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☆ Aldi is getting bigger. Here's why the no-frills German grocer is looking to the Southern U.S. for growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

No-frills discounter Aldi is the latest grocer to shake up the industry with big moves. It's also had to race to keep up with competitors' online options, prompting Aldi to expand curbside pickup to more stores. But the deal has big implications for publicly traded competitors including Walmart and Kroger, as well as regional grocers. CNBC spoke to Jason Hart, the CEO of Aldi U.S., about why the company is doing the deal and how it sees Aldi fitting into a fast-changing grocery landscape. Why was Aldi interested in acquiring Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket?

Persons: Kroger, Joe's, It's, Jason Hart, we've Organizations: Winn, Dixie, Southern, Aldi, Albertsons, Companies, Amazon, Walmart, Kroger, CNBC Locations: Southern U.S, Florida , Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Germany, Winn

☆ Walmart raises full-year earnings forecast as grocery, online growth fuel higher sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It said adjusted earnings per share for the year will range between $6.36 and $6.46. That compares with its prior guidance for consolidated net sales gains of 3.5% and an adjusted earnings per share range of between $6.10 and $6.20. Transactions increased by 2.9% and the average ticket rose by 3.4% for Walmart U.S.Same-store sales for Walmart U.S. grew by 6.4% in the second quarter, excluding fuel, compared with the year-ago period. Sales for Walmart Connect, the company's advertising business in the U.S., grew 36% year over year. In the grocery department at Walmart U.S., sales of private labels rose 9% year over year.

Persons: John David Rainey, Rainey, Doug McMillon, Judith McKenna, Kath McLay, Chris Nicholas, " Rainey, Walmart's, John Furner Organizations: Walmart, Walmart U.S, CNBC, Sam's, Walmart Connect Locations: U.S

☆ Shoppers are spending big at T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods as Target sales slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cash-strapped consumers may be pulling back on discretionary purchases at Target , but they're spending big on name brands and home goods at off-price TJX Cos. Shares of TJX Cos. reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday, spiking more than 4%. TJX Cos., which runs T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra and Homesense in the U.S., raised its full-year outlook for comparable store sales, pretax profit margin and earnings per share following the strong quarter. It anticipates pretax profit margin in the range of 10.7% to 10.8%, and earnings per share between $3.66 and $3.72. Even so, TJX's HomeGoods posted a 4% comparable sales increase as consumers still sought out home decor, throw pillows and other furnishings.

Persons: Cash, Cos, Neil Saunders, TJX Cos, Ernie Herrman, TJX's HomeGoods Organizations: Target, Refinitiv Locations: Cos, Maxx, HomeGoods, Sierra, U.S

☆ Target is rolling out Starbucks curbside pickup across the country as it looks for sales jolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Target is looking to jolt sales by adding Starbucks drinks and food to its curbside pickup service at stores across the country. The retailer began testing the Starbucks curbside pickup service at some stores in the fall. Target's curbside pickup service, Drive Up, helped fuel the company's e-commerce and sales growth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, according to Target, curbside pickup has led to more business. That explains why Target has added other features and more items to curbside pickup, including beer and wine.

Persons: curbside, Target, Howard Schultz, — CNBC's Amelia Lucas Organizations: Target, Starbucks

☆ Walmart is bringing ads to an aisle near you as retailers chase new money-makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The discounter has nearly 4,700 stores across the U.S., with roughly 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart store. In the U.S., about 139 million customers visit Walmart stores and its website or app each week. Walmart plans to sell the sampling stations to advertisers and bundle them with other ad formats that can run at the same time to make for a fuller campaign. In the most recent fiscal year, Walmart's global ads business grew nearly 30% and its U.S. ads business, Walmart Connect, rose about 40%. That's a sharper gain than the approximately 7% increase in Walmart's total revenue and Walmart U.S. net sales during the period.

