Research

Kroger 2018 Investor Conference: Alternative Profit Streams to Fuel Profit Growth

On October 30, Kroger hosted its 2018 Investor Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. The presentations focused on the company’s commitment to its Restock Kroger plan and highlighted the potential of alternative revenue streams. The four main themes of the conference were:

Beauty Briefings, Part 1: Clean Beauty Is the New “Free from” Frontier and Sales Are Expected to Nearly Double by 2024

Consumer demand for transparency in beauty product ingredients has spurred many companies to create “clean” formulations that are free of potentially toxic and/or synthetic ingredients such as parabens, sulfates, silicones, phthalates and fragrances.

Next (LSE NXT) 3Q19 Trading Update Continued Weakness as Store Sales Fall Further

British fashion retailer Next reported an increase of 1.3% in total full-price sales in the 12 weeks ended October 27.

Groceryshop 2018, Day 2: Hearing About Digitalization, Blockchain and the Future of Retail

The Coresight Research team is in Las Vegas this week to participate in Groceryshop 2018, being held October 28–31. The event will cover the transformation of consumer packaged goods (CPG), grocery and related industries, and is being attended by more than 2,200 industry professionals and features over 150 speakers.

In this report, we share our key takeaways from the second day of the conference, which include:

Notes from the Coresight Research–InReality Webinar: How the In-Store Experience Affects Buyer Behavior

On October 4, Coresight Research CEO and Founder Deborah Weinswig and InReality Director of Product Marketing David Adams cohosted a webinar called “How the In-Store Experience Affects Buyer Behavior.” Weinswig and Adams presented their views on the current state of the in-store experience, what is changing in brick-and-mortar retail and how to succeed in the new retail environment. Key takeaways from the webinar include:

Groceryshop 2018: Day 1 Takeaways—Startup Pitch Competition

The Coresight Research team is in Las Vegas this week to participate in Groceryshop 2018, being held October 28–31. The event will cover the transformation of consumer packaged goods (CPG), grocery and related industries, and is being attended by some 2,200 industry professionals and features over 150 speakers. Deborah Weinswig, Coresight Research CEO and Founder, kicked off the event by emceeing the Groceryshop Startup Pitch Competition.

Chinese Discretionary Spending Slowing as Singles’ Day Nears

As China prepares for the 10th annual Singles’ Day shopping festival, we take note of the following recent developments in the Chinese economy:

Carter’s (CRI) 3Q18 Result: Company Misses Expectations and Lowers Guidance Due to Toys“R”Us and Bon-Ton Closures

Carter’s reported fiscal 3Q18 revenues of $923.9 million, down 2.5% year over year and lower than the $944.4 million consensus estimate. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) was $1.61, lower than the consensus estimate of $1.73 and lower than the EPS of $1.70 in the year-ago quarter.

JCPenney Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Resigns; Senior Vice President (SVP) Finance Will Assume the Position in Interim

This week, Jeffrey Davis, CFO and EVP at JCPenney, announced his resignation effective October 1, 2018. Davis had held the position since July 24, 2017, prior to which he the CFO at Darden restaurants. Jerry Murray, SVP-Finance, will take over as the interim CFO, reporting directly to the Office of the CEO. Murray had joined…