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☆ Meet the Singapore-based telco disruptor with the knack for a viral campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Lin Lin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Circles is a tech start-up with an ambition to shake up the telecommunications industry – and an unconventional marketing strategy to match. "For the longest time, the telco industry has been talking about the same challenge, but not doing much," Circle co-founder and CEO Rameez Ansar told CNBC's Marketing.Media.Money. Based in Singapore, Circles was founded in 2014 with the goal of revolutionizing the customer experience. Since its inception, the company's tongue-in-cheek and sometimes provocative marketing campaigns have become synonymous with the brand. Learn more about Circle's marketing strategies by watching the video above.

Persons: Rameez Ansar, CNBC's, Ansar, we'll, Ajay Sampath Organizations: Circles.Life Locations: Singapore

☆ The CEO of Verizon's mobile unit has a bold ambition for salespeople and call centers in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-21 | by ( Josée Rose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He became the CEO of Verizon's consumer group, which includes its flagging mobile unit. As he took on his new role, Sampath worked at Verizon stores and one of the company's overseas call centers. There's uncertainty about the economy. There's uncertainty with elections looming, and it's going to be massively polarizing. AdvertisementYou will have companies that attract certain talent and companies that don't attract certain talent, and that's going to have long-term consequences.

Persons: —, Sampath, it's, what's, We'd, I've, there's, you've, They're Organizations: Service, Verizon, Business Locations: America

☆ Verizon searching for new finance chief and potential CEO successor - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 12 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications (VZ.N) is searching for a new finance chief and looking for potential candidates to later succeed CEO Hans Vestberg, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday citing people familiar with the matter. The company had reshuffled its senior leadership roles in March and appointed Tony Skiadas to replace former Chief Financial Officer Matt Ellis while naming Sowmyanarayan Sampath as the CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. Verizon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company is working with executive recruiting and advisory firm Spencer Stuart, the report added. Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hans Vestberg, Tony Skiadas, Matt Ellis, Sampath, Vestberg, Spencer Stuart, Chavi Mehta, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Verizon Communications, Wall Street, Verizon Consumer Group, Verizon, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Gulden said Adidas was still deciding what to do with its stock of unsold Yeezy footwear. One option could be for Adidas to donate proceeds from the sale of repurposed Yeezy stock to charity, Gulden said. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton 1 2 3The split cost Adidas 600 million euros ($632 million) in sales in the fourth quarter of 2022, and Yeezy shoes would have brought in an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue this year. Inventories came in at just under 6 billion euros at the end of December, up 49% from the previous year, including 400 million euros of Yeezy products. That, along with $200 million of one-off costs, would bring Adidas to a $700 million loss this year.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond raises $135 million more to aid turnaround effort
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 8 (Reuters) - Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY.O) said on Wednesday it had raised another $135 million in an equity offering and was in the process of rebuilding its business after teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The retailer has so far raised $360 million out of the roughly $1 billion that it planned in a complex deal of preferred stock and warrant offerings. "Over the past month, we have been rebuilding our financial and operational positioning to execute our customer-focused turnaround plans," Chief Executive Sue Gove said in a statement. In January, the company raised doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern, just months after it announced job cuts and 150 store closures. Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Walmart will derive more profit from services, ad sales in next 5 years -CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Today, the vast majority of our overall profits are attributable to in-store brick-and-mortar in the U.S.," John David Rainey, Walmart's CFO, said at a Raymond James Conference. Services, such as fees Walmart collects from third-party sellers on Walmart.com, the cut it gets if Walmart fulfills those orders to shoppers and the dollars that advertisers spend through Walmart's growing retail media business, are the higher-margin, faster-growing parts of Walmart's business, Rainey said. Most recently, Amazon disclosed $11.6 billion in revenue from its ad business in the fourth quarter. The business has grown rapidly since then, with sales rising nearly 30% to $2.7 billion in its fiscal year ended Jan. 31. In the fourth quarter, ad sales rose 41% year-over-year, the company said last month.

