Stephan's Friday Picks

• George McNally's brasserie inheritance (The New Yorker)
• For CPG companies, agentic AI's real payoff is growth (McKinsey)
• You haven't done Toronto if you haven't had a Jamaican beef patty (Bloomberg)
• How climate change is causing the gentrification of seafood (NYT)
• From the archives (2006): Paradise sold: What are you buying when you buy organic (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• The judgment bottleneck: Balancing AI and human speeds in strategy (McKinsey)
• The chocolate conspiracy (Grub Street)
• Albertsons and Kroger to call ex-CEOs to testify over failed deal (Bloomberg)
• It's sliced cheese on bread. And it's rocking Copenhagen's world (NYT)
• Unilever agrees to sell Welly bandage business to private equity firm (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• UK startups seize on wellness boom (FT)
• Kroger unveils strategic overhaul and plans to grow membership program (WSJ)
• Annual inflation rate edges up to 3.1% in September on surging energy costs (Globe and Mail)
• New store plans face Tesco problem, says Lidl boss (BBC)
• Strategic maple syrup reserve close to empty, producers say (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• How Lego is getting more adults to tinker with its toy bricks (WSJ)
• Everyone wants a bite of China's egg tart economy (Bloomberg)
• California's wine slump is fueling a risky agave bet (Bloomberg)
• Farmed salmon now being raised on chicken (FT)
• Chocolate demand comes roaring back as cocoa grindings beat forecast (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• PepsiCo cuts estimates for Poppi while soda sales slump (Bloomberg)
• How Coke loosened Pepsi's grip on KFC's fountains (WSJ)
• If is too late for small fixes at Pepsi (WSJ)
• Buzzballz and bourbon: Sazerac shakes up the spirits industry (FT)
• Why Saskatchewan potash is taking a 4,300km detour on its way to market (Be Giant)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• US avocado giant looks beyond Mexico as cartels meddle with supply (FT)
• The fish farming industry's dirty secrets (NYT)
• Kroger plans to slash 37% of corporate jobs in the next three years (Bloomberg)
• Albertsons wants $8 billion from Kroger after failed merger (WSJ)
• From the archives (2020): How Dave Lewis saved Tesco (FT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How protein took over the world (FT)
• Record El Nino is roiling industries months before its peak (Bloomberg)
• 'Insane' deals waiting for premium wine drinkers in private-label brands (Bloomberg)
• PepsiCo seeks to bolster soda business, speed snacks recovery (Bloomberg)
• Can America's most glamorous department store return to its golden age (NYT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Boots is an iconic brand - but challenges await the Weston family (Globe and Mail)
• Domino's CEO to focus on boosting orders after growth miss (Bloomberg)
• Sweetgreen's plan to shed its expensive salad image (WSJ)
• America's favourite fruit is being bruised by the Iran war (NYT)
• Albertsons pulls full-year guidance, plans business review (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• How speed and convenience are driving food and beverage trends (Circana)
• Mars unveils the future of shopping and retail (Mars)
• Target plans new dress code for its grocery employees (Bloomberg)
• Weston expands bet on beauty and GLP-1s with Boots (Bloomberg)
• These five grocery staples have skyrocketed in price this year. Here's why (CBC)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Why adults are playing with toys (The New Yorker)
• Conagra drops Celeste pizza, to focus on popcorn, meat sticks (Bloomberg)
• Sainsbury's held merger talks with smaller rival Morrisons (FT)
• Keurig says it's come up with plastic-free coffee pods (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2003): Bag-boy calls (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• McCormick posts lower profits on higher sales (WSJ)
• A French recipe for shock au vin (Globe and Mail)
• The Canadian scientist behind Ozempic on why he never, ever gave up (Be Giant)
• P&G's chief on whether brand loyalty is enough when prices keep climbing (NYT)
• America's restaurants face a dilemma: How to sell food in the GLP-1 era (NYT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Lindt to cut prices on as chocolate demand wanes in key markets (Bloomberg)
• How three young restaurateurs revived London's oldest chophouse (FT)
• Potato by air (The Verge)
• Lab-grown meat: Moral mission meets market realities (FT)
• The next frontier for obesity drugs isn't how much weight you lose, but what kind (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Startups race to cash in on gold rush sparked by whey protein craze (Bloomberg)
• Pop-Tarts ends BuzzBallz tie-up on underage drinking fears (Bloomberg)
