According to a recent Bloomberg report, Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) may be interested in Carrefour, a France-based hypermarket chain with over 9,500 stores worldwide operating both company-operated and franchises stores. Steuart Walton, a grandson of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, is in-charge of Wal-Mart’s European expansion drive and is carefully observing the problems faced by Carrefour. If Carrefour decides to sell some of its stores to Wal-Mart, it will help Wal-Mart expand its operations in Europe. We estimate that the company’s international business contributes around 32% of its stock value.
Articles for Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Upates: Shows Interest in Carrefour, Introduces Esio Beverage
Graph ItNEW!Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 by Trefis Team
Wal-Mart Updates: Rocky Few Weeks Cap Off 11% Year
Graph ItNEW!Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 by Trefis Team
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) capped off 2011 with a modest 11.5% return in share price, which outpaced S&P which ended flat. Among recent initiatives, the retail giant is looking to build its online presence and expand internationally. Wal-Mart competes with other big retailers like Target (NYSE:TGT), Costco (NASDAQ:COST) and Best Buy (NYSE:BBY).
Lower Unemployment Might Mean Higher Revenue for Wal-Mart, Costco & Others
Graph ItNEW!Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 by Trefis Team
Higher unemployment hurts just about everyone in a consumer-driven economy, and the lack of jobs in the United States has been a challenge for just about everyone. Retail companies are most dependent on high employment rates and strong consumer purchasing power, which is why Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) and Costco (NYSE:COST) stand to benefit from sustained growth in U.S. jobs figures.
After four calamitous years for American workers, low unemployment has almost become a Shangri-La for economists and policymakers alike. The Labor Department recently released a report that showed a sudden drop in unemployment, from 9% to 8.6% in November. Since November is not typically a month that shows increased employment figures, and since the growth in employment was not driven by the public sector, there is cause for optimism.
Optimism, however, has become a rare commodity. The New York Times urges caution, pointing to the unresolved European debt crisis. Economists are surprised at the surge in American employment figures, considering the increasingly bleak outlook for Europe and signs that even the Chinese economy is slowing.
Wal-Mart Opts for Pop-up Stores to Promote Its Online Portal
Graph ItNEW!Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 by Trefis Team
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) has opened two pop-up stores in California to promote its Walmart.com brand. These stores are a temporary arrangement and are open for several weeks to help boost sales during the holiday season, and they help retailers have easy presence in areas where they don’t have a store. Wal-Mart’s pop-up stores would remain open until the end of the year, and the retailer intends to sell toys and consumer electronics at these stores. Like Wal-Mart, eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) has also opened pop-up locations in New York, San Francisco and London. Wal-Mart competes with other big retailers like Target (NYSE:TGT), Costco (NASDAQ:COST) and Best Buy (NYSE:BBY).
Wal-Mart Updates: Launches Social Media App ShopyCat
Graph ItNEW!Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 by Trefis Team
Wal-Mart recently launched ShopyCat, its first social shopping application, developed by its @WalmartLabs unit. The application helps Facebook subscribers to quickly find gifts for friends and family based on their tastes and interests. The application uses social data to recommend items from Walmart.com, Wal-Mart stores and other sites including RedEnvelope, Barnes & Noble and ThinkGeek. Wal-Mart looks focused on leveraging social media to connect with its customers. We are optimistic about Wal-Mart’s social and mobile media efforts and believe over time these would provide a significant boost to Wal-Mart’s online sales.
Wal-Mart’s Mexican subsidiary recently reported a 12.6% increase in same-store sales in November from a year earlier. The increase in Mexico is the biggest since a 13.4% gain in December 2006. The holiday sales helped Wal-Mart to lure customers to its stores in Mexico.
Wal-Mart Furthers its Social Media Focus with Shopycat
Graph ItNEW!Friday, December 9th, 2011 by Trefis Team
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) recently announced the launch of Shopycat, its first social shopping application, developed by @WalmartLabs. @Wal-Mart Labs creates platforms and products around social and mobile commerce. The application helps Facebook subscribers to quickly find gifts for friends and family based on their tastes and interests. Shopycat uses social data to recommend items from Walmart.com, Walmart stores and other sites including RedEnvelope, Barnes & Noble and ThinkGeek. The company competes with other big retailers like Target (NYSE:TGT), Costco (NASDAQ:COST) and Best Buy (NYSE:BBY).
Wal-Mart Updates: India Opens Doors to Foreign Retailers
Graph ItNEW!Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 by Trefis Team
Last week has been an eventful one for Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT). Recently, India approved overseas companies to own as much as 51% of retailers selling more than one brand. We consider this as a major recent development which could pave a bright way forward for retailers like Wal-Mart to own stores in the country. The foreign companies are required to invest at least $100 million, half of which has to be spent on developing back end infrastructure. According to Business Monitor International, Indian retail market is expected to double to $785 billion by 2015 from $396 billion this year.
