Walmart vs Starbucks: A tale of two successful Facebook strategies

Walmart vs Starbucks: A tale of two successful Facebook strategies http://t.co/gYr8fWp8

Consumer confidence slumps in Christmas runup

Consumer confidence slumps in Christmas runup http://t.co/RloVteaa

Consumer confidence tumbles to 5-month low on 'fiscal cliff' fears

Consumer confidence tumbles to 5-month low on 'fiscal cliff' fears http://t.co/X2gUh00I

Ebay enters physical stores with mobile apps for Macy's

Ebay enters physical stores with mobile apps for Macy's | http://t.co/rVWb4jZJ

B&M Bargains sets sights on European expansion

B&M Bargains sets sights on European expansion http://t.co/FCtpj9mI

Christmas will shine a light on supermarkets' woes

Christmas will shine a light on supermarkets' woes http://t.co/9uFj63AD

An Info Kiosk That Doubles As A Pastel-Hued Playground

An Info Kiosk That Doubles As A Pastel-Hued Playground http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671394/an-info-kiosk-that-doubles-as-a-pastel-hued-playground#8

McDonald's, stung by October sales decline

McDonald's, stung by October sales decline, gets upgrade http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-mcdonalds-stung-by-october-sales-decline-gets-upgrade-20121207,0,3940345.story

Starbucks row over tax and staff contracts could squeeze sales by 24%

Starbucks row over tax and staff contracts could squeeze sales by 24% http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/07/starbucks-tax-row-squeeze-sales

Retailers Feeling Pressure for Longer Store Hours

Retailers Feeling Pressure for Longer Store Hours, as Macy's Announces 48-Hour Openings http://abcnews.go.com/Business/macys-stores-open-65-hours-straight-christmas/story?id=17905087#.UMJSBsXAe5I

Walmart's Evolution From Big Box Giant To E-Commerce Innovator

Walmart's Evolution From Big Box Giant To E-Commerce Innovator http://www.fastcompany.com/3002948/walmarts-evolution-big-box-giant-e-commerce-innovator

Your Cyber Monday Savings Cheat Sheet

Your Cyber Monday Savings Cheat Sheet http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarathau/2012/11/23/your-cyber-monday-savings-cheat-sheet/

Cyber Monday sales could reach $1.5 billion

Cyber Monday sales could reach $1.5 billion http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cyber-monday-sales-could-reach-15-billion-2012-11-26

White House: Tax hike threat could hurt retailers

White House: Tax hike threat could hurt retailers http://bigstory.ap.org/article/white-house-tax-hike-threat-could-hurt-retailers

Microsoft Mulling European Retail Stores

Microsoft Mulling European Retail Stores http://allthingsd.com/20121126/microsoft-mulling-european-retail-stores/

Amazon Tries Selling Wine Online For Third Time

Amazon Tries Selling Wine Online For Third Time http://www.forbes.com/sites/ups/2012/11/16/amazon-will-try-selling-wine-online-for-third-time/

Retail bonds open up new lane for retail investors

Retail bonds open up new lane for retail investors http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20425545

Holiday shopping marathon starts as consumer sentiment shaky

Holiday shopping marathon starts as consumer sentiment shaky http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/22/us-usa-retail-holiday-thanksgiving-idUSBRE8AL04Q20121122

Mothercare's three-year plan cuts losses to £600,000

Mothercare's three-year plan cuts losses to £600,000 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9695295/Mothercares-three-year-plan-cuts-losses-to-600000.html

Retail sales edge higher on auto gains

Retail sales edge higher on auto gains http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/retail-sales-edge-higher-on-auto-gains/article5548306/?_rob_utm_medium=twitter

Black Friday: Shorter lines, but bigger checks

Black Friday: Shorter lines, but bigger checks - Nov. 21, 2012 http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/21/pf/black-friday/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Wal-Mart’s Black Friday to see bargains

Wal-Mart’s Black Friday to see bargains – and protests http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/wal-marts-black-friday-to-see-bargains-and-protests/article5550466/?_rob_utm_medium=twitter

UK's Black Friday shopping frenzy keeps Amazon busy

UK's Black Friday shopping frenzy keeps Amazon busy http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9696372/UKs-Black-Friday-shopping-frenzy-keeps-Amazon-busy.html

Black Friday: Why it matters to the rest of the world

Black Friday: Why it matters to the rest of the world http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9695973/Black-Friday-why-the-American-consumer-matters-to-the-rest-of-the-world.html

