plan (Globe and Mail)
• Kroger gives upbeat outlook while questions swirl around CEO (Bloomberg)
• Starbucks CEO tells workers to step it up after layoffs (WSJ)
• Walmart asks Chinese suppliers for major price cuts on Trump tariffs (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2022): Canadian Tire spending $3.4 billion over four years to expand products, bolster operations (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• McDonald's gives its restaurants an AI makeover (WSJ)
• Bain is said to be near a deal to buy Seven & i's supermarket assets (Bloomberg)
• KKR, Walmart to sell Japan supermarket Seiyu for $2.5 billion (WSJ)
• Tariffs add a new shock to food supply chains (NYT)
• How Mondelez will sell America on Sour Patch Kids that glow under a blacklight (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Monster shrugs off Alani Nu popularity, saying it will hit growth cap (Bloomberg)
• Forget McDonald's. This Chinese fast food chain is now the world's biggest (WSJ)
• The global matcha boom is driving a shortage in Japan (Bloomberg)
• Mountain Equipment Co. faces lawsuit over unpaid bills (Globe and Mail)
• Walmart wants to be something for everyone in a divided America (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Trump says 'no room left' for talks, confirms 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico to take effect Tuesday (Globe and Mail) 
• Roger Martin: Starbucks and strategic entropy (Medium)
• Seven & i shares fall amid report it may reject buyout offer (Bloomberg)
• Pink gold (Globe and Mail)
• Sycamore nears acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Couche-Tard eyes friendly takeover talks with Seven & i after white knight bid derailed (Globe and Mail)
• How much should an egg really cost (The Atlantic)
• PayPal needs help from its oldest friends - consumers (WSJ)
• What does it take to quit shopping? Mute, delete, and unsubscribe (NYT)
• How to escape Trump's trade trap? Put food first (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Is Quince a good clothing brand (The Cut)
• What do U.S. companies want from e-commerce deliveries (McKinsey)
• Ben & Jerry's founders discuss buying back ice cream brand (Bloomberg)
• The most important person (in Japanese food) you've never heard of (NYT)
• From the archives (2007): Can Galen Weston Jr. save Loblaws (Toronto Life)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Instacart falls on disappointing sales, earnings outlook (Bloomberg)
• TJX expects more growth this year (WSJ)
• Itochu withdraws from Seven & i buyout planned by retailer's founding family (Globe and Mail)
• Is bird flu the only reason egg prices are soaring (NYT)
• Would you pay $34 for shrimp cocktail (NYT)

Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Unilever ousts chief, elevates CFO in push for faster growth (Bloomberg)
• Mark Carney says he would put a temporary cap on immigration (Globe and Mail)
• I tried to buy Canadian with my grocery list. Here's what it cost me (Globe and Mail)
• Just Eat shares soar 54% after Prosus offers to buy food delivery company for $4.3 billion (CNBC)
• How the internet made in-store shopping miserable (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Substitutes & strategy (Medium)
• How AI is transforming strategy development (McKinsey)
• Coffee prices are at 50-year highs. Producers aren't celebrating (NYT)
• Celsius to buy rival drink maker Alani Nu for $1.8 billion (WSJ)
• Texas's barbecue schism (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• 2024 Letter to Shareholders (Berkshire Hathaway)
• Loblaw expects U.S. tariff threat to boost sales for in-house brands as fourth quarter sales dips, CEO says (Globe and Mail)
• Walmart warns of slower sales gains after a bumper year (WSJ)
• Loblaw to open 80 stores in 2025 as part of $10 billion investment over five years (Globe and Mail)
• Canadian Tire selling Helly Hansen activewear brand for nearly $1.3 billion (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• AI, demographics, and the U.S. economy (Vanguard)
• The $3 billion house that orange chicken bought (NYT)
• A primer on trade and inequality (HKS)
• Michael Mauboussin: (Probabilities and payoffs (Morgan Stanley)
• From the archives (2007): The untold Tim Hortons story (Toronto Life)

Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Heineken CEO aims to tap into thirst for zero-alcohol beer (WSJ)
• How a resurgent Walmart saw off the Amazon threat (FT)
• China's love affair with luxury has cooled (WSJ)
• Walgreens gains after CNBC says Sycamore takeout is 'alive' (Bloomberg)
• 'Gut pop' is injecting new fizz into the beverage aisle (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Saks warns suppliers they will have to wait for payments (WSJ)
• Coke $7 billion bet on milk hits big (Bloomberg)
• With falling U.S. sales, companies are trying to hit the sweet spot for prices (WSJ)
  
• Meet the flavour engineers working to make plant-based food taste more like meat (Globe and Mail)
• The quest to make the perfect toothbrush (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Tariffs and strategy (Medium)
• Walmart is retail king again. Can it keep the crown (WSJ)
• Japan perfected 7-Eleven. Why can't the U.S. get it right (Bloomberg)
• Uber sues DoorDash over food delivery practices (WSJ)
• Can surf and turf survive a trade war (Globe and Mail)