Top 10 Retailer

Top 10 Retailer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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• a. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
• b. Costco Wholesale Corporation
• c. Kroger Company
• d. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
• e. Tesco PLC
• f. Carrefour SA
• g. Amazon.com, Inc.
• h. Metro Group AG
• i. The Home Depot, Inc.
• j. Target Corporation
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Target

This year, Target.com opened its site up to third party sellers by creating the Target+ program. Target did this as an extension of its artisans and global partners who make goods carried in-store, aiming to continue to help underrepresented businesses expand their distribution. Target’s goal was to support third-party sellers’ growth while using their products to strengthen Target’s online shopping experience and meeting their customers’ (which they call guests) needs for more choices. 

Currently, the program, which is designed to expand key categories such as home furnishings, toys, electronics, and sporting goods, appears to be invitation only. It has recently added a supplier application portal and the process of registration is lengthy. You will need to write a proposal, showcase how your products align with the company’s customers and make a clear case for consideration. Your company also must be at least 51 percent owned, controlled, and operated by women, ethnic minorities, LGBT persons, or veterans.  

When submitting your application, be sure to include high-quality photos, sales data, unique features, and explain what sets your products apart from others. Also, make sure your application aligns with Target’s goals. The fee structure is unknown for those accepted into the program. Also, what’s very cool is that there is no way to specifically search for Target+ merchandise; products all fall into the company’s master merchandising mix!

Etsy

Etsy is the original, most successful marketplace for people to sell handmade, vintage, and original craft items internationally. While similar marketplaces have come and gone, Etsy has managed to establish itself as the destination for non-commercially produced items. The platform’s success can be credited for helping the handmade and artisanal movement go from niche cottage industry to a massively in-demand retail category. 

The Etsy marketplace currently operates in 83 countries and has 2.1 million active sellers and 39.4 million buyers who bought over 60 million products in 2018. In 2018, Etsy generated $603.7 million in sales and registered a net profit of $41.25 million. Unlike Amazon (which averages 12 percent), Etsy has kept their fee structure in-line with what its sellers are willing to pay, charging a listing fee of $0.20 and a transaction fee of 5 percent of the price of an item (shipping is set by the seller on top of these fees). Etsy Plus members pay a flat $10 per month. 

For brands, makers, or sellers who want to develop quality sales channels for their goods, Etsy is a must given its low barrier to entry, quality controls, and ability to conduct wholesale or retail business. 

Bonanza

Bonanza is an online marketplace that empowers entrepreneurs to build a sustainable business based on repeat customers. Bonanza has designed itself as a platform that allows sellers to make sales and build a brand by developing relationships with their customers. It encourages the retailers that use it to consistently invest in their business so that they not only have a firm foundation but can strategically grow through repeat customer purchases. 

They’ve also kept business scale simple, offering their sellers many automated features that are often hard to develop. For example, sellers can automatically sync their inventories to eBay, Amazon, and Shopify, edit product images, create marketing campaigns with Facebook and Google and even create zero-effort web stores (automatically built from your marketplace accounts).

Bonanza is considered one of the best choices for retailers with lifestyle brands or businesses; it has 25,000 registered fashion, beauty, home, and health-related businesses. Bonanza currently has 2.2 active million users. It has no listing fees for sellers. You only have a 3.5 percent post-sale commission on sales under $500. In general, sellers keep around 97 percent of the money they make from selling on the platform. 

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook, one of the largest social networks on the web with 2.45 billion users, launched its marketplace three years ago in order to provide a better experience than Craigslist. Since its launch, the Facebook Marketplace has grown to more than 800 million people, retailers, and professionals sellers. 

Selling on Facebook Marketplace is an easy process, and it offers different features for businesses and frequent sellers. As a retailer, you'll need to sync your up-to-date inventory and then wait a week or so for Facebook to review your products and approve them to sell on Marketplace. If you use Shopify, BigCommerce, Channel Advisor, ShipStation, or Quipt, you can automatically connect your inventory feeds to the marketplace in several simple clicks. If you don't have an inventory software they support, here’s how you get your products listed.