Olympic and Paralympic stamps help boost Post Office profits

Olympic and Paralympic stamps help boost Post Office profits http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9697401/Olympic-and-Paralympic-stamps-help-boost-Post-Office-profits.html

Hancocks sold in sweet deal for family firm

Hancocks sold in sweet deal for family firm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9698017/Hancocks-sold-in-sweet-deal-for-family-firm.html

Black Friday spending fears as sales start early

Black Friday spending fears as sales start early http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9698095/Black-Friday-spending-fears-as-sales-start-early.html

The Dirty Little Secret Of Apple's Black Friday Sale

The Dirty Little Secret Of Apple's Black Friday Sale http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2012/11/23/the-dirty-little-secret-of-apples-black-friday-sale/

US shoppers welcome early start to 'Black Friday'

US shoppers welcome early start to 'Black Friday' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9700228/US-shoppers-welcome-early-start-to-Black-Friday.html

Burger King Is Bringing Its Whopper Delivery Service To NYC

Burger King Is Bringing Its Whopper Delivery Service To NYC http://www.businessinsider.com/burger-king-delivery-nyc-2012-11

41 Comet stores to close by the end of the month

41 Comet stores to close by the end of the month http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/41-comet-stores-to-close-by-the-end-of-the-month-50009781/

Nearly all online retailers to offer Thanksgiving weekend deals

Nearly all online retailers to offer Thanksgiving weekend deals, survey says http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-black-friday-online-20121119,0,3893146.story

Amazon boss mulls high street shops

Amazon boss mulls high street shops http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/amazon-boss-mulls-high-street-shops-50009790/

Ocado secures £36m 'lifeline'

Ocado secures £36m 'lifeline' to leave hedge funds sitting on heavy losses http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9689060/Ocado-secures-36m-lifeline-to-leave-hedge-funds-sitting-on-heavy-losses.html

The 9 most successful retail stores in the USA

The 9 most successful retail stores in the USA http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/11/18/most-successful-retail-stores/1710571/

UK retail sales fall in October

UK retail sales fall in October http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20337773

Retail sales fall stokes triple-dip recession fears

Retail sales fall stokes triple-dip recession fears http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/nov/15/retail-sales-triple-dip-recession

Sears expected to show smaller 3Q loss

Sears expected to show smaller 3Q loss http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-sears-expected-to-show-smaller-3q-loss-20121115,0,6600427.story

Zara’s big idea: What the world’s top fashion retailer tells us about innovation

Zara’s big idea: What the world’s top fashion retailer tells us about innovation http://qz.com/27791

Target profit rises on food gains, card-holder discounts

Target profit rises on food gains, card-holder discounts http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/target-profit-rises-on-food-gains-card-holder-discounts/article5327745/?_rob_utm_medium=twitter

Do Retailers Risk Busting More Than Doors?

With Thanksgiving-Night Openings, Do Retailers Risk Busting More Than Doors? http://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferrooney/2012/11/14/with-thanksgiving-night-openings-do-retailers-risk-busting-more-than-doors/

Asda sales rise ahead of Tesco and Morrisons

Asda sales rise ahead of Tesco and Morrisons http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9680670/Asda-sales-rise-ahead-of-Tesco-and-Morrisons.html

Black Friday slips into 'Grey Thursday'

Black Friday slips into 'Grey Thursday' as retail giants face staff backlash http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/nov/14/black-friday-grey-thursday-staff-backlash

Behind the scenes at Amazon's Christmas warehouse

Behind the scenes at Amazon's Christmas warehouse http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/9664036/Behind-the-scenes-at-Amazons-Christmas-warehouse.html

Want to lose weight? How about a nice, refreshing Pepsi?

Want to lose weight? How about a nice, refreshing Pepsi? http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-pepsi-fat-20121112,0,7996576.story

Leon’s buys rival The Brick, to take on U.S. retailers

Leon’s buys rival The Brick, to take on U.S. retailers http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/leons-buys-rival-the-brick/article5185175/?_gi_utm_medium=twitter

Target is the latest retailer planning to open Thanksgiving

Target is the latest retailer planning to open Thanksgiving http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-target-latest-retailer-to-open-on-thanksgiving-20121111,0,6670251.story

Retailer Price Matching: On the Rise, But With Caveats

Retailer Price Matching: On the Rise, But With Caveats http://abcnews.go.com/Business/price-matching-trick-treat/story?id=17696886#.UKEkg2_Afko

