Archive for category: Eye-on-Retail

 

“HD Supply may raise up to $1.3 billion in IPO” at AP via Businessweek.  “The company plans to sell 53.2 million shares priced between $22 and $25 each…Home Depot remains its largest customer and accounted for $296 million in revenue last year.  HD Supply reported a loss of $543 million on revenue of $7.03 billion in its most recent fiscal year.”  Read more:  https://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-06-13/hd-supply-may-raise-up-to-1-dot-3-billion-in-ipo

 

“Will AmazonFresh Kill Online Grocery Startups?” by Gabrielle Karol at Fox Business.  “The service, known as AmazonFresh, has been operating in Seattle since 2007. To use AmazonFresh, consumers need to pay a $299 annual subscription fee, plus an additional delivery fee for orders under $35. To get same day delivery, orders need to be placed by 10 a.m.; orders submitted after 10 p.m. will be delivered by 6 a.m. the next morning.  Online grocery startups in Los Angeles say they aren’t worried about competition from the $123 billion ecommerce giant in the estimated $6 billion industry.”  Read more:  https://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/2013/06/13/will-amazonfresh-kill-online-grocery-startups/#ixzz2WBWo5mGP

 

“Grocers sue spud growers over alleged price fixing” by John Miller at AP via Seattle Times.  “The grocery group (Associated Wholesale Grocers), a cooperative that supplies more than 2,000 stores including IGA, Thriftway and Price Chopper in 24 states, contends the potato growers banded together in 2004 to illegally inflate prices in a scheme akin to the petroleum-producing OPEC cartel, reducing planting acreages and destroying potatoes, all to restrict what was available for sale.”  Read more:  https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2021184846_potatopricefixxml.html

 

“Is ‘Shark Tank’ Really Worth 5% Of Your Company? Business Owners Say ‘Absolutely’ ” by J.J. Colao at Forbes.  “This morning the New York Times reported an interesting piece of information about Shark Tank, the popular ABC show where business owners pitch their companies to a group of high-profile investors, including billionaire Mark Cuban. Just for appearing on the show, owners agree to give up 5% of their company or 2% of future royalties.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2013/06/13/is-shark-tank-really-worth-5-of-your-company-business-owners-say-absolutely/

 

“Wild Oats chain is poised to reopen this year” by Tiffany Hsu at LA Times.  “Wild Oats Markets Inc., the closed purveyor of organic and natural foods, is planning a comeback this year, potentially aided by local billionaire Ron Burkle.  The company, which has been out of operation since 2007, now says on its website that it is “re-introducing” its brand, bringing beverages, snacks, cereals, pasta and other goods to store shelves….”  Story at: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-burkle-wild-oats-20130613,0,2377718.story

 

“Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. Reports Record First Quarter Fiscal 2013 Financial Results”  “Carlos Alberini, Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are extremely pleased with our first quarter performance and financial results. During the period, we delivered an increase in net revenues of 38%, comp store sales growth of 41%”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130613006282&div=-1245645151

 

“Duck Dynasty’s Growing Retail Empire”  by Alexandra Alter at WSJ.  “The family now sells everything from gumbo bowls and toy ducks to Phil bobbleheads and a Willie Chia Pet that grows a verdant, bushy beard. The Duck Dynasty brand has become so popular in Wal-Mart stores that last week, Willie and Korie Robertson were brought in to address the company’s employees at the retailer’s annual meeting. Duck Dynasty T-shirts are the top-selling graphic T-shirt in Wal-Mart’s men’s, women’s and boys’ department…Wal-Mart currently sells Duck Dynasty products in six different departments, from apparel to home goods and sporting gear, and is expanding the line to 13 departments by the holidays. New and coming gear includes Halloween costumes for dogs, with fake beards and camouflage, and an “exclusive” line of Duck Dynasty antibacterial bandages.”  Read more:  https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323734304578541634247239240.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

 

