Latest news with #NeilSaunders
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Memories of GameStop's meme stock return as anguished chain sees sudden 105% Wall Street pop
Wall Street was surprised today by a rise that looks like a meme-stock frenzy of 2021. Kohl's — the beleaguered big-box chain experiencing a years-long sales slump, major CEO drama, and multiple store closures — just saw a 105 percent stock jump. The surge has since cooled, with shares now up around 40 percent. Analysts are warning that even the lower rise isn't supported by the business' fundamentals. 'What has Kohl's done to earn this acceleration? Nothing at all,' Neil Saunders, a retail expert at GlobalData, told 'The company's strategy and fundamentals are no different today than they were yesterday or the week before.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Target to end price match guarantee perk at all US locations
By Target is scrapping one of its most popular perks — its price match guarantee — at all of its nearly 2,000 US stores. Beginning July 28, shoppers will no longer be able to request a price match for items found cheaper at competitors like Walmart or Amazon. Under the current policy, customers can match prices at checkout or within 14 days of purchase. Target says the change reflects shopper behavior, claiming most customers use the perk to match prices between Target stores or to its own website, rather than to rivals. Not all shoppers are pleased. 'Yikes, this sucks,' one user wrote on Reddit . 'I'd price match Amazon or Walmart at times and then use my discount. Well, I'll just buy less or buy it where it's cheaper.' But retail expert Neil Saunders of GlobalData said the move makes sense. 'Target's profitability and margins have weakened over recent years, and if it wants to invest more in stores, then it needs to be more financially disciplined,' Saunders told 'Target's profitability and margins have weakened over recent years, and if it wants to invest more in stores, then it needs to be more financially disciplined,' Saunders told 'Ending price matching helps to achieve this, especially at a time when costs are rising because of tariffs. That said, this is only one part of the puzzle and there is a lot more Target needs to do to bolster its bottom line.' 'We're always working to deliver consumers outstanding value and give them confidence to choose Target, with our everyday low prices, affordable owned brands, incredible deals, free-to-join membership program, Target Circle, and more,' a spokesperson said. Prior to the upcoming change, Target predicted its holiday sales would fall flat during its fourth quarter. Valentine's Day ended up being a financial win for the company, but Easter was another story due to a church-led boycott of the retailer . During the protest, over 150,000 participants boycotted the company for 40 days of Lent. The actions were the result of the chain's decision to roll back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program . This, along with the impact from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, was enough to make its sales fall 2.8 percent to $23.85 billion during its first quarter. The mayhem from its massive price hikes in stores also didn't help, especially when the craziness came from employees fearing for their jobs . A noticeable rise was for the chain's USB-C cords, which jumped from $9.99 to $17.99 in May. Target is not letting its weak earnings and traffic get in the way of future plans. The chain is set to launch 48 stores across 22 states, the most being in Florida and Texas. Its also busy testing an Amazon-style shipping model, which would deliver products to customers' homes from factories.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Here's why Target is ending its long-running ‘price matching' policy this month
Target stores won't match the prices of competitors including Amazon and Walmart after July 28 the retail chain has announced. "We've found our guests overwhelmingly price match Target and not other retailers, which reflects the great value and trust in pricing consumers see across our assortment and deals," a Target spokesperson told ABC News. The policy, introduced in 2013, allowed customers to buy items in Target stores at reduced prices if they were being sold for less on or at Amazon or Walmart. Under the new policy, the price match will only apply to lower-priced items on according to the company. Target's policy was an industry first as brick-and-mortar chains faced increasing low-price competition from online retailers. Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at the research and analytics firm GlobalData, said the change was a sign of Target's continued financial challenges. "Target's profitability and margins have weakened over recent years, and if it wants to invest more in stores, then it needs to be more financially disciplined," he told USA TODAY. "Ending price matching helps to achieve this, especially at a time when costs are rising because of tariffs. That said, this is only one part of the puzzle and there is a lot more Target needs to do to bolster its bottom line." In May, the company missed Wall Street expectations and announced sales were down 2.8 percent in the first quarter, and had declined compared with the same period in 2024. Target, along with some of its competitors, have faced financial headwinds including uncertainty over the Trump administration's on-again, off-again tariff regime, rising inflation, as well as multiple consumer boycotts in the wake of the company's decision to align with the priorities of the new administration and end some of its diversity initiatives. Target competitors such as Best Buy retain a price match offer while Amazon and Walmart do not.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's why Target is ending its long-running ‘price matching' policy this month
