Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet 1/30/13: Apple trademarks its stores; Amazon sales jump

“Amazon.com Announces Fourth Quarter Sales up 22% to $21.27 Billion” “Net sales increased 22% to $21.27 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $17.43 billion in fourth quarter 2011. Excluding the $178 million unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales grew 23% compared with fourth quarter 2011. Operating income increased 56% to $405 million in the fourth quarter, compared with $260 million in fourth quarter 2011. The favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter on operating income was $2 million.” Read more: https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130129006591&div=-1245645151

“Walmart, Target Among Chains Saying No to Credit-Card Use Fees for Now” at Ecredit Daily. “For now, U.S. consumers don’t have to worry about the big retail chains adding a surcharge for credit card purchases, despite a settlement with Visa, MasterCard and the banks that allow them to do so. Whether small businesses will opt to charge customers extra for using credit cards is uncertain, although all retailers are required to post signs explaining the new policy if they do. The so-called “checkout fee” option became effective Sunday, for either in-store or online credit card purchases.” Read more: https://ecreditdaily.com/2013/01/walmart-target-big-chains-credit-card-checkout-fees/

“Apple trademarks the ‘distinctive design’ of its stores” by Reena Jana at Smart Planet. “Last week, Apple officially registered a trademark for its Apple Store interior layouts — as seen in its typical mall configurations — with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The descriptions on the registered trademark certificate (available online at Patently Apple), illustrate the elegant simplicity of the retail environments: “The store features a clear glass storefront…rectangular recessed lighting units traverse the length of the store’s ceiling…rectangular tables are arranged in a line in the middle of the store parallel to the walls…there is multi-tiered shelving along the side walls, and a [sic] oblong table with stools located at the back of the store…” Read more: https://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/apple-trademarks-the-8216distinctive-design-of-its-stores/11460

“Students study Target’s supply chain” by Madison Martin at Iowa State Daily. “Students in the College of Business have been presented with an opportunity to follow through Target Corporation’s supply chain. The tour will primarily take place over spring break. Supply Chain Management 428 is a course offered that covers special topics. This semester, Supply Chain Management 428 is taught by Scott Grawe, an assistant professor in supply chain and information systems. Grawe used to work for Target as well managing domestic international logistics. “I asked Target, ‘Can we design something where we take students backwards through the supply chain.’ Target is not doing a lot with it other than the fact that we’re looking at their supply chain, and they’re going to help give us access to the ports, to the suppliers, to the store, the distribution center,” Grawe said. Read more: https://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_b084337a-6989-11e2-b4c7-001a4bcf887a.html

“Walmart to open smaller “Express” stores around Johnston County (North Carolina)” by Derek Quizon at Smithfield Herald. “The small-store concept – known as Wal-Mart Express – offers about 15,000 items, down from the roughly 100,000 items available in Wal-Mart Supercenters. They typically range from 12,000 to 15,000 square feet and include a pharmacy, although Wertz said the stores are “more grocery-oriented.”…Wertz said Wal-Mart is opening Express stores in two very different types of markets. The first is urban neighborhoods where real estate is at a premium. The other target is rural communities that can’t support larger stores.” Read more: https://www.theherald-nc.com/2013/01/29/25954/walmart-to-open-smaller-express.html

“An Interview with Amazon Webstore’s Scott Pulsipher, Part One” by Ina Steiner at EcommerceBytes. “Amazon Webstore is becoming better known among online sellers who use it to set up their own ecommerce-enabled stores, using Amazon technology. Scott Pulsipher, General Manager of Amazon Webstore, explains in this exclusive interview with EcommerceBytes how online merchants are using Webstore to design, build and manage multichannel ecommerce websites and integrate with Amazon’s other ecommerce offerings, including Amazon Checkout payment processing and Fulfillment By Amazon.” Read more: https://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y13/m01/i28/s01

“Retailers Must Differentiate from Restaurants, says Technomic” “At the height of the economic downturn, many consumers flocked to supermarkets, mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs and other retailers, looking for a deal on prepared foods. But now that the economy is recovering from the recession, some consumers are purchasing retailer meal solutions (RMS) less often than they did just two years ago; in fact, 38 percent of today’s consumers say that they purchase RMS from traditional supermarkets each week—compared to 42 percent who said the same in 2010. “These consumers may be reversing the patterns they set a couple of years ago by heading back to restaurants,” says Darren Tristano, Vice President of Technomic.” Read more: https://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6208656&access=EH

“Ahold USA Appoints Mark McGowan As EVP Of Merchandising” at Food and Beverage People. “Ahold USA announced that Mark McGowan has been appointed to the position of Executive Vice President of Merchandising, Ahold USA, effective January 24. In this role, which will be based in Carlisle, McGowan will report directly to James McCann, Chief Operating Officer, and will focus on leading a merchandising team that supports Ahold USA and its four Divisions, Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover and Giant Carlisle.” Read more: https://www.foodandbeveragepeople.com/cm/story/ahold_usa_appoints_mark_mcgowan_evp_merchandising

“Loveland entrepreneurs put (drywall patch) product on the market” by Craig Young at Reporter-Herald. “…When Sward said he’d thought of a way to match the texture on a small drywall patch to the “knockdown” texture of the rest of the wall, “I kind of laughed about it at first,” Shoup said. But the two started thinking through how they could make the idea work. Sward built a prototype, and the two patented it. The conventional way for homeowners and contractors to match the texture involves a spray can, although the pros have their own tricks of the trade. But Shoup said the products on the market are messy and complicated and don’t work well…Loveland’s locally owned Orchards Ace Hardware stepped up to the plate first and put the product on the shelves last September. Now more than 50 stores carry the Pirate Patch, with a national retailer planning to start selling it next month in 70 of its locations in test markets around the country, Shoup said.” Read more: https://www.reporterherald.com/news/loveland-local-news/ci_22475069/loveland-entrepreneurs-put-product-market

“Where’s the Bread Aisle? Wegmans has an app Answer” by Danielle Haynes at Hispanic Business. “Earlier this month, Wegmans announced the update of its free smartphone application, and while the program has been available for a couple years now, the grocery chain is hoping tweaks will draw new users and downloads. The free app — available for iPhone and iPad devices through iTunes and now Android devices through Google Play — allows customers to customize their shopping trip, from making a grocery list down to knowing just which aisle to find that obscure ingredient you need for dinner.” Read more: https://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/1/29/wheres_the_bread_aisle_wegmans_has.htm

Thanks for reading…