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Last issue, we talked about agentic commerce and why it’s shrinking the shelf. When AI becomes the front door to shopping, it doesn’t just recommend. It narrows brand options, builds carts, and can complete checkout. Fewer options means the basics matter more than ever, because “not recommended” becomes a sales problem. That was the downstream change.  Today, we’re focusing upstream. Before an agent can recommend anything, influence has to occur. And the consumer influence system that brands have depended on for years has been rewired. There’s a new consumer influence system. Individuals create the proof, platforms distribute it, and LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overview turn it into a shortlist of what gets trusted, considered, and bought.  Let’s start with the proof layer: consumer and creator content. Reviews. TikTok demos. YouTube explainers. Reddit threads. Group chat screenshots. All of it is raw material shoppers use to decide.  Then there’s distribution. Commerce moved into feeds and creator ecosystems. Influence became infrastructure. The global creator economy is projected to grow from $191B in 2025 to $528.39B by 2030. TikTok Shop had about 2.3M active affiliates in the U.S. as of February 2026. On Black Friday, 10 million affiliate videos were posted. That’s a machine at scale. There are 246 million U.S. social media users, more than half of whom have made influencer-inspired purchases.  But now, add the filter layer. This is where the game changes.  LLMs don’t just surface information. They compress it. We’re moving from keywords to conversation, from lists of links to a shortlist and a recommendation. “Best gluten-free chicken recipe for guests” becomes “my in-laws are here, one is gluten-free, and I need to impress them.” The system reads across sources and gives a recommendation. Sometimes it drives a click; sometimes not. Either way, the influence still happens.  That’s why measurement starts to break down. Not so long ago, influence drove a click, and the click was your proof. In this world, intent can be satisfied before the click, which means decisions can get shaped without a visit to your page. And if you’re not present in the inputs the LLM pulls from, you don’t just lose share of voice. You lose share of consideration.  So how do you activate this system without chasing every shiny object?  First, acknowledge that consumer engagement is becoming human as LLMs become a dominant form of influence. Then determine how your brand can create authentic conversations organically. Not slogans. Truth. Use cases. Tradeoffs. Who it’s for, and who it’s not for. If you don’t define that in the places where people discuss the category, the category will define it for you.  Second, earn presence where the category gets decided. Reviews need a strategy. Creator partnerships need to be utility-driven, not just reach-driven. Community participation needs a point of view and expertise, not brand speak.  Third, modernize measurement. If you can’t see how often you show up in LLM recommendation sets for the category questions you should own, you’re flying blind. The metric isn’t just clicks. It’s share of shortlist.  We’re already working with brands on exactly this: Mapping the category questions that matter, determining how to improve share of shortlist, and building a repeatable cadence to keep it moving.  I leave you with this. When a shopper asks the question you should own, are you influencing what the market (and the model) says back, or are you hoping your ad shows up after the decision is already made?  Time to build the influence engine that earns visibility before the click, in the shortlist, and at the point of purchase.  Jason Reiser is Chief Executive Officer, Market Performance Group

Industry leader brings deep commercial and retail experience to accelerate client growth HOLMDEL, NJ — April 13, 2026 — Market Performance Group (MPG), a leading omnichannel commerce agency delivering integrated commercial solutions that accelerate profitable brand growth, today announced that Michael Walton has joined the company as President and Chief Commercial Officer, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Jason Reiser. In this role, Walton will lead Omnichannel Commerce, Growth Strategy & Solutions, Retail Insights, and Strategic Intelligence. These practices, which are central to how MPG helps clients drive growth, will continue under their current strong leadership. Walton brings exceptional depth and breadth of commercial leadership experience, with experience at Sam’s Club, including headquarters and in-club roles, and senior leadership roles across Dole Packaged Foods, Unilever, and Elida Beauty (now Evermark). Given his expertise across both retailer and brand organizations, he brings a deep understanding of where the most meaningful growth opportunities exist, how to focus on the priorities that matter most, and how to translate commercial strategy into growth. “Michael is a highly regarded industry leader whose depth of commercial experience and retail perspective will bring immediate impact to how we help clients identify and capture growth opportunities in an increasingly complex market,” said Reiser. “He brings sharp commercial judgment, a clear understanding of where growth can be created, and the kind of perspective that helps clients move with focus and confidence. His appointment reflects our continued investment in the talent, expertise, and capabilities needed to help clients win in a dynamic retail environment.” “I’m excited to join MPG and to work alongside high-performing, experienced teams that are deeply committed to helping clients grow,” said Walton. “There is a real opportunity ahead, and I’m looking forward to helping clients unlock growth in meaningful ways.”