Target stores won't match the prices of competitors including Amazon and Walmart after July 28 the retail chain has announced. "We've found our guests overwhelmingly price match Target and not other retailers, which reflects the great value and trust in pricing consumers see across our assortment and deals," a Target spokesperson told ABC News. The policy, introduced in 2013, allowed customers to buy items in Target stores at reduced prices if they were being sold for less on or at Amazon or Walmart. Under the new policy, the price match will only apply to lower-priced items on according to the company. Target's policy was an industry first as brick-and-mortar chains faced increasing low-price competition from online retailers. Target, which is ending its price match policy this month, has faced rising inflation, consumer boycotts, disappointing earnings, and uncertainty around Trump's tariffs (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at the research and analytics firm GlobalData, said the change was a sign of Target's continued financial challenges. "Target's profitability and margins have weakened over recent years, and if it wants to invest more in stores, then it needs to be more financially disciplined," he told USA TODAY. "Ending price matching helps to achieve this, especially at a time when costs are rising because of tariffs. That said, this is only one part of the puzzle and there is a lot more Target needs to do to bolster its bottom line." In May, the company missed Wall Street expectations and announced sales were down 2.8 percent in the first quarter, and had declined compared with the same period in 2024. Target, along with some of its competitors, have faced financial headwinds including uncertainty over the Trump administration's on-again, off-again tariff regime, rising inflation, as well as multiple consumer boycotts in the wake of the company's decision to align with the priorities of the new administration and end some of its diversity initiatives. Target competitors such as Best Buy retain a price match offer while Amazon and Walmart do not.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Target to drop beloved shopping perk customers have counted on for years
Target is scrapping one of its most popular perks — its price match guarantee — at all of its nearly 2,000 US stores. Beginning July 28, shoppers will no longer be able to request a price match for items found cheaper at competitors like Walmart or Amazon. Under the current policy, customers can match prices at checkout or within 14 days of purchase.. Target says the change reflects shopper behavior, claiming most customers use the perk to match prices between Target stores or to its own website, rather than to rivals. Not all shoppers are pleased. 'Yikes, this sucks,' one user wrote on Reddit. 'I'd price match Amazon or Walmart at times and then use my discount. Well, I'll just buy less or buy it where it's cheaper.' But retail expert Neil Saunders of GlobalData said the move makes sense. 'Target's profitability and margins have weakened over recent years, and if it wants to invest more in stores, then it needs to be more financially disciplined,' Saunders told 'Target's profitability and margins have weakened over recent years, and if it wants to invest more in stores, then it needs to be more financially disciplined,' Saunders told 'Ending price matching helps to achieve this, especially at a time when costs are rising because of tariffs. That said, this is only one part of the puzzle and there is a lot more Target needs to do to bolster its bottom line.' 'We're always working to deliver consumers outstanding value and give them confidence to choose Target, with our everyday low prices, affordable owned brands, incredible deals, free-to-join membership program, Target Circle, and more,' a spokesperson said. Prior to the upcoming change, Target predicted its holiday sales would fall flat during its fourth quarter. Valentine's Day ended up being a financial win for the company, but Easter was another story due to a church-led boycott of the retailer. During the protest, over 150,000 participants boycotted the company for 40 days of Lent. The actions were the result of the chain's decision to roll back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program. This, along with the impact from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, was enough to make its sales fall 2.8 percent to $23.85 billion during its first quarter. The mayhem from its massive price hikes in stores also didn't help, especially when the craziness came from employees fearing for their jobs. A noticeable rise was for the chain's USB-C cords, which jumped from $9.99 to $17.99 in May. Social media users were furious over the change and claimed it was not based on customer feedback Target is not letting its weak earnings and traffic get in the way of future plans. The chain is set to launch 48 stores across 22 states, the most being in Florida and Texas. Its also busy testing an Amazon-style shipping model, which would deliver products to customers' homes from factories. If all goes smoothly, the model could potentially be another factor why Amazon Prime members have canceled their memberships in favor of Target 360. Besides Target, price hikes took effect at Walmart, and some employees claimed over 15,000 were in a single store.
