Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 5/10/13: Home Depot’s CMO talks Mobile | Costco Disappoints
“Home Depot’s CMO Trish Mueller Discusses Mobile Initiatives” by Mark Walsh at Media Post. “In the social realm, Mueller was bullish on Twitter, calling the microblogging service “a new horizon in terms of information and connectivity for consumers, more so than other social platforms.” Home Depot has recently tested pushing tweets to mobile users based on relevant Twitter conversations, even if they are not marked with a hashtag. That might involve sending a tweet about paint products if someone tweeted about having to paint their kitchen. Mueller said engagement has been 40% higher with such tweets in mobile than on the desktop.” Read more: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/200004/home-depot-ramps-up-mobile-spend.html#ixzz2St9QxwGc
“At Walmart and Other Retailers, Price-Matching Has Its Perils” by Dudley and Rupp at Businessweek. “When Walmart rolled out its “simplified” Ad Match Guarantee in 2011, it promised that store workers would get “extensive” training “to ensure the price-match policy is executed consistently across all stores.” That hasn’t happened, says Richard Hampton, a customer service manager who’s on medical leave from a Walmart Supercenter in Rowlett, Tex. “The policy may well be as intended in the ads, but the reality is quite different and apparently arbitrary.” Read more: https://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-09/at-walmart-and-other-retailers-price-matching-has-its-perils
“Costco’s April sales disappoint analysts” at The Seattle Times. “Costco’s revenue at stores open at least a year climbed 4 percent in April, but fell just shy of analysts’ expectations. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters predicted a 4.5 percent increase.” Read more: https://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020949363_apuscostcosales.html
“Whole Foods to consider acquiring Fresh & Easy stores: co-CEO Robb” at Market Watch. ““We will certainly be taking a look at it,” Robb said in a phone interview after the grocer’s upbeat May 7 earnings report. He said there are no assurances Whole Foods would offer to acquire one or more of the sites. There will be competition. Tesco said in mid-April it’s received “lots of interest” from potential buyers, with some keen on buying the entire business. Fresh & Easy operates 199 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada.” Read more: https://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/05/09/whole-foods-to-consider-acquiring-fresh-easy-stores-co-ceo-robb/?link=sfmw
“Lowe’s, Food Lion parent company join Affordable Care Act protest” by Ely Portillo at Charlotte Observer. “Pittenger and his colleague Congressman Richard Hudson have introduced a bill that would repeal the “auto enroll” provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Under the law, companies with more than 200 workers must automatically enroll full-time employees in their healthcare plans within three months, unless the employees opt out.” Read more: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4032691/lowes-food-lion-parent-company.html#storylink=cpy
“Kroger Tops Loyalty Program Survey” by Michael Garry at Supermarket News. “The Kroger program, which is facilitated by Kroger’s partnership with DunnhumbyUSA, received an 83% overall satisfaction rating in the study, whose finding were compiled in the Maritz Loyalty Report.” Read more: https://supermarketnews.com/marketing/kroger-tops-loyalty-program-survey#ixzz2StBQvbeq
“P&G Survey Finds More Than 80% of U.S. Moms Prefer Daily Help over Grand Gestures for Mother’s Day” “Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed would prefer to have a little more time to themselves, a family day out, or a little more unprompted help around the house. Eighty-three percent said this would make them feel more appreciated and loved, even if it is just a simple ‘Thank you’ for all the things she does for the family.” Read more: https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130509006276&div=-1245645151
“Amazon reportedly developing 3D smartphones” by Rex Crum at WSJ. “Amazon.com is reportedly expanding its reach into technology hardware by developing smartphones with 3D screens. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the maker of the Kindle Fire tablet is working on two different smartphones.” Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-reportedly-developing-3d-smartphones-wsj-2013-05-09?mod=latestnews&link=sfmw
“Roundy’s Same Store Sales +1.3% in Q1 ’13” “Net sales for the first quarter of 2013 were $983.5 million, an increase of $45.3 million, or 4.8 %, from $938.2 million for the first quarter of 2012.” Read more: https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130509006289&div=-1245645151
Thanks for reading…have a great weekend.
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