Yesterday we took note of a Bloomberg report that "C&S Wholesale Grocers - with backing from SoftBank Group Corp. - is in talks to buy grocery stores that Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are selling to win regulatory approval for their $25 billion merger, according to people familiar with the matter."
We got several emails about the story. One MNB reader wrote:
That will get C&S into a lot of new geography – the Denver area for example where the Kroger – Albertsons overlap is huge! Interesting to understand how they might supply those locations.
And from another reader:
Don’t forget Rick Cohen’s warehouse automation company, Symbotic, went public via a Softbank-sponsored SPAC! There’s a pre-existing relationship there.
Michael Sansolo yesterday focused his column on Trader Joe's storytelling skills, which he judged to be unique, but not inimitable - it is more a matter of will and priorities.
One MNB reader responded:
Adding one more element to Michael’s comments regarding the success of Trader Joes; their checkout associates are the best in the industry. Cheerful, knowledgeable, engaging, well trained and great at multi-tasking. Certainly, it’s easier to bag 2-3 TJ grocery bags given the average volume is far less, versus 8-10 in a large supermarket, but their front end associates are experts. That’s often the last touch point a consumer gets prior to leaving and it’s always a positive one.
I would refer you back to today's story about projected declines in cashier employment. Pretty good bet that this won't happen at Trader Joe's, which will continue to make this slot a point of differentiation.
Like I said above. It is a choice.