☆ Verizon finance chief Matt Ellis to depart in top management rejig
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 3 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc finance chief Matt Ellis will leave the wireless carrier in May, it said on Friday in a slew of senior leadership changes. Senior Vice President Tony Skiadas will replace Ellis, the company said while announcing new leaders to its key verticals. Sowmyanarayan Sampath, who leads Verizon Business Group, will be executive vice president and chief executive of Verizon Consumer Group. Joe Russo, senior vice president and chief network officer, will replace Malady as president of Global Networks and Technology, which looks over 5G, 4G, Fiber and Edge computing services. In its latest quarterly report in January, Verizon forecast annual profit below expectations hurt by higher costs, tepid growth in wireless customers and high competition.

☆ Best Buy, Walmart, other major US retailers tout health services
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Electronics retailer Best Buy recently kicked off a partnership with Atrium Health, part of Advocate Health, one of the country’s largest nonprofit hospital systems, Best Buy Chief Executive Officer Corie Sue Barry announced Thursday on a call with analysts. The partnership combines Atrium's hospital-at-home program with Best Buy’s technological services, she said. Best Buy Chief Financial Officer Matthew Bilunas, however, predicted continued growth of the company's health services would contribute to gross profit rate expansion even as it anticipates cooling demand throughout 2023. "The role of technology within health care is becoming more important than ever, and our strategy is to enable care at home for everyone," Barry said. New sign-ups for Best Buy's health services are expected to help drive a 40 to 70 basis point improvement in gross margins this year, despite lower sales.

☆ Best Buy forecasts annual profit below estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 (Reuters) - Top U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) on Thursday joined peers with a cautious forecast for annual earnings as uncertainty over the U.S. economic outlook tempers expectations for a recovery in discretionary products demand. Higher U.S. consumer prices have raised fears that the U.S. Federal Reserve could further lift borrowing costs to cool demand, prompting Walmart (WMT.N), Target Corp (TGT.N) and other retailers to issue conservative forecasts. Best Buy said it expects fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings per share of $5.70 to $6.50, compared with analysts' estimates of $6.71, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Comparable sales decreased 9.3% in the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, compared with analysts' estimates of a 9.2% fall. Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Best Buy forecasts profit below estimates as electronics demand weakens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 2 (Reuters) - Top U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc (BBY.N) on Thursday joined peers with a cautious annual earnings forecast as uncertainty over the U.S. economy tempers expectations for a recovery in demand for discretionary products. The company's shares slipped 1.6%, despite a beat on holiday quarter revenue and profit estimates as steep discounts attracted inflation-weary shoppers to its stores. The company expects fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings per share of $5.70 to $6.50, below analysts' estimates of $6.71, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. It forecast full-year comparable sales to fall 3% to 6%, compared to analysts' estimates of a 1.9% decline. On an adjusted basis, Best Buy earned $2.61 per share in the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, beating analysts' estimates of $2.11, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

☆ Kohl's swings to surprise loss as margins crumble on steep discounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Kohl's Corp (KSS.N) reported a surprise quarterly loss and forecast full-year profit well below analysts' estimates on Wednesday, as steep discounts to boost sluggish demand for apparel shredded the retailer's margins. Those discounts were the major contributor to a more than 10 percentage point decline in fourth-quarter gross margins to 23%, Kohl's said. Kohl's reported a loss of $2.49 per share for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 28, compared with estimates for a profit of 98 cents. Comparable sales at Kohl's fell 6.6% in the fourth quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of a 3.7% decrease. Separately, apparel maker Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF.N) also missed holiday quarter earnings estimates on Wednesday, hit by higher costs of cotton.

☆ Target fends off holiday gloom with discounts, warns on 2023 earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Uday Sampath Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The big-box retailer forecast full-year earnings of $7.75 to $8.75 per share, below analysts' estimates of $9.23, according to Refinitiv data. The company's comparable sales in the quarter ended in Jan. 28 rose 0.7%, while analysts had expected a 1.5% fall. Target in November had forecast fourth-quarter comparable sales to fall by about a low single-digit percentage, saying it was a witnessing a "precipitous decline" in discretionary demand. Excluding items, Target earned $1.89 per share in the fourth quarter, beating estimates of $1.40 per share. The company said it expects full-year comparable sales in a wide range from a low-single digit decline to a low-single digit increase.

