Charles Kochel

We've heard a lot about Chinese sellers in the e-commerce marketplace, such as Temu and SHEIN. Now Walmart is helping Indian sellers be introduced to the global e-commerce market. How long before an Indian seller as big as Temu or SHEIN unveils itself on the global stage? How are you competing against these global sellers in an increasingly competitive market? #ecommerce #worldcompetition #itsaglobalmarket

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Please join DFW CPG on this Huddle designed for CPG entrepreneurs at all stages, from pre-revenue to established brands. Monte Ammons, President and Founder of Liquid Sherpas and Paul Beaupre, President & Founder, Bo Pray Consulting, Advisory and Board Services, will explore the evolving mindset and sometimes counter-intuitive practices #founders use to successfully scale their businesses. Here's what you'll gain:    The Climb: Explore the similarities between building a CPG business and climbing to the summit of the world’s highest mountain. The 4 Phases of The Climb: Learn how each stage in your founder journey requires different skills, priorities, and ways of working to succeed. Success Factors and Best Practices: Discover the mindset, priorities and best practices #successful founders employ to succeed at each phase of the climb.    Whether you're just getting started or a seasoned #entrepreneur, the goal of this huddle is to provide thought-provoking observations and insights to help you successfully chart your #CPG #brand journey. Link in the comments!  Brandi J. Cesar Bustamante Derek Ramos Genevieve Poirier-Richards MBA Haydee C. Jenica Oliver Karen Laker Kat Weaver Kathy Galloway Mason Ice Richard G. Riccardi Tim Prager

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Foxtrot closes, while JCPenney talks expansion. What a crazy world we live in. There is a pervasive backdrop of bad news retail stories. But there are tons of retail victories that just don’t make the news. Did anyone expect to see JCPenney rise from the ashes? They were headlines of store closures in 2023. Nothing but doom and gloom assumptions. But strategic store closures over the last couple of years have turned out to be a smart play. Now this legacy retailer is considering opening new stores in new areas. Retail is not dead. It is changing. Innovative retail is the future of selling. Yes, there are some incredible brands that are purely D2C. I love that for brands that are vertically integrated, and can make that work But click-and-collect and the two hour delivery promise… …mean brick and mortar isnt going anywhere anytime soon. It bears an efficiency Ecommerce can’t give provide. For every doom and gloom retail story. There are two more positive stories you don’t hear about. ______ 🔷 DM me for help with Retail or Amazon growth 🔷 Growing Brands in Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Target, CVS, Amazon, and More. #ecommerce #retailmedia #shoppermarketing #instacart #cpg #cpgbrands #retailgrowth #retailmarketing #Amazon #walmart

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Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, on Thursday reported growth in sales and profit in the first quarter, with a boost from higher-income shoppers. Walmart said its comparable-store sales in the United States rose 3.8 percent from the quarter a year earlier. Its U.S. e-commerce business jumped 22 percent. Walmart has performed better than retailers dependent on apparel sales, in part because it also sells essential goods like groceries. Consumers, especially those with lower incomes, are looking for places to save after a stretch of high inflation. Transactions were up 3.8 percent, while the average ticket price showed that with each visit people were spending about the same as they did this time last year. Walmart’s quarterly profit, of $5.1 billion, was triple the result a year earlier. Walmart’s stock was up more than 6 percent in morning trading, as investors reacted to the results and the company’s upgraded forecast for growth this year. The retailer said consumers from “upper-income households” helped it gain market share, reiterating a trend it has noted since Americans started navigating high inflation a couple of years ago. In an interview, John David Rainey, Walmart’s chief financial officer, pointed to the company’s focus on making shopping more convenient through features like curbside pickup and deliveries, as well as diversifying its product offerings, particularly online. “You think about things like AirPods, MacBook Air — these are items that certainly appeal to a high-income demographic,” Mr. Rainey said. “The more that we move into that space and offer a broad assortment like that, I think the more we’re going to retain this cohort.” Over the past three years, households earning over $100,000 have provided the biggest gains in Walmart’s market share, according to Neil Saunders of GlobalData, an analytics and consulting firm.