“Microsoft sets up shop in your local Best Buy” by Alan Bunkingham at Beta News.  “The company’s Brandon LeBlanc lets us know, “today, we announce a strategic partnership to create the Windows Store only at Best Buy, a comprehensive store-within-a-store in 500 Best Buy locations across the United States and more than 100 Best Buy and Future Shop locations in Canada”.”  Read more:  https://betanews.com/2013/06/13/microsoft-sets-up-shop-in-your-local-best-buy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=TechL0G&utm_desttype=twitter&utm_destname=techl0g

 

“Millennial Women Question Professional Ambition”  “A prominent theme emerging from the research is the extent to which millennial women are unwilling to make the personal sacrifices they believe are inextricably linked to their ability to climb the corporate ladder.

*  Forty-nine percent say the sacrifices women leaders have to make aren’t worth it, and nine in ten agree that women leaders have to make more sacrifices than their male counterparts

*  More than three-quarters of women surveyed (76%) are concerned about their ability to achieve a balance between personal and professional goals

*  Less than half of the women (46%) are willing to sacrifice aspects of their personal life to achieve professional goals

Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/find-your-fearless-millennial-women-question-professional-ambition-211408921.html

 

“Kroger To Webcast Annual Meeting Of Shareholders June 27”  “The Kroger Co. today announced it will webcast the annual meeting of shareholders beginning at 11 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, June 27, 2013.  The meeting will be broadcast online at https://ir.kroger.com.”  Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-to-webcast-annual-meeting-of-shareholders-june-27-211383971.html

 

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“How Costco saves taxpayers money” by Eleanor Bioxham at Fortune.  “Paying well ultimately saves Costco money. The company gets tons of applications and can afford to hire selectively. And it also doesn’t incur the high costs of turnover that other companies must deal with. In fact, turnover at the company runs just 10% overall for hourly workers and 6% if they stay longer than one year, he told me. Those figures are miniscule compared to overall turnover rates of 67% for part-time staffers and 24% for full-timers, according to statistics from the Hay Group.”  Read more:  https://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/06/11/costco/?source=cnn_bin

 

“Wal-Mart ups the ante to $10 billion in e-commerce sales in fiscal 2014” by Kevin Woodward at Internet Retailer.  “The updated forecast, disclosed by Michael T. Duke, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., at the retailer’s annual shareholder meeting last week, is fueled by organic growth and the retailer’s investment in China’s Yihaodian, an online retailer that Wal-Mart bought a controlling interest in last year, a Wal-Mart spokesman says. Yihaodian is No. 42 in the Asia 500.”  Read more:  https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/06/11/wal-mart-ups-ante-10-billion-e-commerce-sales

 

“Whole Foods talks to local vendors (in Tallahassee)” at Tallahassee.com.  “The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce assembled 22 vendors from around the Panhandle and South Georgia for an introduction with Whole Foods representatives. Companies such as Sweetbay Soaps of Monticello and Grassroots Coffee of Thomasville were invited to the Coton Colors giftware office on Centerville Road to present products and learn more about the major grocer.”  Read more:  https://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130611/NEWS01/306110023/Whole-Foods-talks-local-vendors?nclick_check=1

 

“Consumer Reports Index: Americans’ Financial Woes Fall to Lowest Level in Four Years”  “The Consumer Reports Index, an overall measure of Americans’ personal financial health, shows Americans are reporting significantly fewer financial troubles. The Index’s trouble tracker measure fell sharply to 34.0 from 41.7 a month earlier—the lowest level since the organization first measured it in April 2009.  The Consumer Reports trouble tracker has dropped more than 50 percent from its high-water mark in September 2009”  Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumer-reports-index-americans-financial-woes-fall-to-lowest-level-in-four-years-210971801.html

 

“Bob Marley’s son creates gourmet coffee company” by Heather McPherson at Orlando Sentinel.  “Marley Coffee, a sustainably grown, ethically farmed and artisan roasted gourmet coffee founded by Rohan Marley, is sourcing beans from around the world, including Ethiopia, Central America and Jamaica. The coffee is sold in Winn-Dixie, Whole Foods Market, BI-LO stores.”  Read more:  https://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/blogs/the-dish/os-bob-marleys-son-gourmet-coffee,0,3907229.post

 

“Walmart and Costco attract millionaires because rich people like good deals” at Canada.com.  “The new poll, performed by Ipsos, found that most wealthy people actually spend more time in low-end bargain shops than pop culture would have us believe.  “The results show that three quarters (72%) of the millionaires interviewed have shopped at Walmart in the past 12 months, placing it ahead of other major retailers in Canada such as, The Bay (70%) and Sears (54%),” the poll reads.”  Read more:  https://o.canada.com/2013/06/11/walmart-and-costco-attract-millionaires-because-rich-people-like-good-deals/

 

“Who’s Driving The Shopping Cart This Father’s Day? Dads Making More Household Purchasing Decisions”  “52 percent of fathers indicate they are the primary grocery shoppers in their households. And even if they’re not driving the shopping cart, dads are more involved in household purchases than ever before: more than one-in-three (35%) moms report dads’ influence on grocery store purchases is on the rise.”  Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/whos-driving-the-shopping-cart-this-fathers-day-dads-making-more-household-purchasing-decisions-211034371.html

 

“Sam’s Club Launches 25-City Small Business “Boot Camp” Series” at Sacramento Bee.  “Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer announced the launch of a collaborative program supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in 25 cities – the Grow Your Business Boot Camp series. The hands-on training seminars are backed by a funding commitment of $500,000 from Sam’s Club.”    Read more: https://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/11/5487892/sams-club-launches-25-city-small.html#storylink=cpy

 

“Shopko Announces Plans for 5 New Hometown Stores”  “The stores, located in Afton, Wyoming, St. Peter, Minnesota and Winneconne, Ellsworth and Tomahawk, Wisconsin, are expected to open in late fall 2013.”  Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shopko-announces-plans-for-5-new-hometown-stores-211079341.html

 

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“Walmart Canada & P&G Launch QR Code Campaign at Bus Stops”  by Jennifer Kwan at Yahoo.  “Here’s the idea: customers can use their mobile devices to scan posters with QR-codes at certain bus shelters to buy select items including Pantene shampoo, Pampers diapers and Tide detergent and have the goods delivered to their homes for free. The campaign will last four weeks.”  Read more:  https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/insight/wal-mart-invade-toronto-bus-stops-190600620.html

 

“Home Depot testing video conferencing with on-line shoppers to sell custom kitchens” at MarketWatch.  “At a Goldman Sachs conference on Thursday, Kevin Hofmann, president of Home Depot’s online sales, said the company sees online opportunity not just on things like power tools or faucets. It’s also using it as a medium to sell larger projects from floor installation to kitchen cabinets and catering to professional contractors.  For instance, the company can send 3D renderings of kitchen design to its customers online and is testing video conferencing to engage with them beyond just an online chat.”  Read more:  https://blogs.marketwatch.com/behindthestorefront/2013/06/06/home-depot-improves-its-online-sales-but-plenty-of-room-to-grow/

 

“Wal-Mart’s Best Deal: A Free Talent Show” by Stock & Berfield at Businessweek.  “What does someone like Tom Cruise get out of the corporate circus, besides perhaps some free aviator sunglasses and tighty whiteys?…Consider Lions Gate Entertainment, which sells movies, TV shows, and soundtracks. Wal-Mart accounted for 38 percent of its disc sales last year, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings. No doubt, the impact is similar for a company like United Artists, which Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, took over in 2007. The pair owns 30 percent of the label.”  Read more:  https://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-07/wal-marts-best-deal-a-free-talent-show

 

“Target Introduces Simply Balanced: An Organic & Healthy Food Collection”  “Launching June 9 with the full collection to arrive in stores by October, the line features nearly 250 products, catering to those with an appetite for ingredients they want and a food label that they can understand.”  Read more:  https://abullseyeview.com/target-introduces-simply-balanced-wellness-food-brand/

 

“Sears Comps Decrease 5% in Q1”   “The comparable store sales decrease of 5.0% was comprised of a 6.9% decrease in Hometown and a 1.2% increase in Outlet. The 5.0% decrease was primarily driven by lower sales of lawn and garden in Hometown due to colder weather conditions experienced in large portions of the U.S. delaying the start of the spring/summer season. Excluding lawn and garden, the Company’s comparable store sales increased 1.4%, led by appliances and mattresses.”  Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sears-hometown-and-outlet-stores-inc-reports-first-quarter-2013-results-210531951.html

 

“Sears Hometown And Outlet Stores: Undervalued With Significant Growth Ahead” at Seeking Alpha.  “Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores benefits from the dealer/franchise model in the amount of control retained over product procurement, pricing, advertising, and in general how the brand is positioned and managed by the independent operators. What you see when you peel back the onion a layer or two on SHOS is a profitable company, with no debt, and the opportunity to materially expand its store count through the dealer/franchise model in place.”  Read more:  https://seekingalpha.com/article/1488952-sears-hometown-and-outlet-stores-undervalued-with-significant-growth-ahead?source=google_news

 

“Raley’s Investigates Possible Cyber Attack” at Supermarket News.  “Raley’s Supermarkets here said Friday it has discovered that a portion of its computer network systems may have been the target of a cyber attack.  While the company has not confirmed any unauthorized access to payment-card data, it said it has notified the FBI and initiated an investigation to determine whether anyone has obtained customer credit- and debit-card information.”  Read more: https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/raleys-investigates-possible-cyber-attack#ixzz2Vocx5yYt

 

“Analysts quiz Wal-Mart officers on market, legal issues” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “As other retailers have expanded heavily into consumables and grocery, analysts wanted to know if Wal-Mart management might consider focusing less on consumables and differentiating more into other product categories. They cited the fact that Costco has used that strategy and had not suffered lower traffic or sales comps.  Simon responded, “Please don’t misinterpret our focus on consumables, as a lack of focus on everything else, because the velocity of a pillow is once a year or two where bananas and milk are a weekly or twice-weekly purchase.”  The consumables drive the “velocity” (numbers) for store traffic, he added.”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/28196#.UbWkJfnVDpU

 

“Five Below Soars on Teen Shopping Craze” at Bloomberg.  “Shares of Philadelphia-based Five Below closed June 7 at about 49 times its estimated earnings for the next 12 months, higher than any other retailer in the Russell 2000 Index other than Office Depot Inc. (ODP), which is in the midst of a merger, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) closed at about 70 times estimated earnings on that basis.”  Read more:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-10/five-below-soars-on-teen-shopping-craze-post-zany-brainy.html

 

“Small-town hardware stores battle retail giants” at Cedar Valley Business.  “Ted Gehrke, 45, worked in hardware retail management for 30 years. In 2012, Gehrke decided to leave his job at Home Depot and open his own hardware store, Ted’s Home & Hardware off Lafayette Road in Evansdale.  “I was sitting in the sauna at the gym with a guy and he said, ‘You know what we need? A hardware store on the north side of town,’ and I thought ‘Aaah,'” Gehrke said.”  Read more:  https://wcfcourier.com/business/local/small-town-hardware-stores-battle-retail-giants/article_3b96c569-c7ac-5f09-9ea5-5747988957a4.html

 

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“Home Depot No. 5 on J.D. Power Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction rankings” by Jacques Couret at Atlanta Business Journal.  “The Home Depot Inc. ranked fifth place on the J.D. Power 2013 Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study.  The Atlanta-based home improvement giant scored 747 (out of 1,000) in the study, which was below the industry average of 758.  Ace Hardware topped the list, followed by Menard’s, Lowe’s and True Value.”  Read more:  https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2013/06/05/home-depot-no-5-on-jd-power-home.html

