🕔 Retail Daily Minute | J.C. Penney Loses Ground as Sales Slide, Wegmans Bets $110M on Supply Chain & Presto Powers Toast's Drive-Thru AI

Hello Omni Talk Fans! I just arrived into Las Vegas for Groceryshop, and am hoping all my fellow East Coast travelers get here soon, too.

In today’s Retail Daily Minute:

J.C. Penney’s Q2 sales fall more than 8% as the department store loses market share, even as beauty and active apparel post gains.
Wegmans commits $110 million to a new refrigerated distribution facility and return center in Rochester, N.Y.
Presto’s drive-thru voice AI integrates with Toast’s POS ecosystem, aiming to ease adoption for mid-market restaurant chains.

Plus, a wonderful quote from a film inspired by the phrase, “Presto!” and that also centers around magicians.

👇 Listen now

Today’s Top Headlines

1. J.C. Penney Sales Slide While Its Marketplace Gains Momentum

J.C. Penney’s Q2 net sales fell over 8% to $1.3B, with net income dropping more than 50% as the retailer lost market share. Activewear, furniture, jewelry and beauty delivered gains, while apparel remained weak. Its new online marketplace is outperforming expectations and could support long-term e-commerce growth ahead. (Read More)

2. Wegmans Invests $110M to Modernize Supply Chain Operations

Wegmans is investing $110M to modernize its supply chain, including a new refrigerated facility in Rochester for perishables and a relocated returns center. It will also shift general merchandise distribution to Pennsylvania, boosting capacity, reducing third-party reliance and supporting future store growth plans ahead. (Read More)

3. Presto and Toast Team Up to Streamline Restaurant AI Ordering

Presto Phoenix has integrated its drive-thru voice AI with Toast’s POS ecosystem, making deployment easier for restaurants. Orders flow directly to kitchen display systems with minimal hardware. Presto says the tool delivers about 95% order accuracy and could speed adoption among mid-market and multi-location QSR brands. (Read More)

4. Yogurt, Cottage Cheese Power Strong Online Dairy Sales Growth

Online dairy sales are surging as shoppers increasingly buy perishables through e-commerce. Circana says dairy’s online CAGR has reached about 20% over four years. Yogurt drives 56% of Dairy 15 growth, yogurt drinks 21%, while cottage cheese posted 16.9% dollar growth and 13.6% volume growth, showing strong digital demand. (Read More)

5. Albertsons Debuts Multi-Touch Attribution Tool With LiveRamp

Albertsons Media Collective has launched an incrementality-based multi-touch attribution tool with LiveRamp, linking ad exposure across its own channels, offsite media, Meta and third-party inventory with transaction data. The privacy-safe solution shows advertisers how each touchpoint drives sales from couch to checkout. (Read More)

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