RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Shopping centres will survive peak Amazon

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Vesna Poljak
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 24 : 13-Nov-17

The Australian real estate investment trust sector has responded more proactively to the threat posed to retail trade by Amazon than many have given it credit for, according to Pete Davidson of BT Investment Management. REIT stocks currently favoured by BTIM include Westfield, Mirvac and Charter Hall, along with Arena and Folkestone, which both have interests in childcare centres. Other stocks that BTIM like include Precinct Properties and Vital Healthcare.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT, WESTFIELD CORPORATION – ASX WFD, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, CHARTER HALL GROUP – ASX CHC, ARENA REIT – ASX ARF, FOLKESTONE LIMITED – ASX FLK, PRECINCT PROPERTIES, VITAL HEALTHCARE PROPERTY TRUST, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, SCENTRE GROUP – ASX SCG, MITCHELL MONTAGU

Millers, Lowes and Noni-B lead for customer satisfaction

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 6-Nov-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Millers had the highest level of customer satisfaction level of any clothing store in September, at 89.7 per cent. It was followed by Lowes, Noni-B, Rockmans and Jeanswest. Millers’ customer satisfaction was up by 2.9 per cent over the past year, while Lowes and Noni B also increased their level of customer satisfaction. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine notes the clothing store sector is one of the most competitive in Australian retail, so good customer service is all important.

CORPORATES
SPECIALTY FASHION GROUP LIMITED – ASX SFH, LOWES MENSWEAR, NONI B LIMITED – ASX NBL, ROCKMANS STORES LIMITED, JEANSWEST CORPORATION PTY LTD, HENNES OCH MAURITZ AB, ZARA, DEBENHAMS RETAIL PLC, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, UNIQLO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Amazon threat and opportunity

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Evans, Michael Bailey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 2-Nov-17

US-based e-commerce giant Amazon is widely tipped to enter the Australian market before the end of 2017. Delegates at a retail summit on 1 November were told that the arrival of a new competitor will be good for Australian retailers, with Launa Inman arguing that it will force them to improve their online offerings. Small Business & Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says Amazon will face close scrutiny to ensure that its contracts are fair, while Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman stressed the need to ensure that Amazon complies with Australia’s penalty rates regime.

CORPORATES
AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SMALL BUSINESS AND FAMILY ENTERPRISE OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED, BILLABONG INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX BBG, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THEICONIC.COM.AU

‘Enormously damaging’: Hounsell strikes back at Lew

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 21 : 31-Oct-17

Gary Hounsell has urged Myer shareholders to elect him and two other independent directors to its board at its AGM on 24 November. The election of Hounsell, who is Myer’s chairman-designate, and the other two directors is opposed by Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments, which is Myer’s largest shareholder. Lew has requested three seats on the Myer board, but Hounsell says this would amount to him controlling 43 per cent of non-executive director roles. Hounsell has told Myer shareholders that Lew appears to want to gain control of the company without them benefiting from any takeover premium.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, DOTTI, PORTMANS PTY LTD, PETER ALEXANDER SLEEPWEAR PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, JAY JAY’S JEANS WAREHOUSE PTY LTD, JACQUELINE EVE GROUP, SMIGGLE PTY LTD

Bunnings ‘sizzling’ with high customer satisfaction

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Bunnings Warehouse has pipped rival Home Timber & Hardware to be Australia’s leading Hardware Store in September 2017 with a customer satisfaction rating of 89.0%, up 0.1% from a year ago. Home Timber & Hardware has a customer satisfaction rating of 88.6%, virtually unchanged from a year ago, and enough to beat out Mitre 10 in third with a customer satisfaction rating of 86.9%. Rounding out the Hardware Store "Big 4" is True Value Hardware with a customer satisfaction rating of 76.3%, down slightly on a year ago. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says Home Timber & Hardware has performed consistently well over the past few years, winning the Annual Roy Morgan Hardware Store Customer Satisfaction Award in four out of the last five years, although the 2017 Annual Award looks set to go down to the wire with Bunnings aiming for its first victory in the category since 2011.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, HOME TIMBER AND HARDWARE, MITRE 10 LIMITED, TRUE VALUE HARDWARE LIMITED