Google Ad Revenue Now More Than U.S. Print Publications Combined

Google Ad Revenue Now More Than U.S. Print Publications Combined http://mashable.com/2012/11/12/google-ad-revenue-passes-print-media/

How Zara Grew Into the World’s Largest Fashion Retailer

How Zara Grew Into the World’s Largest Fashion Retailer http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/magazine/how-zara-grew-into-the-worlds-largest-fashion-retailer.html

As Black Friday sales drift earlier, some people push back

As Black Friday sales drift earlier, some people push back http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-thanksgiving-shopping-protest-20121110,0,1662736.story?cid=dlvr.it

The Groupon Disgrace: The Shares Fall By Another 20%

The Groupon Disgrace: The Shares Fall By Another 20% http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2012/11/09/the-groupon-disgrace-the-shares-fall-by-another-20/

Retailers plan earlier start to Black Friday

Retailers plan earlier start to Black Friday http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1110-black-friday-2-20121110,0,343664.story

Comet: hundreds of staff made redundant

Comet: hundreds of staff made redundant http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9667710/Comet-hundreds-of-staff-made-redundant.html

A Tattered Look For J.C. Penney: $203 Million Q3 Loss And Fewer Customers

A Tattered Look For J.C. Penney: $203 Million Q3 Loss And Fewer Customers http://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2012/11/09/investors-line-up-to-check-out-from-j-c-penney-after-203-million-q3-loss/

Holiday Spending Online Will Again See Double-Digit Increases

Holiday Spending Online Will Again See Double-Digit Increases http://allthingsd.com/20121108/holiday-spending-online-will-again-see-double-digit-increases/

Comet firesale leaves customers disappointed

Comet firesale leaves customers disappointed http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9664216/Comet-firesale-leaves-customers-disappointed.html

Dixons offers Christmas jobs to Comet staff

Dixons offers Christmas jobs to Comet staff http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1158770/Dixons-offers-Christmas-jobs-Comet-staff/

CNET Targets gadget buyers offline

CNET Targets gadget buyers offline http://gigaom.com/2012/11/08/cnet-targets-gadget-buyers-offline/

Wal-Mart to offer Black Friday deals earlier on Thanksgiving

Wal-Mart to offer Black Friday deals earlier on Thanksgiving http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-walmart-black-friday-20121108,0,73686.story?cid=dlvr.it

McDonald's monthly sales fall for first time in nine years

McDonald's monthly sales fall for first time in nine years http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-mcdonalds-sales-fall-20121108,0,2268541.story

Dixons chief wants to help save Comet jobs

Dixons chief wants to help save Comet jobs http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9660752/Dixons-chief-wants-to-help-save-Comet-jobs.html

Shop Direct sales rise

Shop Direct sales rise http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9662602/Shop-Direct-sales-rise.html

Ocado under pressure after head of non-food leaves

Ocado under pressure after head of non-food leaves http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9662634/Ocado-under-pressure-after-head-of-non-food-leaves.html

Apple Drops 20 Percent From Intraday Record

Apple Drops 20 Percent From Intraday Record on IPhone 5 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-07/apple-drops-20-percent-from-intraday-record-san-francisco-mover.html

Kraft third-quarter profit rises

Kraft third-quarter profit rises http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/kraft-third-quarter-profit-rises/article5032976/?_rob_utm_medium=twitter

Amazon Taunts Retailers

Retail: Amazon Taunts Retailers, Netflix With $8-Per-Month Prime Plan http://www.wired.com/business/2012/11/amazon-monthly-prime-plan/

Burberry takes a hit on perfume

Burberry takes a hit on perfume http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9660383/Burberry-takes-a-hit-on-perfume.html

M&S ditches celebs as profits fall

M&S ditches celebs as profits fall http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/nov/06/marks-and-spencer-advertising-celebrities

How To Build A $100 Million Business In Two Years

How To Build A $100 Million Business In Two Years http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/05/how-to-build-a-100-million-business-in-two-years/

Marks & Spencer turns to Victoria's Secret to boost sales

Marks & Spencer turns to Victoria's Secret to boost sales http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9656903/Marks-and-Spencer-turns-to-Victorias-Secret-to-boost-sales.html

What Election Uncertainty? Retailers Expect Best Holiday Season In Five Years

What Election Uncertainty? Retailers Expect Best Holiday Season In Five Years http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2012/11/06/what-election-uncertainty-retailers-expect-best-holiday-season-in-five-years/

