Foot traffic trends softened retail in Q3, a potentially troubling sign for holiday spending, according to our Industry KPI data from Placer.ai. The four categories tracked—discount and dollar stores, grocers, department stores, and home improvement stores—had slower growth from July to September, providing more evidence that consumers are feeling the strain of higher living costs. The data points to a rocky year-end for department stores and home improvement retailers, which have struggled this year to overcome sluggish consumer sentiment and uneven spending. At the same time, retailers that offer necessities and can deliver clear value are positioned to win.

General Mills reports that lower- and middle-income consumers remain financially strained, driving more at-home eating and increased reliance on promotions while trimming discretionary purchases like wet dog food. In response, the company is boosting product innovation by 25% and sharpening pricing to compete with lower-cost alternatives, with early wins such as Cheerios Protein gaining meaningful market share. Despite a tough environment, General Mills outperformed expectations in FYQ2, a sign that its adaptive strategy is gaining traction, though our team notes that CPG brands must continue innovating and pricing smartly to maintain share amid ongoing consumer pressure.

Looma raised $10 million in Series B funding and a $3 million credit facility to expand its network of 7,000 in-store screens, which now reaches 27 million shoppers monthly across major grocers such as Kroger and H-E-B. Its recent rollout to 600 Kroger wine and spirits departments followed a multiyear test that boosted category sales and delivered strong returns for featured brands. Although in-store retail media is scaling more slowly than expected, grocery remains a key proving ground, with most retailers planning activations. Success will hinge on solutions that pair broad reach with measurable sales lift—an area where Looma’s early results stand out.

Amazon’s move to fold perishable groceries into same-day delivery is paying off quickly, with nine of the top 10 best-selling items in eligible markets now perishables—a sign that shoppers trust the faster service for everyday needs. The shift supports CEO Andy Jassy’s bullish stance on grocery as Amazon expands same-day perishables to more than 2,300 locations and builds on more than $100 billion in online grocery sales over the past year. With Walmart and Kroger also ramping up rapid fulfillment, the stakes are rising in a grocery ecommerce market surging in both order frequency and value.

Instacart’s AI pricing tools may be causing some consumers to pay higher grocery prices, according to a report by Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative. The report found that consumers were routinely charged different prices for the same products, with differences as high as 23%. Instacart defended its pricing policy by emphasizing its efforts to improve affordability, and insisting that its experiments “are not dynamic pricing” because prices don’t change in real time according to supply and demand. For shoppers, whether Instacart’s tactics meet the technical definition of dynamic pricing is beside the point. Consumers overwhelmingly prefer brands with consistent pricing and respond negatively toward those that use surge pricing and hidden fees. The lack of transparency around algorithmic pricing is likely to be particularly distressing at a time when rising food prices and other stressors are pressuring household budgets.

Online grocer Thrive Market will no longer sell alcohol on its marketplace in response to shifting consumption habits, the company told CNBC. Instead, it plans to double down on zero-proof drinks with a selection of over 20 brands and 100 products. Going all in on the sober-curious movement is a savvy move for Thrive Market, given its focus on organic and healthier products. Demand for nonalcoholic products like alcohol-free beer is soaring, driven by younger consumers as well as the better-for-you movement.

Despite multiple pivots and significant investments, Amazon continues to struggle in a sector that represents one of the largest consumer spending categories. "Amazon dominates ecommerce with nearly 40% market share, but grocery remains the category it just can't crack," said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.”