“Wal-Mart: Good For America?” at Seeking Alpha.  “A study done by Ken Stone and Georgeanne Artz called “Impact of The Wal-Mart Phenomenon on Rural Communities” compared small towns in Iowa with and without Wal-Marts to see if there was a significant impact on the economy. The study looked at 34 small towns in Iowa with a population of 5,000 to 40,000 that had Wal-Marts for at least 10 years compared with 15 small towns that did not have Wal-Marts to see what the difference was. The results showed that a Wal-Mart moving into a small town did not automatically spell out death for small businesses. The small businesses that were positioned to do well against Wal-Mart were stores that served some type niche of market or had a specialty.”  Read more:  https://seekingalpha.com/article/1321381-wal-mart-good-for-america?source=email_rt_mc_focus_0

 

“Supermarkets ‘Doing Just Fine,’ Says Kroger CFO” by John Springer at Supermarket News.  ““There is a dwindling number of comparative companies to look at in our industry, so everybody thinks our industry is dying,” Schlotman said at the Morgan Stanley Restaurant & Retail conference, in response to a question about investor confidence in Kroger’s ability to maintain its performance.  “Publix, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Wegmans, WinCo — all of these companies are great full-service grocery operators doing just fine like we are.”   Read more:  https://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/supermarkets-doing-just-fine-says-kroger-cfo#ixzz2PaGCuB97

 

“Whose prices are better (in Canada)? Target or Wal-Mart?” by Marian Strauss at The Globe and Mail.  “A survey commissioned for The Globe and Mail this week shows that Target prices are still more than 1-per-cent higher than Wal-Mart, on a basket of the same household and beauty products, and as much as 8-per-cent higher when one particular item is dropped.”  Read more:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/whos-prices-are-better-target-or-wal-mart/article10767832/

 

“Walmart’s staffing struggles extend to produce” by Bobby Raines at NYT via Market Intelligence Center.  “The Times said data obtained from Walmart show the company has a 20% share of the dry grocery market, but only 15% of the market in fresh-foods. The same report showed Safeway (SWY) customers have 71% confidence in that company’s product, compared to Walmart’s only 48% percent confidence in the stores’ produce.”  Read more:  https://www.marketintelligencecenter.com/articles/270457

 

“Target offends shoppers after it uses ‘manatee’ to describe plus-size dress” by Leora Arnowitz at Fox News.  “Target caused quite an uproar this week when they named the color of a gray plus-size dress for sale on their website “Manatee Gray.”  The same dress in regular sizes was labeled “Dark Heather Gray,” leaving online shoppers wondering just what the retailer was trying to imply with their word choice.  Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/04/04/target-offends-shoppers-after-it-uses-manatee-to-describe-plus-size-dress/#ixzz2PaHjOmBh

 

“Aldi targets convenience sector” at Inside Retail.  “German-based supermarket giant, Aldi, has launched its first convenience store offering in the UK, as it aims to compete with similar models from chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.”  Read more:  https://www.insideretail.com.au/IR/IRNews/Aldi-targets-convenience-sector-7962.aspx

 

“The future of e-commerce” by Peter Veash at Internet Retailing.  “What do cars, fridges, TVs, washing machines and the humble toothbrush all have in common? The answer is that at some point in 2013 it is likely they will all become a shopping channel…The same is true of toothbrushes. Not only will it tell you that you’ve forgotten to brush your teeth, but it will know when you need to book a dentist appointment. Conceivably Colgate could become the custodian of healthy teeth and gums by owning the whole dental ecosystem.”  Read more:  https://etail.sharedby.co/share/dnoaGC

 

“Facebook wrestles Google for control of your phone” by Shara Tibken at CNET.  “Facebook today unveiled a new downloadable user interface that takes over your smartphone’s home screen, lock screen, and wallpaper. Instead of the regular Android features, you’re treated to a slideshow of updates, photos, and shared links…Home will be available for download on April 12 on select Android phones”  Read more:  https://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57578018-94/facebook-wrestles-google-for-control-of-your-phone/

 

“Best Buy stores to feature Samsung kiosks” at The Seattle Times.  “Shares of Best Buy jumped on Thursday after it announced plans to create store-within-store kiosks for Samsung products – a vote of confidence from a major consumer electronics retailer that the brick-and-mortar format is still an important way to sell products.  Best Buy shares rose more than 16 percent Thursday.”  Read more:  https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020708170_apusbestbuysamsungkiosks.html

 

“Rite Aid Reports Same Store Sales for March”  “For the four weeks ended March 30, 2013, same store sales decreased 2.0 percent over the prior-year period. March front-end same store sales increased 3.8 percent, with 3.0 percent of the increase attributable to a shift in the timing of Easter, which fell on March 31 this year compared to April 8 last year.”  Read more:  https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsLang=en&newsId=20130404005665&div=-1245645151

 

Thanks for reading…

 

Follow @retaileyeretail