What’s this about?
Most grocery news tells you what happened, what’s hot, and what’s next. Beyond the Baskets tells you what it all means for your P&L, especially for independent and mid-tier grocers.
This newsletter is for grocery executives and operators tired of vendor decks dressed up as insight. The industry is moving faster than most can act on. Unit sales are softening, digital channels are reshaping trip behavior, and the grocers pulling ahead are betting on infrastructure over interfaces.
Who am I? I’m Curt Prins and a proud grocery geek. My first job was bagging groceries at Family Fair. Later, I spent over a decade as a digital product manager in grocery and retail tech at Albertsons, Kroger, and Target, while watching the industry overspend on shiny things and underspend on what actually impacts their bottom lines. I’ll share what I’ve learned, what I see, and what operators need to get right.
It’s a tough time to be a grocer. It’s also a great time to be in grocery.
You’ll see no fluff here, no feature announcements, just the operational reality behind how grocers win or lose.
Don’t be gentle & sharing is caring!
Some of my posts have a strong point of view. I appreciate genuine feedback, and I do have thick skin. (It’s a GenX thing.) And if you feel inspired, please share what you’ve read with others.
Let’s connect!
