Alexi Boyd’s Post

Why are Morrisons doing better than Asda? It's simple, one word. Leadership. Morrisons have a CEO brought in to do a job, a turnaround specialist who has been in retail almost 30 years & has a history of success. Asda don't have a CEO, there has been a vacancy since Roger Burnley left 3 years ago. You will not have a successful Retailer without a great CEO. A brilliant CEO is one who then surrounds themselves with the best individuals for the other key jobs. Asda have a void at a time when their competitors have clear, simple strategies. Asda have new appointments arriving but not until early 2025, by which point they will have been through the most important quarter of the year. Morrisons are focusing on the basics, availability & price. Asda appear to be focusing on nothing but trying everything. Price is off, availability is poor, stores are under staffed so they have relaunched Extra Special as Exceptional. Apparently it is a 'new, sophisticated brand, which aims to champion taste and elevate the supermarket’s premium tier offering.' I'd say this is a clear copy of M&S's The Collection range with it's look & feel. Is this the reason why Asda have been struggling? Of course not, it's because they aren't laser focused. As a Buyer I wanted to know what direction we were headed & what the plan was to get there. In other words the strategy & the tactics. I was fortunate enough to work at a time where the strategy was clear as were the tactics, I also worked through times where neither were clear! It doesn't feel like Asda have a clear strategy at the moment, they are trying to do everything & are also implementing major IT changes (guaranteed to disrupt the best of businesses). It feels like Asda are trying too hard as it just isn't coming easily. As one Supplier told The Grocer “Asda do seem somewhat in disarray. Buyers are really difficult to get hold of and NPD is slow and painful." Asda don't have a loyalty scheme that is working well at all & they are off the pace with pricing, having an Exceptional range won't cut the mustard. We are only just in August, the next two months are probably the quietest of the year, the calm before the storm. Asda need to sort themselves out before 1st October of their share will go back even further & their Golden Quarter will be a disaster. #theretailmind #groceryretail #asda #simple

What happened in the world of eCommerce recently? 1. Why cosmetics category is still on top? - Despite inflation, Canadians continue to buy beauty products. Now, most of you are thinking about the "lipstick effect" and that may be the right answer as to why cosmetics and beauty remain a top choice in these trying times. 2. Victoria's Rooms + Spaces has closed - Rooms + Spaces, a chain of retailers has closed in Victoria. This news comes just a few months after the grand opening. 3. Why is Loblaw-owned grocery store in the news? - Have you heard of ungraded beef? Reports are saying Loblaws might be selling them and this has become a great concern amongst shoppers. 4. Is Express Inc going bankrupt? - Express Inc. has hired advisors to help them with lender discussions. If they go for debt restructuring, they may have to file for bankruptcy. 5. A strategic alternative for The Children's Place - The Children's Place had received a loan of US $ 130 million. A family in Saudi Arabia has purchased a 54 percent stake through their investment firm. This could just be the move that saves them. #ecommercenews

🚀 Thrilled to be part of #RCCSTORE24! Speakers Chris Gardner and Achille Ettore shared inspiring stories on how our advanced analytics and AI-driven insights can elevate your business intelligence, streamline decision-making, and drive innovation in Retail! Let's revolutionize retail together! #MicroStrategy #RetailInnovation #AI #Analytics 🛒🔍

What is Walmart's strategy for South Africa? This question came up at recent discussions of the SA retail sector. The below points are food for thought and a trader's view only. Here some bullet points about Walmart's strategy. In 2022 #Walmart delisted Massmart. That decision was made instead of selling the business. Massmart had revenues of ca. R19bn in 2022. (Call it >$1bn.) - Small in the Walmart universe. https://lnkd.in/d7HDzPE9 Walmart has estimated total revenues of ca. $648bn in 2024. Ca. 81% of these are in the U.S. Regarding its international strategy, Walmart exited Japan in 2020 and the UK (ASDA) in 2021. It also divested from Argentina and Brazil. (Again, Walmart kept its small operations in SA). Walmart seeks to increase its international revenues from $100bn in 2023 to $200bn by 2028. Talkbusiness.net: Judith McKenna, CEO of Walmart International, made the statement at the retailer’s shareholder’s event in 2023. She admitted it was a bold prediction but said all of the 19 countries in the international portfolio have plans in place to make it happen. Walmart CFO John Rainey reiterated the international goal (June 14, 2023) at the Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference. - Core businesses are in Mexico (ca. $52bn revenues), India and China. How does Walmart grow its revenues? Reuters: McKenna said she expects Walmart's growth to come from implementing the omni-channel strategy globally, scaling existing and new marketplaces in the 19 foreign countries in which it operates, and building a complementary business "ecosystem" like the one it has in Mexico. Besides selling everyday products through brick-and-mortar stores in Mexico, Walmart offers financial services through its Cashi app, telecom services through BAIT and has now started offering healthcare services in the country. Trader’s view: While Walmart is pushing an omni-channel strategy, scale/distribution is nevertheless important. The question for me is, can Walmart grow its revenues coming from SA to a meaningful number within its international operations organically or will Walmart go for M&A?! Especially now that SA is starting to become a self-help story. The bottom-line is that a) Walmart includes SA in its international strategy and b) the current operations are in my view too small in the bigger scheme of things. Right? Any thoughts?

