Retail Watchers

Target pricing trends cents higher than Wal Mart on food and consumables in many cases. Maybe dimes higher in drug/personal care. But lately I notice more items with a wider price variance. Both of these chains have been price increasing drastically in recent years and the price gap between them an...

Good article here explains how private equity destroyed the company while reaping huge profits from sale-leaseback deals.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/20/red-lob ... uptcy.html

I went last weekend to the Amazon Fresh in Paramus, NJ. (It was remarkably terrible and completely empty. There was one cashier with no line.) I'd estimate the majority of the storebrand items are Amazon Fresh, but some are Happy Belly, which is the brand I remember seeing in the past. Is the Amazo...

I have commented on the collapse and failure of the outlet mall concept, which seems to be dying faster than regular malls but not capturing the attention of the media since they are fewer and further between. The primary cause in my opinion has been a lack of actual first quality product that is j...

This bin operator called Falling Prices in NorCal who seems to deal almost exclusively with Target runs a side format called BID RL where the "better" items go. You bid on items and go pick them up. Items change weekly. I don't see much activity there. When they opened they had a mix of T...

I have commented on the collapse and failure of the outlet mall concept, which seems to be dying faster than regular malls but not capturing the attention of the media since they are fewer and further between. The primary cause in my opinion has been a lack of actual first quality product that is ju...

Do you think Sears could compete with Ross if it went to that type of a format? Ross has 1853 stores and opens at least one a month. TJX has 4800 stores. Sears has how many again? I guess Sears could compete with Ross, they could compete with whoever they want. They are so insignificant and puny to...

Went into Sears today. The women's and kid's clothing is fully restocked; I haven't seen a full sales floor like this in a Sears in many years. The brands are unfamiliar and generic. The prices on the items are more along the line of a Burlington or Ross price; most items were 30% off or 50% off, a...

It was odd to see the difference between the two Ralphs stores. Murrieta was charging $14.99/lb for the BH turkeys and $17.99 for the BH Roast Beef. The cheese I wanted that they stopped ordering at that store was $12.99. Temecula was $13.99 for the turkey but BH oven gold was on sale there for $9....

They're a little different. Very little food and no cleaning or paper product type items. Over the years more and more of their product is from China but they say it is "Japan Quality." Their stuff looks a lot better than a Dollar Tree and they have a lot more glass based items. They've a...