Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/30/13: Shrinking Wmart Stores | Target Partners w/WIRED | H.Depot – Weather Channel Twitter effort

 

 

“Shrinking Walmart stores will impact suppliers” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “As Wal-Mart Stores continues to focus on a smaller footprint for some of its stores, suppliers will see less shelf space and analysts say there is no time to waste in planning a survival strategy.  The Bentonville-based retail giant recently announced it would build 125 new supercenters this year at a cost of $2 billion. Total square footage on the new supercenter prototype is 140,000, shrinking from 169,000 in 2010. That’s 17% smaller than supercenters built four years ago.”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/27581#.UX-h6bWG3X4

 

“Home Depot signs on with Weather Channel Twitter effort” by David Goetzl at Media Post.  “The Weather Co. is pitching the opportunity to include a link within promoted tweets that allows immediate (in-tweet) video viewing.  The retailer will integrate its “Project of the Week” videos within the tweets, which can be targeted by location, passions and other characteristics. Twitter cards technology allows for the integrated video.  Read more:  https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/199221/weather-channel-launches-twitter-effort.html#ixzz2RwbK2YA0

 

“Target Unveils Curated Gadget Assortment in Partnership with WIRED”  “Target Corporation and WIRED, a media brand and trusted source for the latest innovative technologies for consumers’ lifestyles, are offering WIRED Editors’ Picks for Target, a custom-curated assortment of consumer electronics and gadgets designed to simplify and enhance digital music streaming, photography, personal fitness and more. The assortment includes existing Target products as well as four products available for the first time at Target.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130429005587&div=-1245645151

 

“Kroger ending double coupon program at NC grocery stores” by Amy Dunn at News Observer.  “The grocery chain’s Facebook page was flooded over the weekend with mostly negative comments, with several posters referencing J.C. Penney’s problems…Kroger spokesman Carl York said in an email that stores in the chain’s Mid-Atlantic region would stop doubling coupons as of May 12…The decision to halt double coupons comes three months after Cincinnati-based Kroger discontinued the practice of doubling the value of coupons in its home market of Cincinnati, along with neighboring markets in Dayton and Northern Kentucky.”  Read more:  https://www.newsobserver.com/2013/04/29/2858816/kroger-ending-double-coupon-policy.html#storylink=cpy

 

“Woolworth’s/Lowe’s Australian Joint Venture Facing Losses up to $800 Million: Analyst” at Inside Retail.  “The report by Merrill Lynch analyst David Errington claims that Woolworth’s venture with US group JV Lowe’s could lose an average of $200 million a year for the next four years…”If our forecast earnings are correct an asset impairment would be highly probable,” said Errington, who has been critical of Wooloworths’ venture in the past.”  Read more:  https://www.insideretail.com.au/IR/IRNews/Report-predicts-Masters-blowout-8204.aspx

 

“Publix, Kroger Cite Social Media Challenges, Opportunities” by Mark Hamsta at Supermarket News.  ““Content is absolutely key,” said Irby, who is a member of the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council, which presented the session. “Content means being able to talk with customers about a topic, about issues, about things that are on their mind. If you are not prepared to have conversations about those topics and add value to that conversation, without the conversation being all about you, then you are irrelevant in social media.  Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/publix-kroger-cite-social-media-challenges-opportunities#ixzz2RwdsRmyd

 

“Best Buy plans to exit Europe by selling stake to Carphone” at Reuters.  “The move is the latest sign the world’s largest consumer electronics chain is scaling back its overseas ambitions to focus on its mainstay U.S. business, which faces cut-throat competition from the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Amazon.com Inc.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/30/us-bestbuy-carphone-idUSBRE93T06820130430?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

 

“Online Ads Can Now Follow You Home” by Spencer Ante at WSJ.  “Last summer, Expedia began a trial with mobile ad technology provider Drawbridge Inc., which uses a “triangulation” method to try to figure out when a mobile user is the same person as a desktop user.  Drawbridge sends cookies to desktop and mobile browsers to track the ads being requested by the devices. If the patterns show enough in common—using the same Internet address at similar times, for instance—the company figures there is a good chance they are from one anonymous user.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324482504578453223207072376.html?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f

 

“Safeway names new CEO” by Heather Somerville at Mercury News.  “Safeway named Robert Edwards, the company’s president, to replace outgoing CEO Steve Burd as head of the nation’s second-largest supermarket chain.  Safeway announced Monday that Edwards would become chief executive and join the board of directors after Burd’s official retirement in two weeks.”  Read more:  https://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23133401/safeway-names-new-ceo

 

“Staples’ First 3D Printing ‘Experience Centre’ goes live (The Netherlands), powered by Mcor Technologies”  “This is historic – it’s the first time a major mainstream retailer has provided 3D printing to the public,” said Mcor Technologies co-founder and CEO Dr. Conor MacCormack. “Staples Easy 3D and the Experience Centre, both using Mcor 3D printers, is a perfect way to introduce the world to the magic of 3D printing”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6746814&access=EH

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

 

