Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 12/4/12: 3D Printing at Staples, Consumers open to mortgages at Walmart

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“Consumers open to putting mortgages from Wal-Mart on their shopping list” by Rick  Rouan at Columbus Business First via Reuters.  “Charlotte, N.C.-based Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group’s study of 618 U.S. consumers says that alternative financial services providers are threatening banks’ dominance in the lending market. The survey found that one in three consumers would get a mortgage from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and about half would be willing to finance their home purchase through eBay Inc.’s online payment subsidiary PayPal Inc.”  https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/12/03/consumers-open-to-putting-mortgages.html

 

“Staples Announces In-Store 3-D Printing Service” by Mike Senese at Wired.  “A new service called “Staples Easy 3D” will allow customers to upload their designs to Staples’ website, then pick up the printed objects at their local office supply megastore, or have them shipped to their home or business — not unlike the photo- and document-printing service the company already offers.  The Iris printers employ an innovative method to generate objects, using reams of paper that are cut and printed while being stacked and glued together. This technique allows for a high-resolution layer thickness of 100 microns, similar to that of the MakerBot Replicator 2, but not quite as fine as the 25-micron capability of the Form 1.”  https://www.wired.com/design/2012/11/staples-goes-3-d/

 

” Initial read on Neiman Marcus and Target holiday gift collection” by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News.  “Analysts this morning are starting to call the Neiman Marcus/Target holiday gift collection launch over the weekend a disappointment.  Citibank analyst Deborah Weinswig titled her report: “Don’t believe the hype: Target and Neiman Marcus Collection Disappoints.”  Here’s what Weinswig said: At the New York City Target location “we visited on December 1 for the official launch, we were disappointed by in-store execution. The collection was tucked in the back of the store, shelves were full and messy, and we saw little traffic,” Weinswig said. “We checked across the country with our network of trusted contacts and heard very similar accounts of in-store experiences.”  https://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2012/12/initial-read-on-neiman-marcus-and-target-holiday-gift-collection.html/

 

“Family Dollar names senior VP for food” by Jennifer Thomas in Charlotte Business Journal.  “Family Dollar Stores Inc. has promoted Tammy DeBoer to senior vice president for food…DeBoer joined Family Dollar in June as director of private brands. She previously was vice president and general manager for Salisbury-based Delhaize America Inc. at its grocery chain Bloom, which has been shuttered. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University.”  https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2012/12/03/family-dollar-names-senior-vp-for-food.html

 

“Wegmans (Northborough, MA location) Closing Facebook Page with Nearly 7,500 Followers” by Charlene Arsenault in Northborough Patch.  “What triggered the final decision was a posted comment that went unnoticed for too long,” she added. “The store felt terrible and decided that if they can’t do Facebook right, meeting the high standards we set for ourselves, they’d rather not do it all. And, we support that decision.  Natale said the disappointment was expected, and some advised that Wegmans shut down the Facebook page without an announcement.  “That’s just not our style,” she said.”  https://northborough.patch.com/articles/wegmans-gets-nearly-7-500-fb-fans-closing-fb-page

 

“Tesco lost grocery market share in past quarter” in Reuters.  “Market researcher Kantar Worldpanel said Tesco’s grocery market share (in Britain) edged down to 30.7 percent in the 12 weeks to Nov.25, having been 31.0 percent in the 12 weeks to Nov. 27 last year.  Wal-Mart Stores’ Asda, Britain’s No. 2 grocer, saw its market share edge down 0.1 percent to 17.3 percent.  The big winner was No. 3 grocer J Sainsbury. Its sales rose 4.7 percent and its share rose 0.2 percent to 16.9 percent. Last month Sainsbury’s posted a 5.4 percent increase in first-half profit.  https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/04/britain-grocers-idUSL5E8N488X20121204

 

Retailers Investing More in Digital Marketing for Holidays, BDO USA Survey Finds.  “With Google reporting that four out of five consumers plan to use their mobile devices to shop this year, it’s clear that mobile marketing is becoming increasingly important. Half of the CMOs surveyed say they have included mobile in their marketing strategy, up 39 percent from 2011, but still showing that many retailers are playing catch up with the platform’s exponential growth.”  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20121203006027&div=-1245645151

 

Happening Wednesday 12/5:  Lowe’s Analyst & Investor Conference Call at 10:00 am EST.  https://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95223&p=irol-eventDetails&EventId=4857135

 

Happening Thursday 12/6:  Apple’s Tim Cook Interviewed By NBC’s Williams (on Rock Center).  https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/apples-tim-cook-interviewed-by-nbcs-williams-airs-thursday