Archive for category: Eye-on-Retail

 

“The Home Depot’s Spring Black Friday” at El Editor.  “The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, today announced it will implement its fourth annual Spring Black Friday event, a weekend of regional savings on hundreds of items to improve the home in preparation for spring starting April 4, 2013.”  Read more:  https://www.eleditor.com/noticiashispanicprwire/23987/spring-black-friday-marks-the-start-of-home-improvements-busiest-shopping-season

 

“What a Discount Retailer Could Teach Apple” by Suzanne McGee at Fiscal Times.  “Dollar General is well aware of what kind of company it is, its target audience and how to serve them better: its version of innovation, for instance, is to add tobacco products to the list of goods available in its stores. Apple, however, is a business whose model is caught in between the wariness of non-devotees – why should we pay up just for the brand name and the design, these folks argue? – and a lack of new products to appeal to its fans.”  Read more:  https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2013/04/04/What-a-Discount-Retailer-Could-Teach-Apple.aspx#0ouRDijbZtgwLg8s.99

 

“Apple, Walmart Fight Back After Chinese Media Attack” by Doug Young at Forbes.  “Chinese media have feasted on the fact that the world’s biggest retailer has closed a number of stores recently in the cities of Shanghai, Shenzhen and Zhengzhou…Walmart is finally fighting back with a rare series of media interviews aimed to show how the company is still expanding in China. The articles themselves are rather dull, pointing out that Walmart plans to open 30 new stores this year and spend 500 million yuan to upgrade 50 existing ones.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/dougyoung/2013/04/03/apple-walmart-fight-back-after-chinese-media-attack/

 

“Target Takes Bigger Steps Into Home Furnishings” at Fox Business.  “Target could use a boost in home-product sales. Home furnishings and decor made up 18% of Target’s annual sales in 2012, the same as the prior year and down from 19% in 2010. As part of the rollout, Target plans to advertise heavily in print, television and social media, although a spokeswoman declined to say how much the retailer is spending.  “Home decor is the new fashion,” independent analyst Marie Driscoll said. “The consumer is tired of buying another pair of jeans and turning to housewares for fashion and newness.”  Read more:  https://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2013/04/03/target-takes-bigger-steps-into-home-furnishings/

 

“Walmart Allegedly Keeps Changing ‘Best By’ Date On Its Donuts” by Carey Polis at Huff Po.  “When you look at “best by” dates on grocery items, you want to trust them — but if different dates are on stickers slapped atop one another, it makes it rather difficult.  Redditor Planet_Rock discovered some apparently not-so-fresh donuts at Walmart. He said he ate them anyway, despite the staleness.”  Read more:  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/walmart-donuts-best-by-date_n_3001563.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

 

“Walgreen Clinics Add Care of Chronic Illnesses to Boost Sales” at Bloomberg.   “More than 330 of Walgreen’s roughly 370 Take Care Clinics in stores are now offering chronic-care services as well as advising consumers on whether to seek preventive care such as laboratory tests, the Deerfield, Illinois-based company said today in a statement.”  Read more:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-04/walgreen-clinics-add-care-of-chronic-illnesses-to-boost-sales.html

 

“Google Glass Testing Goes To High School” by Ellis Booker at Information Week.  “”I found out Saturday morning. They sent an email and a tweet,” Wettrick told InformationWeek Education in a phone interview. Although happy about being selected, Wettrick said he wasn’t all that surprised, because his class was, he said, a “perfect match.”  “I hate to sound arrogant, but a lot of applicants wanted to film a wedding or a basketball game,” he said. “We represent Google’s spirit.”  Read more:  https://www.informationweek.com/development/mobility/google-glass-testing-goes-to-high-school/240152117

 

“Family Dollar Stores to Host Second Quarter 2013 Earnings Conference Call”  WHEN: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130403006402&div=-1245645151

 

“SUPERVALU Announces Changes to Executive Leadership Team”  “Sherry Smith, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will leave the company at the end of May. Smith has served as the company’s CFO since her appointment in December 2010. She has spent 26 years with SUPERVALU and previously served as senior vice president, finance. The company plans to announce a new CFO at a later date.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130403005733&div=-1245645151

 