Recently, Facebook found that many of WhatsApp’s 1.5 billion users love talking about local small businesses. Because of this, Facebook created a new feature that lets small retailers create WhatsApp catalogs in order to create a mobile storefront for their businesses. The catalogs allow you to showcase and share your goods so people can easily browse and discover something they would like to buy locally on the go. The catalog feature is available on both Android and iPhone in Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the UK, and the U.S.

Alibaba

Alibaba is a force to be reckoned with in the e-commerce world. It was founded in 1999 as a B2B portal to connect Chinese manufacturers with overseas buyers. Today the marketplace is known as the “Chinese Amazon” and the platform provides C2C, B2C, and B2B sales channels, and offers many of the services that Amazon offers.  

Alibaba has upwards of 674 million users, about 775 million monthly mobile users and boasts a 60 percent share of the Chinese e-commerce market. Alibaba’s growth is attributed to retailers who are actively competing for their share of consumer spending in China’s growing economy. 

The company currently has over 8.5 million online sellers. This year, Alibaba opened its marketplace to small to medium-sized U.S. sellers in order to compensate for lean e-commerce revenue growth due to U.S.- China trade wars and online marketplace competition. In order to sell on Alibaba, you simply set up an account and follow their onboarding steps. Sellers don’t have any membership fees or set-up costs. Commission fees range from 5-8 percent. Gold supplier memberships start at $2,999 per year. 

eBay

eBay is one of the original, online marketplaces; it made over $95 billion in revenue in 2018. The online auction and shopping site currently serves 30 countries, 182 million users, and 25 million sellers worldwide. It’s a marketplace ideal for anyone wanting to sell literally everything and anything -- from collectibles and appliances to clothes and accessories -- at an auction price.

eBay has 6.7 million sellers in the U.S. who have the ability to sell to 190 markets around the world. If you want to tap into the power of yet another channel with a vast global market share, eBay is a great option. When selling on eBay, you’ll be looking at two primary types of selling fees - an insertion fee when you create a listing, and/or a final value fee when your item sells.

There are no setup, monthly, or annual fees to worry about. In general, the final value fee ranges between 10-12% of the sale. 

Overstock

Overstock started out as an online marketplace exclusively selling surplus, closeouts, and returned merchandise. Today, Overstock also sells new merchandise and has drastically overhauled its partner program. Like Target, it has an extensive vetting program for companies it allows on the platform to sell. 

The site currently has over 30 million unique visitors each month. The company takes a more community-based approach to the people it allows on the platform since revising its strategy in 2011. Overstock also now selects partners who support its initiatives that are designed to help global artisans, pet shelters, small business owners, and farmers. 

If you’re able to sell on Overstock, the registration is free and listing fees range from $0.10 to $3.15. The final value fee stands at 3 percent for items sold under $25. If items don’t land a sale, you can relist them as many times as you want until they sell. Sellers have product advertising options that range between $1 to $13. Overstock charges a flat $4.95 shipping cost on all orders under $45. That $4.95 goes to Overstock, not the seller. Many sellers who use Overstock use a solution like Channel Advisor to help manage their presence there. 

Rakuten

Rakuten is considered the “Amazon of Japan”. More than 90 percent of Japan’s internet users are registered on Rakuten. Rakuten has expanded to at least 29 countries, including the U.S., and is planning to serve more countries in the coming years. The platform currently has 44,000 sellers and 105 million members. 

Unlike Amazon, Rakuten does not sell its own brands and the lower number of sellers limits competition. If you’re looking for an alternative to eBay or Amazon, Rakuten is worth a review, as it offers a high degree of customization, excellent product marketing opportunities, listing optimization features, and the ability to create highly customized visual storefronts. 

If you want to expand into Japan, Rakuten is how to test the waters. Rakuten has a $33 monthly seller fee, a product category fee of between 8 percent and 14.5percent and a $0.99 fee per item sold. The higher fees are offset by their seller loyalty program and e-commerce integrations and features. 

Amazon

Amazon.com has almost become a must for retailers, wholesalers, or manufacturers. Internet Retailer estimates that the total value of transactions from U.S. consumers on Amazon.com reached $206.82 billion in sales last year (including sales of Amazon’s own products and of marketplace sellers). This means Amazon alone accounts for 40 percent of U.S. online retail, and Amazon accounted for 43.3 percent of e-commerce gains in the United States last year. 