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/29/13: H.Depot’s Failure in China: Ignoring Women | Wmart’s 6 New Store Layouts in DC

 

“Home Depot’s failure in China: Ignoring women” by Ruchika Tulshyan at Atlanta Business Journal.  ““Research data indicates that Home Depot should adopt urban boutique concepts,” the study said. These stores should be placed in malls or on street corners, rather than operate as “big-box” retailers. The stores should emphasize female consumers.  “In many cultures, women are the primary purchasing agent. Especially in China, women make the final decision in buying home décor products,” said Gao. “After the one-child policy in China, women became so scarce that brides were given full control of how they wanted their house to look after marriage.”  Read more:  https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/femme-fortune/2013/04/home-depots-failure-in-china.html

 

“Walmart’s 6 New DC Stores Mix Urban and Suburban Layouts” by Dan Malouff at Greater Greater Washington.  “Each of the 6 stores has such unique characteristics that one wonders if Walmart is using DC as an experiment to see which types of layouts work in the urban environment. By comparing the sales at the more urban stores to the more suburban ones, Walmart will gain many valuable insights.”  See all 6 store layouts:  https://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14555/walmarts-6-dc-stores-some-will-be-urban-some-wont/

 

“One year into the job, Target’s marketing chief already leaves mark” by Thomas Lee at Star-Tribune.  “When Michael Sheldon first heard Chief Marketing Officer Michael Francis was leaving Target Corp. in 2011, Sheldon’s heart sank.  The Minneapolis-based retailer had just hired Sheldon’s advertising agency, Deutsch Los Angeles, to work on several campaigns. A new CMO could only mean one thing, Sheldon thought.  “Put on the life preserver,” Sheldon said. “We’re going overboard.”Several months later, Sheldon sat among 150 other nervous agency types waiting to meet Jeff Jones, the man Target tapped to replace Francis. Spotting a chance to grab Jones for a few minutes alone, Sheldon introduced himself.  “It felt like there was no one else in the room,” Sheldon said. “It was utterly refreshing.”  Read more:  https://m.startribune.com/?id=204920431

 

“Williams-Sonoma stops selling pressure cookers after Boston Marathon” by Tina Ranieri at The Examiner.  “The high-end home goods retailers have taken pressure cookers off the shelves after the Boston Marathon. The pressure cookers will still be available on the Williams-Sonoma website in Natick, Mass.”  Read more:  https://www.examiner.com/article/williams-sonoma-stops-selling-pressure-cookers-after-boston-marathon

 

“Walmart Engages Stakeholders on Twitter” by Jen Boynton at Triple Pundit.  “Around 130 Tweeters participated, peppered Walmart with questions about everything under the sun. Many participants asked insightful questions about the contents of the report and Walmart’s process for pulling it together. The company also got a lot of tough questions about their social and environmental record.”

Example Walmart Twitter response:  “A2d: We’ve learned a lot — like don’t put a solar rooftop next to a golf driving range”

Read the Twitter chat:  https://www.triplepundit.com/2013/04/walmart-engages-stakeholders-twitter-chat/

 

“Content is the new retail store” by Amaryllis Fox at USA Today.  “Content is the new retail store. And publishers are increasingly interested in turn-key solutions to capture that potential commerce. Reading a recipe on Good Housekeeping? Buy the roaster and immersion blender you’ll need without leaving the page. It saves you the hassle of visiting a separate retailer to purchase the products you want, while giving those retailers a more useful, less annoying way to advertise their goods.”  Read more:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/04/19/google-netflix-cnn-youtube-mulu-media-outbrain-sears/2089393/

 

“Home Depot Sells Consumer Reports A Used Chainsaw, Refuses To Take It Back Because It’s Used” by Chris Morran at The Consumerist. “Consumer Reports recently sent a secret shopper to a Home Depot in New Jersey to pick up a Homelite UT10589A chainsaw…The shopper paid full price for the “new” saw, but when he opened it up, he found it covered in sawdust and packaged with leaking bottles of oil. It had obviously been used by a previous customer and returned…Regardless, when the shopper attempted to return the saw to the Home Depot store, it would not take the item back — because it had been previously used.”  Read more:  https://consumerist.com/2013/04/26/home-depot-sells-consumer-reports-a-used-chainsaw-refuses-to-take-it-back-because-its-used/

 

“Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. to present at the Barclays 2013 Retail and Consumer Discretionary Conference”  “Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will participate in the Barclays 2013 Retail and Consumer Discretionary Conference on Wednesday, May 1 (8:30 am EDT). Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Global eCommerce, will provide an overview on the company’s approach to serve customers through e-commerce initiatives, at the conference.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130426005617&div=-1245645151

 

“The Many Loves of Ken Langone, Co-Founder of Home Depot” by Mark Gimein at Bloomberg.  “Langone was the prime mover in bringing General Electric Co.’s Robert Nardelli to run Home Depot. Even when things don’t turn out perfectly in Langone’s efforts, the all-around atmosphere of affection persists. “The board loved [Nardelli] and hates the way this ended up,” an anonymous source (maybe not Langone) chimes in when Nardelli and Home Depot split up.”  Read more:  https://go.bloomberg.com/market-now/2013/04/26/the-many-loves-of-ken-langone/