• Aldi says some of its rivals loyalty programs 'dupe' customers (BBC)
• Who gets paid when AI does the shopping (A16Z)
• What if you never cooked again (Grub Street)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Sushi wars roll into America as Japan's top chains face off (Bloomberg)
• American buyers acquire Slate Grocery REIT days after announcement of distribution cut (Globe and Mail)
• The $40 cocktail that shaped Singapore's acclaimed bar scene (NYT)
• Why Kroger is trying to be more like Walmart (WSJ)
• General Mills taps COO to helm its turnaround (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Boots owner nears $9bn sale of chemist to Canada's Weston family (FT)
• Remote work is finally ending as the pandemic era fades (Globe and Mail)
• Competition watchdog's pricing probe mostly benefits retail giants, say small grocers (Globe and Mail)
• M&S strikes beauty deal with LVMH's Sephora (FT)
• From the archives (2003): Weston boss uses retail therapy for his 'addiction' (The Irish Times)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• A supermarket opened a pub to get around liquor laws. Now it needs bouncers (WSJ)
• Juniper lattes? Pine sodas? Food is taking us back to the forest (NYT)
• How supermarkets became protein-maxxed (NYT)
• Billion-dollar beauty: The odds of scaling a breakout brand (McKinsey)
• RFK Jr.'s push to revamp American food runs into White House resistance (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Amazon wades into India's fast delivery battleground (FT)
• How America's biggest buffet chain cracked the math on all you can eat (WSJ)
• Competition Bureau concerned that grocery deals are being kept from Canadians (Competition Bureau)
• Walmart chief rules out personalized pricing as AI transforms retail (FT)
• A letter from our CEO (Walmart)

Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• At age 159, Canada is finally a power on the world stage (Globe and Mail)
• Carney lays out his vision for breaking Canada's reliance on the U.S. (NYT)
• 'What could possibly go right' review: The rise of a restaurant empire (WSJ)
• Why is Danny Meyer, the happy face of hospitality, serving up regrets (NYT)
• Sealing the deal: 10 takeaways from the Canada Investment Summit (RBC)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Small brands are outgrowing big CPG companies (BCG)
• It's raining boxes: Amazon deliveries overwhelm a Texas suburb (NYT)
• Japan fights its rivals to stop rivals from copying its flawless fruit (Bloomberg)
• Jersey Mike's bets hot sandwiches will sell in U.K.'s cold and rain (FT)
• Prices have skyrocketed in Russia's supermarkets. We have the receipts (NYT)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Inside the Carbone crew's decadent bid for world domination (GQ)
• 'Sugar Coated' review: The sweetest meal of the day (NYT)
• Global ube export ban threatens end of purple patch (FT)
• How do the latest Black Sea attacks affect global food security (CSIS)
• From the archives (2012): Check, please (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Kraft Heinz looks to replicate success of clean-label ketchup (Bloomberg)
• Lidl owner among suitors circling Tesco's European business (FT)
• Red Bull sponsorship surges yields best profit growth in years (Bloomberg)
• General Mills bets on new products, marketing to drive turnaround (WSJ)
• McDonald's bets on chicken to win back diners as beef prices soar (FT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• New weight-loss pills curb snacking less than GLP-1 shots (Bloomberg)
• US in talks to buy potash from Belarus at lower cost than what Canada charges, Trump says (Globe and Mail)
• New Zealand opposition vows to boost grocery sector competition (Bloomberg)
• Amazon drones overwhelm a Texas suburb (NYT)
• Amazon, Swiggy among firms facing India food regulator's action (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Carney promises sweeping economic legislation, fast pace this fall at caucus meeting (Globe and Mail)
• How to build a customer-back CPG company (BCG)
• A dozen ingredients show India's mounting food inflation risk (Bloomberg)
• Hot potatoes mean higher prices and shorter fries in Europe (Bloomberg)
• Trump seeks 'Made in USA' labels on beef as import rule angers ranchers (NYT)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Mark Carney has become the heir to CD Howe (Globe and Mail)
• The highest returning stock in the last 45 years is Home Depot (WSJ)
• Hating on polyester is back in fashion (Bloomberg)
• Russia seizes control over Nestle and Auchan operations (FT)
• For food companies, shifts from GLP-1s are hard to digest (NYT)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Amazon boosts minimum pay for U.S. full-time core operations staff to $20 / hour (WSJ)
• The three dreaded words no one wants to hear: What's for dinner (WSJ)