Persons: Ryan Mayward, That's, Doug McMillon Organizations: Walmart, Shoppers, Kroger, Mattel, Walmart Connect, Fort, U.S, Walmart U.S Locations: U.S, Dallas, Fort Worth

☆ Fact Check-Article on Aldi horsemeat scandal is about a decade-old incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An article reporting as if new a decade-old supermarket scandal involving horse meat and German-owned discounter Aldi is confusing people online. “Aldi was guily (sic) ten years ago of selling horse meat in place of their advertised beef. A spokesperson for the supermarket group told Reuters that the social media posts and Newsbreak article were likely based on the 2013 incident. Search engine results produced no other news articles about a 2023 horse meat scandal involving Aldi (archive.md/m2m7X). Aldi has not confirmed that its products are subject to a new horse meat scandal.

Persons: Aldi, ”, Newsbreak, Read Organizations: Aldi, Facebook, Reuters Locations: U.S

☆ Here’s how the resilient housing market benefits our home improvement and construction stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

There are new signs of a resilient housing market and a home renovation rebirth with potentially bullish implications for three of our Club names. Shares of Stanley Black & Decker (SWK) and Caterpillar (CAT), whose tools and machinery are used in homebuilding, have been on the upswing in recent weeks. "There are a lot of projects that go on top of residential construction that require mining materials, which Caterpillar is a big player in." Discounter retailer TJX should also reap the benefits of a resilient housing market as new and existing homeowners seek to furnish their homes with high-quality branded goods at a discount. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long SWK, CAT, TJX.

Persons: Stanley Black, Decker, Brett Linzey, Stanley, Michael Shlisky, Davidson, It's, Shlisky, Stuart Millar, Miller, Lennar, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, David Paul Morris Organizations: Caterpillar, TJX, Commerce Department, Conference Board, Mizuho Securities, JPMorgan, Caterpillar's, Industries, D.A, Consumers, U.S, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: homebuilding, North America, Lennar, TJX, Maxx, Emeryville , California

☆ Sweden sees 'cause for concern' on retailer margins as food prices surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Marie Mannes | Thomson Reuters | Stockholm-Based Company News Correspondent Who Mainly Covers Anything To Do With Retail | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sweden's competition authority on Tuesday will publish the initial findings from an investigation into food prices and competition requested by Sweden's finance ministry in March. "When we look at the margins on the retail and wholesale side, we see some cause of concern in terms of how they're developing," Martin Mandorff, head of market abuse at the competition authority, told Reuters. The agency is investigating the whole food supply chain from producers, wholesalers to the retail sector and has collected data from Sweden's main supermarkets on prices and margins. Premium food chain ICA had a 53% market share in 2022 according to the competition authority. "We have a frequent and constructive dialogue with the Swedish Competition Authority and look forward to the conclusions of the investigation," the company said.

Persons: Anders Wiklund, Martin Mandorff, Mandorff, Coop, discounter Lidl, Elisabeth Svantesson, Svantesson, Axfood, Marie Mannes, Helen Reid, Simon Johnson, Greta Rosen Fondahn, Conor Humphries Organizations: TT News Agency, Reuters, ICA, Finance, SVT, Swedish Competition Authority, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, STOCKHOLM, Hungary, Ukraine, Swedish

☆ Overstock.com wins auction for Bed Bath & Beyond's intellectual property, digital assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is displayed outside a permanently closed Bed Bath & Beyond retail store in Hawthorne, California, on May 1, 2023. Bed Bath & Beyond will live on in name only after Overstock.com won an auction for the failed home goods retailer's intellectual property and digital assets, according to court records filed early Thursday. In a rare move, Bed Bath chose to run a separate sale process for its Buy Buy Baby chain, considered the crown jewel of its assets. Buy Buy Baby assets garnered interest from buyers even before Bed Bath filed for bankruptcy in April. The auction for Buy Buy Baby's assets is slated to take place on Wednesday.