Primark has only scratched the surface

Primark has only scratched the surface - geographically and socially http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/damianreece/9659685/Primark-has-only-scratched-the-surface-geographically-and-socially.html

Amazon.com opening huge fashion photo studio in NYC

Amazon.com opening huge fashion photo studio in NYC http://www.geekwire.com/2012/amazon-open-40000-square-foot-fashion-photo-studio-nyc/

Contrasting Tale of Two Retailers - ASOS and Marks & Spencer

I have been regularly tracking the developments for both these retailers over the past few years on my blogs. But the growing contrast between their performance couldn't be more obvious than comparison of latest financial performance numbers. To be fair, M&S and ASOS is not a like for like comparison. M&S is your traditional, conventional, respected high street retailer. Probably in league of its own along with only a few other retailers such as John Lewis. While ASOS is the new kid on the block, fresh, young, vibrant and bold online retailer who has challenged every conventional retail wisdom and won almost on all occasions. Both are highly successful and set benchmark in a way for their respective retail segments. Hence the comparison is far more interesting because, in reality this is not so much a comparison between two retailers rather between two different retail business models. 

Photo Credit: Reuters/Paul Hackett

As for the actual financial performance, Marks and Spencer have posted the worst trading results in three years, with clothing and homeware down 6.8 per cent. The company said that clothing sales had been affected by stock issues, as well as the wet weather. In the first half of the year, M&S said it had run out of some of the best selling womenswear. These are the weakest set of quarterly figures the retailer has published since spring of 2005. Food sales in the UK rose 2.9pc but this was not enough to offset the slump in general merchandise, dragging total group sales down 0.7pc

Photo Credit: ASOS

In contract ASOS has had an impressive year, posting results ahead of expectations. Profits jumped 43% to £40.9 million. Revenues also showed strong growth, with the company taking £495 million compared with £340 million the previous year. The company's international business lead the growth, with sales up 103% over the period, while UK sales only grew 7%. Australia, Russia, Singapore and China were highlighted as sales-boosting countries, while new websites were launched in Italy, Spain and Australia.

Above financial highlights drop enough hints about the reasons behind this contrasting performance:

• Focus on international growth strategy and its successful execution
• Successful adoption of new and evolving retail technologies
• Product and portfolio innovation
• Identification and strategy for growth customer segments
• Better Supply-Chain integration with new technology distribution models
• and i am sure there are a few more core retail seasonal trends, weather impact etc.

Let me also qualify my thinking on this blog by stating that though these are contrasting results, I have no doubt that M&S is and will remain one of the strongest retailers of the conventional high street model. And even M&S is implementing a few new technology led multi-channel strategies successfully. However, the new and evolved Retail Reference Architecture continues to differentiate ASOS from its conventional competitors. And to an extent, retailer like ASOS is creating new market places where traditional retailers are struggling to reach and expand. The company's website attracts 16.6 million unique visitors a month and had 8.7 million registered users at the end of June. Technology is a key enabler for ASOS and this is proven by the fact that, ASOS sells more than 50,000 branded and own-label product lines, with around 1,500 new lines being introduced each week. This is agility in action and this is yet again a classic case study of how technology can truly provide a competitive advantage to business and operations of an enterprise.

References:

M&S Official Corporate Website

The Telegraph

Reuters

ASOS 

How Innovative Retail Architecture is Boosting Profits at ASOS 

The Simplified Retail Reference Architecture (version 1.0)

Tesco buys UK music site We7 for £10.8m

Tesco has purchased We7, a British digital music service, which attempted to rival Spotify, for £10.8m.

The service attempted to go head-to-head with Spotify in 2009 as streaming began to take off. However, it lost that battle as Spotify’s star continued to rise – launching around the world - while We7 was forced to end its costly free on-demand streaming offering. Instead, the site co-founded by Steve Purdham and the former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, has focused on providing personalised radio stations to its users in an attempt to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive marketplace. 

It is understood that Tesco, which currently has a 91 per cent stake in the company but will purchase the remaining nine per cent within the next few weeks, plans to launch additional digital music services on the We7 platform in the coming months. 

Source and more details on Telegraph UK

Evolution of Retailers and Retail Services?