Muffin Break is tops for Coffee Store satisfaction

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Muffin Break is Australia’s best coffee/doughnut store, with a customer satisfaction rating of 87.3% in September 2017, putting the chain ahead of Donut King on a customer satisfaction rating of 86.3%. Although both have performed strongly so far in 2017, their customer satisfaction ratings in September are slightly down on a year ago, whereas the chasing pack have all increased their performance over the last year. In third place is Donut King stablemate Gloria Jean’s with a customer satisfaction rating of 83.0%, just ahead of this year’s big improvers Starbucks Coffee on 81.5% which has improved customer satisfaction by an impressive 9.1% over the past 12 months. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says Muffin Break won the Annual Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Award for the first time in 2016 and a series of strong performances so far in 2017 have put the coffee shop in the box seat to repeat this success.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, MUFFIN BREAK PTY LTD, DONUT KING, GLORIA JEAN’S COFFEES PTY LTD, STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

JB Hi-Fi leads Ikea & The Good Guys for satisfaction

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 30-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that JB Hi-Fi is Australia’s leading furniture and electrical retailer, with a customer satisfaction rating of 90.1% in September 2017. Its customer satisfaction has fallen 1% from a year ago. Behind JB Hi-Fi in second place is an improving Ikea on 88.9%, up 3.1% on a year ago, followed by JB Hi-Fi stablemate The Good Guys on 88.6%. However, the biggest improver in the category over the past year is 2015 Annual winner Betta Home Living/Betta Electrical, which surged 6.9% to a customer satisfaction rating of 88.2%. Harvey Norman rounds out the top 5 with 86.8% of its customers satisfied. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says the strong performance of JB Hi-Fi, and recent purchase The Good Guys, sets the two retailers up for a good showing at the 2017 Annual Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards, due to be held early in 2018.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD, THE GOOD GUYS, BETTA ELECTRICAL PTY LTD, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN

Woolworths denies Myer interest

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 27-Oct-17

Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments acquired a 10.8 per cent stake in department store chain Myer earlier in 2017, but the value of his investment has fallen by 35 per cent over the last six months. This has prompted Lew to launch a range of attacks against its board and its "new Myer" strategy. South African firm Woolworths Holdings has denied rumours that it was planning to launch a takeover bid for Myer at around the time that Lew made his investment. Lew in turn refutes suggestions that his investment was made to stop a possible Woolworths bid.

CORPORATES
PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE

Wesfarmers’ Scott eyes the long game

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 24 : 26-Oct-17

Grocery giant Coles has reported an 0.3 per cent decline in sales for the September quarter, to $A9.4bn. Same-store food and liquor sales increased by just 0.4 per cent, down from 0.7 per cent growth in the previous three months and well below the forecasts of some analysts. Wesfarmers’ incoming MD Rob Scott remains upbeat about the outlook for Coles, forecasting that it will return to sales growth in the second half of 2017-18. Meanwhile, Kmart has reported same-store sales growth of 4.9 per cent, but Target has posted a 6.4 per cent decline.

CORPORATES
COLES GROUP LIMITED, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OFFICEWORKS SUPERSTORES PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, VIVA ENERGY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

The Athlete’s Foot wins for customer satisfaction

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that The Athlete’s Foot had Australia’s most satisfied shoe store customers in August 2017 with a customer satisfaction rating of 87.1%, an increase of 3.9% on a year ago. Close behind are Spend Less Shoes with a customer satisfaction rating of 85.9% and Williams The Shoemen on 83.9% – both of these shoe stores improved their customer satisfaction ratings from a year ago. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says achieving high customer satisfaction results is a vital metric for retail businesses looking to maximise customer retention in an increasingly competitive marketplace, and the arrival of giant US retailer Amazon is set to add further pressures for existing retailers.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, THE ATHLETE’S FOOT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPENDLESS SHOES PTY LTD, WILLIAMS THE SHOEMEN