 

“Costco Same-Store Sales +5% in May ” (Co. Press Release).  “For the thirty-nine weeks ended June 2, 2013, the Company reported net sales of $77.13 billion, an increase of eight percent from $71.28 billion during the similar period last year.”  Read more:  https://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1827540&highlight=

 

“Costco May same-store sales miss expectations” at Reuters.  “Analysts on average were expecting sales to rise 5.5 percent, including the effects of fuel, according to Thomson Reuters Data.  Net sales at the Issaquah, Washington-based retailer rose 7 percent to $8.13 billion for the four-week period ended June 2.”  Read more:  https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/06/costco-results-idUSL3N0EI0Z820130606

 

“Duck Dynasty Sings Praises of Association with Walmart” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Willie Robertson said the family’s duck calls got into 40 stores originally from going door-to-door. He said the hit television show, was launched from a series of DVDs first made for distribution at Wal-Mart.  “Back then I told them not to film my uncle Si, and boy was that a mistake. Everywhere I go today, people ask me where is Si and if he is really that way. He is quite the cat for sure,” Robertson said…Korie Robertson said the Robertson men used to shave their beards before calling on Wal-Mart at the home office in Bentonville.  “Nobody could recognize them without the facial hair so Willie said the beards are who we are and they haven’t shaved since,” she said.”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/28162#.UbBc90DVDpU

 

“Brand Z Releases 100 Most Valuable Global Brands”

*  #14 – Amazon

*  #18 – Walmart

*  #41 – Home Depot

See the rankings:  https://www.millwardbrown.com/brandz/2013/Top100/Docs/2013_BrandZ_Top100_Chart.pdf

 

“Suppliers benefit from Wal-Mart sourcing goals” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “Michelle Gloeckler, senior vice president of Walmart home, told the media Wednesday afternoon that the retailer is making “great strides” since the (Buy U.S.) initiative was announced earlier this year. She said two-thirds of the products in Walmart U.S. stores are already sourced from the U.S.”  Read more:  https://www.thecitywire.com/node/28164#.UbBV4UDVDpU

 

“Walgreens May Sales Increase 4.3 Percent”  “Total front-end sales increased 3.4 percent compared with the same month in fiscal 2012, while comparable store front-end sales increased 1.2 percent. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 3.5 percent while basket size increased 4.7 percent.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130605005277&div=-1245645151

 

“Brands and Retailers Holding Back On Green Message”  “Notably, markedly few executives (less than one in six) felt sustainability was being driven by consumer demand. Communication (or lack thereof) continues to be at the core of this issue.  According to the Market LOHAS Research and Insight Team, “What this means is that shoppers remain unaware of the growing range of sustainable options across category and channel. They may not be able to put their money where their hearts are as much as they’d like.” Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brands-and-retailers-holding-back-on-green-message-210275831.html

 

“Consumer Study Says Many Dads Lean in at Home to Share Roles as Caregiver and Shopper”  “Many American fathers are embracing their dual roles at home as nurturer and household manager, with roughly 2 in 5 (43 percent) saying they share equally in acting as a caregiver to their children and nearly half (45 percent) reporting sole responsibility for managing home expenses, according to the Gibbs & Soell Domestic Dads™ Study.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130605006182&div=-1245645151

 

“Consumers Shop Convenience Stores As Regularly As Supermarkets”  “When asked how often consumers shop in a convenience store, 59% of the respondents reported more than once a week, with that number increasing to over 70% among 18-44 year olds. Surprisingly 25% of the consumers surveyed reported that they shop in a convenience store more or as frequently as they shop at the supermarket or grocery store.”  Read more:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-shop-convenience-stores-as-regularly-as-supermarkets-210221691.html

 

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