Apple COO Cook Confirms Forecast for 10m iPhones Sold in 2008; Stock Jumps [View article]
Excellent report. In one year, our company has moved over to iPHONEs and MACs now communicate better, especially with Google docs. People are tired of Vista crashing. We have introduced Open Office on CDs for $1 to $2, with audiobook support for how to use it. Why? Consumers really want to get untethered from Microsoft. If Apple stays on track, they have to be a big winner. Love the detail in this report.
Excellent article--putting the issues on the table. A strong buyback program, without a big options program for execs (largely unnecessary and certainly expensive), makes sense for IBM. They are the classic "blue chip" generating an awesome cash flow, in services that requires less investment than the traditional IBM businesses.
The writer thoughtfully points out that this is where IBM is--not the R & D company of the past.
Food Shoppers Not Trading Down to Private Labels [View article]
Excellent article about brand trends. Perhaps the most interesting fact is the "spread" between brand and private label has been reduced. Shows the consumer product companies are paying attention. Go Alpha Alerts! Great article--like so many.
Wal-Mart's International Push Continues with Mexico [View article]
Absolutely correct! Wal-Mart should let the US grow organicly (to use that fancy word), stop "fighting" folks here, and take a low profile (right now one of Target's key assets is it is "not Wal-Mart"). That would let the "good" about Wal-Mart come to the surface--great prices, great jobs in lots of areas without many, and a generally OK place to shop. Learn from McDonalds--do your growth elsewhere where people really "want" a Wal-Mart. Good article. Disclosure: Sold my stock in Wal-Mart when Lee Scott announced he was going to go "up" in price and compete with Target (people want Wal-Mart to be Wal-Mart, not a second Target). Sell Target not Wal-Mart.
Forget the Obituaries - The U.S. Economy is Alive and Well [View article]
Quite right. Employment continues to grow; unemployment claims are moderate. Productivity is up. People overlook the fact of the big movement to 1099 contractors from W2 employees. Inevitably that gets somewhat lost in the stats. Moderate doesn't make headlines; "recession" or "boom" do.....
Audible Fits Right in with Amazon's Digital Product Growth Mission [View article]
The best article about the audible.com acquisition I have read. Bravo to the author and Alpha! My company, Simply Magazine, sells 34 audiobooks through audible.com as well as through mass market retailers such as Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Big Lots, 99 Cent stores, and up to Target, Walgreen, and the military.
Audible people are hands on, enthusiastic, and smart. They should fit in with the enthusiasms of Jeff Bezos--who continutes to impress. Audible people are the biggest participants in APA (Audio Publishers Association); they send out the big guns who listen, learn, and guide. They can only help Amazon people to get out, meet, greet, learn.
I would challenge Lisa on "unadventurous" v. Yahoo. Yahoo is a "lot of money deal." Audible is a strategic fit. It is much easier and sexier to make the big play; harder to make the smart play. This article shows just how smart the play is (and I learned a lot from it).
The U.S. Economy: Remembering the Past Could Help Fix the Future [View article]
The problem as Pearl Bailey said is, "When the rich get a cold, the poor get pneumonia." As a serial entrepreneur, my companies' need related to cash loans and cash investments. Scare off the rich and the source dries up. Makes for good politics--and lousy business. Yeah, yeah the rich are on yachts. As Paul Tsongas said to Ted Kennedy (the former from working class Lowell; the latter a spoiled heir--who never worked so thinks punishment works), when Chyrsler was going down, "Ted, the rich won't be hurt; it's those union jobs that will be lost that will hurt." Ted, to his credit, got with it and supported the bailout. Same here; than bankers/investors may be this that or the other thing--but the last thing we need is to close their wallets and thinking defensively. As the Eagles said, "Get over it," in one of their best songs.....
Macy's Announces Closure of 9 Stores: Couldn't You Wait a Week? [View article]
Don't understand Mr. Sullivan's anger. Department stores have been in long term decline since the 1960s. Macy's has capitalized on the trend by accumulating the weak and one last department store chain. It is inevitable they will go away since they are essentially an emporium of useless objects.
Long-Term Investors Shouldn't Heed Confused Housing Data [View article]
Excellent and tempered response. Reminds me of Warren Buffett's famous answer to the question, "How could you have made more money for your investors?" Mr. Buffett responded, "Sit on the porch more. The worst vice of investors, including me, is to be over-active."
One thing he should consider is the emergence of dollar stores with increasingly better goods. My company's largest account is Dollar Tree, with almost triple the store count of Target. The three major dollar store chains (DG, FD, and DT) are opening the equivalent of a new Target chain every 24 months.