Amazon operates retail websites for 16 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, India, Singapore, Mexico, and Turkey. As the largest Internet retailer in the world, Amazon is often where sellers launch their first online stores, and many thrive in this all-in-one marketplace alone. Amazon currently has 310 million active users and 90 million Prime members. 

Amazon offers sellers several options to wholesalers, manufacturers, brands, and artisans who want to sell on their platform. Amazon’s options include the ability to sell in 20 different categories (professional sellers can sell in up to 10), shipping fulfillment services, 1500+ app integrations, robust seller education resources, and ways to market your products to all Amazon users. Amazon has also developed a customized handmade program for artisans who make their own products. 

Fees range depending on services and use of the platform. Seller fees range from 6-20 percent, averaging at about 15 percent If you want to sell using the professional account, you pay $39.99/month. If you sell as an individual, you pay $0.99 per item with no additional monthly fees.

Walmart

Walmart’s third-party seller platform has been exclusively available to U.S.-based sellers. Walmart has over 2 million third-party sellers that sell in 35+ product categories on its marketplace. Walmart.com has over 90 million active visitors each month. The company has been slowly expanding its online marketplace to sellers from other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and China. 

Walmart (which bought Jet.com and also operates SamsClub.com) has lagged behind in the e-commerce area, as its main focus has been the 11,438 stores and clubs in 27 countries, operating under 55 different names. That’s quickly changing as Walmart has been actively buying online websites and brands since 2016. 

Their seller fees range between 8-15 percent and they don’t have start-up membership or listing fees. You must request an invitation to sell. This application gets you access to Jet.com (you can still sell on Jet directly) and all of Walmart’s online properties if you’re accepted.

                        In the Other Views

2019 was one of the hardest years in living memory for the retail sector - we saw slowing consumer spending, a push from consumers for an adoption of more ethical practices by retailers and a rapid increase in online sales. This resulted in a massive number of store closures, over 9,000 in the US alone and profit warnings from multiple retail businesses. 

Despite these challenges, the world’s biggest retailers remain some of the highest turnover companies in the world and a recent report by the Institute for Real Growth (IRG) undertaken by Kantar/WPP highlights the sheer scale of these businesses. All figures are estimates based on FY 2018 and/or year to date results for year to date March/April 2019. 

To make it on to the list of the top 50 retailers in the world companies need to turn over in excess of $24bn. The company with the lowest number of stores to make the list was H-E-B in the US with 384 and the company with the most stores was Seven&I in Japan with 37,346.

The US is the most recognized nation on the list with 17 of the companies being based there, followed by France with 7 and Germany with 6. China has just 4 retailers on the list - JD.com, Alibaba, Suning, and China Resources Enterprise. 

The top 10 retailers by turnover World Wide

1. Walmart (US) - With $517bn in global revenue Walmart is still over double the size of Amazon, despite Amazon enjoying a significantly higher market capitalization. US-focused Walmart continues to expand internationally and 23% of revenue now comes from outside the US, 4% higher than Amazon. 
2. Amazon (US) - The top online retailer globally with $213bn in revenue. The higher market capitalization of the business comes to its 5-year growth rate of 22% compared to just 1% for Walmart and $10bn in profits for the past financial year, significantly higher due to its highly profitable cloud computing business.
3. Costco (US) - The value big-box retail saw $144bn in sales. This revenue was driven from just 788 sites - showing the big store model can certainly drive high volumes. 
4. Schwarz Group (Germany) - The highest non-US entry on the list saw revenues of $130bn with 63% of revenue coming outside of Germany for the group that owns the Lidl supermarket chain and other retail assets. 
5. Kroger (US) - With no international presence Kroger still generated $124bn in revenues from just 3,037 stores in the US. This is compared to Schwarz’s 12,000 stores and $130bn. 
6. Walgreens Boots Alliance (US) - The largest pharmacy company in the world generated $114bn in revenue with 13% of sales coming from international businesses, most notably the high street pharmacy Boots, in the UK. 
7. Home Depot (US) - The only home improvement company in the top 10 is Home Depot with sales of $108bn. The company is less likely to feel the threat of Amazon due to the specialized nature of the products it sells. 
8. Aldi (Germany) - 70% of sales for Aldi now occur outside of Germany, showing how popular the German chain has become across Europe. 11,922 stores are estimated to generate sales of $109bn. 
9. Carrefour (France) - Still Europe's biggest supermarket chain by volume of stores - the French giant is now coming under increasing pressure across key markets from the German Schwarz and Aldi groups. Sales came in at $101bn. 
10. JD.Com (China) - With sales of $94bn JD.com is twice the size of it’s more famous, certainly in western countries, competitor Alibaba. This high revenue has now seen the company invest heavily in other technology products. None of the companies revenue comes from outside of China.

