Ms. Cathy Stauffer

GLG News by Ms. Cathy Stauffer, Owner

GLG News is now G+ Insights

G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.

For the big growth, Best Buy needs to look far beyond their stores

March 24, 2011

Analysis of:Best Buy CEO Dunn Reboots to Win Back Customers From Wal-Mart, Amazon.com | www.bloomberg.com

Best Buy’s greatest point of leverage is not in a new store design, or revamped store assistance, but in getting CE and PC suppliers to bring products to market with use-model and lifestyle changes to help fuel a whole new revenue-pumping cycle of healthy demand, for both Best Buy and the entire industry.

Droid - The Insecure Macho Phone?

November 10, 2009

Analysis of:With $100M Saturation Campaign, Droid Will Be Impossible to Avoid | adage.com

The tone (and cost) of this campaign seems completely over-the-top -- why all the negative energy Verizon?

Slow And Steady Keep Radio Shack In The Race

November 9, 2009

Analysis of:RadioShack Up; iPhone Seen Helping '10 EPS, Wireless Efforts | online.wsj.com

Since taking over Radio Shack in 2006 Julian Day has taken a very methodical, first things first approach to getting the house in order, beginning with controllable costs: cutting SG&A, closing underperforming stores, consolidating multiple service and distribution centers, improving inventory management and de-cluttering stores all the while being very mindful of cash. But, the big question was always  in a digital world, was Radio Shack relevant?

The Tale Of Two Droids

November 9, 2009

Analysis of:Think The Droid Launch Was A Let Down? Not So Fast. | www.washingtonpost.com

Over the launch weekend, I saw strong, consistent traffic for the Droid along with great enthusiasm from salespeople. But not just for the Motorola Inc. Droid – the HTC Droid Eris was also generating a lot of interest, and sales.

How High Is Up for The iPhone?

October 22, 2009

Analysis of:Apple increases iPhone sales 7% to 7.4 mln in Q3 | www.telecompaper.com

With over 20 million iPhones sold in fiscal 2009, the iPhone appears to be just beginning to build steam. Too soon to ask how long Apple can continue its dominance, the question is how dominant can it become.

Who Exactly Does Dell Want To Be?

October 20, 2009

Analysis of:Dell's Extreme Makeover | www.businessweek.com

Michael Dell is clearly working very hard to makeover Dell, but makeover to what? I think one of the biggest challenges right now is it’s not clear who the new Dell is, or how they want to be seen, aside from successful.

Walmart, DVDs, Redbox And A Better Value Proposition

October 5, 2009

Analysis of:Wal-Mart Scales Back DVD Displays | online.wsj.com

While it always makes sense to cut slow movers in favor of faster moving, more popular merchandise, when it comes to DVDs and Walmart there's a greater dynamic at play - physical media is losing it's appeal with many customers, and Redbox has begun offeringa far superior value proposition for Walmart and their customers.

Weak Execution Responsible For Weak Palm Pre Sales?

September 28, 2009

Analysis of:Palm Raising Cash Amid Losses, Weak Pre Sales | www.wirelessweek.com

After much hope and hype, the Palm Pre ranked 10th in Gartner’s Q2 2009 smartphone share, and was simply lumped in the “other” category – ouch. Yes, the Palm Pre really needs another service provider partner besides Sprint  – preferably Verizon. But even if that happens, there’s something else they must address.

HP - Willing To Give Up Control To Get Control

September 24, 2009

Analysis of:H-P Wields Its Clout to Undercut PC Rivals | online.wsj.com

In the fast paced, low margin, short life-cycle world of PCs, giving up control to get control can really work. To that end, HP has wisely taken a page from eMachines, and then Gateway’s, highly successful retail models for partnering for shared success.

Consumer Electronics - The Value Proposition Just Keeps Growing

September 23, 2009

Analysis of:Consumers to Spend Big on TVs, Smartphones | www.businessweek.com

With few exceptions, the value per dollar consumer electronics offer today is truly extraordinary,  helping keep demand relatively healthy, even in a (very) down cycle. But there is much, much more to come.

For Studios and YouTube, Love = Money

September 23, 2009

Analysis of:YouTube Explores Renting Movies Online | www.businessweek.com

Hollywood Studios want an online distribution model that works for them. One that values and respects premium content, monetizes it, protects the content owners, and increases demand.  Beyond that they aren’t that particular. If You Tube can deliver that, then they are their friend. If YouTube threatens that, then they aren't.