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/26/13: Walmart Chasing Publix | Amazon’s Profit Dips

 

“Walmart U.S. could learn from its sister chain Asda” by Andria Chang at Market Watch.  “Asda offers online groceries that she said could reach 98% of Britain’s population. It also has Asda direct non-food site; its George.com apparel delivers across Europe; and mobile commerce is 16% of its online sales.   Meanwhile, the chain allows customers to order online and pick up general merchandise within two hours in all stores and pick up groceries in more than 100 stores. It also offers free in-store Wifi.  “We believe that ASDA’s expertise with these technologies could be the secret sauce that gives WMT an advantage in the race to develop online grocery in the U.S., which we view as an attractive growth opportunity for U.S. food retailers,” Weinswig said.”  Read more:  https://blogs.marketwatch.com/behindthestorefront/2013/04/25/walmart-u-s-could-learn-from-its-sister-chain-asda-analyst/

 

“Amazon’s success formula: move bits instead of boxes” at Reuters.  The Internet retail giant that once specialized in moving books and other physical items quickly is increasingly trying to do the same in the digital world, where profit margins are higher, partly because e-books, music and video files and are transmitted electronically at high speed.  Throw in a fast-expanding third-party merchant business, where Amazon simply books a cut of sales from seller listings on its website, and the retail giant’s margin outlook is looking a lot better.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/26/us-amazon-results-digital-idUSBRE93P09820130426?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

 

“Amazon posts lower profit but beats forecast” by Amy Martinez at Seattle-Times. “The world’s largest Internet retailer reported $16.07 billion in quarterly sales, about $70 million less than Wall Street expected. Meanwhile, it posted a profit of $82 million, or 18 cents a share, down from $130 million, or 28 cents, a year ago.”  Read more:  https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020861542_amazonearningsxml.html

 

“Safeway’s revenue misses expectations as company holds down prices amid competition” by AP via Washington Post.  “Safeway said revenue at stores open at least a year rose 1.5 percent during the quarter. Part of the increase was result of shift in the calendar, which moved New Year’s holiday sales into the period.”  Read more:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/safeways-profit-climbs-in-first-quarter-on-tax-benefit-key-sales-figure-rises/2013/04/25/ac912950-adac-11e2-b240-9ef3a72c67cc_story.html

 

“Walmart CTO Chip Hernandez: ‘Everyone’s going digital'” by Andrew Nusca at ZD Net.  “Speaking this morning at the Bloomberg Enterprise Technology Summit, Hernandez explained how his company was, from a technology perspective, dealing with the reality that both its employees and its customers are walking into stores with digital devices in hand.”  Read Hernandez’s comments:  https://www.zdnet.com/walmart-cto-chip-hernandez-everyones-going-digital-7000014466/

 

“Nine most damaged brands in the U.S.” at Market Watch.  “Brand reputations are among the most prized assets major corporations have. A look at relevant surveys shows that brand valuations are often so high that they compare to the market values of the public companies that own them.”  See the list:  https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nine-most-damaged-brands-in-the-us-2013-04-25?link=sfmw

 

“Nash Finch reports 62 percent decline in earnings” by Mike Hughlett at Star-Tribune.  “Grocery wholesaler Nash Finch Co. on Thursday reported a 62 percent decline in quarterly earnings over a year ago, pinched by thinner profits in its military distribution business.  The company posted first-quarter net income of $2.1 million, or 16 cents per share, down from $5.5 million, or 42 cents per share, a year ago.”  Read more:  https://www.startribune.com/business/204680451.html

 

“Walmart expanding grocery offerings in South Florida, area dominated by Publix supermarkets” by Miriam Valverde at Sun-Sentinel.  “But now Walmart is intent on grabbing a bigger piece of the grocery business. The retail giant is opening and expanding stores throughout South Florida neighborhoods, often just around the corner from Publix stores…Publix owns a 52.8 market share in South Florida, according the The Shelby Report, a Georgia-based food and grocery industry publication. Walmart currently holds a 14.7 percent share of the South Florida market.”  Read more:  https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-walmart-vs-publix-20130425,0,6989471.story

 

“Walmart Canada Reveals Raccoon Repellent Garbage Bag”  “Great Value Mint-X bags are proven effective at repelling rodents because an all natural, mint scented fragrance that is added to the plastic during the manufacturing process. In a study conducted by the University of Maryland, School of Medicine Comparative Medicine Program in 2011, two bags are placed in a test area over a seven day period, one Mint-X bag and one standard untreated bag, both filled with standardized food. In this test, the Mint-X bag proved 100% repellence of raccoons, while the non-Mint-X bags were penetrated 67% of the time.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6726484&access=EH

 

“$2 Trillion Underground Economy May Be Recovery’s Savior” by Mark Koba at CNBC.  “”You normally see underground economies in places like Brazil or in southern Europe,” said Laura Gonzalez, professor of personal finance at Fordham University. “But with the job situation and the uncertainty in the economy, it’s not all that surprising to have it growing here in the United States.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100668336

 

Thanks for reading…have a great weekend.

