Target maintains
Target, the $74Bn in sales US retailer, maintained strong comparable sales growth both in-store & online in Q1'19. Bold CEO Brian Cornell is confounding critics and investing in new products & inventory to facilitate future demand
Kelway founder
Leading UK IT reseller Kelway founder Phil Doye has made an industry comeback by acquiring cybersecurity & cloud specialist SBL. Doye departed Kelway in 2017, 2 years after its acquisition by US giant distributor CDW...
Stanley's Smart
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
Exertis Plugs
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....
Home Depot's
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....
Printers plunge
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.
Softcat soars on
UK's fast growing #2 IT reseller Softcat, reported tremendous progress in its Q3'19 trading update. CEO Graeme Watt (pic left with Michael Dell) talks about market share gains and the huge upside potential...
DIRTT rebuilds
DIRTT Environmental Solutions, the tech design/installer of sustainable office & residential interiors, continued its recovery in Q1'19 following the management disruptions of 2018
Depot federates
Desperate Office Depot continues to add OP dealers to its 'Federation' programme, whilst its core business & the $1Bn toxic Compucom acquisition sinks. Meanwhile, Staples, Essendant & SPRichards compete with capitalisation plans of their own.
KP Tissue on a
KP Tissue (previously known as Kruger), the Canada based leading international brand tissue maker, continued to win share in the US consumer & business supply market with its quality brands drive, boosted by price rises
Amazon stakes
Amazon lead a $575m funding round in the UK-based food delivery company Deliveroo, continuing its diversification into the takeaway market. Will the US be the 15th country of its rapid expansion?
Walmart awokenThe world’s #1 retailer, Walmart (inc. Asda UK) continued its strong 2 years recovery pattern in Q1'20, with above average market growth online, but a tiny & deficient offering compared with Amazon's rapid delivery service...
AWiggins owner
Sequana, parent company of papermaker Arjowiggins and currently the majority shareholder in Europe's #1 paper merchant Antalis is to be liquidated, a French court has ruled. How will CEO Herve Poncin restructure Antalis?
CCL's ascent
CCL Industries, the $5Bn in sales specialist labelmaker, including Avery, reported stronger sales growth for Q1'19 fuelled by acquisitions
Industry awards
Jennifer Smith, CEO of Innovative Office Solutions, the rapidly growing business services US reseller, will be honoured at BSA's Leadership Award dinner in September. We speak with Jennifer... Updated
Alibaba amasses
Alibaba Group, the $56Bn+ in sales, Chinese Mcommerce giant accelerated sales growth in its Q4'19 report by adding millions of new users, driving local delivery services, plus its rapidly growing Cloud Computing division...
Overstock over
Failing furniture & business etailer, $1.8Bn in sales, Overstock again reported heavy losses in Q1'19 as continued to seek withdrawal from its core ecommerce business. How much longer can its CEO Patrick Byrne survive, especially after dumping his shares ?
Imperial bags
Imperial Dade, the largely Eastern Seaboard US reseller of paper, hygiene, food service and packaging supplies, resumed its rapid roll up of regional specialists following the new capital injection of Bain Capital, announced recently
DCC/E x e r t i s
UK IT & OP wholesaler Exertis' parent company DCC Group today announced full year results to 31 Mar'19. CEO Donal Murphy (pic left, on left) reported impressive growth via 3 acquisitions (inc. 2 in the NA), plus steady organic growth
Autonomy CFO
The former CFO of UK software company Autonomy was sentenced to 5 years in prison, after a U.S. jury found him guilty of fraud over its $11Bn sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
"Tomorrow's News Today,
not yesterday's news tomorrow."
Amazon ascent
Amazon's powerfulgrowth decelerated dramatically, but with record profits in Q1'19 boosted by higher product prices and moderated investments in distribution. Business supplies (now 15% mix) growth slowed to its lowest rate ever.
Last August, WBMason CEO Leo Meehan announced plans to double up distribution capacity in the NYC, NJ, PA and DC region. In mid March a new 400k+ sq.ft Central NJ DC was opened in Cranbury (NJ) ahead of schedule. We spoke with regional chief Eric Gervais about plans to fulfil a faster, more personalized 'one source' customer experience. Updated
IP flat packaging
International Paper reported flat demand in packaging and printed papermaking in Q1'19. Can CEO Mark Sutton continue the reinvention into a power packaging and hygiene products maker?
Computacenter
Computacenter saw UK revenue growth in Q1 despite a large software deal in the same quarter last year creating a tough comparison. Progress in the US acquisition made last year is going "astonishingly well" reported CEO Mike Norris.
Amazon starts
Amazon has begun to market its PillPack medical supplies service to its 100m Prime members. We expect this to revive the slowing etail growth trends reported in recent quarters. Get Q1'19 results analysis first here tomorrow
Mighty Microsoft
Microsoft reported strong results for Q3'19. Since CEO Satya Nadella took over 5yrs ago the reinvention and focus on cloud computing via Azure & Dynamics business software has produced powerful results
MMMomentum in
The mighty 3M today reported slowing sales in most business supply categories in Q1'19. The office sector, once powerful, has fallen behind hygiene, safety and health care category trends that are all slowing down
HP subscription
HP's EMEA chief Nick Lazaridisinterviewed with CRN recently on the vendor's PC/print strategy including 'Device as a Service (DaaS)' and future developments. We discuss....
Imperial bailed
Bain Capital Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in Imperial Dade, the US food service and jansan distributor. Current VC investor Audax will retain a stake in the rapidly rolled-up reseller that was having indigestion and financial difficulties
StoraEnso: prices
Global #2 papermaker Stora Enso reported strong sales & profits in Q1'19 exc. papermaking. CEO Karl Sundstrom described transformation 'repurposing' plans to cut paper capacity and investment in new growth opportunities in renewable packaging materials ...