Persons: Overstock.com, Overstock, JOWA Brands Organizations: JOWA, Bed, CNBC Locations: Hawthorne , California

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Tesla, Darden Restaurants, Anheuser-Busch, Alcoa & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Darden Restaurants — The company behind Olive Garden and other restaurant chains slid nearly 4% in the premarket. Darden beat expectations of analysts polled by Refinitiv for earnings in the fiscal fourth quarter, while revenue came in line with expectations. Meanwhile, Darden's revenue guidance was higher than Wall Street forecasted. The Wall Street firm said the stock is pricing in only downside risk without the expectation for recovery. Alcoa — Shares of the aluminum company slumped 3.5% in premarket trading after Morgan Stanley downgraded Alcoa to underweight from equal weight.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Darden, Refinitiv, FactSet, Eugene Lee, Overstock.com, discounter, Overstock, Mauricio Gutierrez, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Aerosystems, —, Samantha Subin, Jesse Pound, Alex Harring Organizations: Tesla, Darden, Olive, Wall, Bed, NRG Energy, Journal, Elliott Investment Management, Anheuser, Busch Inbev, Deutsche Bank, Alcoa —, Alcoa, Refinitiv, Revenue, Boeing Locations: Austin , Texas, Kansas

☆ Analysis: Why Walmart's new bet on fashion brands, home decor threatens specialty chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Siddharth Cavale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

She told Walmart investors its strategy is to "democratize fashion" or convert the company's core, price-conscious shoppers into style-conscious shoppers. It would probably be the rest of the market that should be worried," he said pointing to apparel retailers such as Carhartt. Walmart accounts for 4.6% of the $560.4 billion U.S. apparel market, followed by TJX, Target and Ross at 4.4%, 4.1% and 2.8%, respectively, according to GlobalData. Bankrupt Bed Bath and Beyond was a leader in the home decor and furnishing industry along with furniture chains Ikea and Wayfair. In 2005, Walmart's Metro 7 fashion brand tanked and later designer lines with Max Azria and Norma Kamali also withered.

Persons: Walmart Supercenters, Drew Barrymore, Sofia Vergara, Denise Incandela, George, Ralph Lauren, Rosenblum, Privately, Refinitiv, TJX, Ross, Brandon Maxwell, Clea Shearer, Joanna Teplin, fryer, Sofia Jeans, Vergara, Arun Sundaram, Sundaram, Max Azria, Norma Kamali, Siddharth Cavale, Vanessa O'Connell, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Walmart, Reebok, Saks, Tilly's Inc, Abercrombie, Fitch, Bravo, Netflix, Bed, Amazon.com, Walmart's Metro, Thomson Locations: Bath, U.S, Bed Bath, Walmart's, New York

☆ Dollar General stock plunges as 'challenging' economic backdrop drives dismal earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General's core customers are reining in their spending amid a worse-than-expected macroeconomic backdrop, leading the discounter to slash its full-year outlook after a dismal earnings report Thursday. Shares of Dollar General plunged nearly 20% in morning trading after the retailer missed estimates on the top and bottom lines. It now expects net sales to rise between 3.5% and 5%, compared with a previous range of 5.5% to 6% growth. It anticipates same-store sales will increase about 1% to 2%, compared with a previous range of 3% to 3.5%. Analysts had been expecting earnings per share to be up 4.3%, according to Street Account.

Persons: Jeff Owen Organizations: Refinitiv, Research

☆ U.S. consumer outlook dims as upscale retailers, discounters slash forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Aishwarya Venugopal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Broadly, U.S. consumer spending trends showed resilience in the face of high inflation, but big-ticket purchases suffered. Upscale retailer Macy's said the U.S. consumer pulled back more than anticipated and slashed its annual sales and profit forecasts for the year. Macy's and lingerie brand Victoria's Secret & Co (VSCO.N) are resorting to more discounts to clear out excess inventory. "Our business in North America became increasingly more challenging," Victoria's Secret CEO Martin Waters said during a post earnings call on Thursday. The pinch from slowing consumer spending was not just limited to high-end retailers.