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/25/13: Acosta Partners for Walmart Demos | Amazon the Ad Giant Stirs

 

 

“Acosta Partners for Wal-Mart Demos” at Supermarket News.  “Acosta Sales & Marketing here said its integrated marketing division has formed a partnership with Out Front Marketing to provide custom experiential marketing for products outside Wal-Mart stores…Out Front Marketing creates and executes experiential solutions and events at Wal-Mart parking lots and store exteriors. The company uses portable marketing centers called “Mobile Brand Boxes,” which can include interactive simulators and games as well as other loyalty and brand-building tactics.”  Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/acosta-partners-wal-mart-demos#ixzz2RRXGCTO2

 

“Sleeping ad giant Amazon finally stirs” at Reuters.  “An Amazon mobile ad network, launched late last year, is now blasting ads via apps on smartphones and tablets, including Apple Inc iPhones and devices powered by Google Inc’s Android operating system.  For Amazon, an ad business is a new revenue stream with fatter margins than its retail operations. To Google, Facebook Inc and other online ad leaders, Amazon is a threat because it has data they lack.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/24/us-amazon-advertising-idUSBRE93N06E20130424?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer:%2B@mitchjoel%2Bon%2Btwitter&buffer_share=f9bcb

 

“Tillicum (Canada) mall retailers anticipate extra traffic from Target when it opens in May” by Carla Wilson at The Times Colonist.  “British Columbians seemed lukewarm to Target in a poll of 867 respondents conducted by Insights West marketing research company last month.  Just over half, at 55 per cent, had an overall positive reaction to Target coming to Canada. Of those, 18 per cent were enthusiastic. One-third of those questioned were indifferent. Even so, close to 82 per cent of those surveyed said they will likely go to Target if it is nearby — with 39 per cent “very likely” to go and 43 per cent “somewhat likely,” Insights said in a statement…The poll found 28 per cent of British Columbians said they will shop less at Walmart once Target is here.”  Read more:  https://www.timescolonist.com/business/tillicum-mall-retailers-anticipate-extra-traffic-from-target-when-it-opens-in-may-1.117754

 

“Kroger Plans $100 Million Overhaul of Stores” by Andy Meek at Memphis Daily News.  “Kroger’s Memphis-based Delta Division, which operates 115 Kroger grocery stores and 70 fuel centers in five states, is pumping $100 million into its portfolio.  The company will spend $50 million in 2013 then another $50 million over the next three to five years on upgrades, fixes, renovations and even some store replacements in the Memphis area.”  Read more:  https://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2013/apr/25/kroger-plans-100-million-overhaul-of-stores/

 

“Tractor Supply’s Sales Jump 6.4%”  “Net sales increased 6.4% to $1.09 billion from $1.02 billion in the prior year’s first quarter. Same-store sales increased 0.5% compared to a very strong 11.5% increase in the prior-year period. The same-store sales increase was driven primarily by continued strong results in key consumable, usable and edible (C.U.E.) products, principally animal- and pet-related merchandise.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6723415&access=EH

 

“A Google Glass rival emerges from an upstart in Japan” by Katie Fehrenbacher at CNN Money.  “Unlike with Google Glass, the Telepathy One has an optically projected small screen in front of the eye of the wearer, and a cell phone app controlled by the partner captures the images that the wearer sees in a tiny screen. The Telepathy team said the device will also be able to take photos or videos from the headset and stream those images to the partner’s cell phone app, but the prototype didn’t yet have that functionality.”  Read more:  https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/gigaom/articles/2013_04_23_a_google_glass_rival_emerges_from_an_upstart_in_japan.html?iid=SF_F_River

 

“Samsung and Best Buy Begin Nationwide Rollout of Samsung Experience Shops”  “An executive grand opening and experiential consumer event featuring Bruno Mars mark the beginning of a nationwide rollout of the Samsung Experience Shop, which will be installed in more than 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores across the U.S. by early summer.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130424006543&div=-1245645151

 

“SUPERVALU Reports Loss But Transitions For the Future”  “SUPERVALU INC. today reported fourth quarter fiscal 2013 net sales of $3.89 billion and a net loss of $1.41 billion…This past quarter was largely about transitioning the company for the future, and I am proud of the many things we accomplished in my first sixty days,” said Sam Duncan, SUPERVALU’s president and chief executive officer. “I brought in Ritchie Casteel as Save-A-Lot’s new president and CEO, and he has already right-sized that organization’s overhead.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130424005763&div=-1245645151

 

Too Busy to Save Money: Research at Stanford Graduate School of Business Examines Why Consumers Pass Up Store Discounts (UK)”  “”If people are really price-sensitive, and they really like the lower price from the larger sizes, then I should also see massive reactions to promotions,” Seiler reasons. Yet he didn’t see strong reactions to promotions. Therefore, people seem to be buying large packs to reduce purchase frequency, thus saving search time.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130424005055&div=-1245645151

