Alan Wolf

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After ’75 Twister, Nebraska Furniture Mart Prepared For Worst

The tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., on Sunday evoked bitter memories in Omaha, where an F4 twister destroyed apartments, an elementary school and a Nebraska Furniture Mart building in 1975. “It looked like somebody came through in a bomber and just bombed the hell out of the store,” the retailer’s executive VP Bob Batt told a local TV news station... More

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Walmart White Goods? Gee (No, GE)

Chatter regarding another Walmart-GE appliance pilot has resumed, this time in the Wall Street Journal where “analysts and consultants familiar with the retailer’s plans” point to a 100-store test of 75 SKUs or more this year in Texas. Neither company commented for the article, although Walmart U.S. president/CEO Bill Simon acknowledged at a conference last month that... More

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Where is the Love?

Independent retailers like Mark Lynch of Jeff Lynch Appliance, a TWICE Top 100 majap dealer in Greenville, S.C., are feeling more than a little used and abused by white-goods manufacturers. Lynch dutifully meets all of their franchise requirements, and maintains an idealized 75,000-square-foot showroom and crackerjack sales team with which to spotlight their wares. But often his sales floor is... More

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GE & Haier: A Match Made In M&A Heaven

Forecasting a revitalized merger and acquisition market, the folks at Dow Jones Investment Banker have revisited a favorite rumor-du-jour, circa 2008: Haier’s purchase of GE Appliances. “While not probable,” DJIB writes, “the provocative prediction has a compelling logic and could create value.” With GE’s stock in the doldrums, they argue,... More

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Best Buy Pondering New Pricing Policy

Best Buy is considering a switch from its traditional sales-event based high-low pricing policy to the everyday-low-pricing approach (EDLP) employed by Walmart. According to Bloomberg News, the No. 1 CE chain is reassessing its go-to-market strategy after ceding ground to Walmart and Amazon.com during the holiday selling season. The company is also deeply concerned over the growing... More