Other stand out names on the list include Apple in 21st place with revenue of $59bn, Ikea in 22nd place with sales of $53bn and Alibaba in 25th place with sales of $49bn - although its growth rate of 44% over the past 5 years is more than double that of Amazon. 2019 might have been a hard year for the retail industry in general but it’s a sector where the big companies are only getting bigger and more powerful.

Who is Number 1 in Corona Era

Who is Number 1 in Corona Era 

USA or China

According to the latest figures collated by Johns Hopkins University, the US has overtaken China (1,507,798 cases-16 May) and Italy (224,760).

But with over 11,300 Covid-19-related fatalities, the US death toll is overtaken China (4,633-China-90,113-USA) and Italy (31,763).

The grim milestone came as President Donald Trump predicted the nation would get back to work "pretty quickly". but it is laughing to people.....

How did the White House react?

Asked about the latest figures at a White House briefing on Thursday afternoon, President Trump said it was "a tribute to the amount of testing that we're doing".

Vice-President Mike Pence said coronavirus tests were now available in all 50 states and more than 11,952,481(16th May) tests had been conducted nationwide.

• Trump says US tested more than S Korea - is he right?

Mr Trump also cast doubt on the figures coming out of Beijing, telling reporters: "You don't know what the numbers are in China."But later, he tweeted that he had had a "very good conversation" with China's President Xi Jinping.

"China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!" President Trump said.

Does the president still hope to ease restrictions?

Mr Trump has set a much-criticised goal of Easter Sunday, 12 April-2020, for reopening the country. That plan seemed to gather impetus on Thursday as it emerged an unprecedented 9.3 million Americans have been laid off because of the virus.

At Thursday's briefing, he said: "They [the American people] have to go back to work, our country has to go back, our country is based on that and I think it's going to happen pretty quickly.

"We may take sections of our country, we may take large sections of our country that aren't so seriously affected and we may do it that way."He added: "A lot of people misinterpret when I say go back - they're going to be practicing as much as you can social distancing, and washing your hands and not shaking hands and all of the things we talked about."What could he be planning?

In a letter to state governors on Thursday, Mr Trump said his team plans to release federal social distancing guidelines that may advise some regions to loosen restrictions.

Mr Trump wrote of a "long battle ahead" and said "robust" testing protocols might allow some counties to lift their safeguards against the coronavirus.He said the "new guidelines" would create low, medium and high risk zones that would allow the government to advise on "maintaining, increasing, or relaxing social distancing and other mitigation measures they have put in place".

• Trump knows economic meltdown brings political pain

• What this crisis reveals about US - and its president

On Thursday night, Mr Trump phoned in to Fox News host Sean Hannity's program and said he believed Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska and parts of Texas could reopen earlier than other states.

The plan emerged as new research on Thursday estimated Covid-19-related deaths in the US could top 180,000 over the coming four months - even if people observe strict social distancing.

As many as 2,300 patients could be dying every day by April(in an average), according to the study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington's School of Medicine.What's the reaction?

The Republican president's get-back-to-work goal found unexpected support on Thursday from a prominent Democrat.Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, the current coronavirus epicenter in the US, said statewide quarantine orders may not have been the best approach to coronavirus.

"Young people then quarantined with older people was probably not the best public health strategy," he told a news conference, "because the younger people could have been exposing the older people to an infection."Mr Cuomo said a better way forward might be a "get-back-to-work strategy" in tandem with a public health strategy.

