November, 2012 // Posts published in November, 2012
Catamaran Corporation Whisper
Research Question: Is Catamaran Corporation a viable PBM alternative to CVS and Express Scripts? Companies Covered: Catamaran Corp (CTRX), CVS Corporation (CVS), & Express Scripts (ESRX) Blueshift’s initial research reveals that Catamaran appears to be successfully attracting larger employers, but its long-term viability and ability to compete with more established PBMs remains unknown. Observations Since […]
Wave Season Whisper
Research Question: Will aggressive promotions fuel early bookings for wave season 2013? Companies Covered: Royal Caribbean (RCL) & Carnival Corporation (CCL) Blueshift’s initial research indicates cruise operators aggressively promoting early bookings for wave season 2013, with small ship competition and traditional January booking habits possibly slowing current efforts. Observations Cruise operators are attempting to get […]
Francesca’s Boutique Feel, Store Expansion Will Push Sales Up
Research Question: Will sales continue to rise for Francesca’s, or will a lack of e-commerce business and questionable quality of goods slow the company’s market growth? By: Susan Jennings Kantari Companies: CWTR, EXPR, FRAN, STO:HM-B, URBN Click here to download the report (.pdf) Summary of Findings Francesca’s Holdings Corp.’s (FRAN) sales growth is expected to continue because […]
Initiatives Turning Family Dollar, Dollar General Into One-Stop Shops
Research Question: Are new products, store remodels, and strategic sourcing and marketing driving sales for Family Dollar and Dollar General? By: David Franklin Companies: BIG, DG, DLTR, ETR:DELB/DEG, FDO, FRED, KR, NDN, SHLD, SVU, SWY, TGT, WFM, WMT Click here to download the report (.pdf) Summary of Findings Family Dollar Stores Inc.’s (FDO) and Dollar General Corp.’s […]
J.C. Penney Whisper
Research Question: Will the advent of its new store-within-a-store concept rescue J.C. Penney? Companies Covered: J.C. Penney (JCP) Blueshift’s initial research reveals that J.C. Penney is in the midst of a concept renovation with positive sales indications for converted floor space, although it remains to be seen if new merchandise and a redesigned store concept […]
Retailers Must Use Technology, Offline/Online Hybrid to Retain Customers
Research Question: How are brick-and-mortar companies reinventing the retail experience to get customers to continue shopping in stores? By: Reverdy Johnson Companies: AAPL, AMZN, CL, COST, CVS, EBAY, JCP, KR, M, PG, RAD, SBUX, SHLD, SPLS, SWY, TGT, WAG, WFM, WMT, WSM Click here to download the report (.pdf) Summary of Findings The brick-and-mortar retailers that have been […]
Express Slips in Clothing Trends, Quality and Style Variations
Research Question: Will Express improve fashion designs and increase sales with its new go-to-market strategy? By: Susan Jennings Kantari Companies: AEO, EXPR, GPS, JCP, KSS, SHLD, STO:HM-B, TJX Click here to download the report (.pdf) Summary of Findings Reviews of Express Inc.’s (EXPR) trendiness ranged from positive from Express store employees, to mixed from customers and negative […]
LinkedIn Whisper
Research Question: Will advertisers spend their non-Google ad and marketing budgets on LinkedIn? Companies Covered: LinkedIn (LNKD) Blueshift’s initial research indicates LinkedIn effectively growing its network of active users and businesses but facing an increasingly competitive environment for advertisers and job seekers. Observations LinkedIn received 110 million unique visitors during the month of September […]
Mellanox’s InfiniBand Market Limited to HPC
Research Question: Is Mellanox’s InfiniBand business constrained to a slowing niche market, or will it find greater commercial applications? By: David Franklin Companies: BRCD, BRCM, CRAY, CSCO, ELX, EMC, IBM, INTC, MLNX, ORCLE, QLGC Click here to download the report (.pdf) Summary of Findings Nine of Blueshift’s 12 sources said Mellanox Technologies Ltd.’s (MLNX) InfiniBand products serve […]
Polaris Whisper
Research Question: Can anything besides another mild winter slow Polaris’ impressive sales run? Companies Covered: Polaris (PII) & Arctic Cat (ACAT) Initial research by Blueshift indicates growing product sales for Polaris, with potential concerns over high inventory levels brought on by last year’s warm winter. Observations Due in large part to strong demand in […]
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