Laura McCabe Brandt’s Post

💡Amazon invests in consolidation of Saks Fifth Avenue & Neiman Marcus Group … Why? 💬 Lot of chatter in the last day about Amazon backing the consolidation of LUXURY retailers Saks and Neiman Marcus….theres a lot to be said about tech that helps traditional retailers win and I think Forbes and Suzanne Kapner at The Wall Street Journal have a great take. That being said, I think the crown jewel they are going after here is interesting…. I think the big nut to crack for Amazon is a CRM play of owning the super high end customers…dominating that top spender market. That luxury shopper. Not as a transactional relationship, but owning that luxury shopper segment—both online and offline. I think the crown jewel Amazon is going after here is…. 💵 Prime for the 0.1%ers. The big picture here is a massive opportunity for Amazon to unlock — think of the spending they could own. 💥 Amazon Ultra Prime. No wonder Salesforce also invested… CRM play. https://lnkd.in/gy_r7jMQ https://lnkd.in/gmk-ZqSU

Why do big eCom players want to move into physical retail? The big moves started a few years ago with Amazon / Whole Foods and it looks like the latest may be JD.com / Currys. It's a smart move to have an omnichannel offer: although eCommerce will continue to grow for years to come, there will always be a tangible benefit for having a physical store presence too; don't forget that most shoppers shop both on and offline after all. How joined up is your omnichannel strategy? If it feels a bit disconnected then please get in touch. #omnichannel #jdcom #currys #amazon #wholefoods https://lnkd.in/eFRmeW3z

Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Wednesday, April 17: 📦 Amazon's Prime subscription service reached a new high of 180m US shoppers in March, an 8% annual increase. Prime membership growth flattened after the pandemic, leading to a view that the online retailer had hit a plateau. 💰 The e-commerce business affiliated with Saks Fifth Avenue recently got a cash infusion from longtime financial partners Pathlight Capital and Bank of America. The company secured up to $60 million in incremental liquidity. 🚔 A union-supported proposal in New York state would require retail stores to implement new workplace safety measures, a response to rising concerns around violence toward employees and in public spaces. 👟 adidas has lifted its 2024 earnings outlook, following a better than expected first quarter. It now anticipates a full-year operating profit of around €700m ($744m), up from a prior projection of €500m. 👷♂️ Richard Galanti has stepped down as CFO after nearly four decades in the role. The longtime executive has left his mark on the retail behemoth. The Wall Street Journal profiles his journey and career at the retailer. 🏢 Amazon HQ2 was supposed to add jobs last year. The tech giant’s deal with Virginia had it adding more than 2,500 employees at its new Arlington headquarters in 2023. But it lost hundreds of positions there last year. 🥙 Just Eat reported a decline in gross transaction value on lower orders for the first quarter and backed its full-year guidance. Just Eat said it processed 214.2 million orders in the period compared with 227.8 million last year. 💄 SEPHORA announced a new managing director of Greater China in Xia Ding, who joins the beauty retailer after five years as Nike’s vice president and general manager of e-commerce for Asia Pacific and Latin America. 👜 Revenue growth at LVMH slowed in the first quarter as wealthy consumers reined in spending on Louis Vuitton handbags and other luxury goods. Organic revenue rose 2% in both the US and Europe. 👨🏻⚖️ Target is facing a class action lawsuit after a Connecticut lab reportedly found high amounts of the cancer-causing chemical benzene were generated by some of Target's Up & Up acne treatments and skincare products. 📈 Federal Reserve officials signaled a more sober tone this week, emphasizing that they’re in no rush to cut interest rate cuts this year. A string of discouraging inflation reports since the start of the year keeps pushing the timeline back. 🇨🇳 A Republican lawmaker is urging the Federal Trade Commission to probe the China-based parent company of fast fashion retailer Temu over its alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. 🏨 More than half the rooms at budget hotels nationwide were vacant during the first three months of 2024 as inflation-battered travelers cut back on spending, according to the latest data from the hotel industry. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