They have approximately 20,000 stores in the US v. less than 5,000 for Walmart/Target combined (not counting Sams). Our company is locked out of Walmart and Target because our price points are too low (except if we bundle, which we do--but the customer doesn't like; hey, we need the business...). Once a year Target runs our products in their dollar section for 4 weeks. We sell more $ then, than in a year in the regular dept at 10x the price.
Barry's chain "down" is because the down market is getting better and better products, pricing, and other things from their vendors. Dollar Chains are all N30, no nonsense, no fees, and very helpful. The rulebooks at Walmart today would make Sam flip in his grave (Sam started N30, no nonsense, no fees, and very helpful).
Dept stores have become emporiums of useless objects. If you want something nice, the niche mall stores have it--deep and decent, and often lower priced.
So the story is about the lower priced stores getting smarter. Kroger getting into organic, thus making Whole Foods (whole paycheck) less important. Costco, BJs, and Sams offering great bargains (though Sams always seems to be the laggard).
And the consumer is discovering this. This is why comp store sales at Dollar Tree, for example, were up 5.8% in Q1. Walmart's were down as I recall. A lot of Walmart being down is about disappointed consumers on price. In our category, Walmart is the second highest priced! Target is highest; but occasionally runs stuff in their one spot (dollar) dept., so it is hard to make an exact comparison.
Barry, if you read this, consider it--at least a bit.
Keep up the good work; love your column for its vigor, clarity, and wit....
Apple COO Cook Confirms Forecast for 10m iPhones Sold in 2008; Stock Jumps [View article]
Is IBM Thinking? [View article]
The writer thoughtfully points out that this is where IBM is--not the R & D company of the past.
Food Shoppers Not Trading Down to Private Labels [View article]
Wal-Mart's International Push Continues with Mexico [View article]
Forget the Obituaries - The U.S. Economy is Alive and Well [View article]
Audible Fits Right in with Amazon's Digital Product Growth Mission [View article]
Audible people are hands on, enthusiastic, and smart. They should fit in with the enthusiasms of Jeff Bezos--who continutes to impress.
Audible people are the biggest participants in APA (Audio Publishers Association); they send out the big guns who listen, learn, and guide. They can only help Amazon people to get out, meet, greet, learn.
I would challenge Lisa on "unadventurous" v. Yahoo. Yahoo is a "lot of money deal." Audible is a strategic fit. It is much easier and sexier to make the big play; harder to make the smart play. This article shows just how smart the play is (and I learned a lot from it).
Kudos to Amazon and Audible!
The U.S. Economy: Remembering the Past Could Help Fix the Future [View article]
As the Eagles said, "Get over it," in one of their best songs.....
Is IBM Representative of Tech Sector? [View article]
Retail Heading Towards Biggest Wreck in 17 Years [View article]
Macy's Announces Closure of 9 Stores: Couldn't You Wait a Week? [View article]
Long-Term Investors Shouldn't Heed Confused Housing Data [View article]
Retail Follow Up [View article]
One thing he should consider is the emergence of dollar stores with increasingly better goods. My company's largest account is Dollar Tree, with almost triple the store count of Target. The three major dollar store chains (DG, FD, and DT) are opening the equivalent of a new Target chain every 24 months.
They have approximately 20,000 stores in the US v. less than 5,000 for Walmart/Target combined (not counting Sams). Our company is locked out of Walmart and Target because our price points are too low (except if we bundle, which we do--but the customer doesn't like; hey, we need the business...). Once a year Target runs our products in their dollar section for 4 weeks. We sell more $ then, than in a year in the regular dept at 10x the price.
Barry's chain "down" is because the down market is getting better and better products, pricing, and other things from their vendors. Dollar Chains are all N30, no nonsense, no fees, and very helpful. The rulebooks at Walmart today would make Sam flip in his grave (Sam started N30, no nonsense, no fees, and very helpful).
Dept stores have become emporiums of useless objects. If you want something nice, the niche mall stores have it--deep and decent, and often lower priced.
So the story is about the lower priced stores getting smarter. Kroger getting into organic, thus making Whole Foods (whole paycheck) less important. Costco, BJs, and Sams offering great bargains (though Sams always seems to be the laggard).
And the consumer is discovering this. This is why comp store sales at Dollar Tree, for example, were up 5.8% in Q1. Walmart's were down as I recall. A lot of Walmart being down is about disappointed consumers on price. In our category, Walmart is the second highest priced! Target is highest; but occasionally runs stuff in their one spot (dollar) dept., so it is hard to make an exact comparison.
Barry, if you read this, consider it--at least a bit.
Keep up the good work; love your column for its vigor, clarity, and wit....