• McDonald's is planning on revamping its value strategy to revive US sales (Bloomberg)
• Senators ask FTC to probe Walmart and Amazon over bots 'Made in America' data (WSJ)
• From the archives (2015): McDonald's seeks its fast-food soul (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Driscoll's gave China its blueberries - then China swiped the secret to growing them (WSJ)
• Starbucks Snoopy cup resells for $200, showing the power of merch drops (Bloomberg)
• New Zealand dairy farmers face profit squeeze as El Nino looms (Bloomberg)
• Alberta separation could cost up to $170 billion over five years, report estimates (Globe and Mail)
• Dollarama raises sales-growth forecast as shoppers tighten their wallets (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Canada Investment Summit Prospectus (Government of Canada)
• Carney government introduces mega-deduction tax measure to spur more investment (CBC)
• The prices of diesel is skyrocketing. Here's why Canadians may soon feel it in the grocery store (CBC)
• Want a Gucci handbag? Head to TJ Maxx (Bloomberg)
• Cereal has strayed too far (The Atlantic)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: The logic of strategy arguments (Substack)
• Mark Carney seeks $1 trillion in investment amid US trade strains (Bloomberg)
• They built the world's biggest fast food chain with the Dollar General playbook (WSJ)
• Canadian agri-food industry gets $1B federal funding boost for domestic production projects (CBC)
• Inflation holds steady at 3% in August as gas and food price-growth slows (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Primark to start home delivery as sales fall ahead of split (Bloomberg)
• The perfect saleswomen behind Aritzia's success (WSJ)
• Kroger cuts sales forecast as grocery competition intensifies (Bloomberg)
• How to lure the spendy and the thrifty? Bring on the barbell (NYT)
• From Campbell's to Conagra, food makers warn of inflation (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Walmart extends restaurant delivery with Papa John's deal (Bloomberg)
• The rise of organized crime at retail stores (Bloomberg)
• It's getting harder to return things - and it's making shoppers mad (WSJ)
• Macy's bets on pricier products to win wealthy shoppers (WSJ)
• From the archives (2021): San Francisco's shoplifting surge (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Inside PepsiCo's battle to remake Gatorade for the Kennedy era (FT)
• New Lululemon CEO faces compounding pressures as she takes over top job (Globe and Mail)
• France champagne output set to halve on heat waves and drought (Bloomberg)
• The scourge of A.1 (The New Yorker)
• Inside John Lewis' secret turnaround plan (FT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Two provinces seek a billion-dollar investment to make Canadian food easier to move, cheaper to access (Globe and Mail)
• A crisis of authenticity: The truth about food influencers (The Guardian)
• Major food companies allege US sugar producers colluded on price (Bloomberg)
• Trump signs order to ban some Canadian products from U.S. market (WSJ)
• Aperol's maker bets Americans are ready for a pinker, sweeter, spritz (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• It's the hottest brand of the summer - and it's popping up everywhere (WSJ)
• The next generation of drinkers is breaking up with bubbly booze (Bloomberg)
• France's sacred food culture faces existential crisis (Bloomberg)
• Schwartz's deli in Montreal opts for local black cherry soda as US tariffs bite (Globe and Mail)
• Starbucks refreshed its menu. Chai fans are losing their minds (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Mac and cheese disruptor Goodles to be acquired by Barilla (WSJ)
• America's next major grocery shock is coming (Axios)
• Food security under pressure (JP Morgan)
• The online shopping trend where you buy nothing (Rest of World)
• From the archives (2024): Ina Garten and the age of abundance (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How Amazon's 'secret' ad pricing system worked, according to the FTC (WSJ)
• Matt Levine: Amazon charged the first price (Bloomberg)
• Ikea cuts prices in Europe by $1.2 billion to counter cost of living crisis (FT)
• Norway vs the world's favourite chicken (FT)
• Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons launch loyalty partnership allow Triangle members to earn points on select purchases (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• GLP-1 sales in Canada on pace to set a new record this year (Globe and Mail)
• How Aperol built a $900 million global brand around the spritz (WSJ)
• Don't count Shein out just yet (WSJ)
• Chobani plans milk expansion with $1.2 billion investment (Bloomberg)
• The man who built Europe's chicken factory (FT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• The cult $4.99 chicken defying inflation (FT)
