“In 1925, Sears created the Allstate brand for car tires. A few years later, Sears launched its first Craftsman wrench…” Ever wonder about Kirkland, Kenmore, Eight O’Clock Coffee, and other store brands? I’m a big fan and maybe you are too. The Saturday headline that sparked my interest was “The hidden makers of Costco’s Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe’s O’s.” The story is part history, given that store brands have been around for over 100 years, and part how those store brands are competing against better known brands in today’s marketplace. 

I admit I have had my own journey with brands. Years ago, I dismissed store brands as “lesser than” and gravitated directly to known items I’d learned about through creative marketing. After a few disappointments with more expensive items, I grudgingly tried a few store brands here and there. Some were excellent, many were equal, and others were only okay. I’ve even done as I suspect many of you have done, tried side-by-side tests to see if family or friends could pick the higher priced items!

In the end, the retail industry keeps careful watch over the economy, consumer interests, and trends. I’ve always found it interesting to know why we gravitate to one product over another, and this story helped refresh my interest. Here at the State Chamber, we have a growing group of companies that make up our Delaware Retail Council. If you’re a retailer and sell direct to consumers, we’d welcome your participation.  

"National rankings from a news organization that involve 88 metrics and a fair amount of subjective judgment always need to be taken with a pretty big grain of salt, but CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business sends signals to leaders both inside and outside the state, nationally and abroad, so we need

to pay attention. In so doing, we need to build on what’s working, own and fix what’s not, and correct the record where they get it wrong." - Rod Ward and Paul Herdman

We kick off the second week of August today with July results from the New York Fed and three-year inflation expectations. Early Tuesday morning the NFIB will release July results from its small-business index. Consumer price index data from July is out on Wednesday, along with June wholesale inventory information. Thursday brings us jobless data, and we wrap up the week on Friday with the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index and expectations and import price index results from July.  

Earnings calls get started today with BioNTech, Dominion Energy, GoodRX, International Flavors and Fragrances, Tyson Foods, and Vroom. Coinbase Global headlines Tuesday calls and is joined by Bloom Energy, Norwegian Cruise Line, Planet Fitness, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Walt Disney leads off Wednesday, joined by Sonos, Traeger, and Wendy’s. Brookfield Asset Management, Utz Brands, and Warby Parker are among others with calls later this week.  

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