Podcast: Inflation challenges, supply chain issues — and how retailers are coping

It’s that time of the year: there’s been a flurry of Q3 results and some interesting ones in particular. Supply chain challenges are pressuring profitability for Dollar General, and have caused the company to reduce its earnings outlook for the full fiscal year.

Meanwhile, inflation has become a two-edged sword for Dollar Tree, as consumers seeking bargains are driving sales and profit growth but rising costs and a shift toward lower-margin consumable items are expected to pressure margins in the near term.

Moving over to Kroger, the company saw its sales surge in its fiscal third quarter, driven by same-store sales gains of 6.9% vs. a year ago, excluding fuel, and double-digit increases in both private label and digital sales. 

Kroger also said its fourth-quarter sales and profit comparisons will be up against high inflation in last year’s fourth quarter.

Supermarket News spoke with SN contributor Mark Hamstra about what the results mean for retail, and what we can expect looking ahead.  

Take a listen. 
Have a pitch for the podcast? Contact SN Executive Editor Chloe Riley at [email protected], or reach out and say hi on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening.