Archive for month: January, 2013

 

“How Whole Foods Is Helping Put A Stake Through The Heart Of Bureaucracy’ by Kim Bhasin at Business Insider.  “”We’ve been kicking bureaucracy in the shins, but we haven’t delivered a knockout blow yet,” he said. ‘We have to put a stake through the heart of bureaucracy…The retailer gives each of its stores $150,000 each year, explained Hamel.  And they can do whatever they want with that money.  For instance, a store used the cash to add a bar, which ended up being a huge hit with female shoppers. These bars serve craft beer and local wine.  They’re usually located near the wine section.”  Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-gary-hamel-bureaucracy-2013-1#ixzz2HdAm4xtQ

 

“Online grocery shopping: Boom or bust?” by Renee Frojo at San Francisco Business Times.  “As more people migrate to urban areas and double-income households become burdened by increasingly busy schedules, it’s no mystery why the perceived convenience of online shopping would be attractive to a growing number of people. But is it as good as it sounds?  Some market researchers seem to think so. At the rate it’s going, online grocery shopping is poised to grow at an annual rate of 9.5 percent — with the potential to become a $9.4 billion industry by 2017, according to market research firm IBISWorld.”  Read more:  https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2013/01/online-grocery-shopping-boom-or-bust.html

 

“CES 2013 Shocker: Lowe’s Iris Home Automation Has Legs” by Julie Jacobson at CEPro.  “Lowe’s may well be the first retailer to succeed with home automation. That’s my verdict after visiting with the home improvement store at CES 2013 and revisiting the Iris solution that didn’t impress me a year ago.  At CES 2013, Lowe’s is showing some interesting products – still under development – from some of its existing vendors. For example, there’s a WiFi-enabled water heater from Whirlpool that has energy-saving features, remote diagnostics and leak detection.

Lowe’s is also showing – by way of signage – other forthcoming products that it intends to integrate into the Iris ecosystem:

* Screw-in ZigBee-enabled LED light bulbs from Osram Sylvania

* Ready-Seal safe from First Alert that will alert you to access or attempted access

* Electronic SmartDoor from PetSafe (world’s smartest doggie door?)

* Motorized blinds from Bali

* Insynctive, Z-Wave-enabled between-the-glass motorized shades from Pella

* Controllers for irrigation, hose taps and landscape lighting from Orbit

* Ground moisture sensors from Plastair

When you take all of these traditional home-improvement products, add some intelligence and make them work in the Iris ecosystem, it becomes quite a retail story.

Read more: https://www.cepro.com/article/ces_2013_shocker_lowes_iris_home_automation_has_legs/

 

“The catch with Target’s price matching” by John Matarese at KY Post.  “The Catches with Price Matching:

To receive a price match:

-The item you find cheaper must be identical, with the same product code, and even the same color, according to MSN. TVs for instance, often have different model numbers at different stores, even if they appear to be the same.

-The item cannot be from a third-party Amazon vendor. Target will match only Amazon’s own prices, not third-party vendors on Amazon, which is about half of what Amazon now sells. That’s a significant difference, as “fulfilled by Amazon” vendors often have a lower price.

MSN says Target’s price matching still appears to be more generous than Walmart’s program, as Walmart won’t match online prices at Amazon.

Read more: https://www.kypost.com/dpps/money/consumer/dont_waste_your_money/the-catch-with-targets-price-matching_8154241#ixzz2HdD5GdcQ

 

“Whole Foods should buy Trader Joe’s” at MSN Money.  “If you live in a place without a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you want one or both. If you live in a place that has both you probably shop at both. I go in waves, but ultimately I split my time almost evenly between the two stores.  Trader Joe’s has more than 350 stores, highly concentrated in California but scattered across the nation and growing fast. Trader Joe’s stores tend to be much smaller than Whole Foods stores. In the last couple of years, as Whole Foods has focused more on its “generic” Everyday 365 line, the price gap between the two has narrowed. While Whole Foods still sells items at a considerable premium to Trader Joe’s, it’s no longer Whole Paycheck. You can still drop absurd amounts of money on cheese and salami, but you have more choices than ever before at various price points.”  Read more:  https://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=531edb28-7248-4574-a073-af1213fa15e0 

 

“Wal-Mart CEO knew of Mexico bribe claim: lawmakers” at Reuters.  “Lawmakers increased public pressure on Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Thursday by releasing company emails they said contradicted prior statements about when senior executives knew of bribery allegations tied to its Mexican affiliate.  The emails show that senior Wal-Mart executives including current Chief Executive Mike Duke knew as far back as 2005 of allegations that company representatives had bribed officials in Mexico.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/10/us-walmart-bribery-congress-idUSBRE9090UY20130110

 

“Home Decorators/Home Depot and Google allegedly engaged in Trademark Infringement and Unfair Business Practices negatively impacting Home Decor Center”.  “The Home Depot allegedly used Home Decor Center’s domain name for its Google Ad Words advertisements, redirecting consumers to the site HomeDecorators.com. This was first discovered on September of 2011, when Home Decor Center allegedly received a high volume of complaints from customers that apparently were not in their system. They also had an unusual decrease of sales by 60%. It was also discovered that The Home Depot’s paid advertisements for their website www.HomeDecorators.com, as published in Google’s search engine, claimed that this was “the official website for HomeDecorCenter.com,” which was Home Decor Center’s registered website since 2007.”  Read more: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/home-decoratorshome-depot-and-google-allegedly-engaged-in-trademark-infringement-and-unfair-business-practices-negatively-impacting-home-decor-center-186313031.html

 

“UL Announces Move to New State-of-the-Art Consumer Products Testing Laboratory”.  “UL today announced the move of its Enfield, CT-based consumer products testing laboratory to a new, state-of-the-art 48,000 s/f facility in Enfield, more than doubling its capacity and capabilities for quality and safety assurance testing. The relocation will enable UL to more efficiently meet the growing demand for the company’s analytical, physical, performance and compliance testing of consumer products for retailers and manufacturers doing business in the U.S.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6111135&access=EH

 

“Wal-Mart To Sell Contacts Online, By Phone; Launching ‘Equate’ Contacts Brand” at Fox Business. “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will start selling contact lenses online and by phone as the world’s largest retailer pushes further into the eye-care market. Wal-Mart will also launch its own private Equate brand of contact lenses in February.” Read more: https://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/01/10/wal-mart-to-sell-contacts-online-by-phone-launching-equate-contacts-brand/#ixzz2HdE6vRNv 

 

News of the Weird…

“Man walked through Lowe’s store with dummy grenade” at WCSH-Portland (Video and Text).  “Investigators said he told employees something along the line of, “Your store security sucks. I’ve been walking around with a hand grenade and no one noticed.”  The man was detained for a short time, but the Harris County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against him.”  Read more:  https://www.wcsh6.com/news/watercooler/article/227476/108/Man-walked-through-Lowes-store-with-dummy-grenade

 

 

 

“3-D printers could bring manufacturing to your home office” by Cecilia Kang at The Washington Post.  “This is definitely the year that 3-D printing is making a splash at the International Consumer Electronics Show, the annual bazaar of geek commerce. Last year, only one 3-D printing company showed up at the CES, which aims to showcase gadgets you might buy at Best Buy or Amazon, not at industrial supply stores. This week, four such companies will be there.  One of them — MakerBot, which also supplies devices to Ford — will unveil Tuesday a new 3-D printer designed to be the most advanced ever offered at a price that could make it attractive to the home hobbyist.  The online world of hackers and tech enthusiasts is buzzing about how to use such a powerful tool. Researchers and early adopters have made everything from cute figurines and jewelry to working bicycles. A lot of iPhone cases are being custom-made on 3-D printers.” Read more:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/3-d-printers-could-bring-manufacturing-to-your-home-office/2013/01/07/2b42bdb8-56be-11e2-a613-ec8d394535c6_story.html 

 

“Target unveils year-round online price match” at AP via USA Today.  “Target said Tuesday that its pledge to match prices of select online rivals this past holiday season is now a year-round promise.  The nation’s second largest discounter behind Wal-Mart Stores said it will match prices that customers find on identical products at top online retailers, all the time. The online list includes Amazon.com as well as the websites of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Toys R Us and Babies R Us.”  Read more:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/01/08/target-year-round-price-match/1817075/

 

“Amazon-Target Rivalry Takes on Canadian Flavor” by Karen Johnson at WSJ.  “In the latest sign that U.S. retail giants Amazon.com and Target Corp. aren’t leaving their rivalry at the border, Amazon said Tuesday that its Canadian site will offer an unlimited two-day shipping program that’s popular with its U.S. customers.  Amazon’s move comes just two months ahead of Target’s much-awaited Canadian debut. The discount chain plans to open 124 stores across Canada, beginning in March.”  Read more:  https://blogs.wsj.com/canadarealtime/2013/01/08/amazon-target-rivalry-takes-on-canadian-flavor/