Pacvue’s commerce operating system enables MPG to advance its operating model across retail media, ecommerce operations, and performance analytics Pacvue, a leader in AI-powered commerce and retail media technology, and Market Performance Group (MPG), a leading omnichannel commerce agency accelerating profitable brand growth with end-to-end solutions, today announced an expanded strategic partnership designed to deliver a more unified, data-driven approach to commerce, and advance MPG’s integrated commerce operating model.    As part of this expansion, MPG is deepening its integration of Pacvue across its broader commerce infrastructure, connecting retail media, ecommerce operations, and performance analytics into a more integrated and scalable system for its clients. This builds on the companies’ longstanding relationship and reflects a shared commitment to eliminating silos across the commerce lifecycle.    As retail media and ecommerce operations become increasingly fragmented, brands and agencies face growing pressure to deliver a more connected, data-driven approach that enables brands to move faster, make better decisions, and more directly tie media investment to business outcomes. Pacvue enables this shift by unifying data, automation, and measurement in a single platform, empowering MPG to operationalize a more connected commerce strategy at scale.    By leveraging a unified platform approach, MPG enhances visibility across channels, accelerates optimization cycles, and improves the ability to translate insights into action, ultimately driving stronger, more measurable growth for its clients.    “This is about fundamentally improving how we drive growth for our clients,” said Danny Silverman , EVP of Digital Commerce at Market Performance Group. “Commerce today requires media, operations, and analytics to work as one system. By advancing a more integrated model, we are giving our clients faster access to actionable insights, greater operational efficiency, and a clearer connection between investment and results across major retail media ecosystems, including Amazon.”    The expanded partnership also strengthens MPG’s ability to leverage AI-driven automation, real-time data, and advanced analytics to improve performance across the full commerce funnel, from media execution to retail outcomes.    As part of this collaboration, MPG and Pacvue have introduced enhanced mobile capabilities that allow teams to monitor and act on performance in real time. This increased accessibility enables faster decision-making and greater agility in managing campaigns and commerce operations.    “MPG’s expansion with Pacvue reflects a broader shift toward integrated commerce, where media, operations, and analytics work together in one system,” said Melissa Burdick, President and Co-Founder of Pacvue. “We’re proud to power that transformation with technology that helps teams move faster, operate more efficiently, and drive stronger business outcomes.”    This partnership represents a continued investment in building a more connected, AI-enabled commerce ecosystem, designed to help brands navigate complexity and unlock more efficient, profitable growth.    About Pacvue Pacvue is the only fully integrated Commerce Operating System that seamlessly unifies retail media, commerce management, and advanced measurement to power growth across 100+ global marketplaces, including Amazon, Walmart, Target and Instacart. Fueled by industry-leading AI technology, real-time data, and actionable insights, Pacvue’s first-to-market platform enables over 70,000 brands and agencies to maximize advertising performance, increase profitability, drive incrementality, capture market share, and expand their reach throughout the commerce universe – all from a single mission control. As of 2025, Pacvue powers 12% of total retail media ad spend worldwide. Leveraging the combined strengths of Pacvue’s enterprise suite and Helium 10’s SMB solutions, Pacvue delivers the industry’s most comprehensive platform for businesses of all sizes. To learn more about Pacvue capabilities, visit www.pacvue.com .    About Market Performance Group Market Performance Group (MPG) is a leading omnichannel commerce agency delivering end-to-end commerce solutions, from strategy to reality, that accelerate profitable brand growth. MPG’s team—industry leaders from top retailers, CPGs, and digital platforms—connects brands with consumers across the full funnel commerce landscape, delivering right-sized strategies, strategic go-to-market plans, advanced analytics, and deep retailer relationships for exceptional results.