Public health experts on the White House task force have demurred when asked about reopening the country by Easter, suggesting the timeline should be "very flexible".

Can the president order everyone back to work?

 On 16 March, he set a 15-day period to slow down the spread of Covid-19 by urging all Americans to drastically scale back their public interactions.But those guidelines were voluntary and did not amount to a national order.

The US Constitution makes clear states have the power for maintaining public order and safety, which scholars say means it is the responsibility of governors to decide when virus-related restrictions get lifted.Currently 51 US states have told residents to stay in their homes or ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in order to contain the pandemic.What's happening elsewhere in the US?

There were growing fears that Louisiana could become the country's next hot spot, with the governor warning that the state's biggest city, New Orleans, were out of ventilators by 2 April and potentially out of beds by 7 April.

"It's not conjecture, it's not some flimsy theory," John Bel Edwards told a news conference. "This is what is going to happen."Additionally, Dr Deborah Birx, the co-ordinator of the White House coronavirus response, said two other cities showed signs of rapidly rising new infections - Detroit, where the mayor described the situation as "really concerning", and Chicago.


In The Economic Sector ||

More countries currently see the United States as the world’s leading economic power than China. This is particularly true in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. Few name Japan or the European Union as the world’s leading economic power today.

But, while perceptions of current economic leadership are somewhat divided between the U.S. and China, when it comes to preferred global leadership, there is no competition. Majorities or pluralities in nearly every country surveyed say the future would be better if the U.S. were the world’s leading power than if China were.

U.S. seen as world’s leading economic power
The publics surveyed tend to believe the U.S. is the world’s leading economic power, albeit by a somewhat slender margin. Across 25 countries, a median of 39% name the U.S. as the top global economy, while 34% say it is China. Fewer say this about the EU or Japan.

America is seen as the leading economy in all three Latin American countries surveyed – Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. In the Asia-Pacific region, only Australians are more likely (52% vs. 35%) to name China as the world’s leading economic power. Australians have, in fact, consistently named China over the U.S. since the question was first posed in 2008.

In sub-Saharan Africa, publics in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa are divided in their views: No more than four-in-ten name either the U.S. or China as the world’s top economy.

European opinion, too, is mixed. In the two Eastern European countries surveyed – Hungary and Poland – the U.S. is the clear favorite. In the Southern European countries of Italy and Greece, too, more name the U.S. than China. But in France and the UK there is no clear consensus; nearly as many point to the American as to the Chinese economy.

 Meanwhile, in the Netherlands and Germany, opinion leans in favor of China. This is especially true in Germany, where about half (53%) view China as the world’s economic leader. Germans name the EU as often as the U.S. as the world’s leading economic power (21% vs. 19%).

Compared with a year ago, slightly more in the UK, France and Poland name the U.S. as the world’s leading economic power. By contrast, Germans are now less likely to see the U.S. as the globe’s dominant economy.

Regardless of which country people think is the current leading economic power, one thing is consistent: Most publics surveyed prefer the American leadership. When thinking about the future, a 25-country median of 63% say they prefer a world in which the U.S. is the leading power, while just 19% would favor one in which China leads.

In the Asia-Pacific region, few say they prefer China. Among China’s immediate neighbors, preference for the U.S. is particularly high: 81% of Japanese, 77% of Filipinos and 73% of South Koreans all favor a future where Washington, not Beijing, leads. In Australia – where 52% say China is the current leading economic power – nearly three-quarters still say they prefer a future where the U.S. is the world’s dominant power.

Argentina, Russia and Tunisia stand out as the only three countries where just one-third or fewer prefer U.S. leadership.

In many countries, preference for a U.S.-led world order is linked to ideology. Those on the ideological right are more likely than those on the ideological left to say that it’s better for the world if the U.S. is the dominant power. This ideological divide is most pronounced in Israel, where 74% of Israelis who self-identify as being on the right say they prefer Washington’s leadership, compared with 45% of those on the left.