Persons: Macy's, Hogan, Martin Waters, they're, Nordstrom, Peter Nordstrom, Dr Martens, Arun Sundaram, Aishwarya Venugopal, Savyata Mishra, Shinjini Organizations: U.S, Goods, Riley, Nordstrom Inc, Discount, CFRA Research, Thomson Locations: U.S, North America, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Dollar Tree shares plunge after company misses on earnings, slashes full-year profit outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of Dollar Tree plunged more than 16% in intraday trading Thursday after the company fell short of Wall Street's earnings expectations for the most recent quarter and slashed its profit outlook for the full year. On an adjusted basis, the company reported earnings of $1.47 per share, falling below Wall Street projections. Dollar Tree, which runs its namesake banner and Family Dollar, has been in the midst of a turnaround after shuffling up its executive leadership and raising prices. While other value-oriented retailers, such as TJ Maxx , have seen promising results this retail earnings season, Dollar Tree has fallen short. Even with the companies low prices, Dollar Tree shoppers have been focusing their spending on essential items, which carry lower margins, over discretionary purchases.

☆ Five takeaways about the consumer from Walmart, other retailers after a big week of earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

So far, at least five retailers – Target, Walmart, Tapestry , Bath and Body Works and Foot Locker – have spoken about sales trends across the country getting worse. The retailer's comparable sales in the U.S. declined 4.6% in the quarter versus the year-ago period. Target, Home Depot and Walmart all saw a noticeable pattern: Fewer pricey and fun items in shopping carts. At Home Depot, customers bought fewer big-ticket items like appliances and grills in the fiscal first-quarter. Customers at Walmart have become more selective when shopping for electronics, TVs, home items and apparel, Rainey told CNBC.

☆ Target will report earnings before the bell. Here's what to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A customer is seen in the parking lot of the Target store at the Paxton Towne Centre near Harrisburg. Target will report fiscal first-quarter earnings before the bell as pricier groceries, rising mortgage rates and summer vacations weigh on wallets. On Tuesday, Home Depot's quarterly results sent a troubling signal as retail earnings season gained steam. The home improvement retailer, which missed on revenue and lowered its forecast, could be a warning sign about Target's quarterly results, too. Target missed earnings expectations for three consecutive quarters before eking past its own lowered forecast in the holiday quarter.

Investors should buy American Airlines as the air carrier's valuation is too good to pass up, according to JPMorgan. Analyst Jamie Baker upgraded the airline's shares to overweight from neutral. Baker said this reflects a long-term shift in which "the Big 3" airlines — American, Delta and United — have seized the high ground from the "discounters." Nonetheless, JPMorgan stated that the "Big 3" airlines have outperformed its index of Discounter carriers due to their international exposure. Baker said that 2022's domestic travel renaissance has now reversed, driving down year-over-year domestic revenue growth to the low single digits.

BARCELONA, April 25 (Reuters) - Europe's cost of living crisis has benefited discount retailers but mid-market names are being squeezed as shoppers watch their spending, executives and analysts at an industry conference said on Tuesday. Although price rises are slowing, retailers globally are still worried inflation will dampen consumer spending and are looking for new ways to attract customers. In Europe especially, some have seen sales slow as high energy bills lead customers to buy less or cheaper food and clothes. And passing higher costs on to shoppers is likely to become harder: 72% of respondents said they expected consumers to be more price-sensitive this year. "It's a very positive moment," said Ying Xu, president of Chinese supermarket chain Wumart, referring to the reopening.

☆ Blocked emergency exits and 'dangerous' fire hazards: Dollar General again found in violation of federal workplace safety standards
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The exterior of a Dollar General convenience store is seen on March 16, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Dollar General has again been found in violation of federal workplace safety regulations for "willfully exposing" staff to fire hazards at a Pennsylvania store, the Department of Labor said Friday. "Dollar General Corp. has a substantial history of the same violations and hazards found at stores all around the U.S. Just last week, OSHA said Dollar General was in settlement talks with federal regulators after the retailer was labeled a "severe violator" of workplace safety rules. In fiscal 2022, which ended Feb. 3, Dollar General reported $37.84 billion in sales and a net income of $2.41 billion.

