Major retailers lower prices as competition heats up

May 23, 2024
Target and Walmart are among the outlets competing for the dollars of consumers who may have reached the limit of what they will pay.
"We've made price cuts on 1,500 frequently shopped items," Target CEO Brian Cornell told investors.
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Dwindling savings and changing consumer tastes have hit Target hard

May 22, 2024
Meanwhile, its competitors are doing pretty well, including Walmart, where groceries account for 60% of sales.
Most of that extra cushion in people’s savings accounts from the pandemic is now gone, says Columbia professor Brett House.
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Walmart's newest growth market? More affluent shoppers

May 16, 2024
"I’m not embarrassed to say I bought something from Walmart anymore," says one such shopper.
The company has been trying to lure more high-end shoppers with new, trendier products and faster delivery of online orders.
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As higher-income households do more shopping at Walmart, the store is stocking fancier brands

Mar 22, 2024
The fluorescent lit aisles of big box stores don’t scream luxury. But for certain items, consumers just don’t care.
The fluorescent lit aisles of big box stores don’t scream luxury. But for certain items, consumers just don't care.
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Retailers take on Amazon Prime with new subscription services

Mar 7, 2024
Walmart's on-demand delivery program starts Sunday. Target's version of Amazon Prime launches in April. Is there room for more subscriptions?
The average American has12 subscriptions, says Raghu Iyengar of The Wharton School. That doesn't leave much room for Target's and Walmart's.
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Thrifty customers boost Walmart as retail market share battles loom

Feb 20, 2024
The giant chain reported strong quarterly sales. But for the first time in two years, shoppers spent less per visit.
Walmart's pricing attracts shoppers who feel strain on their budgets. The retail industry overall could feel strain on its margins.
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Walmart's bid for Vizio would make it a different kind of company

Feb 14, 2024
Walmart's acquisition of the smart TV maker would give it significant access to streaming data from ads — the kind that tracks what people buy
These days, a TV’s worth is tied to its streaming platform, says Jennifer Kent with Parks Associates.
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For public good, not for profit.

As Christmas looms, the shipping wars accelerate

Dec 21, 2023
UPS and FedEx, not to mention Target and Walmart, are all racing to keep up with Amazon's same- or next- day shipping options because shoppers have become used to faster delivery times.
Amazon says more than half of Prime orders arrived same day or next day during the first half of this year in the 60 biggest U.S. metro areas.
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Members-only retailers are a status symbol in China

Sep 18, 2023
While regular supermarkets are struggling in China, aspirational consumers keep Sam’s Club, Costco and its Chinese competitor Freshippo X expanding.
A shopper walks out with a full shopping cart from a Sam's Club in Shanghai. Membership retailers are expanding in China despite traditional supermarkets struggling.
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CEO turnover is booming. What's going on?

Apr 19, 2023
According to a new report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, CEO turnover hit its highest rate last quarter since 2020.
Several major companies like The Body Shop and Dr. Martens have announced exits from their C-suites recently.
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