If your ecommerce plan still assumes the shopper will land on your product page, you’re betting on a path to purchase that’s getting shorter by the day. Up until recently, digital commerce was predictable. Search, browse, product page, cart, checkout. If you controlled the shelf and the story, you had a fighting chance. Welcome to agentic commerce, where AI doesn’t just recommend. It curates options, builds carts, and is starting to complete checkout. More consumers are beginning their shopping inside AI experiences that feel less like search and more like a conversation, and more of those conversations are ending in transactions. Instead of using keywords, shoppers describe real situations in natural language: “What’s a low sugar electrolyte for workouts?” “What’s a detergent for sensitive skin?” AI interprets the context, narrows options, and recommends a small set or single best answer. And in some cases, can execute the purchase without the shopper ever visiting a website. This isn’t creeping in slowly. AI adoption has reached roughly 800 million global users in just three years , outpacing the internet’s early curve. At the same time, mobile commerce and AI engagement are no longer siloed: nearly two-thirds of purchases now occur on mobile devices, over one-third of adults report having used AI guidance while shopping, and trust in agent-led purchasing is high among consumers who engage. Here’s why this matters for brands. When AI surfaces fewer options, visibility stops being about winning a page and starts being about being understood in a structured, machine-readable way. We humans tolerate messiness. A shopper might squint at an image, guess a size, shrug at a slightly wrong title, and still buy. Agents don’t. If availability is wrong, pricing is messy, attributes are incomplete, or item setup is stale, you don’t just lose conversion. You risk not being recommended at all. That’s the shift. This isn’t a lower rank problem. It’s a visibility problem. You’re competing to even make the cut. And the pipes are getting built to make this mainstream. OpenAI and Stripe introduced the Agentic Commerce Protocol, and Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, designed to connect agent driven discovery to cart, checkout, and post purchase workflows without forcing retailers to rebuild their stacks. Retailers are rolling out their own agentic experiences too. Amazon has Rufus inside the Amazon Shopping app. Walmart and Target have each partnered with OpenAI to enable shopping experiences inside ChatGPT. Different wrappers, same direction: The agent is becoming a real gatekeeper, influencing what makes it into the cart, and sometimes completing the purchase. Here’s what it looks like when it works. A clean beauty brand partner applied AI forward practices and saw a 101% sales increase on a hero bundle by upgrading imagery, refining backend data, rewriting copy, and updating content regularly. Not glamorous. Very effective. When content is built to be interpreted cleanly and kept current, performance follows. So where should you start, without boiling the ocean? Pick a handful of SKUs and the missions they should win: Replenishment, routine personal care and wellness, meal planning and pantry building, seasonal needs. Then get ruthless about pack and variant logic, decision attributes, taxonomy mapping, item content syndication, and governance that keeps your brand source of truth aligned with retailer item setup. Here’s the question I leave you with. If a shopper describes the consumer need-state you should own, in plain language, will your product even be eligible to show up as the answer? Because in an agent-driven world, you’re either in the set, or you’re not in the conversation at all. Time to tighten up your item discoverability for agentic commerce. Jason Reiser is Chief Executive Officer, Market Performance Group

At MPG, we are driven by our commitment to provide you with extraordinary talent – talent who continue to raise the bar, going above and beyond to deliver exceptional performance. Working as OneMPG, they provide our clients with the expertise and unrelenting dedication they can count on. Please join us in celebrating our MPG Inspirational Performance Award winners. We are so grateful to have these amazing professionals on our team, and we hope you are, too! And please extend a special congratulations to CPG by MPG’s Liz Bakken, recipient of the annual Rhonda A. Johnson Inspirational Performance Award, presented in honor of our dear friend and colleague, in honor of our dear friend and colleague, who always brought incredible passion, commitment, and the highest levels of performance to her clients.