In the past I have written about blurring lines between Retail Services and other vertical services such as Financial Services. As conventional retailers come under more and more pressure from shrinking economic climate they are bound to explore this trend. This will see they expanding into not just multi-channel but genuine growth of their portfolio into other verticals. Latest indication of this happening is the news that leading UK retailer M&S launching their banking services. M&S Bank will open more than 50 branches over the next two years, with the first debuting next month at Marks & Spencer's flagship Marble Arch store. The Bank will offer a current account by autumn.

The fashion and food retailer will target customers with a new current account in the autumn in an attempt to make banking more convenient for its shoppers and encourage them to spend more on M&S products. The bank will be run in collaboration with HSBC, which has owned M&S Money since 2004 and takes a 50 per cent share of profits. M&S, which has 3m customers across a range of credit cards, loans, savings and insurance products, would not reveal whether it planned to charge for current accounts but said it would reward customer loyalty. Talking to the FT, Colin Kersley, chief executive of M&S Bank said, “There won’t be much point banking here if [people] don’t shop here.”

Will other retailers follow in M&S footsteps? Probably they will await the outcome of this experiment before embarking on their own similar adventures, I think. 

Tesco CIO - "We don't have an online strategy, we have a retailing strategy that is increasingly digital"

“I don’t think we have an online strategy, we have a retailing strategy that is increasingly digital. Online is becoming part of the core business,” says Tesco CIO Mike McNamara. “We are starting to make a more significant investment in internet platforms, which we will continue to develop. Digital platforms are now our new equivalent of building shops,” he told Computer Weekly.

The complete interview here....

End of "High Street Retail" As We Know It.....

More than 2,000 UK jobs were axed yesterday, as Game Group closed hundreds of shops after the company collapsed into administration. The beleaguered video games retailer, which had 610 UK stores, was unable to meet a £21m second-quarter rental payment due on Sunday and appointed the accountancy firm PwC as administrator. Is this the end of "High Street Retail" as we know it? Is it the beginning of the end? 


The writing was on the wall for Game for some time now. Earlier this month,the struggling video games retailer had confirmed that a number of its suppliers were refusing to do business with the company, sending its shares down 63% to 1.29p. Back then Game said that while it was trying to resolve the matter "as quickly as possible", it was unsure if its efforts would be successful.

The Game is not the only retail business struggling for the past few years. Almost all high-street retailers have recorded reduced operating margins and profits, if at all they were there. The difficulties at Game are testament to the current squeeze on living costs coupled with a change in shopping habits and games technology. The group has also been battered by competition from cheaper rivals on the internet, such as Amazon and Play.com, and the major supermarkets. Separately, many people now download game Apps direct to tablets or smart phones, rather than buying software to be loaded in to consoles like the PlayStation, xBox on Nintendo Wii.

What the Game story tells us however is something unique where a Technology brand is being eaten by fast evolving technology business models. As Matthew Warman states in the Telegraph, "the story of Game is simply the first taste of what the web is doing to global retail – its products happen to be bought by users who migrated quickly to the web. All other specialist retailers are being challenged online: Whittards, to take just one example, is under pressure from specialist tea and coffee retailers such as Teahorse and Kopi, who will send subscribers superb selections every month, and cater to profitable, premium niches yet don’t have the overheads of high street rents and other associated costs. Many consumers simply see that they don’t have the inconvenience of shopping. Where Game led, even the most aromatic of products is set to surely follow." 

It was not so long ago that another high-profile retail venture went bust in the UK. It was in November 2011 that, Carphone Warehouse announced that it was to close all of its 11 Best Buy stores across the UK. The first Best Buy store in the UK only opened in April of last year. But the outlets failed to make a profit. Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy initially planned to open 200 Best Buy stores across the UK and continental Europe. But clearly they had to abandon those plans well and truly before they could take-off. Is there market left for technology shopping on UK high-street? Probably there is and there will be always that small niche segment of shoppers who prefer to touch their electronic goods, CDs, Games and likes before they buy them. But that segment is shrinking all the time and internet players will certainly be calling the shots in this segment of Retail market.

Starbucks Lightens Up with Mellower 'Blonde' Brew

Starbucks (SBUX) introduced the American consumer to high-powered gourmet coffee, and even somehow convinced us to use words like "venti" when ordering large caffeinated beverages. Now, the coffee giant hopes we'll become accustomed to a new lighter roast that it calls Blonde. There are plenty of holdouts out there who prefer lighter, less robust coffees. The complaint among those who don't dig Starbucks' fare is that the brew tastes "burnt," or in the language of coffee connoisseurs, "bold."

read original AOL article here....