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  • Screen Shot 2019 05 21 at 2.25.45 PMEtailers escape
    from reality...

    Casual customer dating
    does not sustain growth

     
    Five years ago, we reported that the rapid OP etailer expansion was peaking, as a result of Amazon's aggression and the incidence of high customer churn from its disloyal 'casual dating' model. Progressive resellers exercising a deep customer intimacy model have achieved sustained success as etailers escape the market...

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  • Screen Shot 2019 05 21 at 10.44.17 AMStanley's Smart
    factory project

    New Craftsman tools plant
    opening in Summer 2020


    Stanley Black & Decker    , the $14Bn tools, storage & OP maker plans to open a new Craftsman manufacturing plant in North Texas. This follows the launch of its Manufacturing 4.0 Centre of Excellence centre in Connecticut last month

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  • Screen Shot 2019 05 21 at 9.51.36 AMExertis Plugs
    bold progress

    International expansion
    drive v top broadliners


    UK Based tech reseller Exertis held its annual 'Plug In' partner event last week, in the illustrious surrounds of Silverstone race track. New group MD Tim Griffin outlined his differentiation plans v international powerhouses Ingram & TechData....

     

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  • menear craig.HDHome Depot's
    growth sliding

    PRO wholesaler model
    outpaces slow DIY sales


    Home Depot     the $108Bn+ home & business improvement supplier again reported slower growth in direct sales. In contrast its $3Bn PRO (ex Supply Works) wholesale division is gaining strength with business service providers....

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  • HP death of the printerPrinters plunge
    in Europe Q1'19 

    Context research confirms
    brand leaders sales trends


    Sales of printer hardware through distributors in West Europe (WE) were sharply down by 4.2% in Q1 2019, according to the latest distribution data published by CONTEXT.

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Details
22 Apr 19
Updated: 22 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 04 22 at 3.44.31 PMNestle's water
fraud grounded 

Poland Spring "Natural"
claim faces class action


“Is Nestle's Poland Spring the same as your sink water? No. It’s worse. One or more of its wells are near present or former human waste dump, landfill, or similar site” writes MntPress' Nick Rehwaldt. Coincidentally, Nestle has mounted a huge TV ad campaign in Prime Time proclaiming "100% Natural Spring Water". Watch this space.... 


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22 Apr 19
Updated: 22 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 04 22 at 11.27.17 AMSamsung Fold
phone on hold 

Launch delayed amid
broken screen issues


Samsung is reportedly pushing back its planned Galaxy Fold launch events in China this week to investigate screen issues with the device.


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22 Apr 19
Updated: 22 Apr 19
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hon gather groupHON furniture
sales  s l i d e

Contract & transactional
weak; improved outlook


HNI (HON + AllSteel), the $2.3Bn US furnituremaker, reported slower demand in Q1'19 from contract & office supply markets with prospects for 2019 expected to improve


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22 Apr 19
Updated: 22 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 04 22 at 9.15.59 AMK-C sales boosted
by price increases

Hygiene market slows in
tissues...Consumer & Pro


Kimberly-Clark (K-C) the global personal hygiene brands maker, reported steady Q1'19 financial results. CEO Mike Hsu's 'K-C Strategy 2022' looks promising with short term gains from its restructuring plan, boosting profits....


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22 Apr 19
Updated: 22 Apr 19
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McPherson DG Grainger shirtGrainger grinds
out slower growth

FM supply leader's growth
outlook pessimistic for 2019


Grainger, the $11Bn in sales, leading international broadline industrial & business supplier reported slower Q1'19 sales but stronger profits from branch cutbacks


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19 Apr 19
Updated: 29 Apr 19
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schneider mark nestle 17Nestle growth
rate steadies

Higher prices boost sales
of water and Nespresso


Giant food & beverage supplier to business Nestlé reported steady growth in Q1'19 falling short of previous optimistic growth targets. Nutrition, health & wellness is driving its investment strategy and higher pricing in the short term 


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19 Apr 19
Updated: 20 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2018 12 14 at 3.24.27 PM'Fakebook' fraud?
FTC focus...Zuck

CEO wilfully broke privacy
Firewall, faces $23Bn+ fine


FTC regulators investigating Facebook for mishandling/selling users’ personal information have set their sights on CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, exploring his past statements on privacy; seeking new, heightened oversight of his leadership & record busting penalties 


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Details
19 Apr 19
Updated: 28 Apr 19
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schneider mark nestle 17Nestle growth
rate steadies

Higher prices boost sales
of water and Nespresso


Giant food & beverage supplier to business Nestlé reported steady growth in Q1'19 falling short of previous optimistic growth targets. Nutrition, health & wellness is driving its investment strategy and higher pricing in the short term 


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19 Apr 19
Updated: 20 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 04 19 at 2.25.47 PMDo Workplace
W e l l n e s s
programs work?

Changing behavior; gains
in motivation prove tough


Company workplace wellness programs — efforts to get workers to lose weight, eat better, stress less and sleep more — are an $8 billion industry in the U.S. Recent research reports heathier behaviour, but not necessarily healthier results? We discuss findings...


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19 Apr 19
Updated: 20 Apr 19
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AOPD montage 2016AOPD: Refreshed.
Engaged.Winning

The contract sales group's
double-digit growth drive


AOPD the original contract sales group, met in Carlsbad (CA) last month with members and vendor partners. We discussed plans and progress with executive director Mark Leazer....Tomorrow


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19 Apr 19
Updated: 20 Apr 19
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Personalised emarketingUser behaviour
bts demographics

Personalised marketing the 
new segmentation strategy


Marketing Week's Charlotte Rogers reports that research shows marketers are shifting away from classic demographics to find more accurate ways to segment users based on their behaviour and personal interests...Updated


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18 Apr 19
Updated: 18 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 04 18 at 11.27.39 AMZ o o m  IPO
launch Zooms

Video collaboration giants
outpaced by cloud upstart


Video collaboration specialist Zoom's (CEO Eric Yuan, pic left) successful IPO today represented a major milestone, but mostly an indictment on tech giants repeated disappointments, who failed to embrace cloud computing & caused too many meeting problems, writes ZDNet's Larry Dignan 


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18 Apr 19
Updated: 18 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 03 27 at 12.32.29 PMSycamore Partnrs:
Beauty or BEAST?

Analysts: Is $1Bn loan hike
a road to ruin e.g.ToysRUs?


Vulture capitalist Sycamore Partners owner of Staples & Essendant recently hiked the former's debt load by $1Bn to $5.2Bn, with estimated interest payments of $400m+ pa or c3%/sales. Many analysts ask: Is this a repeat of the ToysR Us bankruptcy situation; and Sycamore's Nine West demise? We discuss... Complete


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18 Apr 19
Updated: 18 Apr 19
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donahue paul GenPts presSPRichards spring
back rate slows...

GPC: NAPA, Motion growth
steadies below 2018 rates


Genuine Parts Company (GPC) parent of NAPA, Motion and SPRichards reported slowing growth rates in Q1'19. CEO Paul Donahue commented that "progress continued in stabilizing the OP business"

 


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19 Apr 19
Updated: 19 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 03 01 at 11.44.11 AMA c m e  United
loses sharpness

Shifts focus to safety
tools & First-aid kits


Acme United today announced slower sales growth in Q1'19 financial results. Sales of core cutting tools slowed whilst moving successfully into safety products....


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17 Apr 19
Updated: 19 Apr 19
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Screen Shot 2019 04 18 at 1.13.16 PMAMZN abandons
China market

Alibaba & JD.com control
82% home ecommerce


Amazon said it will shut its China webstore by July and divert its focus to marketing AWS cloud services and foreign imports directly in the world’s most populous nation.


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More Articles ...

  1. Steelcase Flex dynamic workspaces launch
  2. PepsiCo Q1'19 Financial Review
  3. Bunzl Q1'19 Financial Review
  4. IBM Q1'19 Financial Review
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Latest Frost Bites

Etailers escape from market reality

Screen Shot 2019 05 21 at 2.25.45 PMEtailers escape
from reality...

Casual customer dating
does not sustain growth

 
Five years ago, we reported that the rapid OP etailer expansion was peaking, as a result of Amazon's aggression and the incidence of high customer churn from its disloyal 'casual dating' model. Progressive resellers exercising a deep customer intimacy model have achieved sustained success as etailers escape the market...

Read More...

Etailers maul Mall retailers

Bezos godzillaEtailers maul
mall retailers

Death by 1000 cuts
for department stores


Seeking Alpha analyst Wolf Richter reports on the rise and rise of ecommerce at the expense of retail stores especially, the mall locations. We discuss and analyse his findings... Later today

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Is it all clicking for Wayfair?

Screen Shot 2019 02 22 at 9.25.47 AMIs it all clicking
for Wayfair?

Skyrocketing sales. What
about service & profits?


"Wayfair, the #1 US furniture reseller is a newly minted Fortune 500 entrant. It has two visionary founders, 2,300 data geeks, and skyrocketing sales. Now it just needs to turn a profit" writes contributgor Jeffrey O'Brien. We discuss his article plus its growing delivery service issues weighing on the brand

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Amazon v Walmart War - Who's winning?

Amazon v walmart sumoAMZN v Walmart
War. Who wins?

US #1 retailer online sales
tiny compared w/Godzilla


Walmart's steady growth trend has attracted praise from financial press. However, its important to get real when comparing progress v #1 Amazon. Godzilla's US sales online are 6X v Walmart from faster webstore experience & delivery service. We compare the key metrics.....Updated

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Will tariffs trump private label lemmings?

Screen Shot 2019 05 14 at 8.35.32 AMWill Tariffs trump
PLabel lemmings?

China Trade War threatens
price hikes for bigboxes


The huge hike in tariff rate to 25% proposed on Chinese imports will almost certainly be passed on where possible to consumers. However, will businesses resist particularly on paper-related private label products? Updated

 

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Disconnected dealers - 2019 Update

disconnected dealer2Disconnected
dealers act now!

Old motive: High GP's;
New: User productivity


Late last century, normal OP dealer motivation was maximising margins and maintaining relationships with stationery buyers. Enter the digital 2000's, Amazon has led the market with personalised service beyond the buyer to Lucy, the typical user chooser, with faster delivery service across a broader business supplies selection. Time to go beyond the buyer! Complete

 

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Will Bain expand hygiene further or flip?

Screen Shot 2019 05 02 at 6.13.13 PMWill Bain expand
hygiene interests
further or flip? 

Bought & IPO'd HDSupply;
Next: Diversey & Imperial?


VC Bain Capital an original investor in Staples has invested in the FM/Hygiene supply market in recent years. In 2017, it bought a top hygiene brand Diversey from Sealed Air and last week took a majority stake in Eastern US jansan reseller Imperial Dade. What's the plan? We look at the options to invest further or flip? Complete

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Alibaba to grab Office Depot?

Screen Shot 2019 04 29 at 1.05.04 PMWill A l i b a b a
grab  D e p o t?

China partner to rescue
desperate one cheaply?


Alibaba, the Chinese based global ecommerce marketplace giant, formed a 'collaborative partnership' with Office Depot last month. What is Alibaba's intent given that it has yet to penetrate the US market successfully? Complete

 

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Fastest delivery speed winner? WMT, TGT or AMZN?

amazon prime deliveryFastest delivery 
speed winner?

Analyst: "WMT & TGT
steps ahead of Amazon"


"Traditional  retailers "Walmart and Target are a step ahead of Amazon in delivery moving to same-day" according to retail equity analyst John Zolidis. Keep up, Amazon have been delivering same day to the world's major cities progressively since 2014.

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Will Amazon's CRaP strategy crater?

Bezos unhappy stretchedWill AMZN's CRaP
strategy crater?

Do private label ex-China &
split delivery plans bode ill?


Amazon's etail growth rate has slowed dramatically over recent quarters. Meanwhile, it's cutting its 'CRaP' defined products; shifting to imported private label; cutting back on small vendors; and splitting deliveries into multiple drops. We discuss the consequences...Updated

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