• The church of Raising Cane's (Slate)
• Retailers want AI to solve online shopping's biggest problem (Bloomberg)
• Asda recovery remains elusive with ninth straight quarterly sales drop (Bloomberg)
• Companies including Walmart plow tariff refunds into price cuts, appealing to stretched customers (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• How chicken conquered the world (FT)
• Dollar chains give diverging view on pressured retail sector (Bloomberg)
• How Celsius became the king of normie energy drinks (Bloomberg)
• How wagyu, Japan's prized beef, took over America (WSJ)
• Gap is back. Investors are starting to believe (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Triggering a Canadian investment supercycle (TD Economics)
• How healthy are lentils (NYT)
• Two guys are eating their way around the world - without leaving New York (NYT)
• New York mayor faces off over Amazon (NYT)
• From the archives (Helen Rosner): What Le Cirque will be remembered for (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Canada grocer restores labels that helped consumers boycott US products (Bloomberg)
• Local business group sues over Mamdani's plan to open municipal grocery stores (WSJ)
• Shein bets on deals to revive its fashion success after $70 billion plunge (Bloomberg)
• New York mayor faces off against Amazon (NYT)
• Couche-Tard starts $8.7 billion takeover bid for Poland's Zabka (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The box that built globalization (FT)
• The tech billionaire disrupting restaurants (FT)
• Roots agrees to go-private transaction led by Marquee Brands (Globe and Mail)
• Starbucks, Chipotle tweak menus and rewards to win over diners (Bloomberg)
• Plus-size clothes are disappearing at retailers in GLP-1 era (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• U.S. to boost beef imports to address high prices, Trump says (WSJ)
• Pork struggles to gain ground, even in middle of protein craze (Bloomberg)
• Skyrocketing beef prices finally have Americans reaching their spending limit (Bloomberg)
• Shein was fast fashion's next big thing. Now it's fighting for a second act (NYT)
• American shoppers are still spending but they're getting pickier (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• When brands lose their magic (FT)
• Walmart posts lowest sales growth in over six years (WSJ)
• US alcoholic beverage consumption stabilizes at historic low (Bloomberg)
• Albertsons CIO says its shoppers are buying more - thanks to AI (WSJ)
• Cold water cup noodles sell out in Japan as surprise summer hit (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Anthony Bourdain's wild summers still echo in Provincetown (NYT)
• RIP Tony, you would have hated all this discourse (Bon Appetit)
• Amazon to expand drone delivery to 500 locales (WSJ)
• The meal kit industry is in disarray after a major supplier went bust (WSJ)
• Conde Nast CEO explains why Gourmet and not Bon Ap (Eater)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Costco sells vacations, gas, and soon, Medicare plans (WSJ)
• Ice cream: How the big firms innovate to stay ahead (BBC)
• Udon billionaire bets thick noodles will win over Americans (Bloomberg)
• Target raises fiscal year forecast as turnaround gains traction with consumers (WSJ)
• TJX says self-inflicted issues hurt sales (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Home Depot posts higher sales, backs outlook (WSJ)
• Big Food is fighting to tempt taste buds in the era of weight-loss drugs (WSJ)
• Target bets shoppers want to buy trendy snacks and drinks in grocery revamp (Bloomberg)
• A slice of the market: Canada-US tensions over cheese import permits (CD Howe Institute)
• Top French grocers ease produce rules as heat hits farmers (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Olipop Soda CEO to step down with Electrolit head stepping in (Bloomberg)
• Pickle flavour is taking over the snacks aisle (WSJ)
• Canadian Tire bets on data to drive future growth (Globe and Mail)
• Inside the billion-dollar industry that's keeping your beer cold - and saving lives (Texas Monthly)
• How Burger King revamped its Whopper and overtook Wendy's (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• A chicken glut is dragging down meatpackers - and lowering your grocery bill (WSJ)
• The haskap berry is poised to be the next 'it' berry (CBC)
• The quest to find the world's best honey (FT)
• The secret ingredient farmers add to their cows' diet for richer milk (Bloomberg)
• These products go colourless as natural dyes prove tricky and expensive (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Summer of the slush (Toronto Life)
• Why so many CEOs are getting a chief of staff (NYT)
• China's hunger games (Foreign Affairs)
• What happened to Talenti (NYT)