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/24/13: Walmart’s Vegetable Battle | Costco’s Free Lunch | Top Online Coupon Sites

 

“Wal-Mart Vs. Amazon: World’s Biggest E-Commerce Battle Could Boil Down To Vegetables” by Clare O’Connor at Forbes.  “What else can Wal-Mart possibly do to win the web? Nielsen’s Todd Hale has one answer. “E-commerce is growing at 11% a year, but sales for consumer packaged goods online — food, groceries, everyday items — are more like high double digits, almost 20%,” said Hale, SVP of consumer and shopping insights. “This is the space Wal-Mart has to go after: perishable items. That’s where they need the infrastructure.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/04/23/wal-mart-vs-amazon-worlds-biggest-e-commerce-battle-could-boil-down-to-vegetables/

 

“A free lunch at Costco?” by Donna Freedman at MSN Money.  “A reader of the Free Money Finance blog says she and her boyfriend eat free-sample meals up to five times a week at a Costco near their workplace and at neighborhood supermarkets on the weekends.  Her estimated savings: $140 to $220 per month. “It is not the most healthful meal but our financial situation is not very healthy, either,” the reader writes. “You do what you got to do.”  Read more:  https://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=9bd235ea-6fe7-4486-89bf-30e6ce887e7d

 

“Walmart Gives Superman Fans Exclusive Access to the First Screening of “Man of Steel””  “Walmart announced today that it has partnered with Warner Bros. to give its customers exclusive access to see Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Man of Steel” in theaters nationwide before the film’s official release. This program marks the first time in entertainment history that a studio has partnered with a retailer to provide such an opportunity for fans.”  Read more:  https://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2013/04/24/walmart-gives-superman-fans-exclusive-access-to-the-first-screening-of-man-of-steel

 

“Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything” by Steve Blank at Harvard Business Review.  “But recently an important countervailing force has emerged, one that can make the process of starting a company less risky. It’s a methodology called the “lean start-up,” and it favors experimentation over elaborate planning, customer feedback over intuition, and iterative design over traditional “big design up front” development. Although the methodology is just a few years old, its concepts—such as “minimum viable product” and “pivoting”—have quickly taken root in the start-up world, and business schools have already begun adapting their curricula to teach them.”  Read more:  https://hbr.org/2013/05/why-the-lean-start-up-changes-everything/ar/1

 

“Retailers are dressing up their iPad cash registers” by Nick Wingfield at NY Times via Star-Tribune.  “Retailers from doughnut shops to department stores are putting in tablet-based cash registers that hang on the wall or can swivel around like desk lamps to face customers. At Coco Donuts in downtown Portland, Ore., iPad registers hang on a track on the wall, and employees slide them over to customers at the counters, who can sign for their bill, barely missing a bite.”  Read more:  https://www.startribune.com/business/204353151.html

 

“Kroger To Participate In The Barclays Retail and Consumer Discretionary Conference”  “The Kroger Co. will participate in the Barclays Retail and Consumer Discretionary Conference on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Mike Schlotman, Kroger senior vice president and chief financial officer, will address investors.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6709654&access=EH

 

“10 Secrets to Eye-Popping Package Designs” by E.J. Schultz at Ad Age.  “The average number of items sold at a supermarket has ballooned to more than 38,000 from 10,425 in 1977, according to the Food Marketing Institute.  So how do you make your package stand out? To find out, Ad Age recently caught up with Omnicom Group’s Hornall Anderson, a Seattle-based design shop that works for big marketers like Starbucks, PepsiCo, Microsoft and Unilever.”  See the Top 10 trends:  https://adage.com/article/news/10-secrets-eye-popping-package-designs/241044/

 

“ShopSmart Uncovers the Best Places to Find Coupons”  “The May 2013 issue of ShopSmart, from Consumer Reports, highlights ten new sites and apps that make the hunt for savings fast and fun, plus some cool features on old standbys.”  See the list:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6707962&access=EH

 

“Independent Grocers Generate $129B in Sales” at Progressive Grocer.  “Independent grocers are key contributors to the nation’s economy and workforce, according to a recent study released by the National Grocers Association (NGA), which provides a clear picture of the role independent grocers play at the national, state and congressional district level.  The research, which can be viewed via a new website, was conducted by John Dunham and Associates.”  Read more:  https://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/independent-grocers/id38913/independents-generate-129b-in-sales/?icid=homepage

 

“Shapeways Raises $30 Million to Bring 3-D Printing Mainstream” by Jenna Wortham at NY Times.  “Shapeways has a community of 300,000 members and three million products in its online catalog. “We also have 10,000 shops selling designs and items,” said Mr. Weijmarshausen. Each month, the company receives, prints and ships 60,000 orders to customers all over the world.  Mr. Weijmarshausen said that he planned to use the new money to expand the team and increase production at the factory.”  Read more:  https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/23/shapeways-raises-30-million-to-bring-3-d-printing-mainstream/?src=twr&smid=tw-nytimes

 