 

“CWB: Women in Business Spotlight on Rosalind Brewer (CEO of Sam’s Club)” by Sarah Johnson at Free Enterprise.  “If Sam’s Club were its own company, instead of a subsidiary to Wal-Mart, Rosalind Brewer would be a Fortune 50 CEO. Even without that distinction, Brewer runs a $50 billion business. But she has lofty goals, she wants to turn Sam’s Club in a $100 billion business – and she knows exactly how she is going to do it…As CEO of Sam’s Club, Brewer has two big targets: Costco and Amazon.com. She wants her company to rival Costco in physical, store presence and rival Amazon in online presence. These are lofty goals to say the least; will she be able to reach them? She plans to start by raising the membership fee for Sam’s Club, then says she will enact the following strategies…Read more:  https://www.freeenterprise.com/entrepreneur/cwb-women-business-spotlight-rosalind-brewer?utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sitewide_feed&utm_source=0

 

“Analyst: Dollar stores’ grocery gains slowing” at AP via Bloomberg Businessweek.  “The benefit that dollar stores have reaped from expanding their grocery and home products aisles has slowed due to increasing competition for shoppers’ food dollars, a Nomura analyst said Monday.  Stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General have added more grocery and household items over the past two years in an effort to steal business away from supermarkets and big-box stores like Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.  Food and household products should continue to be strong sellers for dollar stores, said analyst Aram Rubinson, but they’re finding that the business can be a tricky one. Groceries have tough price competition, leading to razor-thin profit margins.”  Read more:  https://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-01-08/analyst-dollar-stores-grocery-gains-slowing

 

“Dollar General Seen Hurting as Customers Pay More Taxes: Retail” by Chris Burritt at Bloomberg. “Dollar General and Family Dollar, respectively the No. 1 and No. 2 industry players, are already facing a resurgent Wal- Mart Stores Inc., which has put more items on shelves and emphasized low prices in its advertising. Family Dollar, based in Matthews, North Carolina, tumbled 13 percent Jan. 3, its biggest drop in more than 12 years, after posting weaker profit margins and cutting its full-year profit outlook.  The tax increase is “like a splash of cold water,” Kelly said in an interview. “It represents a direct reduction of spending by the lower-end consumer.”  Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-09/dollar-general-seen-hurting-as-customers-pay-more-taxes-retail.html

 

“America’s 11th largest tech company (It’s Apple’s iPad)” by JP Mangalindan at Fortune.  “Measured in revenue, Apple’s iPad would rank No. 11.  On the Fortune 500? No. 98…Just how lucrative has Apple’s iPad become? Let’s put it this way: if the tablet were spun off into a standalone business, it would be the 11th largest U.S. tech company.  According to a recent report from Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi, the iPad line brought in $32 billion in sales last year — accounting for just over 60% of all tablet sales — and will grow 75% in 2013 to $46 billion. With numbers like those, Sacconaghi estimates that would make the iPad business, on its own, the 11th largest tech company.”  Read more:  https://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/08/americas-11th-largest-tech-company-ipad/?iid=SF_F_River

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“Attention Movie Fans: Walmart Gives You More Ways to Love your Favorite Films” (Co. Press Release).  “Walmart is making it easier and more enjoyable for movie fans to watch their favorite movies when and where they want. Today at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the retailer announced it is expanding its in-store Disc-to-Digital service to provide customers with digital versions of their previously purchased movies from the comfort of their home. Walmart will also be launching a new Facebook app that will give people access to exclusive movie content and the power to influence and shape what movies are sold in-store and online.”  Read more:  https://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2013/01/07/attention-movie-fans-walmart-gives-you-more-ways-to-love-your-favorite-films

 

“Family Dollar Squeezing its Rivals” by Sam Mamudi at Barron’s.  “From 2009 to 2011, Family Dollar represented 23-25% of the channel’s incremental Consumables sales. But as that company accelerated new store growth (from 1.3% in 2009 to 6% in 2012) and relied more heavily on Consumables to drive sales in existing stores, Family Dollar grew to represent 36% of the channel’s incremental Consumable sales in 2012. By going from a share donor (inside the Dollar Store channel) to a share gainer, Family Dollar’s moves may have jilted the [dollar store] Gravy Train.”  Read more:  https://blogs.barrons.com/stockstowatchtoday/2013/01/08/family-dollar-squeezing-its-rivals/

 