• From the archives (1985): When Ben & Jerry's sued Haagen Dazs (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How to disappear: Shopping online (Mozilla Foundation)
• Danny Meyer finally tells us what went wrong (Food Time with Matt Rodbard)
• Why the regenerative agriculture label is everywhere (Bloomberg)
• JBS heir to become CEO of world's largest meatpacker (FT)
• Target hires first Chief AI Officer in retail's latest tech push (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Ozempic era gives Brazil's grocery aisles a pro-protein makeover (Bloomberg)
• Wonder takes a gamble on robots, drones, and AI menus (WSJ)
• Chinese tea chains brew a new US obsession (Bloomberg)
• Canada adds 75,000 jobs in July, unemployment rate hits two year low (Globe and Mail)
• Shopping app Whatnot valued at $20 billion in new funding (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Celsius share slump as namesake brand sales tumble (Bloomberg)
• Monster Beverage sales rise on international growth (WSJ)
• Inside the long, AI-powered quest to perfect Pringle-making (WSJ)
• US alcohol industry rightly fears a nasty hangover from Trump's trade war with Canada (Globe and Mail)
• Burger King's new Whopper strikes a blow in fast food burger wars (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Americans lose their main reason to get out of bed: Dannon coffee yogurt (WSJ)
• The most powerful men in America are eating only meat and sauerkraut. Could I? (NYT Magazine)
• Lululemon is at war with itself (Bloomberg)
• Kraft Heinz's turnaround bid leaves investors wanting more (Bloomberg)
• P&G agrees to buy supplement maker for $3.8 million (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Coca-Cola raises guidance, buoyed by World Cup lift (Bloomberg)
• From plans to bets: Strategy in the age of prediction (Bain)
• Magnum boosted by heatwave as sales surge in Europe (FT)
• Vinted wants to bring its Depop-style disruption to the US (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2015): The aging of Abercrombie & Fitch (Bloomberg)

Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How Eli Lilly got huge by making us thin (Bloomberg)
• Sales are so low, Californian wineries are burning their vineyards (NYT)
• Trump's tariffs take aim at Canadian whey protein during global shortage (Globe and Mail)
• Should multibuys on unhealthy foods be banned (BBC)
• Sainsbury's strikes deal to sell Argos for £120M to Swift Partners (FT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The road forward to value creation in consumer products (Bain)
• El Nino threat raises the risk of higher blueberry prices (Bloomberg)
• As Gen Z sips on Yerba Mate, Argentinian farmers are missing out (Bloomberg)
• A Canadian town will no longer reek of fish sauce (Globe and Mail)
• The internet suddenly loves Emeril, years after his TV stardom (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Couche-Tard to expand European footprint with $8.7 billion acquisition of Polish retailer Zabka (Globe and Mail)
• Customers turning to frozen produce to avoid high food prices, Loblaw CEO says (Globe and Mail)
• Danone's sales rise, with boost from Asia's volumes (WSJ)
• Amazon finds cases of AI causing runaway spending on tech projects (FT)
• Amazon and Walmart's shopping bots downplay 'Made in America' data, report says (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• This is your home on GLP-1s (Architectural Digest)
• Coca-Cola reached for nostalgia. Did it get Marlboro instead (NYT)
• Apotex emerges as only manufacturer of generic Ozempic for now (Globe and Mail)
• The unsexy habit that turned a college dropout into a $300 million founder (Forbes)
• From the archives (2018): The other side of Barry Sherman (Maclean's)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How 10 billion pounds of lettuce travel from farms to dinner plates (WSJ)
• Unilever sales jump on emerging market demand for Dove soap (Bloomberg)
• Cracker Barrel CEO stepping down after logo redesign, activist pressure (WSJ)
• This summer's status symbol is a $3.99 bottle of water (WSJ)
• Mondelez lifts outlook on higher quarterly sales (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• A different kind of grocery store magnate (NYT)
• Shein slumps to loss ahead of planned Hong Kong listing (FT)
• Sazerac wants another shot at Jack Daniels maker Brown Forman (WSJ)
• The future of the toy industry isn't toys. It's Magic (WSJ)
• Retail giants reject report that major brands sell Chinese tomatoes as Aussie-grown (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Van Leeuwen's path from a single ice cream truck to a dessert giant (Bloomberg)
• Utz will go private in $2.9 billion deal with Intersnack (Bloomberg)
• What corporate functions of the future will look like (BCG)
• Americans rewire their grocery shopping routines while digesting the biggest price jump in 50 years (AP)
