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Retail Strategies & Supplier Insights
Discover the strategies and insights you need to thrive in the competitive retail landscape. Retail Strategies & Supplier Insights delivers expert advice, actionable tips, and the latest industry trends tailored specifically for retail suppliers. Whether you’re looking to boost sales, recover profits, or navigate retailer relationships, our blog is your go-to resource for success.


Walmart’s New CEO John Furner: What Shoppers and Suppliers Should Expect
Walmart didn’t pick John Furner to “hold the line.” They picked him to press the advantage—and to do it in a very Walmart way: operator-first, merchant-minded, and increasingly platform-powered.

Jon Allen
Mar 24 min read


Amazon’s Big-Box Play: Walmart + Club, but Digital
In late February 2026, the headline finally flipped: Amazon reported $716.9B in 2025 revenue, edging past Walmart’s $713.2B for its most recent fiscal year.
That doesn’t mean Walmart “lost.” Walmart’s online business is still growing fast (its global ecommerce sales are now $150B+ annually, with a recent quarter showing ~24% ecommerce growth).

Jon Allen
Feb 235 min read


Agentic Commerce: What Google’s UCP Means for Suppliers
Google announced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) —an open standard designed to enable AI “agents” to communicate with retailers and commerce platforms throughout the purchase journey. And it didn’t show up alone. Google highlighted partnerships with Walmart, Shopify, and Target (among others), with the goal of letting customers complete purchases in Google Search and Gemini without hopping between apps and retailer sites. If you supply retail, here’s the simple take

Jon Allen
Jan 194 min read


Walmart might be the big winner of the blocked Kroger–Albertsons merger
Discover how the blocked Kroger merger impacts the grocery landscape, with Walmart emerging as a key player. Explore the Kroger merger dynamics.

Jon Allen
Jan 126 min read


2025: Tariffs, AI, and the Retail Deduction Squeeze
If you’re a retail supplier, 2025 probably felt like you were fighting margin with both hands tied behind your back.
Not because demand disappeared. Not because your product suddenly got worse.

Jon Allen
Dec 15, 20256 min read


Walmart’s Next Play: Trends Suppliers Must Ride
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

Jon Allen
Oct 23, 20254 min read


Open Call 2025: What to Know Now
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.

Jon Allen
Oct 8, 20253 min read


Retail Compliance Cheat Sheet: How to Avoid Costly Chargebacks Across Walmart, Kroger & More
Every retailer has its own compliance playbook. Walmart wants one format. Kroger another. Target? Completely different. For suppliers,...

Jon Allen
Sep 4, 20251 min read


From Grocery Wars to Digital Dominance: Insights from the 2023 Top 100 Retailers List
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has released its highly anticipated 2023 Top 100 Retailers list, showcasing the performance and...

Jon Allen
Jul 13, 20232 min read
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