NEW YORK, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Retailers have a new sweet spot: products that cost $3 to $5. Target said on Tuesday that it would be stocking its shelves with more products priced under $10 as the retailer tries to appeal to more cost-conscious consumers dealing with once-in-a-generation inflation. This comes a little more than a year after dollar store chain Dollar Tree (DLTR.O) said it would launch more discretionary products including seasonal items and apparel priced between the $3 and $5. Many, including high-income households, are buying more store-label brands as budgets stretch in the face of higher interest rates. Target said it plans to launch or expand more than 10 owned brands, adding thousands of new products.

☆ 'Stubborn' food inflation leaves U.S. shoppers with slim appetite for other goods
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Higher prices on food led to soft sales of electronics, toys, home and apparel in the most recent quarter at Walmart. McMillon said he believed inflation on dry groceries and items made for immediate consumption would remain high "for a while". "Food inflation has been the most stubborn of all the categories," Walmart's U.S. CEO John Furner said. Sharp sales declines in categories other than food are forcing retailers like Target (TGT.N) to slash prices on everything from toys to electronics. While groceries comprise 56% of Walmart sales, they make up about 20% of sales at Target, which depends more on home furnishings, apparel and beauty.

☆ Walmart cautious on economy, forecasts annual earnings below estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc (WMT.N) forecast full-year earnings below estimates on Tuesday, saying it was cautious about the economic outlook for 2023 and that consumers were likely to continue shopping for lower-priced items that could pressure its margins. "There's still a lot of trepidation and uncertainty with the economic outlook. "So, that makes us cautious on the economic outlook because we simply don't know what we don't know." Walmart forecast fiscal 2024 earnings of $5.90 to $6.05 per share, compared with analysts' estimates of $6.50 per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Still, Walmart reported strong demand in the quarter ended Jan. 31, posting total revenue of $164.05 billion, a 7.3% increase from last year.

☆ Walmart sees lower 2023 performance in time of economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"There's still a lot of trepidation and uncertainty with the economic outlook. "So, that makes us cautious on the economic outlook because we simply don't know what we don't know." Home Depot (HD.N) also forecast weaker-than-expected annual profits on Tuesday as soaring prices hit demand for home-improvement products. They want the allure of savings and Walmart provides that," said McNew, whose firm holds about 350,000 Walmart shares. Walmart signs are displayed inside a Walmart store in Mexico City, Mexico March 28, 2019.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoFeb 16 (Reuters) - Walmart Inc's (WMT.N) results on Tuesday will provide Wall Street with new details on what items American shoppers are buying as rising grocery prices squeeze their wallets. In December, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said "we do not like" that some suppliers were hinting at raising prices further in 2023. He warned that Walmart would allocate space to private and tertiary brands if prices got too high. KitKat maker Nestle on Thursday said further price hikes were necessary to offset commodity costs. Still, Wall Street expects Walmart sales and revenue to rise in 2023 as its shipping and logistics costs moderate, even as labor expenses go up.

Younger shoppers snapping up its sweatshirts, knitwear and Polo line of products also drove results beat at luxury peer Ralph Lauren Corp (RL.N). "The Coach brand has done a lot of work to reposition itself as a premium brand that appeals to a younger consumer," Raymond James analyst Rick Patel said. "Tapestry appears to be executing better for its Coach brand than Capri is for Michael Kors," Patel added. Net revenue at Ralph Lauren rose 1% to $1.83 billion in the third quarter ended Dec. 31, beating estimates of $1.76 billion. Both Tapestry and Ralph Lauren took a hit in China due to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, but demand is returning, the companies said.

☆ Tapestry lifts profit outlook as younger shoppers snap up Coach handbags
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A handbag is seen in a Kate Spade store, owned by Tapestry, Inc., in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 19, 2021. Luxury peer Ralph Lauren Corp (RL.N) also beat expectations on strong demand from younger affluent shoppers. Meanwhile, Ralph Lauren said its brands gained market share in North America, even as its wholesale revenue decreased 2%. Net revenue at Ralph Lauren rose 1% to $1.83 billion in the third quarter ended Dec. 31, while analysts had expected $1.76 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Tapestry forecast fiscal 2023 earnings of $3.70 to $3.75 per share, compared with its prior estimate of $3.60 to $3.70.

