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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Walmart Stores Raise Toy Prices for Christmas -- Surprised?]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/competitive-strategy/" rel="tag">Competitive Strategy</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wmt/" rel="tag">Wal-Mart (WMT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/tgt/" rel="tag">Target Corp. (TGT)</a></p><p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="Walmart (WMT)" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.dailyfinance.com/media/2010/02/walmart-1266509178.jpg" />Perhaps it is the cynic in me, but I was not surprised to read <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-15/wal-mart-raised-prices-on-toys-this-month-squeezing-more-out-of-holidays.html">this story</a> about Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/quotes/wal-mart-stores-inc/wmt/nys">WMT</a>) from Bloomberg. The news outlet obtained an e-mail that was sent to Walmart managers instructing them to raise prices on an average of 1,800 types of toys per store. The managers were instructed to perform the price markups "as soon as possible" and were told that the price changes were "to better enable your store and the company to have a successful financial month."</p>
<p>Walmart stated that these price increases went into effect because temporary discounts on products (including toys) ended on November 30. Spokesman Ravi Jariwala, spokesman for Walmart, said in an e-mail, "Once a rollback ends, the item returns to its original everyday low price." That said, Eric Johnson director of the Center for Digital Strategies at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth noted that "In previous years Wal-Mart has come out and hammered everyone with unbelievably low toy prices ... They stepped away from that this year and after Thanksgiving their prices have crept back up."</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Walmart Stores Raise Toy Prices for Christmas -- Surprised?</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/">Walmart Stores Raise Toy Prices for Christmas -- Surprised?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/19764147/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/16/walmart-raises-toy-prices/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Christmas shopping</category><category>Eric Johnson</category><category>featured</category><category>holiday shopping</category><category>inthenews</category><category>Mike Duke</category><category>quarterly sales</category><category>Ravi Jariwala</category><category>retail</category><category>Target</category><category>toy sales</category><category>toys</category><category>Toys R Us</category><category>Wal-Mart</category><category>Walmart</category><category>Walmart discounts</category><category>Walmart prices</category><category>Walmart sales</category><category>Walmart toy prices</category><category>WMT</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Fightmaster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mattel's quarterly loss grows]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/earnings-reports/" rel="tag">Earnings Reports</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/mat/" rel="tag">Mattel, Inc (MAT)</a></p><img hspace="4" align="right" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/10/makeover-13-200cm101608.jpg" />Early this morning, <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/mattel-inc/mat/nys">Mattel</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/mattel-inc/mat/nys">MAT</a>) announced that its quarterly loss totaled $51 million, or <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsnews/idINN1718873120090417?rpc=33">14 cents per share</a>. This loss met the Street's expectations, but it was also a penny wider than the same quarter a year ago. The toy giant blamed the larger-than-anticipated loss on a stronger dollar and inventory cuts at retailers. Quarterly sales dropped 15% to $785.6 million in the quarter, including a 7% hit from the stronger dollar, reducing overseas sales values.<br /><br />Mattel's CEO Robert Eckert stated that the company will keep controlling costs as "tough market conditions test the resilience of toy companies," which rely on parents to boost sales. Unfortunately for Mattel, parents have been cutting back on toy purchases in the current market environment, forcing retailers to cut inventories in an effort to curb excess merchandise. The article cites a report from market research group NPD Group that showed total retail toy sales dropped 3% in 2008. <p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Mattel's quarterly loss grows</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/">Mattel's quarterly loss grows</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:10:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1519969/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/mattels-quarterly-loss-grows/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>disappointing quarter</category><category>DisappointingQuarter</category><category>earings reports</category><category>EaringsReports</category><category>earnings</category><category>inthenews</category><category>mat</category><category>mattel</category><category>quarterly sales</category><category>QuarterlySales</category><category>toy sales</category><category>ToySales</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mark Fightmaster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:10:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