☆ UK grocery inflation hits new high of 17.5% -Kantar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Grocery inflation in March at highest level ever recordedMilk, eggs and cheese show fastest price risesShoppers face 837 pounds rise in annual grocery billLONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - British grocery inflation rose again in March to a record 17.5%, inflicting yet more pain on consumers battling a cost-of-living crisis, industry data showed on Tuesday. Market researcher Kantar said prices were rising fastest in markets such as eggs, milk and cheese. "It’s more bad news for the British public, who are experiencing the ninth month of double-digit grocery price inflation," said Fraser McKevitt, Kantar's head of retail and consumer insight. The Kantar data for March provides the most up to date snapshot of UK grocery inflation. It said total grocery sales over the 12 weeks to March 19 rose 8.6%.

☆ Retailers see a tough year ahead, so they're rolling out the recession playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Now, major retailers are dusting off their playbook for a recession — or at least for a period of slower sales. Target shoppers can soon get a Starbucks coffee, make a return and retrieve an online purchases without leaving their cars. Some retailers are rethinking their approach to discounts while questioning other costs, such as giving away free shipping or deliveries without strings attached. Some retailers have also turned free shipping into a perk for only engaged or higher spending customers. Nike , for instance, offers free shipping for shoppers – if they share their personal data by joining its membership program.

☆ The Club's recession-resistant retail stocks won't be hurt by a 'more reluctant' U.S. consumer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But the Club's defensive retail stocks, from discounter Costco Wholesale (COST) to coffeemaker Starbucks (SBUX), should continue to attract consumers in an increasingly volatile economic environment. But U.S. consumer spending was strongest in cosmetic stores, according to Citi. Among Wells Fargo's top-five hardline retail and restaurant picks, Club holding Starbucks (SBUX) on Tuesday was named a "top idea" among defensive stocks. The Club take The recession-resistant retail stocks in our portfolio are well-positioned to weather the current bout of economic turmoil. High-end coffee retailer Starbucks also continues to attract customers, despite the steep prices of its popular beverages.

☆ Discount chains Ross, T.J. Maxx, and Burlington are planning to add more than 300 new stores. Here's why major retailers should be nervous about their growing off-price rivals.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Off-price chains are likely to get a boost in the months ahead as shoppers seek low prices. Ross Stores is planning to open 100 new locations this year, while T.J. Maxx plans 150 openings, and Burlington as many as 80. 2023 is looking like a strong year for off-price chains like Burlington Stores, Ross Stores and T.J. Maxx, as shoppers look to save money where they can. Off-price chains could benefit from retail closures and bankruptciesAs other retailers close swaths of stores nationwide, discounters are expanding. Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesAnalysts see a banner year ahead for BurlingtonBurlington may be the smallest of the major off-price retailers, but it's poised to have a big year.

☆ Russia's Magnit opens first 'hard discount' stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Russia's Magnit (MGNT.MM) supermarket chain launched its first "hard discount" stores under a new brand on Tuesday, the company said, as falling living standards and rising inflation push Russian consumers to search for lower-ticket items. Magnit said the new "V1" - which stands for "First Choice" in English - brand will focus on basic products, including fruit, vegetables and bakery goods, carrying a narrower range of items than the chain's existing stores. "Discounter stores remain one of the fastest-growing market segments and maintain high potential for future development," Anzhela Ryabova, Magnit's director of hard discounter format, said in a statement. Magnit said it plans to open 15 pilot V1 stores in the Moscow Region "in the nearest future". Magnit already operates another line of discount stores under its "My Price" brand.

☆ Target will report earnings before the bell — Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Target on Tuesday will report holiday-quarter results, as retailers brace for a year that appears poised to bring slower sales and more price-conscious customers. Yet over the past year, Target has faced a shift in both sales trends and market sentiment. The company has missed Wall Street's earnings expectations for three consecutive quarters and warned investors to expect soft holiday sales. Alongside its fiscal fourth-quarter results, Target is expected to share full-year guidance at an investor day in New York City. Groceries account for just 20% of Target's sales, while Walmart gets more than half of its sales from the frequency-driving category.

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