Retail Strategies & Supplier Insights

The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects 2025 holiday retail sales in November and December to cross the $1 trillion mark for the first time, up about 3.7%–4.2% over last year. And 2024 already set a record, with core holiday sales hitting roughly $994.1 billion, up 4% year over year.  That’s great for headlines. But here’s the question that matters for you as a supplier: Did holiday retail sales actually lift your margin?

Cyber Monday has become the Super Bowl of online retail. In 2024, U.S. shoppers spent $13.3 billion online on Cyber Monday, up 7.3% year over year—the biggest single online shopping day ever recorded. During the peak hours of 8:00–10:00 p.m. Eastern, consumers were spending about $15.8 million per minute.

From the outside, Black Friday is all about doorbusters. From your side of the table, it’s about something way less glamorous: data integrity.

If you sell into big retail, your year isn’t 12 months long. It’s 12 months… plus the six-week sprint from early November through New Year’s.

Product photography isn’t decoration. It’s conversion, returns, and compliance—rolled into pixels.

SNAP is moving. Not just the dollar amounts—but timing, eligibility, and how shoppers use those dollars. If you sell food and beverages, you’ll feel it. Some of it will be a breeze at your back. Some of it? A headwind.

If you’ve ever tried to get your product onto a retail shelf, you already know—it’s not easy. Retail buyers are swamped, competition is fierce, and retailers expect suppliers to deliver not just a product, but a plan. This is where a food broker  comes in. Think of a food broker as the “middle gear” in the retail machine. They don’t own your product, but they help move it forward by connecting you with the right buyers, negotiating terms, and ensuring your product actually se

Walmart’s Next Play: Trends Suppliers Must Ride Walmart isn’t just remodeling stores—it’s rebuilding the operating system of U.S. retail. From a “store of the future” blueprint in Texas to AI-powered shopping and exit tech, the world’s largest retailer is wiring digital into every aisle, endcap, and app screen. If you sell to Walmart (or want to), here’s what’s changing—and how to line up your game plan now. What Walmart is building (and why it matters) A flagship “store of t

If your brand touches center store, fresh, or private label, the latest SNAP shifts aren’t just policy news—they’re a demand signal.

Walmart’s annual Open Call is happening right now in Bentonville—and the energy is real. Think hundreds of founders from nearly every corner of the country streaming into town to pitch U.S.-made, grown, or assembled products to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants.

Navigating the retail world can feel like trying to find your way through a dense forest without a map. You know there’s a path to success, but the twists and turns can be overwhelming.

“Retail deductions” are amounts a retailer withholds from your invoice—usually for shortages, compliance issues, pricing discrepancies,...

In the retail world, where countless brands jostle for attention, achieving a foothold can often feel like scaling Everest. Yet, the...