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#1 Job Hunting

#1 Job Hunting for Grads: Virtual Internships  and Other Tips from a Job Expert

Experts say new college graduates will need to change their approach to finding a job during these unprecedented times. Job Consultant's Career Center's senior director provides advice on where they should begin. 

Houston-Unemployment has hit record highs, as the economy continues to take a deeper hit. We are committed to helping people get back on their feet through our Job Consultancy and  Hiring campaign.

For graduating seniors it's a very uncertain job market. Lori Shreve Blake, senior director and Consultant a  Career Center, joined us via Skype to talk about where to start.

How have internships changed?

"Internships are virtual now. With COVID-19 we're in the situation where some of the major employers are converting their physical on-site interviews or internships into actual virtual internships," said Shreve Blake. "We encourage our students to get those micro-internships, special projects and be resourceful during these times."

What's the best way to do an informational interview?

"The best way to do an informational interview is really to contact the person. I know at USC we have something called the Trojan network, which is a database of alumni who agreed to talk to students. LinkedIn is great and it doesn't matter where you went to college. You can research alumni that are working in your industry of choice and send them a an email and request an informational interview. And 80% of jobs come through networking. We know it works. And so, informational interviewing is the number one thing that people should be doing lots of. And then the most important question to ask is there anybody else that you recommend that I speak with?"

What do you tell students who are feeling bored  in this job market?

"What we need to do is keep moving forward. Don't put the brakes on your job search. Understand that there still are jobs out there. I know of a few cases. General Mills hiring for supply chain management. What I really want students and graduates to know is that in addition to the big Fortune 1000 companies, there are midsize companies, there are small companies. There are companies you've never heard of who are doing very well during this time of COVID. And seek out opportunities in those organizations. So it's gonna take a little bit more research, a little bit more work, a little bit more determination, but they will succeed if they keep on trying."

"And what a great story to tell after COVID is over: About how they were resilient and they found work even during these tough times."

When You're Over 40 Then 5 Best Weight Loss Tips for You

 When You're Over 40

Then 5 Best Weight Loss Tips for You

Hitting your 40s has plenty of benefits, such as earned wisdom, increased self-awareness, and self-confidence. Truth be told, though, it's tough getting used to some of the physical changes. A biggie is a downshift in metabolism, which can make weight maintenance trickier and weight loss more challenging. However, losing weight after 40 isn’t impossible. You absolutely can shed pounds at any age—and do so while simultaneously optimizing overall wellness. Here are five tactics that work for my clients. And yes, one involves a daily dose of dark chocolate!

Cut back, but don’t cut out carbs

Carbs are fuel, and whole food sources, like fresh fruit, whole grains, and potatoes, are bundled with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Cutting out carbs completely deprives your body of important nutrients. This can lead to unwanted side effects like constipation, fatigue, and irritability.

But after age 40, your daily carb requirement may decline. Many of my clients find that they can’t eat large carb portions without either gaining weight or struggling to lose weight. The best resolution is to optimize the quality of the carbs you eat (say butternut squash over processed bread), and think of carbs as a smaller add-on to a meal, rather than the main attraction.

For example, one client frequently ate veggie burritos, made with a whole grain flour tortilla, brown rice, black beans, salsa, and guacamole. Despite being a walker and practicing yoga, the scale wasn’t budging. The culprit: a carb surplus. That burrito packed 120 grams of carb, and even half of it was more than her body could burn in a given meal.

We worked out that in order to get to and maintain her healthy weight, her daily calorie needs were about 1,750. I find that a target of 40% of total calories from carbs is ideal for most of my over-40 female clients who are active, but not athletes. For her, that meant 175 grams of carb per day, or roughly 40-45 grams in each of her four daily meals. This moderate carb budget does allow for carb-rich foods—just in smaller portions, paired with larger servings of non-starchy veggies, lean protein, and healthy fat.

When we swapped her burrito for a salad made with a base of leafy greens topped with fajita veggies, salsa, black beans, and guac, the carbs came down to 42 grams. She still felt full, satisfied, and energized, and the scale started moving. The lesson: carbs aren’t inherently fattening or bad, so you don’t need to banish them completely. Nixing carbs altogether generally isn’t sustainable long-term, and it’s not optimal for health. The goal is to opt for quality carbs, and aim for balance—enough to meet, but not exceed your body’s fuel needs.