“Safeway CMO Dietz Named Marketer of Year” by Mark Hamstra at Supermarket News.  “In addition to the national, multi-pronged effort to roll out Just For U — which has reached its goal of signing up more than 5 million customers — Dietz has also overseen efforts surrounding Safeway’s private brands, its “Simple Nutrition” shelf tags and its price-value messaging.  Before joining Safeway, Dietz spent nearly 20 years with Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble.  Read more: https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/safeway-cmo-dietz-named-marketer-year#ixzz2HU4bEhNV 

 

“Walmart CEO IDs Retail Industry’s Role in Economic Revival” at RIS.  “In his keynote session address, “A Job to Do: Retail’s Role in an American Renewal,” Simon will make the case that today more than ever, the industry’s leadership is needed on critical issues such as the U.S. (and by extension the global) economy and job creation.  Simon will speak on Tuesday, January 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. in the Javits Center’s North Hall. He will be joined by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions CEO Steven Ladwig, and the session will also be live streamed simultaneously.”  Read more:  https://risnews.edgl.com/retail-news/Walmart-CEO-IDs-Retail-Industry-s-Role-in-Economic-Revival84139

 

 

 

 

 

“The leaders in social commerce are not the usual suspects” by Stefany Moore at Internet Retailer.  “On average, retailers in the Social Media 300 get 4.25% of their total site traffic directly from Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Those numbers vary widely from top to bottom—ranging anywhere from 0.33% for sporting goods merchant The Sportsman’s Guide (No. 300) all the way to 30% of site traffic for PetFlow.com.  And while it may be surprising as to which merchants are landing in the top of the rankings, it’s also important to note which ones are missing. The largest online merchant, Amazon.com Inc., and the world’s largest chain retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., both are ranked below 125. Other retail chains like Barnes & Noble Inc., Target Corp., Walgreen Co. and Best Buy Co. also fail to make the Top 100. In fact, there isn’t a single retailer with a physical store in the Top 10.”  Read more:  https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/01/03/leaders-social-commerce-are-not-usual-suspects

 

“Target dubs its retailing plan for Zellers in Canada ‘Project Bacon'” by Glenda Luymes at Times Colonist.  “Project Bacon is the tongue-in-cheek name given to U.S. retail giant Target’s plan to break into the Canadian market — one of several revelations contained in a recent B.C. Labour Relations Board decision that also details the fate and value of Zellers’ pharmacy files and prescription information about thousands of customers.”  Read more:  https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/target-dubs-its-retailing-plan-for-zellers-in-canada-project-bacon-1.40803

 

“Is the Sharing Economy an Opportunity or a Threat to Existing Businesses?”  by RP Siegel at Triple Pundit.  “Manufacturers use the term “excess capacity” to refer to an underutilized asset that is not being fully exploited to create value, be it an idle assembly line or a factory running only one shift when it could potentially be running two or three.  When viewed from this perspective, the non-commercial sector of our society can clearly be seen as overflowing with excess capacity. It could take the form of anything from an extra bedroom sitting empty, to an underutilized piece of garden equipment, to your car sitting idle while you work at home…Thus we have the basis for the sharing economy; a newly emergent business trend that might just revolutionize the way business is done.”  Read more:  https://www.triplepundit.com/2013/01/sharing-economy-opportunity-threat-existing-businesses/

 

“Eight Percent of Amazon’s Sales Are Coming From Mobile” by Tricia Duryee at All Things D.  “And while many retailers, especially smaller privately held companies, were bullish on the number of transactions coming from mobile, other larger companies — especially Amazon — have remained mum on the subject.  But in a report today, Citi Analyst Neil Doshi estimates that Amazon is generating $3 billion to $5 billion in annual sales from mobile devices.”  Read more:  https://allthingsd.com/20130104/eight-percent-of-amazons-sales-are-coming-from-mobile/

 

“Best Buy Complains About Walmart iPhone 5 Ads After Losing $65K Profit In One Day” by Killian Bell at Cult of Mac.  ““We know competitors don’t like it when we tell customers to compare prices and see for themselves,” Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo told The Wall Street Journal. “We are confident on the legal, ethical and methodological standards associated with our price comparison ads.”  Read more:  https://www.cultofmac.com/208401/best-buy-complains-about-walmart-iphone-5-ads-after-losing-65k-profit-in-one-day/#0HBIUdHV2WpFOw7g.99

 