⬇ Not had time to catch up on recent retail news? We've got you covered with a summary of this week's top stories: ✅ Morrisons has followed Asda in launching a price-matching scheme pegged to both of the German discounters. More than 200 essential products are included in the scheme, which launched yesterday. Morrisons said it will check the prices against both Aldi UK and Lidl GB twice per week to make sure they are as low or lower. 🎨 Poundland & Dealz is treating 150 stores in the UK and Ireland to a major revamp between now and the end of August. ‘Project Evo’ will see the stores get new signage, flooring, lighting and ranges, while staff areas will also be made over to make them better places to work, according to Poundland. ☕ Coffee chain Costa Coffee has announced it will give its baristas a 9% average increase in its pay rate from April. The starting rate will rise to £12 from £10.70, with specific increases in place for more senior and London-based baristas. Costa said the change would be effective in over 1,500 company-owned UK stores, affecting over 15,000 store members. 🍻 Less than a year after launch, sales of BrewDog’s Black Heart in grocery have reached nearly 10% of that of Guinness Draught, according to new Circana data. In the 26 weeks ended 24 December 2023, BrewDog Black Heart amassed sales of £4.2m in grocery, according to Circana. This was the equivalent to 9.6% of sales of Guinness Draught over the same period. 🧴Skincare startup Faace has secured backing from three dragon investors following an appearance on Dragons’ Den last week. Founder Jasmine Wicks-Stephens walked away with a combined £60k investment from Steven Bartlett, Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman. The dragons offered the entrepreneur £20k each in return for a 5% stake in the business, valuing Faace at £400k. #latestnews #newstoday #podtalent #supplychain #recruitment #london #manchester #international 

Your commerce and market corner: Aldi is expanding its store footprint nationwide and will be adding 800 stores over the next 5 years. Speaking of which, where would you like to see the next Aldi? While the company is not publicly traded, this would be a great example of a business worth investing in while yet at the ground floor. It exemplifies a great model, projected growth, and likely good EBITDA if we could get a glimpse into its K1. Question: What do you see as a challenge for your community as it pertains to housing and or business/trade? Comment below with location and what you think

🙌 Frontline news we're excited about! 🙌 Aldi plans to open 800 new stores by 2028, making it the third largest grocer in the United States behind merger-dependent Kroger/Albertsons and Walmart. Some existing stores from Aldi's acquisition of Southeastern Grocers will be rebranded under Aldi, with a market focus on the Southeast. We saw strong application rates over the holiday period concentrated in the South, so this is a good regional bet for the supermarket chain. This is a $9 Billion (with a capital B) investment for Aldi. With around 10 staff per store on average across 3,000 eventual locations, that's 30,000 frontline workers needed. The industry reports a 1-2 month average retention for grocery staff, which could mean a loss of up to 18,000 people over the course of a year. Effective hiring and retention strategies will be essential for this expansion. 1) Mobile-first processes 2) Adaptable hiring workflows 3) Easy onboarding 4) Valuable staff engagement Do you have an Aldi coming to your area? https://lnkd.in/gGmzfPjK #aldi #grocery #frontlineworkers

Sainsbury's has announced it is cutting around 1,500 jobs, subject to consultation, as part of plans it hopes will save around £1bn over three years. The retailer said roles would be lost at its contact centre in Cheshire, in-store bakeries, and some local fulfilment centres. Some staff will be redeployed, with alternative roles found "where possible". The savings will be invested back into the business, the retailer added. Announcing the news, Sainsbury's said "the vast majority" of jobs at its Widnes call centre would be transferred to its service partner, Careline services. It described it as "a major employer" and said it offered a "range of career opportunities". The supermarket said it had begun moving to a more efficient way of baking goods in-store, and had outlined plans to move more stores to the model. "As a result, the supermarket will be conducting a consultancy process with bakers in these stores," the retailer continued. Sainsbury's said it had reassured colleagues that it would find alternative roles for them where possible, as it would "for any colleague affected by changes proposed". Read more ➡️ https://buff.ly/49DomHw The Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network is here to support your business - reach out to share your views, concerns and opportunities. #SCCnews #businesssupport #businessnetwork #businessvoice #businessleader Sign up for the Scottish Chambers of Commerce enewsletter at https://buff.ly/3CpsQnu

Investors are urging Woolworths Supermarkets to sell off its New Zealand business and discount chain BIG W to simplify operations and boost sales growth in its home market. #fmcg #insidefmcg #business #brand #selloff #investor #operation #sales #growth

Yesterday, I spoke with Sunrise and 7NEWS Australia as the news broke that Brad Banducci, CEO of Woolworths, announced that he will be retiring after a thirteen-year tenure with the company. This announcement comes amidst a period of intense scrutiny for the Australian supermarket giant, with multiple inquiries pending into grocery pricing and concerns about affordability at an all-time high. While the company maintains that Banducci's departure was a long-planned retirement, the timing, following a controversial interview on Four Corners discussing competition in the grocery market, has inevitably fuelled speculation. Banducci's tenure saw significant changes for Woolworths, including a bolstered online presence and increased market share. However, the company has also faced criticism for its pricing strategies, particularly during the current cost-of-living crisis. Investors reacted negatively to the news, with Woolworths shares dropping sharply. The true impact of Banducci's departure, however, remains to be seen. His successor, Amanda Bardwell, brings a wealth of experience in digital transformation and strategic growth, but inherits a challenging landscape marked by intense competition, shifting consumer sentiment, and ongoing regulatory scrutiny. One of the most pressing issues for Woolworths is rebuilding public trust on the issue of affordability. The company must prioritise transparency in its pricing strategies and demonstrate a commitment to value for money. This will be crucial in regaining the trust of consumers who feel increasingly priced out of essential groceries. #costoflivingcrisis #costofliving #woolworths #ceo #trust #retail #australianretail #consumerinsights #consumers