“Sam’s Club Opens its Doors to the Public for a Weekend of Savings and Samples”  “Sam’s Club welcomes the public to a three-day spring Open House to show more than 600 U.S. communities why life is better in the Club. From Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, members and non-members can access extraordinary savings on the newest items for spring and summer entertaining.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6710946&access=EH

 

“Latest Loss Raises Hurdles for RadioShack” at WSJ.  “Revenue fell 7% to $849 million, well below analysts’ $961 million target, while sales at stores open at least a year fell 5.7%…Mr. Magnacca said the retailer is planning a new marketing campaign, with the slogan “Let’s Play,” that will emphasize its 5,000 stores across the U.S. “With our vast store base,” he said on a conference call with investors, “we want to become the neighborhood technology playground.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324874204578440363579665432.html

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow on Twitter @retaileyeretail

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/23/13: Walmart Releases Shareholder Materials | New Internet Tax on Fast Track

 

 

“DIY chain Menards bets bigger is better” by Karen Dybis at The Detroit News.  “According to marketing-research firm IBISWorld Inc., Home Depot and Lowe’s accounted for about 73.4 percent of industry revenue in 2012, making home improvement a highly concentrated industry.  IBISWorld estimates that Menards generated revenue of $7.6 billion during 2012, accounting for about 4.8 percent of the industry’s market share. Generally, IBISWorld estimates revenues at home-improvement stores will increase at an annualized rate of 3.1 percent to $191.5 billion by 2018.”  Read more:  https://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130423/BIZ/304230325#ixzz2RHgocIpE

 

“Big box uses emerge as more Wal-Mart sales go online” by Kim Souza at City Wire.  ““Could we imagine the extra space in stores going back to suppliers? … Wal-Mart saying if you want to take 1,000 square feet out of the supercenter and create a toy destination, or meal solution destination or beauty destination then go for it,” Sherk asked a group of suppliers during a recent conference in Bentonville”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/27474#.UXZsdLWG3X4

 

“A New Tax Could Send Shoppers Back to the Mall” by Josh Boak at CNBC.  “In a show of support for the Marketplace Fairness Act, its chief sponsor Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., attached the bill as an amendment last month to the budget resolution. The amendment was approved 75 to 24, a largely symbolic vote that led Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to fast track the measure…But the bill contains a relatively modest protection for small businesses—exempting those with less than $1 million in revenues.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100661394

 

“Walmart Releases 2013 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting Materials”  “This year’s materials are available online at https://stock.walmart.com/annual-reports and through Walmart’s updated Investor Relations application on the iPad®, iPhone® and Android™ mobile devices. The app update, version 3.0, includes U.S. and U.K. virtual store tours, a financial fact book, and an interactive global footprint of stores and clubs.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130422006766&div=-1245645151

 

“IGA Urges More Baking Innovation by David Orgell” at Supermarket News.  “In the same conference session, John Elstrott, chairman, Whole Foods Market, told bakers that understanding his company’s structure was essential to growing business with the natural foods chain.  Whole Foods has some 350 stores across 12 regions, and each of the 12 is independently run and customized for local and regional needs.  “We’re looking for you to help us find our weak spots, to fill a need,” he said. “Ask us which products we’re searching for.”  Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/bakery/iga-urges-more-baking-innovation#ixzz2RHm81u78

 

“The Ecommerce Movement: 2003 vs. 2013” by Erin Lynch at Multi Channel Merchant.  “In the last 10 years the face of the ecommerce industry has changed significantly. In this infographic by Corra, you can go back in time and see how far the ecommerce industry has come in terms of technology.”  See infographic at:  https://multichannelmerchant.com/infographics/the-ecommerce-movement-then-and-now-2003-vs-2013-18042013/

 

“Rite Aid Unveils New and Improved Riteaid.com”  “Our internal research showed that 80% of visitors to Riteaid.com also visited a Rite Aid store, meaning the online experience we provide is a key driver of our in-store business.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130422005837&div=-1245645151

 

“Walmart Giving in Last Fiscal Year Exceeds $1 Billion for the First Time”  “Today, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced that over the last fiscal year they gave more than $1 billion in cash and in-kind contributions, making it the first time Walmart or any U.S. retailer has achieved that level of giving.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6704975&access=EH

 

“Tesco treads cautiously in India” by Raghavendra Kamath at Business Standard.  “Tesco insiders say even though rules were relaxed to allow foreigner to own a majority stake in an Indian retailer early this year, the world’s third largest retailer has not been able to make much headway, largely because of the clauses on local sourcing and infrastructure investments. Multi-brand retailers with foreign investment are required to source 30 per cent of goods from small-and-medium enterprises locally, and invest $100 million in the first three years of setting up shop.”  Read more:  https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tesco-treads-cautiously-in-india-113042200897_1.html

 

“Where bricks beat clicks” by Jon Bird at Inside Retail.  “In Australia, we’ve seen customised footwear e-tailer, Shoes of Prey, launch its first physical store inside David Jones in Sydney. As Shoes of Prey CEO, Michael Fox, told Inside Retail, “while the brand has experienced strong growth over the last three years online, two key opportunities identified were allowing customers to see, touch and try on our shoes…As I noted then, “depending upon the research source, the conversion rate for bricks and mortar stores is a minimum 20 per cent (much, much higher in the grocery category), while online is a maximum three to five per cent (and some quote far lower numbers).”  Read more:  https://www.insideretail.com.au/IR/IRNews/Where-bricks-beat-clicks-8136.aspx

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Twitter:  @retaileyeretail

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/22/13: Amazon’s Russian Offensive | Kids Increasingly Make Buying Decisions

 

“The Store Is Media And Media Is The Store” by Doug Stephen at Retail Prophet.  “You see, what’s actually evolving is a new and far more complex role for the store, and online brands like Google, Bonobos and Warby Parker are affirming it, as they each embark on creating their own, branded, physical stores. They along with a growing number of other online pure-plays recognize that in order to “fully actualize” their brands, they need to animate a physical presence and visceral experience for their consumers, not to move products but more critically, to move hearts and minds”  Read more:  https://www.retailprophet.com/blog/the-store-is-media-and-media-is-the-store/

 

“EBay Asks Users to Fight National Sales Tax Bill” by Greg Bensinger at WSJ.  “The company on Sunday said it sent tens of millions of emails urging its active U.S. sellers to push for changes to a bill now before Congress that would allow all states to collect sales tax from online merchants, whether they have operations in that state or not. EBay said the bill’s sales threshold for triggering the tax is too low.”The legislation treats you and big multi-billion dollar online retailers–-such as Amazon—exactly the same,” said John Donahoe, eBay’s chief executive, in one of the emails.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323551004578437022807275326.html?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f

 

“Amazon Begins Russian Offensive” by Campbell Phillips at Power Retail.  “In a recent report from comScore, Russia was identified as Europe’s largest internet shopping market, with an audience of approximately 61.3 million. The nation’s Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) has received an application from Amazon to register the company’s trademark for the storage and delivery of goods, packaging for transportation as well as various digital capabilities.”  Read more: https://www.powerretail.com.au/pureplay/online-retail-giant-amazon-comes-to-russia/#ixzz2RBsaRXiy

 

“American Families Increasingly Let Kids Make Buying Decisions” by Martha White at Time.  “71% of parents say they solicit opinions from their kids regarding purchases. Nearly all let the kids weigh in when what’s being bought is mainly for the kids themselves, but more than two-thirds of parents take their kids’ views into consideration when making family purchases.  Kids even get a say when the purchase is something they won’t directly use. Nearly three out of five parents consult with their kids before they buy a car.  Read more:  https://business.time.com/2013/04/11/american-families-increasingly-let-kids-make-buying-decisions/#ixzz2RBuEYw7L

 

“Here’s a twist: Developers ask residents what stores they want” by Brenda Bouw at Globe and Mail.  “When real-estate developer Robert Fung started to look at how best to fill 8,000 square feet of retail space in New Westminster, B.C., he decided to approach it like a retailer and ask potential customers what they thought might be a good fit. He turned to Facebook, Twitter and community blogs to solicit feedback from people who live in the area…Mr. Fung says the response to the two-week campaign was “overwhelming, immediate and highly informative,” and it led the developer to refine his target retail mix”  Read more:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/starting-out/heres-a-twist-developers-ask-residents-what-stores-they-want/article11165548/

 

“Three Ways to Battle Showrooming” by Marci Hansen at Business 2 Community.  “Last weekend I bought 5 strings of “everyday” string lights from Target and installed them on my covered patio. So next year when I need two more strings, I’ll start the shopping process all over again, looking at Amazon, at Home Depot, and at Target and hope to match them up because I won’t remember. If Target gave me a way to remember, I wouldn’t even bother to look anywhere else. I’d just buy straight from them. Lowes has got it going on with their MyLowes campaign.”  Read more:  https://www.business2community.com/strategy/three-ways-to-battle-showrooming-0464017#OHVjZeRXBphr9cG7.99

 

“Wal-Mart Revamps Its Beauty Department” at Style Blazer.  “And with the help of Jody Pinson, who was appointed as the new head of beauty, everyone is expecting great things. She was recently the vice president pet care, where she helped launched the department to “one of the best departments in the business,”said one cosmetic vendor to WWD, and she is hoping Pinson can accomplish the same thing for Wal-Mart’s beauty department.”  Read more:  https://styleblazer.com/146269/wal-mart-revamps-its-beauty-department/#SqfCjEHHVqe0bXDz.99

 

“Mickey and Minnie brighten up Walmart’s paint department” by Mary Farrell at Consumer Reports.  “In addition to Walmart’s 112 Disney-themed colors of Glidden, the new paints come in a number of finishes including metallic, glitter, chalkboard and glow-in-the-dark. A feature called Room Painter on Glidden’s website helps parents coordinate colors.”  Read more:  https://news.consumerreports.org/home/2013/04/when-consumer-reports-tests-paints-it-doesnt-mickey-mouse-around.html

 

“Facebook’s Next Data Center Will Be in Iowa” by Arik Hesseldahl at All Things D.  “State officials have been kind of hush-hush about the whole thing, and apparently there was pretty stiff competition between Iowa and Nebraska to win the deal. Google and Microsoft have recently opened data centers in the state, as well.”  Read more:  https://allthingsd.com/20130421/facebooks-next-data-center-will-be-in-iowa/

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Twitter @retaileyeretail

 

Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 4/19/13: Food Lion Takes Price Battle to Walmart | New Geotargeted Promoted Tweets

 

“Twitter Lets Advertisers Target Keywords In Tweets – But It’s Still No Google” by Robert Hof at Forbes.  

Here’s how Twitter describes the way it will work:

For example: let’s say a user tweets about enjoying the latest album from their favorite band, and it so happens that band is due to play a concert at a local venue. That venue could now run a geotargeted campaign using keywords for that band with a Tweet containing a link to buy the tickets. That way, the user who tweeted about the new album may soon see that Promoted Tweet in their timeline letting them know tickets are for sale in their area.  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2013/04/17/twitter-lets-advertisers-target-keywords-in-tweets-but-its-still-no-google/

 

“Fairway Shares Jump 33% on First Trading Day” by Gasparro and Jarzemsky at WSJ.  “Investors snapped up shares of Fairway Group Holdings Inc. Wednesday on their first trading day, attracted by the small niche supermarket operator’s growth potential, a rarity in the struggling grocery business…Fairway, which traces its roots to a produce stand founded in 1933 on New York’s Upper West Side, sells grass-fed organic beef and locally produced cheese alongside name-brand products such as cereal and snacks.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323309604578428510412119762.html

 

“Food Lion rolls out new Walmart price comparisons” by Ely Portillo at The Charlotte Observer.  “Salisbury-based Food Lion is taking a page out of Walmart’s playbook: Direct price comparisons. But this time, Food Lion is turning the method on Walmart itself.  Food Lion has started running weekly price comparisons between its goods and identical items at Walmart. The company claims that, with its MVP discounts, shoppers can save up to 17 percent on groceries.”  Read more:  https://obswhatsinstore.blogspot.com/2013/04/food-lion-rolls-out-new-walmart-price.html#storylink=cpy

 

“Mind the Gap: New Fleishman-Hillard Research Shows an Authenticity Gap for Companies Across the Globe”  “When asked about the behaviors of authentic companies, consumers identified nine drivers that can be grouped in three essential strands: management behavior, customer benefits and society outcomes. The research showed that for consumers, attributes related to corporate behavior (management behavior and impact on society) matter as much as those associated with customer care.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130418005306&div=-1245645151

 

“New Study Finds That 76% of Women Prefer In-Store Shopping Over Shopping via Smartphone”  “While many retailers are busy building out mobile commerce capabilities, the reality is that the vast majority of women don’t like to purchase clothes and shoes using their mobile phones. Swirl’s research found that just one percent of women prefer to buy apparel using mobile apps and sites compared to 76 percent who prefer shopping in-store. What do women like least about the in-store shopping experience? Crowds (84%), transportation and parking (70%), and interacting with sales associates (45%)”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6682022&access=EH

 

“What does the new Facebook Home app mean for retailers?” at Retail Week.  “The change will continue to strengthen the importance of content, he says. “Brands with inspirational shopping content will benefit from increased exposure through Facebook Home, but on the other hand retailers will have to work harder than ever to entice customers to their own dedicated apps.”  Ropars adds retailers need to develop virtual shop windows on smartphones and says some are already taking steps towards this.”  Read more:  https://www.retail-week.com/in-business/retail-surgery/what-does-the-new-facebook-home-app-mean-for-retailers/5048227.article?referrer=RSS&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

“Have You Really Started A Mobile Strategy?” by Chris Murphy at Information Week.  “Walgreens moved one of its most senior e-commerce pros to oversee mobile. It put everyone working on mobile — engineering, customer experience, product development, marketing, finance — in one space. People are “probably going to have a drugstore app on their phone, probably on the first page of their phone,” Dhar says. “Let’s be that.”  Read more:  https://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/have-you-really-started-a-mobile-strateg/240152742

 

“Sources Say Amazon Acquired Siri-Like Evi App For $26M” by Mike Butcher at Techcrunch.  “Evi had a controversial birth, being threatened with being pulled from the Apple App store for being too similar to Siri, then being allowed to stay.  Will Amazon combine Evi with the voice recognition company they bought in January called Ivona? It’s hard to say. But smart observers might speculate that all these moves point towards Amazon developing a mobile handset/smartphone.”  Read more:  https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/17/sources-say-amazon-acquired-siri-like-evi-app-for-26m-is-a-smartphone-coming/

 

“Marketing at Retail’s Best and Brightest Take Home Display of the Year Award”  “Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) announced the winners of its 55th annual Outstanding Marketing at Retail Achievement (OMA) Awards Competition during GlobalShop 2013. More than 500 entrants from over 100 companies were adjudicated in 26 industry categories during this year’s competition.”  See the winners:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6686336&access=EH

 

Thanks for reading…have a great weekend.

 

Twitter @retaileyeretail