• US economic anxieties on display in battle over digital shelf labels (FT)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Albertsons plummets on forecast cut amid soft grocery demand (Bloomberg)
• Inside Taco Bell's rush to contain cyclospora (WSJ)
• 7-Eleven owner taps ex-Dr Pepper executive to lead business (Bloomberg)
• India's weak monsoon revives push for millet (Bloomberg)
• An FDA panel just endorsed these unproven peptides (Wired)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Can Chez Panisse change with the times? Does it need to (NYT)
• Nestle sells half of waters unit to Platinum Equity for $3.4 billion (WSJ)
• Nestle shares tumble as coffee, cocoa prices hit profits (FT)
• McCormick to seek London listing following tie-up with Unilever (WSJ)
• From the archives (2004): Food fighter (NYT Magazine)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Empire plans to drop restrictions on property use amid competition probe (Globe and Mail)
• Chicken thighs are how much? Here's what's driving the latest grocery sticker shock (CBC)
• Inside the Amazon tactics that hiked prices across the internet (The Guardian)
• The fall of America's farm superpower (FT)
• Nestle nears deal to sell stake in €5B Perrier unit (FT)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Costco gas pumps are so popular they are building standalone stations (WSJ)
• Kraft Heinz to tap Disney magic in effort to build brands (WSJ)
• Rewiring customer experience for the agentic era (McKinsey)
• Coffee drinkers turning to whole beans as prices soar, says Lavazza (FT)
• Diageo chair hunts for drinks 'heavyweights' in board revamp (FT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Rise of delivery apps takes a bite out of sales for Big Pizza (FT)
• Domino's leans on delivery apps as pricey launches fall flat (Bloomberg)
• Jersey Mike's, backers, seek up to $1.09 billion in IPO (Bloomberg)
• Is this the Louis Vuitton of lamb (FT)
• Stagnant Germany considers the unthinkable: Sunday shopping (WSJ)

  Stephan's Monday Picks

• Rise of delivery apps takes a bite out of Big Pizza (FT)
• Parasitic outbreak puts Big Lettuce in PR mode (WSJ)
• Conagra's 'show-me' CEO says every product needs to earn its keep (WSJ)
• How brands sneak in cheaper ingredients to protect their profit margins (Bloomberg)
• Why protein is suddenly in everything from Pop-Tarts to Cheerios (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Reinventing a giant: Galen Weston uses the founder mindset in a family empire (YouTube)
• Consumer spending is up, but that signal no longer means what it once did (BCG)
• Adult happy meals lure even high-earning American diners (NYT)
• Metro and FGF enter into a strategic partnership for Premiere Moisson's commercial bakery manufacturing operations (Metro)
• From the archives (2007): Can Galen Weston Jr. save Loblaws (Toronto Life)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• In the Hamptons, even the chicken tenders are living fancy (NYT)
• The one thing everyone in America can agree on? Costco (WSJ)
• Danone's $1.2 billion Huel deal faces UK competition probe (WSJ)
• Why some restaurants are increasing the price of fish and chips (CBC)
• Conagra swings to loss, cuts dividend under new CEO (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• The future of fierce English mustard is in American hands (Bloomberg)
• FTC says Henkel deal would merge 'Coke and Pepsi' of adhesives (Bloomberg)
• Uber, Delivery Hero in advanced talks over potential takeover (WSJ)
• Credit card holders are using 'friendly fraud' to get back at retailers (Bloomberg)
• Chipotle to sell its Mexican-inspired fast food in Mexico (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• The anti-Amazon (Phenomenal World)
• Grocery stores lower prices as consumers pare spending (NYT)
• CoverGirl stops chasing Gen Z to focus on middle-aged women (Bloomberg)
• Shein is said to move ahead with preparations for Hong Kong IPO (Bloomberg)
• Maxed-out shoppers embrace 'mini-effect' (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Dates are suddenly on track to become a $55 billion market (Inc)
• Big box retailers have a new strategy of breaking into urban markets (NYT)
• How Aldi is taking on US supermarkets with its $4 almond butter (BBC)
• Why are berries everywhere, in every season? Driscoll's (NYT)
• Michael's goes form 'grandma's store' to unlikely success under Apollo (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Tesco explores sale of European business (FT)
• Why Smucker's $5 billion bet on the Twinkie flopped (WSJ)
• Sven Smit: In an AI world, the fastest learner will win (McKinsey)
• Germans don't love Budweiser. It won't take no for an answer (NYT)
• From the archives (2012): The $1.6 billion flop. Tesco poised to exit the U.S. (WSJ)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• More Americans than ever are taking weight-loss drugs (NYT)