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Have you ever wondered how a small-town store turned into a global retail titan? Let’s talk about Walmart‘s extraordinary vision, strategy, and legacy journey! It all started in a Ben Franklin Variety Store in Arkansas. With a $20,000 loan and a radical idea for "everyday low prices," Sam Walton began a retail revolution. However, Walmart’s #successstory goes far beyond just low prices. Sam Walton was a visionary, advocating for American-made products and pioneering innovative #supplychain techniques. By strategically placing stores in rural areas, Walmart brought affordable goods to underserved communities. This relentless focus on customer satisfaction and efficiency catapulted Walmart to become the world's largest #retailer by sales. The Walton #legacy, however, extends well beyond Walmart's aisles. Sam's meticulous #estateplanning kept Walmart family-owned, ensuring their legacy would endure across #generations. Walmart has forever changed retail, driving prices down and revolutionizing #logistics with a highly efficient delivery network. Despite criticisms regarding labor practices and their impact on small businesses, Walmart's mark on how we shop today is indelible. The Waltons’ influence isn’t confined to retail. The Walton Family Foundation, founded in 1987, reflects their deep commitment to philanthropy, focusing on K-12 education, environmental #conservation, and community #development, creating lasting positive change. Walton Enterprises, the family’s investment arm, boasts ownership of the Denver Broncos, demonstrating their diverse interests and ongoing legacy building. Sam Walton’s motto, "the #customer is always boss," remains central to Walmart’s enduring success. The family's story is a powerful example of how vision, strategic planning, and a commitment to giving back can build a lasting legacy. It shows that success, even if controversial, can be rooted in strong values and a drive to make a #positive impact. The remarkable rise of the Walton family underscores the power of vision, strategy, and values in crafting a lasting #legacy. #waltonfamily #walmart #retail #philanthropy #success

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https://lnkd.in/gJFTv-dN Will this be a good thing or bad? There is so much regulation in so many areas of business, which although we are unaware, effect us, the consumer, as we are at the bottom, we are merely the consumer. Some regulation may be good, some not, especially when it comes to the actual regulating body. FDA? CDC? Who regulates the regulator? Curious, but certainly not a surprise, during covid lockdowns the largest grocery suppliers remained open for business, in person or on line even initiating curbside pickup. We were allowed to shop but had to follow the rules as did the stores. Arrows pointing us in the right direction, 6 foot distance between us to protect us from each other, max amount of shoppers allowed in stores at a time, cashiers and customers protected from each other with acrylic shields, mask wearing, hand sanitizing, glove wearing etc. all to protect everyone and each other from a virus, the covid virus. Did covid follow any of these rules and regulations? Apparently not, that's why we had to. How come the big box office corporations were allowed to remain open, while small businesses all had to shut down? 🤔 Did covid only sneak into small businesses to attack and infect us while mega-corporations were somehow safe and immune? Maybe covid actually did follow rules and regulations after all. The rules and regulations imposed upon us by the regulators, the regulators of our lives. Democracy prevails. We are all well-guarded and being kept safe by our human regulators. Where would we actually be without them?

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In today's digital age, maintaining a strong connection with customers is of utmost importance. With the widespread use of technology, people have come to expect more personalized and relevant information from businesses. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to keep up with these expectations and provide their customers with the necessary information to build and maintain strong relationships.

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Amazon defends ‘Just Walk Out’ pullback "...The retailer’s grab-and-go technology will be targeted to small stores, while its smart carts will be prevalent in grocery stores, the company said this week..." #grabandgo #checkout #justwalkout Payments Dive _____________________________________________________ If you want to immediately see new content that I curate 👉🏻 Ring my bell (🔔) and follow #informationbanker or if you want to get the posts that got noticed in my weekly What’d I miss newsletter, subscribe here: "https://lnkd.in/d5_KvWwu"

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Notice how many retailers on this list that are chipping away at Kohl’s are physical retailers. This chart includes customers who have completely left Kohl's and also those that still shop but spend less. In many cases those customers have the same spending power. They are just choosing to spend it elsewhere. We see retailer’s go through this all the time. They see dwindling numbers but keep their gaze only on how to squeeze more juice from their visitors. Instead, retailers MUST strive to learn WHY this change in behavior. Sounds simple? It can be. We have a lightweight solution to get moving on this tomorrow. And it typically moves that needle this quarter. #retail #customerinsight #cx

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BRILLIANT RESEARCH: What matters to Today’s Consumer: 2024 consumer behavior tracker for the consumer and retail industries https://lnkd.in/eRxRngBG This report is the third in our annual research series that examines evolving consumer behaviors. This year, we find that many of the behaviors we noted in our 2023 report have persisted, with consumers continuing to express concern about their personal financial situations amid rising inflation. However, this concern has dropped significantly in the past twelve months as just 43% of consumers worry their personal finances will worsen over the next 6–9 months, compared with 80% who were concerned that they would worsen in the equivalent period last year #retail Capgemini

