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 Friday Picks

• The Nortena burrito takes New York (The New Yorker)
• Doris Fisher, co-founder of the Gap, dies at 94 (NYT)
• Kraft Heinz CEO pushes value: Consumers are literally running out of money (WSJ)
• Will AB Foods' split from Primark unlock its potential (The Grocer)
• From the archives (2007): Michelin sprinkles stars on Tokyo (FT)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• Larry Fink's annual chairman's letter to investors (BlackRock)
• Kraft Heinz to invest $250 million in Montreal factory to boost capacity amid increased demand (Globe and Mail)
• The corporate strategy function in an AI-first world (BCG)
• Dollar General falls after naming CEO (Bloomberg)
• From the archives (1996): The science of shopping (The New Yorker)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Kraft Heinz puts focus on struggling brands after ditching split (Bloomberg)
• Lululemon scrambles to revive yoga pants empire amid fight with founder (NYT)
• Unilever considers potential separation of food assets (Bloomberg)
• Amazon plans drastic cut in packages sent via already struggling postal service (WSJ)
• General Mills posts lower sales, profit amid turnaround (WSJ)

 Stephan's Thursday Picks

• Kraft Heinz pauses plan to split into two companies (WSJ)
• Fibermaxxing is a diet trend even nutritionists can love (Bloomberg)
• Toys 'R' Us filling leaves a slew of creditors in its wake (Globe and Mail)
• The HBR interview with outgoing Walmart CEO Doug McMillon (HBR)
• Coca-Cola is sticking with its pricing plan, CEO says (WSJ)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• Gen Z rejects 'radioactive' diet sodas for zero sugar ones (Bloomberg)
• The government wants you to kick your diet soda habit (WSJ)
• Berkshire Hathaway considers selling $7.7B stake in Kraft Heinz (FT)
• Multiple Toys 'R' Us locations are closing, landlords say they are owed unpaid rent (Globe and Mail)
• P&G rises following assurances U.S. sales are bouncing back (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• The cult of Costco (The Atlantic)
• 2025 was the year of the rotisserie chicken (NYT)
• How Japanese scallops became a pawn in diplomatic tensions with China (NYT)
• How Kraft Heinz lost its lock on mac and cheese - and American shoppers (WSJ)
• Saks CEO steps down ahead of expected bankruptcy filing (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Strategic nihilism (Medium)
• The Kelce brothers' Garage Beer company is now worth $200 million (WSJ)
• Carlos Abrams-Rivera, the Kraft Heinz CEO dealing with America's lost appetite (FT)
• Amazon pares back free shipping perk on Prime membership (NYT)
• It's not just you: Household product scents are getting stronger (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Friday Picks

• M&A in consumer health has its own formula (BCG)
• Krispy Kreme bets on big box stores to stay fresh (NYT)
• Taco Bell's not so secret sauce: An endless stream of new stuff (Bloomberg)
• How pubs won Gen Z over (FT)
• From the archives (2015): Kraft, Heinz to merge, forming food giant (WSJ)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Roger Martin: The future of the middle class depends on frontline service jobs (Medium)
• Aldi wants to conquer the American grocery store landscape (WSJ)
• Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies (WSJ)
• A flurry of deals is changing who owns your breakfast (Bloomberg)
• Luxury fashion seller Ssense to seek protection after clash with creditors (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Misplaced shoulds in strategy (Medium)
• Kraft Heinz's $4.3 billion pension gives company leverage as it considers options (Bloomberg)
• Target to end price matching policy (Bloomberg)
• The problem with the U.S. using sugar in soda? It doesn't make enough (WSJ)
• Canada shores up New Zealand trade with dairy concessions in the face of U.S. pressure (Globe and Mail)

 Stephan's Wednesday Picks

• Buffett's Kraft Heinz bet marks rare flop as company weighs breakup (Bloomberg)
• U.S. dairy industry presses Canada for changes to quota (Globe and Mail)
• Hudson's Bay Co. heads to court to fight motion to cut off Ruby Liu lease deal (Globe and Mail)
• Food banks are running out of food exactly when more Americans will need them (WSJ)
• Shoppers are slowly turning away from plastic packaging (WSJ)

 Stephan's Tuesday Picks

• Roger Martin: Strategy, artificial intelligence, and entry-level hires (Medium)
• Amazon delays Alexa's debut (Washington Post)
• Trump's purge of foreign workers arrives at Amazon's warehouses (NYT)
• In America's return to office, women are falling behind (WSJ)
• Kraft Heinz breakup primed to split its ketchup from its hot dogs (Bloomberg)

 Stephan's Monday Picks

• CVS was so worried about shoplifting that it stole its own soul (Washington Post)
• Kraft Heinz is planning a breakup (WSJ)
• Ulta Beauty enters UK with retail chain Space NK's acquisition (Reuters)
• Ferrero strikes roughly $3 billion deal for maker of Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes (WSJ)
• The pants cost $20. They explain $86 billion of Costco sales (WSJ)

 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 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

• Britain's biggest retailer isn't British and isn't a retailer (FT)
• Kraft Heinz explores sale of Oscar Mayer (WSJ)
• Fast food forever: How McHaters lost the culture war (NYT)
• America can't quit intermittent fasting (The Atlantic)
• Amazon Web Services chief to step down (WSJ)