• Food and beverages have gone bananas (NYT)
• Wild coffee swings usher in new era of market volatility (Bloomberg)
• Walmart announced price cuts. Trump tried to take credit (NYT)
• White House pressures top US grocers on beef prices (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Bath & Body Works is on a quest for the next billion dollar scent (NYT)
• Walmart lowers prices of thousands of items, including beef and Coca-Cola (WSJ)
• Seven & i's former supermarket unit may acquire more under Bain (Bloomberg)
• Limited construction of new retail space in Canada is giving landlord RioCan an edge (Globe and Mail)
• Inside the food truck mafia wreaking havoc around the National Mall (Washingtonian)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: When less is more (Substack)
• South Africa's grocery war shifts from search to AI conversation (Bloomberg)
• Consumers shun mid-sized packs amid price squeeze, Nestle says (WSJ)
• Liquor stocks are priced for a Big Tobacco moment (WSJ)
• Ocado paves way for exit of CEO Tim Steiner after succession clash (FT)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The pursuit of hungriness: 250 years of American food innovation (NYT)
• Nestle to change KitKat recipe in Europe to make it crispier (Bloomberg)
• California bans 'sell by' labels, hoping to cut food waste (NYT)
• What Big Food did to ice cream (Medium)
• Big brewers are making outsized bets on tiny cans of beer (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• America's most talented nepo baby has two Michelin stars to prove it (GQ)
• The State of Grocery in North America (McKinsey)
• Tom Colicchio's final service (Esquire)
• In new luxury kitchens, everything is hidden (NYT)
• From the archives (2018): Paul Bocuse, celebrated French chef, dies at 91 (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• The art, science, and technology of geopolitical scenario planning (McKinsey)
• In a soft housing market, appliance and home furnishing retailers are collapsing. Customers are paying the price (Globe and Mail)
• Starbucks Korea to close all stores early for history training (Bloomberg)
• China summons Sam's Club over food safety concerns (FT)
• Bath & Body Works' strategy to win more young customers (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Weight-loss drugs cut UK food bills by £780 million, study shows (Bloomberg)
• The latest snack innovations are basically just Creamsicles and Chex Mix (Bloomberg)
• Why your summer tomatoes cost so much (Bloomberg)
• The 70-year-old marriage between McDonald's and Coke has some issues (WSJ)
• Being honest about low inventory can pay off for retailers (WSJ)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Bordeaux wine was the toast of the world. Now even the locals don't drink it (NYT)
• How Saskatchewan's global reputation as a major commodities exporter laid the groundwork for Canada to diversify trade (Globe and Mail)
• El Nino slams into a global economy unprepared for more chaos (Bloomberg)
• Peru extends halt on anchovy fishing as El Nino threat looms (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2012): Charting the rise of the king of retail (NYT)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Ottawa has struggled to increase food competition. Will the new food strategy help (CBC)
• Smucker plans to lower coffee prices next year as costs drop (Bloomberg)
• It's not just food. Our whole world is 'ultraprocessed' (NYT)
• Fruit is too sweet (The Atlantic)
• Ben & Jerry's co-founder says brand is being 'destroyed' by Magnum (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Starbucks can double its store count outside of the US, CEO says (Bloomberg)
• UK turns to chicken as demand surges (FT)
• Innovating human-centered luxury experiences in the luxury age (McKinsey)
• Beef prices hit record in May as screwworm impact looms (Bloomberg)
• Artificial chocolate will show what really shapes global trade (FT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Chinese buyers will wait five hours for this conveyor belt sushi (Bloomberg)
• Nestle's longtime PE partner drops out of bidding for Perrier (Bloomberg)
• Amazon to raise $14 billion in record-setting Canadian corporate bond offering (Globe and Mail)
• Australian pharmacy group pulls out of $10B talks to buy Boots (FT)
• Amazon's trucking push sparks new slide in transport stocks (Bloomberg)

Stephan's Monday Picks

• Your budget is killing your strategy - and four ways to fix it (McKinsey)
• This restaurant stopped charging for food. Profits went up (NYT)
• J.M. Smucker expects sales to fall this year (WSJ)
• Driverless trucks are here - and they're delivering bags of Doritos (WSJ)
• Extreme heat risks losses for Indian suppliers to Uniqlo, Tesco (Bloomberg) 

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Campbell's sales fall on continued weak demand for snacks (WSJ)
