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Cyber Monday is behind us and we are now firmly in that surreal space between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, where retailers go hog wild for in-store holiday decorations and Mariah Carey’s immortal hit makes some Scrooges wish for death. But before we all retreat to our winter wonderlands, we need to look back on an a unique Cyber Monday in our very unique era.

The National Retail Foundation (NRF) gave the retail industry some hope, which had been in short supply since the pandemic began. We can all use some good news, right? 

Alcohol is big business—sure, cannabis is starting to encroach on the after work ‘take the edge off’ market, but alcohol remains as American as apple pie (which is also a type of moonshine). Among changing demographics, social attitudes, and relationships to substances, we thought it was a good time to put our finger on the pulse of the drinking nation.

The cannabis industry, though becoming more accepted and mainstream every day, remains shrouded in uncertainty and even taboo. This obscures the many ways the industry will, and indeed already is, shaping retail, manufacturing, grocery, c-store, and food service.

Casual dining chains have taken a beating lately and are doing what they can to stay on their feet. From recent attention grabs—IHOP put its thing down, flipped it, and reversed it; Applebee's went to $1 happy hour drinks—to revitalized menus a-la Macaroni Grill, casual dining chains are pulling out all the stops.