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“Target Sets Sights on Thrifty Canadians” by Mark Hamstra at Supermarket News.  “In Canada, thrift is not a virtue that businesses may or may not choose to embrace — it is often ingrained as a core value.  To be fair, Canada’s economy was weaker then than it is now, imposing a tight-fisted mentality upon both consumers and merchants. But I have since learned that value and thrift are still generally more important and pervasive qualities in Canada than they are in the U.S…Those will both be formidable obstacles for Minneapolis-based Target Corp. to overcome as it seeks to export its “cheap chic” ethos to the land of the loonie.”  Read more: https://supermarketnews.com/blog/target-sets-sights-thrifty-canadians#ixzz2PJ3VSB6f

 

“Walmart Rings up the Savings with the Return of its Great Gas Rollback”  “Beginning April 1, Walmart is easing pain at the pump with the return of its Great Gas Rollback program, helping customers save on their fuel purchases. Walmart customers using a Walmart gift card will receive a 10 cent per gallon discount; customers who use a Walmart MoneyCard® or Walmart Credit Card will save 15 cents per gallon on their fuel purchase.  Gas will be discounted at more than 1,000 Murphy USA and Walmart gas stations located at Walmart stores in 21 participating states.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6573516&access=EH

 

“Work needed to educate online shoppers on the benefits of gTLDs: study” at Internet Retailing.  “Generic Top-Level Domains (GTLDs) will start to be launched this year by companies such as Amazon, Nike and Google. But research from Afilias, which provides domain registry services around the world, has found that few consumers are aware of the change – and many would rather use traditional web addresses than the new formats. Thus, 73% of UK adults would rather visit a heritage address such as www.adidas.com/shop, rather than www.shop.adidas. In the US the figure is 61%.”   Read more:  https://etail.sharedby.co/share/MjPVXA

 

“Several major retailers grow online sales faster than Amazon in Q4” at Internet Retailer.  “The Top 500 retailers that did the best job of growing their year-end sales generally were those that got their discount message—and strategy—out early and often, says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of retail consulting firm Davidowitz & Associates. For example, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (No. 4) announced in September it was giving its Facebook fans early access to layaway and in early October Sears Holdings Corp. (No.8), which operates Sears.com and Kmart.com, added a layaway delivery option.”  Read more:  https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/04/01/several-major-retailers-grow-online-sales-faster-amazon

 

“Publix breaks ground for first N.C. supermarket” at South Charlotte Weekly.  “Todd Jones, the president of Publix, said company leaders chose Charlotte for their first location in the state because of the vibrant community and room to grow. There also will be another North Carolina location in the Dilworth area, but any future locations have not been selected as of now.”  Read more:  https://www.thecharlotteweekly.com/news/2013/04/publix-breaks-ground-for-first-n-c-supermarket/

 

“A Snapshot Of Wal-Mart’s International Business And How It Can Boost Growth” at Seeking Alpha.  “As opposed to controlled expansion in Brazil, Mexico and China, Wal-Mart is aggressively expanding in Canada. For fiscal 2013, Wal-Mart had planned 73 store projects, which was largest annual expansion in Wal-Mart Canada’s history. In the current fiscal year, it plans to open about 37 more supercenters.”  Read more:  https://seekingalpha.com/article/1312511-a-snapshot-of-wal-mart-s-international-business-and-how-it-can-boost-growth?source=email_rt_article_title

 

“How Sears Got Into the Data-Services Game” by Kate Kaye at Ad Age.  “So, why would a nearly 130-year-old company venture into an emerging data-services sector? It was a natural progression. Sears was “leading edge in terms of the use of these big-data tools,” said Mr. Shelley, who increasingly found himself sharing knowledge with other large companies seeking advice about how to modernize their data systems.  “They asked how they could use some of the same techniques. I used to do that on a voluntary basis on a phone call,” he said. “We said, “This looks like a commercial opportunity here.'”  Read more:  https://adage.com/article/dataworks/sears-data-services-game/240635/

 

“Whole Foods to Build Rooftop Greenhouse Above Brooklyn Store” at Progressive Grocer.  “Whole Foods Market and Gotham Greens are building what they say is the nation’s first commercial-scale greenhouse farm integrated within a retail grocery space.  The 20,000-square-foot greenhouse, currently being constructed on the roof of the forthcoming Whole Foods Market store in the Gowanus neignborhood of Brooklyn, is scheduled to open later this fall.”  Read more:  https://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/fresh-food/id37722/whole-foods-to-build-rooftop-greenhouse-above-brooklyn-store/

