The Goods (U.S. Edition) – I’ll Post to That
Welcome back to The Goods! This week we’re discussing a 58% jump in retail ransomware attacks, how Prime Day influenced online shopping sales last week, and a French department store that is trying to bring its je ne sais quoi to the U.S.
Weighty Questions for CPG Companies and Food Retailers
More than 15 million Americans currently use GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, a number projected to climb as high as 30 million over the next 5-10 years.
In this new era of curbed cravings and cut calories, businesses are facing a weighty change: adapt to shifting preferences or get left on the shelf. As GLP-1 usage continues to grow and a pill version prepares for market entry, food companies must reassess their product portfolios and consider a series of critical questions that challenge their existing approaches to marketing, consumer engagement, and overall corporate responsibility. Get the full scoop from our experts here.
What’s In: This Week’s Trends
- Left on Fed: Consumer prices ticked up 0.3% in June, pushing the annual inflation rate to a four-month high of 2.7%, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data. Data shows that products with high tariff exposure have become more expensive, such as tech, appliances, sporting goods, and tools. Still, the extent to which tariffs could drive inflation higher and how long that may last remains an open question. The Federal Reserve is reconvening on July 30 to decide on interest rates, but experts do not expect a rate cut coming out of the meeting.
- You Ransome, You Lose Some: Publicly disclosed ransomware attacks targeting the global retail sector surged by 58% in Q2 2025 compared to Q1, according to data from BlackFog.
- A Rocky Road Ahead: Ice cream lovers may experience a less colorful scoop by 2028. A group of 40 makers that account for over 90% of all U.S. ice cream volume has pledged to remove certain synthetic dyes by the end of 2027, marking another milestone for S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement. Non-dairy ice cream producers and small businesses crafting their own ice cream are not included in the pledge, which focuses on real milk products sold at supermarkets. The U.S. produced approximately 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream in 2024, and Americans eat an average of 19 pounds of the creamy treat each year.
Cash or Card: Consumer Behavior
What’s going on with the consumer these days? This week we talk about Prime Day online shopping trends, Gen Z’s appetite for luxury handbag dupes, and a shift in grocery shopping preferences.
- What a Prime to Be Alive: Amazon’s 96-hour Prime Day event last week provided a bump for retailers and bots alike. According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. retailers saw $24.1 billion in online spending during the four-day period, representing 30.3% year-over-year growth, or the equivalent of two Black Fridays. Shoppers this year also turned to generative AI-powered chat services and browsers to guide their shopping journeys, with a 3,300% increase in GenAI traffic to U.S. retail sites compared to last year. Paid search accounted for 28.5% of e-commerce sales during the Prime Day event, and social media influencers drove 19.9% of sales.
- Are You Firkin Kidding Me? Superfakes – hyper-realistic replicas of luxury handbags that run anywhere from $500 to $5,000 – are making it nearly impossible to distinguish real designer products from their counterfeit counterparts. Foreign counterfeiters are producing top-notch dupes of iconic luxury handbags like Hermès Birkins and Lady Diors, marketing to younger Gen Z consumers via encrypted WhatsApp channels and influencers. And don’t call them fakes – fans prefer to refer to the purses as replicas, mirror bags, “one to ones,” or superclones. In 2024, Gen Z spent $5 billion less on luxury brands than they did in 2023, hinting that these super-duper dupes could be cutting into luxury’s profits.
- We Never Go Out of Aisle: Young shoppers are ditching traditional supermarkets in favor of retailers like Walmart and Aldi, while older generations continue to prefer traditional grocers. According to a survey conducted by The Feedback Group, only 8% of Gen Z, 11% of Millennials, and 14% of Gen X respondents said their most recent grocery trip was to a supermarket. Among Gen Z respondents, 22% said they most recently shopped for groceries at Aldi and another 22% at Walmart. As shoppers try to get more bang for their buck, more than half (52%) of respondents said they look at digital circulars to learn about grocery sales. Sensory experiences like aromas are also swaying purchasing behavior, with consumers spending 25% more when stores smell pleasant.
Making Moves: Industry Transformations & Innovation
ICYMI, even industry icons need to reinvigorate their brand presence through unique and creative ways. Here are some new brand moves that you should know about:
- I’ll Post to That: Does it ever feel like you are fighting for a reservation at popular restaurants months in advance, meanwhile your favorite influencer dines there weekly? As regular people fiercely compete for tables on Resy, the hottest dining spots are offering up to 40 free meals a month to models and influencers through an app called Neon Coat. In exchange, the creators post about their experience on social media. More than 12,500 models and influencers are on Neon Coat, connecting them with 1,500 businesses and brands. Content creators can fill their day (and feeds) using the app, from their morning green juice to an afternoon workout class at Barry’s, followed by a comped eyebrow appointment.
- This Is How Oui Do It: Annual sales for American department stores decreased 69% by the end of 2023 compared to the peak of $97 billion in 1999, but French department store Printemps is looking to bring some “je ne sais quoi” across the Atlantic through the opening of its first U.S. location. Americans are the and through its recently-opened NYC flagship, the department store is leveraging its European playbook “to keep shoppers occupied well beyond the fitting room.” The U.S. location has more of an experiential bent than its stores abroad, alluring American consumers with striking interior design, rare foreign products, and services like spa treatments and accessory repairs.
- Spraying for a Miracle: Swiss sneaker company On debuted running shoes created with its new ‘LightSpray’ technology. The experimental sneaker – retailing for $330 and rolling out in limited-release drops – is created using a mile-long synthetic polymer, which is sprayed by a robot onto a rotating foot mold before solidifying within seconds. The company’s first spray-on shoe style, the CloudBoom Strike LS, was inspired by a video of a hot glue gun creating a spiderweb. On’s new technology is a major step for sustainability, saving hundreds of manufacturing steps and cutting down carbon emissions by 75%.
Capital Markets Corner
What consumer news is moving the market this week? Our investor relations experts break down this week’s trends and headlines.
- It’s Not You, It’s Cheese: Nearly a decade after an infamous merger between two of the biggest packaged food names, Kraft Heinz is planning to break up. According to an exclusive in The Wall Street Journal, the company is preparing to spin off a large part of its grocery business into a new entity that could be valued at roughly $20 billion. Following the transaction – which has not yet been approved by the board – the two separate units could be worth more than the combined company’s current market value of $31 billion. Since the 2015 merger, the company has seen shares decline more than 60%.
- Just What the Dividends Ordered: Kenvue – owner of brands like Tylenol, Band-Aid, and Neutrogena – is advancing a strategic review of its business following the departure of its CEO. A newly-formed committee will evaluate potential strategic options including divestitures and portfolio simplification to improve the company’s profitability and operating performance. Since its 2023 spin-off from Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue has struggled with weak consumer spending, tariff-related costs, and pressure from activist investor Starboard Value. Preliminary Q2 results released Monday showed a 4% drop in revenue compared to a year ago. One of Kenvue’s directors, Kirk Perry, will take the helm as CEO until the company identifies a permanent replacement.
Tariffs, Ands or Buts
On July 12, President Trump announced the U.S. will impose 30% tariffs on the European Union (EU) and Mexico, beginning August 1. President Trump made clear that if either retaliate with higher tariff rates, the U.S. will respond with an equal raise on top of the 30%. However, EU companies will be exempt from tariffs if they choose to begin manufacturing products within the United States.
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