In an interview last week, Steve Dacus Walmart Japan’s President and CEO cited that Wal-Mart plans to open 20 more stores in Japan in 2012 in order to expand its presence on the island. The new openings will include all of its formats, which range from Seiyu food stores and general merchandise stores to Wakana delis, although most of the new Seiyu outlets will be food stores, with 1,000 to 2,000 square meter range. ((Wal-Mart Japan unit plans 20 more stores in 2012, The Financial Express))
Wal-Mart : All Articles
- Week of 2012-01-29
- Week of 2012-01-15
- Week of 2012-01-01
- Week of 2011-12-25
- Week of 2011-12-18
- 12/20/11 Lower Unemployment Might Mean Higher Revenue for Wal-Mart, Costco & Others
- 12/20/11 Wal-Mart Opts for Pop-up Stores to Promote Its Online Portal
- Week of 2011-12-11
- Week of 2011-12-04
- Week of 2011-11-27
- 11/30/11 Wal-Mart Updates: India Opens Doors to Foreign Retailers
- 11/30/11 Wal-Mart Gears Up for Holiday Sales with Social Media
- 11/29/11 Wal-Mart’s Profits Take a Hit Due to Its Low Pricing Strategy
- Week of 2011-11-13
- 11/15/11 Wal-Mart Updates: International Biz is Clicking, New Initiatives Encouraging
- 11/15/11 Wal-Mart Looks Abroad to Regain Momentum
- Week of 2011-10-23
- Week of 2011-09-04
- Week of 2011-08-07
- Week of 2011-07-31
- Week of 2011-07-10
- Week of 2011-06-12
- Week of 2011-06-05
- 06/10/11 Wal-Mart Express: Wal-Mart’s Answer to Dollar Stores?
- 06/09/11 Wal-Mart’s Outlook in Africa
- 06/08/11 Will Home Delivery be Next Growth Driver to Wal-Mart?
- Week of 2011-04-24
- 04/28/11 Key Trends Impacting Wal-Mart
- Week of 2011-04-17
- 04/22/11 Wal-Mart Buys Kosmix, Our Take
- 04/20/11 Wal-Mart Buys Kosmix, Our Take
- Week of 2011-04-10
- Week of 2011-04-03
- Week of 2011-03-27
- 03/29/11 Wal-Mart’s Japan Stores Add Little Value to Stock
- 03/28/11 Risk to Wal-Mart’s Revenue per Square Foot Trends
- Week of 2011-03-06
- 03/07/11 Best Buy’s Upside Hinges on Consumers Stepping Up Electronics Purchases
- 03/07/11 Wal-Mart’s U.S. Stores About Twice as Valuable as International Stores
- Week of 2011-02-27
- Week of 2011-02-20
- 02/25/11 Declining Sales Trend Puts Wal-Mart on Back Foot
- 02/24/11 Sam’s Club Could Perk up Wal-Mart Sales if it Was More like Costco
- 02/23/11 Coverage Launch: $65 Trefis Price Estimate for Target
- Week of 2011-02-13
- Week of 2011-02-06
- 02/11/11 Merchandising Initiatives Could Improve Wal-Mart’s U.S. Profit Margins
- 02/10/11 Is a Divergence in Retail Sales and Property Prices an Indicator of Risk for Best Buy?
- Week of 2011-01-30
- 02/03/11 Stacking Up Wal-Mart’s Inventory Management vs. Costco and Best Buy
- 02/02/11 Video Streaming with a Side of Free 2-Day Shipping
- 01/31/11 A Look at Costco’s Key Metrics vs. Competitors
- Week of 2011-01-23
- 01/27/11 The Value of Membership Fees to Costco Stock
- 01/25/11 Wal-Mart Should Keep Close Watch on Food Cost Inflation
- 01/23/11 Trefis Picks of the Week for Telecom, Media, Technology & Retail
- Week of 2011-01-16
- 01/19/11 Online Retail Momentum and Smartphone Proliferation Lift Outlook for Amazon
- 01/19/11 Grocery Wars Could Pose Risk to Wal-Mart Stock Upside
- 01/18/11 Is Best Buy Losing its Edge?
- Week of 2011-01-09
- Week of 2011-01-02
- 01/07/11 Amazon Could Rise on Excellent Operational Efficiency
- 01/06/11 CVS Downside From Wal-Mart’s Pharmacy Prescription Plan
- 01/04/11 Best Buy Inventory Levels Could Prompt Discounting, Putting Pressure on Profit Margins
- 01/03/11 Walgreens Downside Potential From Wal-Mart’s Pharmacy Prescription Plan
- 01/03/11 Upside and Downside Scenarios for eBay on Holiday Shopping Trends
- Week of 2010-12-26
- 12/30/10 Amazon Benefits From Increasing Penetration of Online Retail Sales
- 12/30/10 Wal-Mart’s e-Commerce Investment Taps Chinese Retail Growth
- Week of 2010-12-19
- 12/22/10 Amazon – Trefis Price Estimate Raised as Shoppers Move Online
- 12/21/10 Costco – Electronics Market Share Opportunity is an Uphill Battle
- 12/21/10 Wal-Mart’s Selective Discounting to Drive Sales, Maintain Margins
- Week of 2010-12-12
- 12/18/10 Can Best Buy Correct Product Missteps?
