Posts Tagged ‘Walmart’
| Newer Entries »This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Walmart CEO Outlines Strategies for “Next Generation Walmart”
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
At Walmart’s annual shareholders meeting, president and CEO Mike Duke outlined four strategies for building the “Next Generation Walmart.” He said Walmart is poised to deliver on Sam Walton’s vision of giving “the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life.”
The strategies are: (1) become a truly global company, (2) understand the business challenges that retailers will face and solve them, (3) play an even bigger leadership role on social issues that matter to its customers, and (4) keep its culture strong everywhere.
In order to be a more global company, Duke discussed the need to serve customers as a local store, share best practices, and leverage Walmart’s global supply chain. He stated that over the next five years Walmart will create 500,000 jobs around the world. Duke also discussed the importance on price transparency and low pricing, and being a company that stays strong globally.
The company also announced that its board of directors approved a new repurchase program that authorizes the company to repurchase $15 billion of its shares. This program replaces the previous $15 billion program, which was announced June 5, 2009, and had approximately $4.7 billion of remaining authorization. Under the program, repurchased shares are constructively retired and returned to unissued status.
Photo Credit: Huffington Post
Tags: Mike Duke, repurchase, Walmart
Posted in Financial, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
U.S. Consumer Confidence Rises Slightly in April
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
According to Reuters, the U.S. consumer confidence index in April improved slightly to 57.9, compared to 52.3 in March. Many retailers, says Rothman Research, are revising their marketing strategy to attract as much traffic to their stores for the summer. Giant discounters such as Walmart Stores, Inc. and Target Corp. performed extremely well during the recession, and are now trying to attract even more people to these stores as the consumer confidence grows.
Tags: Consumer Confidence Index, Rothman Research, Target, Walmart
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
This post was written by Jackie Breyer
Garanimals Toys at Walmart
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
This summer, Garanimals will debut a new array of infant plush exclusively at Walmart. Inspired by the Garanimals newborn and infant apparel, the collection will include 28 soft, cuddly, and cute plush items available in a variety of colors and prints for boys and girls, as well as gender-neutral options. Prices range from $5-$12.
At Walmart in June, Garanimals is also introducing a wide-range of toys and accessories for infants through age 2, including activity gyms, crib mirrors, finger puppets, mini o-balls, rattles, soft squeakers, teethers, wood toys, and more. The toys range in price from $1 to $12.
The new lines will be available in the infant department of Walmart.
Tags: Garanimals, infant, low price, Toys, Walmart
Posted in 0-2 | 2 Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Video: Lutz Muller Talks Toys and Movies with BNN
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
Lutz Muller, CEO of Klosters Trading Corp., sits down with Canada’s Business News Network to talk about Iron Man 2, Avatar, Toy Story 3, and Spin Master’s deal with Walmart for How to Train Your Dragon.
To view, click here.
Tags: Avatar, BNN, How to Train Your Dragon, Iron Man 2, Klosters Trading Corp., Lutz Muller, Spin Master, Toy Story 3, Walmart
Posted in News | 1 Comment »
This post was written by Jackie Breyer
Vikings Take Over Times Square!
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
This morning, instead of going directly to my office, I made a stop in Times Square, which was overrun by Vikings… could be a little scary… but they were all smiling, taking pictures and generally enjoying the fact that their big Viking Boat (40 ft) was grounded in the heart of NYC. (Since I’m a native New Yorker, I have to say it was grounded in the heart of America).
After taking a few pictures… trying to hear what actress America Ferrera (Ugly Betty and the voice of Astrid) was saying to the cameras, I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with Walmart’s SVP and General Manager of Entertainment, Gary Severson.
So how does America’s giant retailer decide when and how much muscle to put behind a new movie launch/property, well, Gary gave me some insight.
There are a lot of great movies that come out every year, but not all translate into merchandise, specifically toys, very well. But the How to Train Your Dragon property has such appeal, especially to boys, that it was clear that this was something to look at. Dragons are a terrific play pattern, and there is a demand for this type of product. Compound this with the studio behind the movie, DreamWorks, and the first toy partner to see the potential—Spin Master—well Walmart knew that this could be something big.
This great partnership launches today in Walmarts around the country and in theaters this Friday. Will your kids love this movie? …the answer is yes! They will love the story about Hiccup, a Viking teenager who just doesn’t fit in and the dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to look at the world differently. And, they will love the array of products that will be available at Walmart exclusively, such as toys (helmets and swords of course… made of foam), snacks, apparel, and other products to keep the story alive. We’ll see the DVDs later in the year so be ready to add it to your holiday list!
–Laurie
Tags: DreamWorks, How to Train Your Dragon, Spin Master, Times Square, vikings, Walmart
Posted in 3-5, 6-8, 9 and up, Licenses | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Walmart and DreamWorks Team for “Dragon” Program
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. will port in Walmart stores nationwide as the two unveil an exclusive program for the studio’s feature film, How to Train Your Dragon, in theaters on March 26.
More than 2,500 Viking ships will sail into the stores, including one in the How to Train Your Dragon designated area in stores. The area will featuring more than 100 Dragon items for purchase, including licensed products from manufacturers such as Spin Master, Kraft, Kellogg, and Pepsi. The products will include dragon and Viking-themed toys such as foam swords and helmets, apparel, skateboards, hooded towels, sunglasses, and snacks. Walmart has also developed a How to Train Your Dragon activity book that will be found in Happy Meals at 1,000 McDonald’s locations in Walmart stores.
Tags: DreamWorks Animation, How to Train Your Dragon, Walmart
Posted in 6-8, 9 and up, New Products, News | No Comments »