New offering helps brands, retailers recover value, improve efficiency, and strengthen compliance HOLMDEL, NJ and SOUTHINGTON, CT – February 12, 2026  – Market Performance Group (MPG), a leading omnichannel commerce agency, and Reverse Solutions, a leader in returns management and sustainable product recovery, today announced a strategic partnership that expands MPG’s Retail Logistics offering with end-to-end reverse logistics and product recovery support. Together, the companies will deliver a comprehensive, data-driven solution that helps brands and retailers recover lost value, improve operational efficiency, and enhance compliance across the supply chain. The partnership brings together Reverse Solutions’ deep expertise in returns management, refurbishment, recommerce, and zero-waste recovery with MPG’s full-funnel commercial capabilities, including right-sized strategies, strategic go-to-market plans, advanced analytics, and deep retailer relationships, said Tom Rinck, SVP – New Business Development. Returns, overstocks, damages, and non-compliant product movement represent a significant financial and operational blind spot for many organizations. This partnership extends capabilities upstream, helping clients not only manage returns efficiently, but also prevent future losses through smarter go-to-market strategies and stronger retail execution. “Brands and retailers are under constant pressure to protect margin while meeting compliance requirements and keeping product moving,” said Jason Henney, General Manager – Business Development. “By pairing MPG’s Order-to-Cash and Retail Logistics execution with Reverse Solutions’ proven returns and recovery capabilities, clients gain a clearer view of where value is leaking, plus a practical path to recover it and reduce repeat issues across the retail network.” With returns volumes rising and retailer requirements continuing to evolve, coordinated execution across forward and reverse flows has become increasingly critical. Market Performance Group offers end-to-end Order-to-Cash and Retail Logistics services tailored for today’s brands and retailers. MPG’s experienced team delivers seamless execution across 150+ leading retail partners, including Walmart, Target, Amazon, and major grocery and drug chains. From order management and retailer EDI to AR and deduction recovery, MPG provides comprehensive supply chain management solutions, including warehousing, transportation, inventory management, and order fulfillment, so every step of the logistics process is covered. About Market Performance Group Market Performance Group is a leading omnichannel commerce agency delivering integrated commercial solutions that accelerate profitable brand growth. MPG’s team—industry leaders from top retailers, CPGs, and digital platforms—connects brands with consumers across the full funnel commerce landscape, delivering right-sized strategies, strategic go-to-market plans, advanced analytics, and deep retailer relationships for exceptional results. MPG delivers strategic and executional excellence across the omnichannel path to purchase with end-to-end capabilities that include Strategic Consulting, Omnichannel Commerce, Marketing + Communication, Analytics + Insights, and Order-to-Cash and Retail Logistics. About Reverse Solutions Founded in 2001, Reverse Solutions is a full-service reverse logistics provider specializing in returns management, refurbishment, recommerce, warehousing, and zero-waste recovery solutions. For more information, visit: https://www.reversesolutions.com .

Remember how Mondays used to start? Walmart’s weekly Beats Report would hit your inbox, and you held your breath. If your item price had been beaten somewhere else, you knew what came next: price-protection conversations, maybe an unplanned Rollback, and an awkward huddle with finance. As a Walmart buyer, I watched that same ritual play out with every vendor. Back then, the week had a tempo. Today, the clock never stops. Sophisticated AI price monitoring and Amazon’s algorithm have turned a weekly pulse into a live wire. There’s no hiding, no pause button. A single low price anywhere can echo everywhere. Amazon isn’t just comparing UPCs. It matches by price per unit across families, sizes, and formats. If it’s published, assume it’s visible. That’s how a weekend deal becomes the market price by Tuesday—and why frequent price promotions can punch holes in price integrity that take weeks to close. Feeling pressed? You’re not alone. Across categories, manufacturers say their number one pain point is maintaining price integrity across channels. Transparency, algorithmic matching, and relentless promotions are pulling prices lower, and keeping them there. The ripple effects are real: Margin erosion, brand dilution strained retailer relationships. Add third-party sellers and it’s no surprise that even strong brands struggle to hold the line. Our first instinct? Fight price with price. But that sprint ends painfully. Undisciplined promotions, club packs without guardrails, and siloed, account-by-account decisions only fuel the fire. Decisions made for one account trigger price cuts in others. Swapping counts without changing consumer value doesn’t fool unit-level matching. And single-use promo codes? They get scraped and spread, with leaks everywhere. Those old “configuration tricks”? They rarely work now. So how do you win? Not by chasing price drops. Instead, rebuild discipline in an always-on marketplace. Leaders now treat price integrity as a capability, not a reaction. It’s part of their operating system—governed, data-driven, and strategically aligned. They’re asking new questions: Who owns price in a transparent marketplace? How do we align Sales, Marketing, and Finance when one decision ripples everywhere? How should our assortment, price pack architecture, and promotional design evolve to defend value? These are complex questions, with no one-size-fits-all answer. We’re helping many brands modernize MAP enforcement, rebuild governance, and protect brand equity in an AI-driven marketplace. Quick example. A mid-size health and wellness brand recently faced significant marketplace price erosion, hurting margin and retailer trust. By uncovering root causes of compression and defining targeted actions, they’ve begun regaining control of their narrative and profitability. They’re not done, but that clarity around the drivers, and a  roadmap to address them, has already put them on stronger footing. Price integrity isn’t about being the lowest. It’s about being the clearest and most consistent. Shoppers reward that. Retailers appreciate it. Your P&L depends on it. And if you miss those Monday Beats, think of it this way: They once told you where you stood after a weekend; today the feed updates every hour. The principle is the same. You may not beat the algorithm, but you can protect your brand. Those who listen and act with discipline will stay in rhythm with the market. As for the rest? The beat moves on without them. Jason Reiser is Chief Executive Officer, Market Performance Group

Fresh data signals the Grocery channel is holding its ground: Trips are improving,and promotions are helping steady unit performance. According to new findings from the MPG OmniPulse Q2 Retail Insights report, Grocery’s resilience is clear, but so is the pressure from leakage into Club, Mass, and Online. Today, MPG InsightsLab Sr. Director Lucretia Nesbitt shares a quick top line on: Where trip momentum is building across formats What stabilizing units and promotions hint at for the aisle How value, regional, and fresh-focused banners are carving out momentum Which core trip drivers deserve protection in your portfolio, and where can you recapture leakage to other channels? Connect with MPG InsightsLab Lucretia Nesbitt and Grocery Commerce GM Chris Skyers for retailer-specific plans that turn insights into your category play for greater share of wallet. Our InsightsLab team goes far beyond retail analysis, combining world-class expertise with robust data sources and proprietary tools to turn signals into actions that accelerate growth. Lucretia Nesbitt is Sr. Director and Head of InsightsLab for Grocery at MPG. She joined MPG in 2025 coming from NielsenIQ. Lucretia i s skilled at leveraging marketplace intelligence and cutting-edge solutions to inform business strategy, strengthen customer relationships, and uncover growth opportunities.

New data from MPG’s OmniPulse Q2 Retail Insights report shows the Drug channel is rapidly evolving into a wellness destination. Refills and recommendations are expanding pharmacy trips into broader health and wellness missions, lifting baskets and reshaping how shoppers engage with care. The question: When 200 million shoppers make that shift, will they put your brand in the basket or your competitor’s?  Today, MPG InsightsLab VP  Liz Di Maria  shares some of the findings on: Which consumer behaviors are transforming the Drug channel into a trusted health and convenience hub How refill and recommendation journeys are expanding pharmacy missions into fuller wellness baskets The scale behind this shift and what it could mean for brand opportunity Forward-thinking suppliers are already harnessing this momentum to reshape growth strategies and win share. To learn more and accelerate your business growth in this fast-evolving space, connect with  Liz Di Maria  and MPG Omnichannel Healthcare SVP  Brian Granger . Our team goes far beyond retail analysis, combining world-class expertise with robust data sources and proprietary tools to turn signals into strategies that accelerate growth. Liz DiMaria is the Vice President, InsightsLab, at Market Performance Group. She joined MPG in 2023 coming from NielsenIQ. Liz is a results-driven trusted strategic business partner with 14+ years in CPG retail analytics and insights leadership and 3 years in client and internal global communications.

The income divide in consumer spending is widening —and it’s reshaping the marketplace. That’s one of the key findings from the new MPG OmniPulse Q2 Retail Insights Report. Today, MPG InsightsLab VP Liz Di Maria shares a quick topline on: The signals behind the widening income gap How the channel mix is shifting —and what to watch next Want to dig deeper into what this means for your brand? Consumer confidence may look steady, but inflation, tariffs, and slowing job growth are weighing heavily—while Fed rate cuts and high-income spending momentum are sending the top of the market in a different direction. Connect with MPG InsightsLab VP Liz Di Maria and the MPG team for income-based pack, channel, and message maps that can drive brand growth in this challenging landscape. Our MPG OmniPulse: Quarterly Retail Insights report goes beyond trendspotting —it’s your guide to the forces reshaping retail, shopper behavior, and where the biggest growth opportunities are taking shape. Liz DiMaria is the Vice President, InsightsLab, at Market Performance Group. She joined MPG in 2023 coming from NielsenIQ. Liz is a results-driven trusted strategic business partner with 14+ years in CPG retail analytics and insights leadership and 3 years in client and internal global communications.

If your alarm wasn’t already blaring, Walmart just cranked the volume. Generative AI hasn’t just shown up; it’s been hard at work reshaping retail for two years while many brands kept fine-tuning yesterday’s playbook. Today’s headlines—Walmart consolidating dozens of bots into “super agents” and Amazon sharpening Rufus and Cosmo to parse every image, keyword, and voice cue—aren’t gentle wake-up calls. They’re a siren. Brands that still treat GenAI as a side project aren’t buying time; they’re losing share, margin, and visibility every quarter the alarm goes unanswered. Why the urgency? GenAI no longer sits on the analytic sidelines. It translates live signals—text, images, bar codes, shelf cameras, even voice prompts—into commercial actions. When Walmart’s shopper agent, Sparky, scans a fridge and suggests a replenishment bundle, it skips the old promo cycle. When supplier-facing tools spot a looming stockout, they don’t send a report; they place orders, launch retail media, and update PDP content. Late adopters pay twice. Short term, they surface less because engines favor clean, machine-readable content. Long term, those engines learn from proactive brands, widening the gap. Call it a flywheel—only this time, it spins at algorithmic speed. Brands are already rewiring the shelf for AI. For example, a leading skincare brand targeting Gen Z shoppers—who turn to AI before they buy—overhauled its online experience by rebuilding product pages to talk the language of AI: answering real shopper questions, putting authoritative proof front and center (like clinical citations), and spotlighting creator reviews and tutorials consumers trust. The result: more prominent placement in AI responses, higher-intent traffic, and a measurable lift in conversion. We’re seeing the same gains in our work. We recently helped a mid-sized beauty brand rebuild its Amazon digital shelf for GenAI discoverability—adding visual label tags to images and rewriting PDP copy for Rufus and Cosmo. That kind of momentum doesn’t happen by accident—it happens by design. This shift has a name: generative engine optimization (GEO). Unlike traditional SEO, it focuses on making content discoverable by AI agents, not just search engines. Yet GEO is lagging: 47% of brands have no deliberate strategy or don’t know if they appear in AI agent responses, and another 47% have only just begun. Meanwhile, AI agents are becoming commerce channels: two-thirds of adults already interact with brands via AI, and 13% now start shopping there. If you’re not optimized, you fade from view while others rise. So how do you keep pace? Put upskilling first—this is critical! Then tackle these essentials to make your brand more discoverable, relevant, and actionable for AI agents: Start with capability, not tools. Establish an AI working group comprising Sales, Operations, and Legal, with senior-level sponsorship. Give them the power to greenlight quick tests and responsibility for data hygiene and IP protection. Focus on training by function and level, set adoption and ROI KPIs, and broadcast early wins. Remember, this is an enterprise lift . Companies that capture value treat gen AI as organizational change—rewiring workflows, putting senior leaders over governance, and scaling with clear roadmaps, KPI tracking, role-based training, and human-in-the-loop controls—not just buying new tech. For organizations seeking a head start, we’re partnering with CPGs to train cross-functional groups through practical sessions that translate into daily work. The unlock here isn’t one tool; it’s new workflows that stick. Review your current AI platform against the best available .  