“Target ad campaign puts food in the spotlight” by Mae Anderson at AP via Yahoo News.  “Target, with ad agency Mono in Minneapolis, created the tongue-in-cheek campaign that treats groceries and home products like fashion accessories in a photo shoot. Spending is undisclosed on the ad campaign, but it will include eight TV ads that will run throughout 2013. In addition to TV spots and newspaper inserts, it will include eight TV spots, three radio ads, and digital short films that will run as banner ads online.  One TV ad shows an $11.99 bottle of Tide laundry detergent and a model in a white dress dancing fancifully.  “We all yearn for something,” says a voiceover as bubbles float by the model. “And that something is the other sock.”  Read more:  https://news.yahoo.com/target-ad-campaign-puts-food-spotlight-210605246–finance.html

 

“Cerberus nears Supervalu deal -Wall Street Journal” at Reuters.  “Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP and its partners are nearing a deal to buy parts of Supervalu Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, sending shares of the grocery chain up 15 percent.  Cerberus and its partners will buy some assets of the company and take a stake in the remainder, which is expected to remain public, the newspaper said, citing a person with knowledge of the plan.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/supervalu-cerberus-idUSL1E9C470520130104

 

“Wegmans Freezes Prices on 53 Products this Winter” by Katrina Rossos at Manalapan Patch.  “This winter Wegmans has instituted a price freeze on over 50 products that families tend to buy the most during the winter months. The winter price freeze will last until April 6, 2013…Meat, seafood, produce, dairy, deli, bakery, grocery and frozen food products all make up the comprised list; the seasonality of the list is reflected in the produce. This year, citrus items such as Clementine tangerines and navel and Mineola oranges have been added to the list this year. Due to a successful peanut crop last year, the cost of Wegmans peanut butter has dropped from $1.99 to $1.69.”  Read more:  https://manalapan.patch.com/articles/wegmans-freezes-prices-on-53-products-during-winter-months

 

“Office Depot Announces Departure of Kevin Peters, President, North America” at Yahoo Finance.  “Office Depot today announced that Kevin Peters, President, North America, is leaving the organization, effective immediately, to take the position of Chief Executive Officer at an industrial distribution company.  Neil Austrian, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Office Depot, will oversee the company’s North American business.”  Read more:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/office-depot-announces-departure-kevin-210000692.html

 

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“Facebook, Google dip their toes in sale of physical goods” by Brandon Bailey in San Jose Mercury News.  “Google in particular may have reason to be concerned. While it still dominates the business of selling advertising keyed to Internet search queries, online shoppers today are more likely to start their quests on Amazon than Google, according to some studies. If that trend continues, analysts warn, it could make Google’s site less attractive to retail advertisers.  Facebook also has good reasons to offer shopping on its site, as the social network seeks to broaden its business beyond selling advertising and games. Facebook made Gifts available to all U.S. users less than two weeks ago. But Sterne Agee investment analyst Arvind Bhatia estimated the program could become a significant revenue source, contributing “several hundred million dollars” of annual earnings.”  https://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22239886/facebook-google-dip-their-toes-sale-physical-goods?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

 

“From IPads to Crocs, New Patent Law Protects Design” by Jeff John Roberts in Bloomberg Businessweek.  “Design patents, which protect the ornamental features of an invention, are nothing new…The just-signed Patent Law Treaties Implantation Act of 2012 will see more design patent requests flood in from more places. The main purpose of the law is to harmonize America’s design patent laws with the rest of the world—in particular, by letting “inventors” use a single application filed anywhere in the world to seek design rights in many countries at once. For instance, Ikea could submit drawings of a chair in Sweden and get a U.S. design patent based on the same application. The law, which will take effect in about a year, will also increase the design patent term from 14 years to 15 years and allow applicants to seek 100 different design inventions with a single application.”  https://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-28/from-ipads-to-crocs-new-patent-law-protects-design 

 

“Home Depot Radio’s #1 Advertiser in 2012” at Radio Ink.  Here’s the list:

2012 Rank / Company/ # of spots aired / (2011 Rank)

1) The Home Depot – 2,093,047 (2)

2) GEICO Berkshire Hathaway – 1,937,625 (1)

3) McDonald’s – 1,366,786 (3)

4) AutoZone – 990,822 (5)

5) Wal-Mart Stores – 802,351 (4)

6) Lowe’s Companies – 786,490 (9)

7) State Farm Insurance Co. – 770,512 (6)

8) Macy’s – 613,485 (17)

9) Subway – 606,883 (18)

10) Walgreens – 597,840 (23)

https://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2600010&spid=24698

 