7 Retailers I’m betting on in 2025. The last 4 years have been a retail rollercoaster. The Pandemic crushed some and boosted others. The post-Pandemic Era drove dozens into bankruptcy. And 2024 has almost been the year of breakaway retailers. But where will 2025 take us? There will be a new President, House, and Senate. Interest rates are dropping, but still high. There’s really no end in sight for inflation. So many unknowns… Regardless of how the ‘unknowns’ play out. There are some retailers positioned to win in 2025: 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁. -Opportunistic sourcing model, which allows for bargain pricing. -Recently upgraded product-inventory-financial platform. -Continued growth in both revenue and gross profit. -Recent launch of private label brand ‘SimplyGo’. 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁. -Continued growth in both earnings and net sales. -Expected revenue growth of 20% YoY for 2024. -Ongoing store expansion through 2025. -Strategically moving into into small format. 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁. -Substantial R&D (tech) investments materializing in 2025. -10,600 door footprint to capitalize on growth of delivery. -Gross margin rate recovering to pre-Pandemic levels. -Out-pacing retail at large in revenue and net margin. -Owns Big Box retailer Sam’s Club. Thanks Trystin Nance for the callout. 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗰𝗼. -Potentially the highest per-SKU purchasing power. -Significant revenue, profits, and EPS growth in 2024. -Leaning hard into click-and-collect development. -Ongoing store expansions through 2025. 𝗔𝗹𝗱𝗶. -No frills model makes delivery affordable for value shoppers. -Aggressive acquisition strategy (including Winn-Dixie in 2024. -Massive operating profit across multiple countries. -800-store expansion plan for 2025. 𝗧𝗝𝗫 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀. -Opportunistic sourcing and ‘Treasure Hunt Model’ drive high value. -Strong YoY revenue and EPS growth; 12% profit margin. -Aggressive, domestic and international expansion -Aggressive investment in e-commerce. 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲. -Highest alcohol purchasing power of any retailer. -Ongoing ‘affluent community’ store expansion. -Investing heavily in both retail media and e-grocery. -Substantial YOY revenue and profit growth. There are lots of great retailers out there. And we’re going to see lots of expansion in 2025. But I believe these will break away from the pack. I’m investing in their media. And I’m even investing in their stocks. I just can’t get enough of this quote… “I don’t skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going.” -Gretzky ——— 🔹 We drive velocity in Sprouts, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Sam's, COSTCO, and lots of other retailers. 🔹 We grow brands on Amazon. #cpg #cpggrowth #retailgrowth #retailvelocity #omnichannel #retail #amazonagency #retailmedia #shoppermarketing #instacart #retailtech

Doing this helps Brick and Mortar stores thrive and ‘Amazon-proof’ their businesses… — E-commerce was thought of as this existential threat,” said Jahan Moslehi, chief executive of the real-estate investment firm Bridge33 Capital, “In the past few years, we’ve seen this resilience of bricks-and-mortar retail.” Retailers are figuring out how to adapt to e-commerce’s continued growth. The most successful offer their customers experiences that they can’t find online, such as indoor rock climbing at Dick’s House of Sport and eyebrow waxing at Sephora , and make it easy for customers to buy from them both in-person and online. Less than 2% of TJ X ’s total sales occurred online in 2023. The company, which owns several brands including T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, attracts shoppers from across the income spectrum by creating a “treasure hunt” experience. It sources merchandise in limited quantities from 21,000 vendors in more than 100 countries. The strategy prompts hardcore shoppers to time their visits with the arrival of new shipments in the hopes of snagging heavily discounted designer handbags and clothing. TJX's stock is up 194% in the last decade. Source: WSJ #ecommerce #shopify #woocommerce #amazon

If 70% or more of your business is coming from a single marketplace (Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair, Faire etc.) and you are not actively looking to diversify, you are taking a big risk. #amazonsellers #Ecommerce #OnlineBusiness #EcommerceTips #WalmartSellers #MarketplaceSellers #Retail #WalmartMarketplace

In recent years, Kohl's has faced the challenges of a rapidly evolving retail landscape. With the surge of online shopping, traditional retail has needed to adapt. Kohl’s response? Strategic partnerships. According to Jena Greene Warburton, TheStreet, in 2019, Kohl’s piloted a nationwide program with Amazon, allowing customers to return Amazon purchases at participating Kohl’s stores. This initiative not only streamlined returns but also invited customers to explore Kohl’s offerings during their visit. With every return, the customer recieved a Khols coupon (that can be coupled with existing sales and in store promos as well). Building on this momentum, Kohl’s partnered with LVMH powerhouse SEPHORA in 2021, integrating Sephora’s beauty expertise into stores. This collaboration proved to be a game-changer, contributing to a 90% lift in year-over-year sales growth in 2023. The company aims for $2 billion in sales by 2025 through similar smart partnerships. Looking ahead, Kohl’s is set to expand these successful strategies in 2024 with the introduction of Return Drop at Kohl’s, enhancing the efficiency of returns at participating locations. Kohl’s journey demonstrates the power of innovation and collaboration in navigating retail challenges. Here’s to more groundbreaking partnerships and continued growth across businesses! https://lnkd.in/gQfcrvrU #HalifaxWest #WinTogether #capitaladvisory #MandA #restructuring #operatingadvisory #RetailInnovation #Partnerships #CustomerExperience #Kohls #Sephora #Amazon #BusinessGrowth