The IT-led efforts to use ‘legacy’ tech partners, initiated two years ago, are hindering your team's ability to use the ‘best’ models being built and leveraged today. Standardize the data agents ingest . With Walmart’s “super agents” scaling, clean, consistent cost, margin, pack, ESG, and other core attributes are now a competitiveness issue—not housekeeping. Audit and normalize those fields now so agents flag your items as low-friction. Expand presence where AI agents learn . Prioritize content on Reddit, Quora, and YouTube, frequent sources for AI model training, to boost discoverability. Make every digital asset GenAI-ready.  Add descriptive alt text to hero shots, and overlay benefit text on secondary images in a way both people and AI can read—short phrases, high-contrast type, simple fonts, sized for mobile. Rewrite PDP headlines in conversational language. Engines like Rufus reward fresh, semantically clear content that answers intent. Link retail‑media spend to live supply.  Let campaigns throttle up when inventory is healthy and down when DCs tighten. Few things burn cash faster than ads that send shoppers to an empty shelf. The takeaway is clear: Every day you hesitate, someone else’s SKUs feed the machine—training it to recommend their products and optimize their supply chains. Answer the alarm now and your brand surfaces first, ships faster, and spends smarter. Ignore the alarm, and you’re not just snoozing. You’re sleeping through the biggest retail transformation of our generation…and you won’t like what you wake up to.

-By Rachel Tetreault, General Manager, Omnichannel Healthcare Consumers aren’t waiting for healthcare to come to them—they’re redefining it on their own terms. Drugstores, once a transactional stop for refills and flu shots, are now the most accessible gateways to everyday wellness. As shoppers demand holistic health solutions, seamless digital integration, and trusted guidance, the channel is being rewritten in real time. From proactive self-care to beauty and nutrition, Drug is becoming the new front door to healthier lives and, for CPG brands, a powerful engine for growth. Are you ready to evolve with it, or be left behind? Health-first shopping is exploding: Pharmacies are the most trusted, most convenient wellness hubs, sitting within five miles of 89% of U.S. homes. More than 200 million customers  shop the drug channel, driving 4.7 billion visits annually 45% of shoppers visit drugstores every month Shoppers are not just coming for prescriptions. From immunizations, diagnostics, and consultations to supplements, snacks, and beauty products, today’s drugstore has become a hub for holistic care and everyday lifestyle needs. Yet too many CPG suppliers still view the drug channel as a narrow, transactional space. Today’s retailers are re-engineering their stores and digital assets around health and wellness services, products, and on-demand advice.  Moving beyond chronic sick care, it’s about meeting consumers wherever they are on their wellness journey and helping them live healthier lives. Our Omni Healthcare team has been deeply engaged in this transformation, reframing the channel to align with modern consumer health needs and create a true growth engine. While some brands are flattening or pulling back investment, early movers are already winning share. With retailer-specific strategies, data-driven activation, thought leadership, and the right partner, CPG leaders can innovate, not just distribute. Why the Drug Channel Matters More Than Ever Post-COVID investments in clinics, immunizations, diagnostics, and digital fulfillment have transformed pharmacies into health-anchored, omnichannel hubs. These moves are driving traffic, trust, and loyalty, creating repeat visits, subscription-style adherence programs, and margin-accretive baskets. Over half of drugstore shoppers visit two to three times monthly, with 64% of trips driven by urgency or promotions, making each visit a highly intentional moment for brands to activate. Importantly, 71% of in-store shoppers picking up prescriptions also purchase from a broad selection of branded and private-label wellness products. This is no longer a single-category play. It’s an omnichannel healthcare ecosystem  where beauty, wellness, personal care, and lifestyle intersect. The stakes—and rewards—are significant. The channel exceeds $54 billion in sales , with CVS and Walgreens alone driving $16 billion  in health-related retail. And the shopper mix is shifting, moving beyond aging consumers managing conditions. Younger shoppers increasingly see drug retailers as essential health partners, while Gen X and Boomers maintain strong loyalty. Shoppers are also more likely to lean into loyalty and rewards programs, creating opportunities to build lasting relationships. Winning in a Health-First, Omnichannel World Success in this reinvented channel demands fluency and flexibility.  A one-size-fits-all approach will fail. You must learn each retailer’s dynamics and strategic direction, pivot to support their efforts, and tailor strategies to accelerate speed to scale. For example, CVS is evolving into a health-first destination with localized assortments and omni-fulfillment, especially at the intersection of beauty and wellness. Walgreens is doubling down on community trust, personalized service, and data-driven engagement. Independent pharmacies—nearly 19,000 strong—remain deeply rooted in communities and offer hyper-local influence, often as part of a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO). GPOs amplify reach and efficiency by pooling the buying power of thousands of pharmacies and healthcare providers, giving suppliers a single entry point. One GPO partnership can unlock scale, streamline contracting, and instantly connect your brand to a vast network of trusted customers. To accelerate growth, leverage retailer tools and data to understand your shopper, monitor competitor activity, and identify opportunities to expand your brand’s role. Develop joint business plans that drive awareness through upper-funnel marketing, then customize efforts to each retailer’s strategy, store fleet, and shopper demographics. And remember what makes this channel unique: Immediacy drives trips. Sixty-four percent of visits are need-it-now occasions. Loyalty is built-in. CVS has 74M rewards members; Walgreens has 100M+. Omnichannel integration matters.  From BOPIS to same-day delivery, shoppers move seamlessly between digital and physical touchpoints. For CPG suppliers ready to embrace this evolution, the benefits are clear: Higher frequency and deeper loyalty.  Meet shoppers where they already build trust and habits. Premium positioning. Drugstores are wellness-driven destinations—ideal for launches and category expansion. Unified activation. PDP optimization, loyalty bundles, and wellness-centric cross-category solutions drive bigger baskets. Localized relevance. Hyper-targeted activations deliver outsized impact in community-driven environments. Need proof the right approach works? One major consumer health brand faced declining preference in the drug channel despite category growth. By partnering with our team to pivot—leveraging pharmacy-led solutions, digital offers, and hyper-local assortment planning—they regained category leadership at a top-three retailer and delivered a 12% lift in baseline sales in just 16 weeks. As the industry converges at NACDS TSE, conversations will center on digital acceleration, loyalty, and creating value across both front and back of store. But one truth stands out: This channel is no longer just a box to check—it’s a lever for sustainable brand growth. So ask yourself: Are we still treating the drug channel as a transactional afterthought? Are our pricing, promotions, and formats aligned with how shoppers actually use this channel today? And perhaps most importantly, is our current structure built to keep pace, or is it time to bring in a partner who can help connect the dots, strengthen retailer relationships, and accelerate results? The channel is evolving at breakneck speed. But if you’re ready to reimagine drug as a health-first omnichannel experience supporting consumers at every stage of their wellness journey,  this could be your most powerful engine for growth. At a Glance: The Drug Channel Opportunity The Scale You Can’t Ignore • 4.7B shopper visits annually • 200M+ customers shop Drug each year • 45% of all market shoppers visit monthly • $54B+ in channel sales • 71% of prescription trips include additional wellness purchases • 89% of U.S. homes are within 5 miles of a drugstore • 74M CVS & 100M+ Walgreens loyalty members Why It Matters Drugstores are evolving into health-first, omnichannel wellness hubs —no longer just for prescriptions Shoppers of all ages are seeking trusted, convenient health, beauty, and wellness solutions Retailers are re-engineering stores and digital assets  for holistic care, driving repeat visits and margin-accretive baskets Early movers are already winning share , loyalty, and stronger retailer partnerships How to Win Tailor strategies   to each retailer Leverage data-driven activation + omnichannel integration Meet shoppers where they are seamlessly   Tap into GPOs and independent pharmacy networks for scale The Drug Channel is no longer just a box to check—it can be your next growth engine. Want to see how MPG is helping CPG brands accelerate in this evolving channel? Contact Rachel Tetreault at rachel.tetreault@mpgllc.com .