Eat a lot more veggies

Start with veggies first, then build your meals around them. I often recommend including one full cup of non-starchy veggies at breakfast, and at least two cups in each lunch and dinner. A minimum of five cups a day (think five tennis ball–size portions) will provide valuable nutrients and offer disease protection. But these veggies are also going to increase fullness, add volume to meals, help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, and support healthy digestion, all of which add up to sustainable weight management. Most of the 40+ women I work with overestimate their veggie intakes, and according to the CDC, only 9% of adults eat the minimum recommended intake of two to three cups of veggies per day. (Note: that’s less than I recommend.)

At breakfast, whip a generous handful of greens into a smoothie, fold shredded zucchini into oats, add veggies to an egg or chickpea scramble, or simply eat veggies on the side, like sliced cucumber or red bell pepper. Rather than sandwiches or wraps at lunch, go for salads or bowls, with a large base of greens and veggies. At dinner, sauté, oven-roast, grill, or stir-fry veggies, and make them the largest component of the meal.

Again, pair your veggies with a source of lean protein, good fat, and a smaller portion of healthy carbs, and you’ve created an ideal balance for both weight management and good nutrition.

Be careful with alcohol

Many of my female clients over 40 don’t see the scale move until they cut back on alcohol or take a break from drinking. Alcohol is tricky, because in moderation it may actually support weight management, research suggests. But women who drink heavily or binge drink have an increased obesity risk.

Moderate alcohol consumption means one drink a day (and no, they don’t carry over), which equals five ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or a 1.5 ounce shot of distilled spirits.

If you’re downing half a bottle of vino most nights, there could be several issues at play. First, alcohol tends to lower inhibitions and stimulate appetite, so you may wind up eating more, often mindlessly. Also, when alcohol is consumed, breaking it down becomes the body’s top priority. That means foods consumed with alcohol are less likely to be burned. Finally, too much alcohol can disrupt sleep—and a healthy sleep cycle is directly tied to metabolism, weight management, and belly fat accumulation.

If cutting out alcohol altogether isn’t realistic, consider committing to a specific drinking strategy. Cut back gradually, limit alcohol to weekends only, or curb your consumption to a one drink per day max. 

Don’t eat diet food (or go on a diet)

A lot of my 40+ female clients remain stuck in outdated weight loss mind-sets. One involves eating diet foods, those highly processed products made with artificial chemicals engineered to be lower in calories, carbs, sugar, or fat. I recommend nixing this entire lot for good! In addition to being completely unsatisfying, diet foods can wreak havoc with your appetite, trigger inflammation, alter the healthy bacteria in your gut tied to weight management, and overtax your immune system.

Research also shows that switching from processed foods to whole foods increases calorie burning, meaning that eating real food may help you lose weight even without cutting your calorie intake (an outcome I have seen many times). Instead of a low calorie frozen meal, opt for hearty lentil soup and an avocado-topped salad. In place of a few reduced fat cookies, reach for a sliced apple dipped in almond butter or a few squares of high quality dark chocolate (more on this below).

Healthy, sustainable weight loss isn’t about dieting. Deprivation and go on/go off approaches ultimately backfire. Instead, adopt a mentality of balance, meaning not undereating or overeating, with a focus on nutrition, not restriction. It may seem boring, and it’s not a quick fix. But it feels best both physically and emotionally, and this approach is maintainable.

Treat yourself to dark chocolate daily 

Research backs something I can attest to myself and witness with my clients: building in dark chocolate as a daily treat helps curb cravings for both sweet and salty foods. Dark chocolate can also help reduce stress, a major emotional eating trigger. One study found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in volunteers who rated themselves as highly stressed.

Five squares of 70% dark chocolate contains under 250 calories, yet provides antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium, a mineral tied to relaxation, improved sleep, and enhanced mood.

Knowing that they have a chocolatey treat to look forward to has helped many of my clients pass on other less satisfying and higher-calorie and carb-laden goodies. Spread it out throughout the day, or enjoy an ounce or so of dark chocolate as part of a daily “you time” ritual.