To all founders, boards, ceos and those responsible for strategies in your respective orgs: In (more) other news… The big boys (Amazon, Walmart, Temu, etc) are coming here for the growth upside. There is no plan for them to play in this 6%. It’s the other +10% that they want a slice of. If your company doesn’t have an ecommerce growth strategic plan to get you to over 10% of revenue quickly and with profit upside, you’re going to have some revenue challenges when the market accelerates at greater pace…and you would have missed the boat completely. My prediction - retail will stay pretty flat, ecommerce share will grow from 6% to 16% over the coming 5 years and then watch what happens to bricks, logistics, warehousing, payments, B2B, distributors, cross-border. Won’t all be pretty. Find me if this is you. Have a great team in my circle who know some stuff and know how to get stuff done. #founders #ceo #coo #strategist #fceo #fcoo #fexec #gralen #ecommerce

Retail Giants are gearing up for early holiday shopping season. Walmart, Target, and Amazon are ramping up their holiday shopping events, encouraging consumers to start early. With Walmart’s six-day event running alongside Target’s Circle Week and Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, it’s clear retailers are vying for attention earlier than ever this season. Walmart’s event promises savings across key categories like electronics, home, fashion, and toys, while expanding delivery capabilities to serve 12 million additional households. This competitive spirit speaks to the growing importance of efficient logistics, marketplace growth, and strategic partnerships. However, retailers face a challenging holiday season ahead, with expected U.S. retail sales growth projected at a modest 1.2% to 3.5% due to economic uncertainty and a shortened holiday timeline. https://lnkd.in/gCSGxJcr #HalifaxWest #WinTogether #capitaladvisory #MandA #restructuring #operatingadvisory

Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Sunday, June 9: 💰 The Walmart heirs have added more than $53 billion to their combined net worth this year — second only to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The family controls about 45% of Walmart's shares. 🥕 Instacart has announced a new $500m share repurchase scheme, the third round of buybacks the grocery delivery company has authorized since September. 🍺 Federal regulators are planning to use a rarely enforced law from the Great Depression to allege America’s largest alcohol distributor is unfairly pricing wine and spirits. ☀️ The abundance of recent retailer announcements about new seasonal deals and merchandise indicates that this summer is gearing up to be a battleground for consumers’ grocery spending. 📺 Amazon has acquired key assets of MX Player, an Indian video streaming service, in a move to expand its reach in the country's market. The acquisition will leverage MX Player's strong presence in smaller cities and towns. 💳 5% of consumers will abandon a purchase if they can’t pay how they want.  More than a quarter (27%) of consumers say they don’t carry wallets anymore and instead are relying on the ability to tap their phone to pay. 🚫 Dollar General has shut down self-checkout at a whooping 12,000 stores in the last few months. Dollar General's crackdown is part of its plan to reduce inventory losses, including from shoplifting. 📫 The United States Postal Service's $40 billion overhaul is off to a rough start. Staffing and other operational issues are leading to delays, tripping up Louis DeJoy’s effort to modernize the network. 🍕 Blaze Pizza, LLC is relocating its headquarters from California to Atlanta, a move that will reduce its state corporate tax rate by more than a third. Blaze said its relocation is driven by a desire for its next wave of growth. 📱 Apple hasn’t given users a significant reason to buy an upgraded iPhone for four years, since it rolled out 5G connectivity with the iPhone 12 — a worrying trend for the tech giant’s core business. That could change this week. 🧥 The Sunday Telegraph examines how the trailblazing clothing giant Burberry has found itself stumbling on the catwalk of late. Burberry has suffered falling profits, ballooning debt, and a crashing share price. 🇮🇹 Supermarkets in Rome will be holding "quiet days" for shoppers with autism from next month, where they will switch off music and promotional announcements and lower the intensity of lighting. 📈 Wholesale inventories in the US rose 0.1% in April, the Commerce Department reported on Friday. On an annual basis, they were down 1.7%. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews