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Walmart walking
up steady growth
Ads,Mbrs fees,Tariff refunds
hike profits.Ecom 20%sales
Walmart former #1 global retailer reported steady volume growth in Q2'27. It continued to ape Amazon's iinitiatives in ads and membership fees. CEO John Furner commented "We continue to progress on long-term value drivers eg eCommerce is evidence". Full analysis here, first...
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Alibaba's advance
adds momentum
New services mirror AMZN
initiatives in Alexa & Cloud
China's Alibaba the $160Bn+ in sales, MCommerce giant reported continued recovery in Q2'26. CEO Eddie Wu provided details of new services in AI, cloud, grocery delivery that mimic Amazon's innovations. Wu commented “Cloud’s revenue growth accelerated to 45%, with AI-related product revenue delivering triple-digit growth for 3yrs"..Full analysis here. first....
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Rapid Earnings rise
ruins real economy?
Hi-inflation powers Hi-prices/
profits; disguises volume drop
Proficiency Post watches CNBC everyday and the dominating theme through '26 is "record double-digit earnings growth". This 'economic paradox': earnings hype v falling consumer demand,was exemplified post Covid when declining OP/papermakers made more money as volumes sank eg, a +10% cost increase, translated to +10% price hikes, hoisting earnings by +10-15%. PP's Q2'26 reports' analysis confirmed this has happened again with no mention by deluded ceo's. Full analysis here, first...
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Target's traffic
trends turn up!
Strong growth in ad revs,
Circle 360 & marketplace
Target the $105Bn+ sales US retailer reported increasing customer traffic forthe second quarter in Q2'26. CEO Michael Fiddelke said "Our encouraging momentum is resonating with guests and strengthening our leadership position in style, design, and value" Full analysis here, first
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Lowes s l o w s
from WFH highs
Flat market share? Total
Home and Pro strategy
Lowes the US #2 $92Bn sales WFH improvement supplier reported soft Q2'26 results. CEO Marvin Ellison commented "Sustained growth in Pro, Online and Home Services led to our fifth consecutive quarter of positive comp sales,? Full analysis here, first
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HomeDepot sales
volume slow down
PRO/salesforce augur well.
Losing mkt share to Ace HW?
HomeDepot the $160Bn+ DIY/WFH office reseller reported a soft performance in Q2'26. CEO Ted Decker commented "Underlying demand was similar to a slow 2025 with greater consumer uncertainty and affordability pressure", We'll check market share v Lowes and Ace in due course. Full report analysis here, first...
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B L O C Group
groping in dark?
Can it create sales/marketg
force v just delay inevitable?
BLOC the buying group merger of Office Friendly & Integra is over a year old. What's happening? Where's the growth strategy? Will it create a business supply contract force like AOPD/Network? Will it expand beyond OP? Will it develop partnerships with brands eg Essity, K-C? It claims 220 members with $1Bn in sales, but what's it doing with that power? We discuss options here, first.....complete
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McFarlane packs
softer sales punch
Declining volume & prices
saved by acqu'ns pipeline
UK packaging giant MacFarlane Group reported a demand slowdown for 2025, including key protective packaging acquisitions. CEO Peter Atkinson
commented "We welcome the early signs of organic revenue growth in our Distribution business" Full analysis here, first
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Is cliched Circana
BTS report baloney?
Stabilzation + recovery claim
nonsense, as sales decline
“Consumers are still spending, but driven by purpose rather than promotions,” said researcher Circana. “Promo activity is generating less demand” This research ignores reports from leading makers and resellers whose BTS volumes are down -40% since 2019. Where do these researchers get their misleading info from? Full story here, first...
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What game is
Acco playing?
Will 3rd acquis'n outside
core business add value?
Acco Brands the ex-OP brand leader, today announced it will acquire Trust, a European provider of computer and gaming accessories. This is the third acquisition outside its core OP activty. So far, its track record has been poor, adding little revenue or market value. Meanwhile, it has failed to grasp new market opportunities inc. hybrid office & AV? Full story analysis here, first
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Will Broken VOW
abandon resellers?
Narrowline. No investment
Poor svc levels. Late acc'nts
EVO Group the management owned OP distributor (inc.VOW Wholesale, Banner, Staples UK, Complete, Exertis) is 4mos late reporting 2025 financials. After 17yrs of decline: core sales halved, tiny profits, poor service levels, little range development; the BIG persistent question is: how long will 'vulture' lenders tolerate poor performance from ceo Andrew Gale's team? Full analysis here, first.. Updated
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