“Epic Retail Fail: Where Did the Target + Neiman Marcus Collection Go Wrong?”  by Martha C. White at Time.  “…The consensus seems to be that items like these — or rather, prices like these — just don’t belong at Target. Indeed, prices were criticized repeatedly in the blogosphere. Sure, it’s cheap for stuff with a designer’s name on it, but the prices are still much higher than what Target shoppers are used to paying, and many bloggers groused that quality was markedly inferior. Target’s Facebook fans were also underwhelmed. The words “cheap” and “overpriced” popped up often — never good, but in combination, a death sentence.”   https://business.time.com/2013/01/02/epic-retail-fail-where-did-the-target-neiman-marcus-collection-go-wrong/#ixzz2GulVT2iuW 

 

“How to Shop Target Like a Pro” by Sam Grobart at Bloomberg Business Week (Graphical Illustrations).  https://images.businessweek.com/photos/2012-12-31/how-to-shop-target-like-a-pro#slide1

 

“Amazon’s and Facebook’s Ad Privacy Practices Irk Ad Agencies” by Kate Kaye at Ad Age.  “Two of the biggest publishers on the web don’t use the advertising industry’s standardized ad-privacy program, and it’s a problem for even the largest digital-media buyers.  Facebook and Amazon both offer targeted display advertising that can sometimes incorporate behavioral data from third parties. However, while nearly every other relevant media firm, ad network and ad-data firm either uses the industry’s self-regulatory Ad Choices program or operates one that can be easily integrated with it, Facebook and Amazon do not.”  https://adage.com/article/digital/amazon-s-facebook-s-ad-privacy-practices-irk-ad-agencies/238946/

 

“Safeway CEO Steve Burd to Retire in May” by Debbie Cai in The Wall Street Journal.  “Mr. Burd said Wednesday that he needs more personal time and “given my extensive work in health care, I want to pursue that interest further.”  Like its peers, Safeway—which operates regional grocery-store chains such as its namesake stores, Vons, and Randalls—has seen its sales and profit margin squeezed by high fuel prices, increasing food costs and weak consumer confidence…Mr. Burd will help with the search and continue to assist the company after he retires from his roles on May 14, at the company’s annual stockholders meeting.” https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323374504578218062266137592.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

“Costco December same-store sales up 9 percent” at Reuters.  “U.S. retailer Costco Wholesale Corp has posted a better-than-expected 9 percent rise in December sales at stores open at least a year, mainly helped by an additional sales day in the reporting period.  “This year’s December retail month had one additional day compared to last year … As a result, December total and comparable sales results benefited by approximately 2 percent,” said David Sherwood, director of finance and investor relations.”  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/03/costco-results-december-idUSL4N0A82F420130103

 

“Amazon’s Record Holiday Season Boosted Its Third-Party Sellers Marketplace, Too: Sales Up 40% Year-Over-Year” by Sarah Perez at Tech Crunch.  “The Amazon Marketplace allows business customers to sell on Amazon, tapping into the e-commerce giant’s worldwide reach for a monthly subscription fee plus a selling fee when the item is purchased. According to today’s release, there are now over 2 million of these third-party sellers on Amazon, reaching the company’s 188 million active customers around the world, including the 50 U.S. states.  Amazon previously reported that 2012 was its biggest holiday season ever with over 26.5 million items ordered worldwide on its peak day, which is a record-breaking 306 items per second. Also on its peak day, Amazon’s worldwide fulfillment network shipped over 15.6 million units across all product categories. Third-party sellers apparently benefitted from the boost as well. One longtime electronics seller, Amazing Deals Online, who has been on Amazon for twelve years, reported a record holiday with an over 70 percent increase in sales from last year.”  https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/02/amazons-record-holiday-season-boosted-its-third-party-sellers-marketplace-too-sales-up-40-year-over-year/

 

“Lowe’s to open first Washington, D.C., store” in Charlotte Business Journal.  “Mooresville-based Lowe’s will occupy a 130,000-square-foot building in a new shopping center being developed by Fort Lincoln New Town Corp. The home improvement retailer joins Costco Wholesale Corp. as an anchor for the center.  Lowe’s operates more than 1,745 stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, generating $50.2 billion in sales in 2011. It has roughly 248,000 employees. In October 2011, the home improvement retailer announced it would close 20 underperforming stores in 15 states, but it later announced it would open a dozen new stores in fiscal 2012.”  https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/morning-edition/2013/01/lowes-to-open-first-washington-dc.html

 

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