• Plan to tighten healthy food rules provokes backlash from UK industry (FT)
• Walmart tells workers that AI will improve their jobs, not steal them (FT)
• Daughter of Mrs. Fields starts her own bakery brand (NYT)
• From the archives (1999): Campbell's devises new strategy in hopes of reheating soup sales (WSJ)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Asda chair on how his turnaround will hold off Aldi threat (The Guardian)
• Canned, frozen juice from concentrate coming back to Canadian shelves (CBC)
• McDonald's bets on fancier chicken, airier restaurants to keep luring customers (Bloomberg)
• Boots in talks with Weston family over $10bn sale as owners look to ditch IPO plan (FT)
• US races to contain deadly screwworm threat to cattle supply (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Why your next great meal may be at a gas station (WSJ)
• The hottest snacks on the market are ... dates (NYT)
• What are dot cakes, the internet's latest obsession (NYT)
• Why Canadians are paying more for chicken at the checkout lane (Globe and Mail)
• Why protein is running out as food companies put it in everything (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Americans on GLP-1s are overwhelming retailers with their nonstop returns (WSJ)
• Now you can get a Subway sandwich with your Walmart delivery (WSJ)
• Bernstein sours on packaged food stocks as inflation, GLP-1 bite (Bloomberg)
• The wellness industry finds its next target: New moms (Bloomberg)
• G7 fertilizers seek joint fertilizer action as war roils supplies (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• How ADEO is preparing for retail's next wave (McKinsey)
• PEI fisheries brace for hardship as two diseases devastate the province's oyster industry (Globe and Mail)
• Competition for soon-to-expire food has Montreal food banks struggling (CBC)
• Why Berkshire Hathaway went window shopping with Macy's (WSJ)
• America's farms depend more than ever on troubled visa programs (NYT)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Why Amazon has struggled to crack India (Bloomberg)
• Walmart CEO points to high fuel prices as 'stress point' (Bloomberg)
  
• America's 'other economy' tells a different growth story (FT)
• Nestle buys out Yfood in new CEO's first purchase (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2006): The hermit kings (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Whey protein is running out as food companies put it in everything (Bloomberg)
• Unilever CFO defends food deal saying staff 'not paying to be lazy' (FT)
• Dollar General says pinched customers are buying less food (Bloomberg)
• General Mills sells Haagen-Dazs stores in China (FT)
• What Trump delivered for Amazon (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Unilever CFO Srinivas Phatak on how to perform and transform (BCG)
• When times are tough, people eat more beans. It's happening again now (NPR)
• Being creative requires taking risks (Escaping Flatland)
• Whole Foods CEO wants to put a banana in your Amazon box (Bloomberg)
• Prized by 'MAHA influencers' and chefs alike, craft flour is on the rise (NYT)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Strategy, anomalies, and scientific revolutions (Substack)
• Can Lululemon fend off its younger, hotter rivals (Globe and Mail)
• Why the industry is obsessed with gimmicky flavours (Bloomberg)
• Dates double in sales as consumers move away from ultra-processed snacks (The Guardian)
• From sardinemaxxing to skincare, here's why tinned fish is the new 'it' product (CBC)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Unilever to build new U.S. research facility (WSJ)
• Men are spraying themselves 100 times in new fragrance frenzy (Bloomberg)
• Retail stock surge with US shoppers surprising Wall Street (Bloomberg)
• Americans spent $2.4 billion on Korean beauty last year. It's about to get even better (WSJ)
• Did Trump take tomato? Here's what's behind the latest grocery price shock (CBC)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Bank of Canada warns of low-hire, low-fire job market that complicates rate decisions (Globe and Mail)
• It's such a mess shopping for reasonably priced menswear (Bloomberg)
• Lidl overtakes Morrisons to become fifth largest supermarket in UK (The Guardian)
• Americans are about to pay even more at the grocery store (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (2014): A dozen things I've learned from Jim Sinegal (25iq)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• How Barnes & Noble became private equity's most radical retail experiment (Bloomberg)
• Lululemon settles dispute with founder (WSJ)
• For ailing Lululemon, going private might not be a stretch (FT)
• He invented the Basque cheesecake. He prefers chocolate (NYT)
• Swiggy CEO vows to stay out of Amazon-Walmart spending war (Bloomberg)