This week, a series of videos on the safe and effective use of consumer products began running at Wal-Mart and Costco check-stands and video walls, as part of a public information campaign called Safe Marketplace sponsored and produced by Consumers Union. The initial series of videos – which focus on bicycle helmets, carbon monoxide detectors, [...]
The world’s biggest retailer posted a 17 percent increase in second-quarter profit today and raised its full-year earnings forecast, apparently partly of a renewed focus on its low-price message. The New York Times (Aug. 14, 2008) Wal-Mart also plans to add 80-plus stores to the 318 it currently operates in Brazil, beginning next year. The [...]
Online magazine Slate.com suggests four reasons why. One of them is Wal-Mart’s strong growth internationally, as economic growth through much of the world continues unabated. International sales comprised 16.7 percent of overall revenues in 2003. In the 12 months that ending in January, that number had grown to 24.2 percent. And in the most recent quarter, internationl [...]
Yes, they are big news for the magazine industry, but they probably won’t have a big, adverse effect on sales. Keith Kelly’s estimate that 20% of all magazine sales flow through the retailer is probably high by 3 to 5 percentage points and Harrington estimates that the remaining 1,100 authorized titles at the chain account [...]
Back in Sam Walton’s day, the company’s headquarters managers gathered every Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Wal-Mart’s founder had a stock retort for staffers who groused about the practice, “If you don’t want to work weekends, you shouldn’t be in retail.” In recent years, the meetings have been bi-monthly and now, according to [...]
Tesco’s entry into the U.S. supermarket business apparently did not go unnoticed in Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart has confirmed plans to open four new stores half the size of their Neighborhood Market format in the Phoenix area. The stores will be called Marketside. Dow Jones Newswires (Jan. 14, 2008)
That’s below rival Wal-Mart Stores’ rate and well below Target’s historical average. Many thought the “upscale discounter” would benefit from an influx of economy-spooked shoppers skipping mid-priced department stores like Macy’s. Instead, Target seems to be suffering from reduced store traffic and a phenomenon called, “trading down within the store,” which has shoppers stocking up [...]
Nike made a three-day, site-wide buy on Hearst-owned Kaboodle.com, concluding at the end of “Cyber Monday,” yesterday. American Express is sponsoring Time Inc.’s In Style Shopping and ShopStyle.com. The Holidays are traditionally a time for retailers to experiment with their advertising. This year, Nordstrom and Wal-Mart are sending text messages to customers who’ve singed up [...]