☆ Coach owner Tapestry raises annual profit forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A handbag is seen in a Kate Spade store, owned by Tapestry, Inc., in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 19, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoFeb 9 (Reuters) - Luxury group Tapestry Inc (TPR.N) raised its annual profit forecast on Thursday, helped by resilient demand and its strategy to largely use company-owned stores and its website to sell Coach and Kate Spade bags. Shares of the company, which fell 4.5% on Wednesday following disappointing earnings and forecasts from rival Capri Holdings (CPRI.N), rose 2% in premarket trading. Total revenue fell 5% to $2.03 billion in the second quarter ended Dec. 31, in line with analysts' average estimate, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Reporting by Uday Sampath and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Analysts said the new cash may afford Bed Bath only a few quarters to revive its business, and a weakening economy would diminish any chance of a successful turnaround. Bed Bath declined to comment on Hudson Bay Capital's role in the share sale. "All is on hold," a maker of children's apparel said last week, adding that it had stopped shipping products to Bed Bath since early January. A shopping cart is seen at a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., June 29, 2022. Reuters reported late last month that Bed Bath had lined up liquidators to close additional stores unless a last-minute buyer emerged.

☆ Michael Kors owner Capri cuts forecasts as demand slows, shares plunge 24%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Uday Sampath Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 8(Reuters) - Michael Kors owner Capri Holdings Ltd (CPRI.N) on Wednesday cut its annual profit forecast and provided a dour outlook for 2024, blaming a slowdown in demand from department stores for its luxury handbags and apparel and sending its shares tumbling 24%. Capri said third-quarter sales fell 6%, driven by a 20% fall in revenue from its wholesale channel, which includes department stores and other retailers. Revenue for Michael Kors, Capri's biggest brand, fell 4.5% to $777 million in the Americas during the third quarter. Capri, which also owns Jimmy Choo and Versace, cut its annual sales forecast to $5.56 billion, from $5.70 billion. Analysts expect earnings per share of $7.24 on revenue of $6.03 billion.

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N) missed quarterly comparable sales and profit expectations on Tuesday, as customers pulled back on expensive delivery orders and traffic stalled in December. Comparable sales at California-based Chipotle rose 5.6% in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, while analysts on average expected a 7.1% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES. Visits to Chipotle restaurants fell 10.2% in the fourth quarter, according to data from Placer.ai. Delivery transactions also tumbled 15% as in-store orders surged, and Chipotle restaurants "didn't see that pop" that they normally get in December around the holidays, Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said on the call. We think inflation will be reasonably tame," Hartung said, adding that the company had not yet decided whether to raise menu prices further in 2023.

Hudson Bay Capital is unrelated to Canadian department store chain Hudson's Bay Co. Bed Bath & Beyond declined to comment earlier Tuesday on Hudson Bay Capital leading investment in the share sale. A shopping cart is seen at a Bed Bath & Beyond store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., June 29, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew KellyPrices on Bed Bath & Beyond bonds due in 2024 climbed to 24 cents on the dollar from around 5 cents, a level still indicating financial distress. Bed Bath shares rose 2.7% in extended trading, after closing down 49% on Tuesday.

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☆ Chipotle misses quarterly sales estimates as traffic stalls
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N) missed quarterly comparable sales expectations on Tuesday, in a sign that price hikes are taking a toll on demand for the restaurant's burritos and rice bowls. Visits to Chipotle restaurants fell 10.2% in the fourth quarter, according to data from Placer.ai. Comparable sales at the California-based chain rose 5.6% in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, while analysts on average expected a 7.1% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES. Revenue rose to $2.18 billion from $1.96 billion in the quarter, missing estimates of $2.23 billion. Some investors are worried about the cadence of falling traffic in 2022, analysts at Cowen said in a research note.

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