 

“Tesco sticks its neck out” by Richard Cottrell at Retail-Focus.  “News that Tesco has acquired the Giraffe restaurant chain in a bid to create ‘retail destinations’ is a bold move in the industry and shows a real willingness to diversify in order to win the battle for customers.  Now, Tesco – and any other retailer looking to broaden its appeal to the high street (or out-of-town) shopper – may well have to incorporate new technologies or use existing devices in different ways.”  Read more:  https://www.retail-focus.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=863:opinion-tesco-sticks-its-neck-out&catid=37:latest-news&Itemid=67

 

“Retail fraud is more than just shoplifting — and now it’s a felony” by Bill Laitner at Detroit Free Press.  “Law enforcement agents are seeing more sophisticated thefts that they are calling organized retail fraud.  Aimed at this sophisticated style of shoplifting, a new state law goes into effect Sunday with stiffer penalties against organized retail crime.”  Read more:  https://www.freep.com/article/20130330/NEWS06/303300100/Retail-fraud-more-than-just-shoplifting-now-s-felony

 

“Facebook Phone Announcement: What to Expect” by Julie Boorstin at CNBC.  “On Thursday, Facebook is hosting a big event to unveil its “new home on Android.”  What does that mean? We expect to see a new Facebook operating system for Google’s Android phone, which the social network will showcase on an HTC handset. Sources said it will effectively give users the option of making Facebook your phone’s home screen of sorts.”  Read more:  https://www.cnbc.com/id/100606927

 

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“Wal-Mart closing three China stores” by Zhang Ye at Global Times.  “Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world’s largest retailer by revenue, is planning to shut down three superstores in China in April, a move analysts said Wednesday is designed to cope with increasing labor costs and high rents in China.  The retailer has scheduled two store closings for April 8 in Shanghai and Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu Province and one on April 20 in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province, said Wal-Mart China in a statement e-mailed to the Global Times Wednesday.”  Read more:  https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/771253.shtml#.UVQ_s5M4SSo?source=email_rt_mc_body

 

“Prescription drugs cost least at Costco and most at CVS” at Reuters. “Failing to comparison shop for drugs – such as generic Lipitor to lower cholesterol or generic Plavix to thin the blood – could result in overpaying by $100 a month or even more, depending on the drug, the report said. The article will be available in the May issue of Consumer Reports.” Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/28/drugs-costs-idUSL2N0CJ19020130328?source=email_rt_mc_body

 

“About Walmart’s Idea to Crowdsource Its Same-Day Delivery Service” by Erika Morphy at Forbes.  “Follow me on this, because like the crowdsourced delivery system this idea (in-store lockers) has traces of genius too. There is a certain element of the population that doesn’t want to deal with Walmart despite its low, prices. They find the stores too crowded, the lines too long, the shelves too cluttered, the ambiance too low rent—whatever. “You know there are people like that out there,” Harvey said. These people wouldn’t mind scoring a low-priced DVD or crockpot though – they just don’t want to actually have to walk into the store to retrieve it. Hence, the lockers. They can pay for the item, go to Walmart and pick it up without the hassle of actually dealing with Walmart.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikamorphy/2013/03/28/about-walmarts-idea-to-crowdsource-its-same-day-delivery-service/

 

“The secret life of Target’s mascot, Bullseye” by Susan Krashinsky at Globe and Mail.  “Bullseye eats dog food; Target will not divulge what kind. She enjoys many types of treats—no elaboration. She travels first-class; the type of carrier and all other travel arrangements are secret. She even has a rider, rock-star-style, that specifies her working conditions at events across the continent. These include a private space where she can retreat, Garbo-style, and a mandated number of breaks per hour. Target will not say how many.  She is used to proximity with celebrities, including, over the years, Cameron Diaz, Salma Hayek and Michael Bublé. But she is a star in her own right and is enshrined at Madame Tussauds wax museum in New York.”  Read more:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/the-secret-life-of-targets-mascot-bullseye/article9966869/

 

“Target store bar-code scammer sent to prison” by Margaret Gibbons at Philly Burbs.  “Under the scam, Gasdaska and his two accomplices would identify costly items and cheaper products by the same manufacturer. Gasdaska then would create a UPC label on a home computer for the cheaper product, which then would be affixed over the real bar code of the more costly item.  For example, the group would select a Bose computer speaker, having a real value of $249.99, for purchase. However, before taking that item to the cashier, a UPC label of another, cheaper Bose product, would be placed on the box. The cashier would then scan the fake bar code, charging the lesser price.”  Read more:  https://www.phillyburbs.com/news/crime/target-store-bar-code-scammer-sent-to-prison/article_54bfbe34-9d10-5065-8f43-8d523d1e229e.html

 

“Google Testing Same-Day Shopping With Target, Walgreens” by Brian Womack at Bloomberg.  “The pilot project, called Google Shopping Express, lets local residents order items from participating retailers, which also include Toys “R” Us Inc., Staples Inc. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Google said on its website. Customers can get items from multiple stores.”  Read more:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-28/google-testing-same-day-shopping-with-target-walgreen.html

 

“Brookstone Reports Net Sales increased 4.6% to $519.6 million for Fiscal Year 2012”  “Innovative product development company and multi-channel lifestyle retailer Brookstone, Inc. announced today that, for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012, net sales increased 4.6% to $519.6 million and comp sales increased 4.5% while Adjusted EBITDA decreased 25.7% to $18.4 million as compared to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. For the fourth quarter ended December 29, 2012, net sales decreased 8.0% to $232.8 million, comp sales decreased 3.5%.”  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6561345&access=EH

 

“Google Picks 8,000 Winners of ‘Glass’ Contest” by Michael Liedtke at Time.  “Prevailing in this contest might not seem like much of a victory if you aren’t a technology fan. The winners will have to pay $1,500 apiece if they want a test version of the product, which is called “Google Glass.” They also will have to travel to New York, Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay area to pick up the device, which isn’t expected to be available on the mass market until late this year or early next year.But getting a chance to be among the first to experience Google Glass is being treated like a hallowed privilege among the tech set. Some contestants even likened it to winning one of the five golden tickets that entitled children to a lifetime supply of candy and a visit at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory in the popular movie based on a book by Roald Dahl.”  Read more:  https://techland.time.com/2013/03/27/google-picks-8000-winners-of-glass-contest/

 

“Publix breaks ground, downplaying idea of buying Harris Teeter” by Ely Portillo at Charlotte Observer.  “Publix President Todd Jones, on hand for the ceremonial dirt-turning, emphasized the company’s promote-from-within culture. He said many top executives at Publix have been there since they were teenagers.  “When you acquire, you can’t do that,” Jones said. He said the company hasn’t made a large purchase of a competitor since it bought a meatpacking company the 1930s. Publix stock is all held by employees.  Read more:   https://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/03/29/3946087/publix-breaks-ground-downplaying.html#storylink=cpy

 

“Lowe’s Hit With $400M Suit Over Tracking Website Visitors” by Kathryn Brenzel at Law 360 (subscription required).  “Lowe’s Home Centers Inc. invaded the privacy of certain Missouri consumers by using tracking technology on its website, and owes them more than $400 million in computer repair and software costs, according to a class action removed Thursday to Missouri federal court.”  Read more:  https://www.law360.com/classaction/articles/428264/lowe-s-hit-with-400m-suit-over-tracking-website-visitors

 

“Kroger To Participate In Morgan Stanley Retail & Restaurant Conference”  “The Kroger Co. will participate in the Morgan Stanley 2013 Retail & Restaurant Conference & Field Trip on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Mike Schlotman, Kroger senior vice president and chief financial officer, will address investors.  The presentation will be broadcast live over the Internet beginning at 10:40 a.m. (ET) at https://ir.kroger.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=106409&p=irol-presentations.  Read more:  https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6565475&access=EH

 

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“Wal-Mart tests in-store lockers for online orders” by Anne D’Innocenzio at AP via Seattle-Times.  “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will be testing this summer an option for consumers to be able to order product on its website and then have it kept in a physical locker at the store so they can pick it up without having to wait in line or talk to a store clerk.  The test, which will be conducted in about a dozen stories in an undisclosed market, is part of the world’s largest retailer’s overall strategy to offer increasingly demanding web-savvy shoppers the ability to shop any way they want. The company is also expanding its offerings online and improving a new “scan and go” shopping app so customers can immediately download coupons personalized to them.”  Read more:  https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020643437_apuswalmartlockers.html

 

BRIEF-Wal Mart Stores-e-Commerce exec says has 2 million items on Walmart website, plans to double that this year (Reuters)

 

“A Quarter of Patents This Year Will Be Mobile Related” by Ina Fried at All Things D.  “A new report shows that a quarter of U.S. patents issued this year are likely to be related to mobile technology. That’s up from just 5 percent of all patents in 2001, according to analyst Chetan Sharma.  In Europe, mobile is somewhat less of a focus, accounting roughly 10 percent of all patents.”  Read more:  https://allthingsd.com/20130327/a-quarter-of-patents-this-year-will-be-mobile-related/

 

“What’s A Mobile Ad Worth? Google Would Love To Show You” by Robert Hof at Forbes.  “Google is launching an initiative it calls Full Value of Mobile. It includes a calculator for determining how much revenue, value per click, and return on investment marketers get from various kinds of mobile ad actions, such as clicks to call a business or even in-store visits.  A recent study Google conducted with Nielsen showed that about a third of mobile searches prompted a visit to a store, a call to a business, or an online purchase.”  Read more:  https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2013/03/26/whats-a-mobile-ad-worth-google-would-love-to-show-you/

 

“American Express and Walmart Announce the Addition of FDIC Insurance and Worry-Free Check Writing to Bluebird®”  “Bluebird Accountsi will now be eligible for FDIC insurance, providing an extra layer of security. As a result, permanent Bluebird Accounts will now have the ability to receive direct deposit of government payments, such as social security payments, military pay, and tax refunds. Customers can also balance their Bluebird checkbook in real-time with pre-authorized check writing, add checks to their Bluebird Account by mail and add funds up to $100,000 annually.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130326005989&div=-1245645151

 

“‘Quite different’ markets: Target Canada president addresses price gap with U.S.” by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post.  ““There has been a lot of widely publicized discussion around why the retail prices are not on parity,” Mr. Fisher said, which revealed multiple labyrinthine industry factors. Last year, a BMO study estimated Canadian retail prices are roughly 14% higher than in the U.S.  “Transportation costs are higher, distribution costs are higher, fuel costs are higher, wage rates vary across the country, the tax rates are different, cost of goods are different, the duties — I think the scale we have here in Canada is quite different from the incredibly different, densely populated U.S. marketplace,” he said.”  Read more:  https://business.financialpost.com/2013/03/26/quite-different-markets-target-canada-president-addresses-price-gap-with-u-s/

 

“Top 6 Highest Rated Retail CEOs” by Joe Skorupa at RIS.  “This question is answered by Glassdoor, the online jobs and career community, in its recently released report, “50 Highest Rated CEOs.  Here are the top retail CEOs in order of their ranking on the list:

Jeff Bezos, Amazon

Blake Nordstrom, Nordstrom

Glenn Murphy, The Gap

Frank Blake, The Home Depot

Sharon Turney, Victoria’s Secret

Ed Crenshaw, Publix

Read more:  https://risnews.edgl.com/retail-insight-blog/Top-6-Highest-Rated-Retail-CEOs85493

 

“SUPERVALU Announces Companywide Workforce Reduction”  “SUPERVALU Inc. today announced plans to reduce its national workforce by an estimated 1,100 positions. The final working dates for impacted employees vary, based on the needs of the business and the areas they support. The reductions include both current positions and open jobs that will not be filled.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130326005770&div=-1245645151

 

“Walmart’s Award Winning ‘Green Room’ Blog Creates Online Platform for Global Sustainability Conversation”  “In an effort to further promote global sustainability best practices, Walmart has developed The Walmart Green Room, an online platform with the mission of creating a more sustainable world to help people live better. The site, designed and developed by Rain, a NYC/Utah-based digital content creation company, has facilitated a conversation on green living with hundreds of thousands of companies and consumers all over the world.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130326006058&div=-1245645151

 

“Apple to Triple their Retail Footprint in India by 2015” at Patently Apple.  “Buoyed by the success of the iPhone in India, Apple has decided to scale up its presence in the country and plans to triple its exclusive stores to around 200 by 2015.”  Read more:  https://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/03/apple-to-triple-their-retail-footprint-in-india-by-2015.html

 

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