Focus groups are a mainstay of retail, but Walmart’s warehouse club is taking it to another level in its battle against Costco. Sam’s Club is assembling a large and growing community of shoppers to help it develop new products as it races to expand the value of a membership. The company said Thursday that its … Read more
Kroger Co.’s new chief executive officer is looking at big price cuts in order to win back market share and take on his former employer, Walmart Inc., and other competitors. The largest US grocery company, which owns 21 chains including City Market and Fred Meyer, is laying the groundwork for lower prices across product categories, … Read more
Walmart says it managed to keep prices steady in the face of rising fuel costs last quarter by taking a $175 million hit to profit growth. Loading audio narration… That might not last. Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said the company is facing hundreds of millions in new energy costs this year, which would … Read more
More than 20 years after it redefined fast shipping, Amazon is preparing to raise the bar on consumer expectations again by offering to fulfill customers’ most urgent product needs in a half-hour or less for an extra fee. The company, which revolutionized online shopping in 2005 with two-day deliveries for Prime members, is rapidly opening … Read more