- 12/16/10 Cash Productivity Best Buy vs. Wal-Mart’s US Stores
- 12/15/10 Will Best Buy’s Earnings Miss Weigh on Wal-Mart?
- 12/13/10 Wal-Mart International to Drive Growth
- Week of 2010-12-05
- 12/07/10 (Featured Forecast) Number of Costco US Clubs to Continue Growth Pace
- 12/07/10 Can Wal-Mart Get to $70 on Domestic Sales Growth?
- Week of 2010-11-28
- 12/02/10 Best Buy’s Gross Margin Impact on Holiday Promotions
- 12/02/10 Wal-Mart’s Massmart Deal Could Secure Foothold in Africa
- 11/30/10 Best Buy’s Cyber Monday Data Could Lift Outlook
- Week of 2010-11-21
- Week of 2010-11-14
- 11/17/10 iPhone’s Standalone Business Worth More Than All But 8 Companies in the World
- 11/15/10 Wal-Mart’s Online Push – Does it Make Sense?
- Week of 2010-10-31
- Week of 2010-10-10
- 10/15/10 10% Best Buy Upside from Higher Revenue per Square Foot
- 10/12/10 iPad Distribution Expands, Impact is Small for Apple’s Stock
- Week of 2010-10-03
- Week of 2010-09-26
- 09/30/10 Best Buy Stock Close to its Intrinsic Value
- 09/29/10 Lower eBay Take Rates Can Drive More Listings
- 09/28/10 Wal-Mart’s US Store Count Expected to Rise
- Week of 2010-09-19
- 09/24/10 Average Fees for Costco to Rise with More Executive Members
- 09/20/10 Best Buy US Stores on the Rise
- 09/20/10 U.S. Stores Generate Most Value for Costco
- Week of 2010-09-12
- 09/17/10 Can Wal-Mart Create a Successful Banking Business?
- 09/16/10 Mobile Sales Drive Margin Growth for Best Buy
- 09/15/10 Potential Wal-Mart Downside from Slightly Higher Capex
- 09/14/10 Best Buy’s Mobile Stores Unlikely to Move Stock
- Week of 2010-09-05
- 09/10/10 Discount Competitors Could Slice 6% Off Best Buy’s Stock
- 09/07/10 Costco’s Mall Strategy Could Boost Stock by 3%
- Week of 2010-08-29
- 09/03/10 Online Sales Probably Won’t Lift Best Buy’s Revenue Per Square Foot
- 09/02/10 Wal-Mart Stock Should Benefit From Lower Spending, More Stores
- 08/31/10 3D TV May Not Boost Best Buy Stock
- 08/30/10 Slower Growth for Best Buy’s US Store Count
- Week of 2010-08-22
- Week of 2010-08-15
- 08/20/10 Operating Efficiencies Should Support Wal-Mart’s Stock
- 08/16/10 Steady Growth Expected for Wal-Mart’s Stores & Margins Outside the US
- Week of 2010-08-08
- Week of 2010-07-25
- 07/30/10 Significant Upside to Wal-Mart’s Stock from Higher US Margins
- 07/28/10 P&G’s E-Commerce Play Should Help Operating Margins
- Week of 2010-07-18
- 07/23/10 Upside to Costco from Rising International Business
- 07/19/10 Investors Expecting Further Upside to Best Buy?
- Week of 2010-07-11
- 07/16/10 International Stores to Drive Costo’s Growth
- 07/12/10 Smartphone E-Commerce Can Boost Amazon’s Stock 10%
- Week of 2010-07-04
- 07/08/10 Wal-Mart Rotates Inventory and Squeezes Suppliers to Generate Significant Value
- 07/08/10 Woot Acquisition Won’t Move Amazon’s Stock
- 07/08/10 Will U.S. Consumer Caution Hamper Best Buy?
- 07/07/10 Rising Chinese Manufacturing Costs Could Squeeze Wal-Mart’s Margins
- 07/05/10 Wal-Mart Store Makeover Could Goose Sales
- Week of 2010-06-27
- 07/02/10 Best Buy Enters the Media/Telecom Services Market
- 07/02/10 Wal-Mart’s Small Box Strategy
- 06/29/10 International Expansion Key for Best Buy
- Week of 2010-06-20
- 06/24/10 Best Buy Taps Into Lucrative Mobile Market with Best Buy Mobile Stores
- 06/22/10 Costco’s Ancillary Services Outlook Improves
- 06/21/10 Wal-Mart’s Massive Size Makes Sam’s Club Insignificant to its Stock
- Week of 2010-06-13
- 06/18/10 Apple and AT&T Broaden Reach of iPhone Through Wal-Mart
- 06/16/10 Best Buy Prepares for Bigger Dip in DVD Sales with CinemaNow Partnership
- Week of 2010-06-06