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🚨📉 **Target's Price Slash Bonanza: Good Move or Risky Business?** 📉 👀 **Heads Up, Shoppers!** 👀 Target has just announced some jaw-dropping price cuts on about 5,000 popular items, with plans to slash prices on even more over the summer! 🌞🛒 🛍️ From essentials like Good & Gather Frozen Chicken Breast to sports drinks and household staples, the price reductions are everywhere! Just in time for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and the back-to-school rush. 🎉🍗🧃 But here's where it gets interesting... 🤔 **Target vs. Walmart** 🥊 The retail giant is going toe-to-toe with Walmart on prices at a time when inflation is squeezing everyone's budget. 💸📈 Target's EVP, Rick Gomez, says they're here to help customers save more. But is this really the right move? 🤷‍♂️ As someone who's been in the retail game for a while, I've seen these strategies before. They don't always work out, especially with everyday staples. Unless Target has some solid data showing they're losing out to competitors, this seems like a risky play. 🎲⚠️ I'm super curious to see how this pans out! Will the price cuts drive more foot traffic and boost sales, or could it potentially hurt their margins and Top Line? 🏃‍♂️💸📉 🔍 What do you think? Is Target making the right move by slashing prices, or is this a gamble that might not pay off? Let's discuss! 💬👇 #Target #RetailStrategy #PriceCuts #Inflation #Walmart #ConsumerSavings #RetailTrends #CuriousAndSkeptical #RetailWars

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Insights from the US: By leveraging advanced AI technology, Walmart is not only enhancing customer searches but also empowering their frontline associates with real-time information. This technology supports a seamless shopping journey and ensures associates can provide top-notch assistance. Read more about this example of how AI is influencing the future of retail. #RetailCategoryManagement #CategoryManagement #Merchandising

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Are retailers moving fast enough as they build out retail media? Are they setting themselves up to be self-sufficient? Get ready for part 2 of our #RetailMedia series on the Middlemen...we talk about how retailers have begun the process of in-housing their technology, and their slow slide toward becoming digital publishers. Why is it happening slowly? Because display ads on retailers never really worked. We also cover Costco's launch of its Off-site retail media offering, and how (this part is a rant) unsophisticated press coverage is stuck treating all retail media capabilities as one monolithic thing, and holding back an understanding of the business. Some shout outs to Mark Williamson of Costco Wholesale and Michael Halverson of Albertsons Media Collective in this episode as well as a lot of talk about the rise, fall and dispersion of talent from Quotient to the rest of the retailers and vendors who are building out retail media. Spotify https://lnkd.in/esFZiWqY Youtube https://lnkd.in/eW_uHuKZ

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Independent retailers are more in demand than ever – not only are they incredibly resilient, but we’ve seen how durable the consumer demand is for their unique perspectives and the character they bring to local communities. Read more from U.S. Chamber of Commerce about recent research we conducted revealing Americans will spend more this year to support their local Main Street businesses. https://lnkd.in/gSVF8e3y

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Thrifting is a rising trend. Research shows that 52% of U.S. shoppers purchased secondhand apparel in 2022. 75% of consumers have purchased or are open to purchasing secondhand apparel. Consumers say they thrift to... 1. Save money 2. Help the environment 3. Find higher end items at a discount 4. Find unique clothes 5. The thrill of the hunt 6. To find furniture 7. It's trendy 8. Give back to communities 9. Buy items to resell at a profit What did I miss? Why do you thrift? When you donate gently used items or shop in our stores you support our community by helping to fund our workforce development programs such as our Goodskills Career Builder initiative that prepares individuals to begin a career path in tech and/or manufacturing. #thrift #sustainability #goodskillscareerbuilder #workforcedevelopment

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Amazon continuing its test & learn strategy to expand its grocery business. Also noteworthy is that it includes grocery retailers on Amazon.com, not just its own grocery ( continuing to build an ecosystem and offer more to customers) Excerpts: Dive Brief: Amazon announced Tuesday a new grocery subscription available to Prime members and customers using EBT. The subscription, which costs $9.99 per month for Prime members and $4.99 per month for non-Prime members with an EBT card, provides free grocery delivery on orders over $35 across Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and grocery retailers on Amazon.com such as Cardenas Markets and Save Mart.   The subscription adds to the string of changes Amazon is making to its grocery offerings as it looks to sharpen its presence as a grocer as well as bolster its Prime membership. Dive Insight: Amazon is positioning its new grocery subscription as a “low, monthly fee” that “pays for itself” after one delivery per month. “Our goal is to build a best-in-class grocery shopping experience — whether shopping in-store or online — where Amazon is the first choice for selection, value, and convenience,” Tony Hoggett, senior vice president of worldwide grocery stores at Amazon, said in an emailed statement. “We have many different customers with many different needs, and we want to save them time and money every time they shop for groceries.” Grocery delivery has been one area in particular that Amazon has grappled with recently. In January 2023, Amazon Fresh raised its threshold for free delivery to $150 but then 10 months later lowered that minimum to $100. A month later, Amazon said it started offering grocery delivery and free pickup to non-Prime members in all markets where its Amazon Fresh stores and online services operate, with plans to expand grocery delivery and free pickup from Whole Foods to shoppers who aren’t Prime members. #amazon #grocery #ecosystem

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