For Walmart, rising tariffs and worries about a possible recession are major concerns. Those economic pressures could make it harder for the company to keep prices low, which is a big part of why shoppers choose Walmart in the first place. One thing that’s helping the company is its membership program, Walmart+. Members made up nearly half of all online spending on Walmart’s website and app last year. These customers shop more often and spend more money than those without Continue reading
Do you live within five miles of a Walgreens? If you’re like almost 80 percent of the U.S. population, the answer is yes. The Walgreens Boots Alliance has grown its pharmacy chain into a massive conglomerate since Walgreens’ founding in 1901. Less than a decade ago, it officially became America’s largest drugstore chain with more than 13,000 stores all the way from Norway to Chile, Alaska to Thailand. Its stock was so successful that the Dow Jones Industrial Average chose Continue reading
Although online shopping has been the norm for decades, oftentimes consumers still want to visit a physical store. Whether it’s trying on different sizes, comparing colors and styles, or simply browsing, there are some shopping activities that people prefer to do in person. When the pandemic upended supply chains, retailers responded by cutting back on the amount of inventory that went out to individual stores. Instead, they centralized inventory at distribution centers to make it easier and cheaper to respond Continue reading
Costco, the warehouse club famous for bulk items and cheap hot dogs, is trying to avoid what would be its first-ever employee strike. The Costco Teamsters union, which represents 18,000 workers, threatened to stop working after January 31 unless the company raised wages and benefits to reflect inflation. With only a few hours left before the strike was scheduled to start at 56 stores across six states, Costco reached a tentative agreement with the union over the weekend. Now it’s Continue reading
In the days before online shopping, catalogs were a common way to purchase holiday gifts without having to go to a store as customers placed and received their orders directly through the mail. Sears issued the first holiday edition of its popular catalog in 1933 selling toys like a Mickey Mouse watch, a Lionel electric train set, and live singing canaries. In 1968, the catalog grew to more than 600 pages, including 225 pages of toys. Many companies relied on Continue reading
Hormel makes 71 different kinds of pepperoni. In addition to the widely popular original pepperoni slices, grocery shoppers can also choose diced, thick-sliced, mini-sliced, low-sodium, low-fat, turkey pepperoni, and more. The spin-offs may not sell as well as the original, but they do help to attract customer attention for the overall brand. More products mean more shelf space at stores, which gives customers more opportunities to find and buy Hormel products. The company also hoped this strategy would make shoppers Continue reading