Friday’s Eye-on-Retail Tipsheet: Walmart & Streaming | Brick & Mortar ‘Heat Maps’ | Amazon/Costco Overlap

 

“Wal-Mart, retailers vie for bigger entertainment share” by Kim Souza at The City Wire.  “It’s been more than three years since Wal-Mart purchased Vudu, a video-streaming service based in Silicon Valley…Retail consultant Jason Long with Shift Marketing Group, said brick and mortar retailers are likely delving into streaming media as a defensive strategy focused on regaining lost revenue and blunting Amazon.  “Think about what could happen if Wal-Mart didn’t get into streaming, they cede eyeballs and engagement opportunities to Amazon and others.”  Read more

 

 “An Interview With Costco CEO Craig Jelinek” by Austin Smith at The Motley Fool.  “Do you view a brick-and-mortar competitor like Wal-Mart or an online-based competitor like Amazon as maybe a bigger concern or a bigger threat to Costco’s model?  Jelinek: I think, like I said before, they’re both threats, as is Target a threat, as is Whole Foods a threat.  The key is being the low-cost provider. That’s going to be the key for anybody winning the battle long term. It’s whoever can bring value and bring the best quality of merchandise to the marketplace at the best price. I think that’s really the key.”  Read the full interview

 

“Here’s What Brick & Mortar Stores See  When They Track You” by Sarah Kessler  at Fast Company.  “RetailNext, Euclid, Brickstream, Nomi, WirelessWerx, Mexia Interactive, and ShopperTrak are just a handful of services that provide brick-and-mortar stores with analytics akin to website traffic reports. By tracking movement within stores, they help retailers better understand how to optimize their layouts, staff their registers, attract returning customers, and more.”  Read more

 

“Amazon’s Overlap with Costco Could Spell Trouble” at Trefis.  “This study included the response of 15,000 customers as well as their movement analysis through the physical world. According to the study, about 45% of Amazon’s prime customers (who pay $79/year for free two-day shipping) will more likely shop at Costco than an average shopper. Moreover, there is 38% more chance for Amazon’s showroomers to visit Costco as compared to other showroomers. This indicates a big overlap between Amazon’s and Costco’s customers, which is not a good news for the latter.”  Read more

 

“From Oh, Canada to ‘O, Canada!’: Retail’s growth anthem” by Katie Little at CNBC.  “”For North American retailers, it’s easier to look over the fence at their neighbor versus looking across the pond for growth,” said Carman Allison, Nielsen’s director of shopper and industry insights. “With Canadians being exposed to media and advertising, brand awareness already exists for a number of key retailers and brands before they even enter the new market.”  Read more

 

“Harris Teeter profits jump in last quarter” by Ely Portillo at Charlotte Observer.  “Harris Teeter reported Wednesday that its profits for the quarter ending July 2 nearly doubled compared to the same period last year, to $31 million, as sales increased and costs held steady.  The company’s revenue grew 2.9 percent, to $1.19 billion. Sales at stores open for a year or more, considered a key measure of a retailer’s health, rose 1.3 percent.”  Read more

 

“Idaho artist’s coloring books become Costco hit” by Audrey Dutton at Seattle-Times.  “The Caldwell, Idaho, mother and grandmother and a family-owned Caldwell printing company can hardly keep up with orders for the “Color Me Your Way” book series.  The whole thing started with a lottery ticket and a few people who believed in her. I can’t even explain it,” she said. “I’m in awe. I’m just sitting here, going, ‘Can this be happening?’ ”  Read more

 

“A retail rally in the heart of L.A.” by Tiffany Hsu & David Pierson at LA Times.  “There’s been a real difference,” said King, 37, who lives at 8th and Flower streets. “First we got the Ralphs, then a Target, and now we’re getting a Whole Foods. It’s important because I’ll be able to stay here to buy organic produce and sustainable meat.”  Whole Foods will join a fattening lineup of grocers looking to cash in on downtown’s renaissance.”  Read more

 

“AT&T Ridding Some Retail Stores of Cash Register, Counters and Other Clutter” by John McDermott at Ad Age.  “AT&T plans to eliminate sales counters, registers, information placards and printers from 15 to 20 of its retail locations by the end of the year and will continue to roll out the less-cluttered design to more of its 2,300 U.S. stores into 2014.  “It’s a pretty radical departure from what we’ve done in the past,” AT&T Chief Marketing Officer David Christopher said in a recent interview.”  Read more

 

“Home Depot Biting Back Against Mosquitos” at ABC 40 (Springfield, MA). “He also suggests mosquito donuts to lure and kill the insects where they gather the most.  “Most mosquitoes are drawn to standing water. You put [the donut] in a birdbath, put it in a stump that has accumulated water. Its drawn to it and it will kill them,” Colo says.”  See the video

 

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Have a great weekend!