Amazon Branded Accessories Should be a No Brainer For Buyers

September 22, 2009

Analysis of:Amazon starts own consumer electronics brand | www.videobusiness.com

Amazon's house brand of CE accessories should translate into incremental revenue and profit and higher customer satisfaction.  Having the right accessories from the moment consumers set up their electronics, backed by a retailer they trust, in packaging that's very easy to open (don't underestimate the aggravation factor traditional accessory packaging causes), at great value, is all good for Amazon and their customers.

Adobe and Omniture - A Sum Much Greater Than The Parts

September 17, 2009

Analysis of:Adobe Says It's Buying Omniture To Fill Customer Need>ADBE | online.wsj.com

The value proposition created by combining Adobe creation tools and Omniture analytics could be truly transformative for Adobe, and for a whole industry of designers, advertisers, publishers and e-tailers. The sad truth is, even with all the strides made in slick analytics and cool web creation tools, when it comes to truly optimizing websites, advertisers and business operators still too often feel like they're driving blind.

Pop Up Retail Can Prop Up Retail Results

September 16, 2009

Analysis of:For Toys 'R' Us, Holidays Are Open and Shut | online.wsj.com

Whether it's for a week or for a season, Pop-Up stores can be one of the most efficient and exciting ways to extend brand reach, relevancy and access, generating both immediate direct response sales and long term brand building. While it’s not a new concept, with lots of available retail space and motivated landlords anxious to boost occupancy and traffic, it is particularly timely for creative and opportunistic companies looking to gain mind share and market share.

Is Dell Going To Lose Interest in Their Consumer Retail Business?

August 28, 2009

Analysis of:Dell Profit Falls 23% on Lower Sales | online.wsj.com

Clearly Dell missed out not being an established retail PC brand as consumers shifted from desktops to notebooks, and with it their shopping behaviors.  But, since Michael Dell returned as CEO in 2007, Dell has established relationships with many of the largest retailers around the world, and now has over 40,000 retail points of distribution, yet consumer growth has been slow and difficult. 

How does Best Buy compete against baked bean promotions?

August 17, 2009

Analysis of:Walmart’s Profit Tops Analysts’ Estimates on Cost Reductions | www.bloomberg.com

In their recent earnings report, WalMart said "The chain also attracted more customers, helped by price reductions on its Sam's Choice Black Angus beef patties, baked beans and flat-panel televisions to lucre customers." Beef patties, baked beans and flat-panel TVs?? Never before have these three items come together to deliver favorable earnings results -- is this part of the "new normal", and if so, how does Best Buy compete with that?

PC Sales Declines or Defections?

March 13, 2009

Analysis of:Gartner : PC Sales To See Worst fall In History | ews.zdnet.com

As the current economy is moving corporations and consumers to slow down their PC spending, iPhone-like devices (that is smarter than the generic ‘smartphone’ category today), and other more portable devices are moving in to provide greater value, and likely a more permanent impact on the PC category. Forward looking companies must leverage their current assets and what they do best while carving out their spot in the future.

Netbooks – Grown Up Smart Phone or Stripped Down PC?

March 13, 2009

Analysis of:Intel Readies Push Into Mobile Intenet Devices | www.businessweek.com

If it’s a grown up smart phone, it means higher average selling prices (ASPs) for the category and an expanded market opportunity. It it’s a stripped down PC it means lower ASPs and cannibalization of an existing market. If it’s truly a new category, Apple may be behind it. There’s clearly a gap between smart phones and notebooks and along with Intel, both and notebook and smartphone makers are eager to fill it. The question is who will fill it best from a use model, and, who can fill it in a way that will broaden their market rather than cannibalizing their existing businesses. Apple, the current leader in designing mobile lifestyle devices, should benefit from having hung back to observe the market dynamics and reactions to the netbook category before jumping in themselves.

Best Buy or Toys R Us Better For Used Games?

March 5, 2009

Analysis of:Best Buy following Toys R Us into used games? | www.examiner.com

Best Buy and Toys R Us likely share a good deal of customers, but that doesn't mean they can't both succeed in the used game space if they put their own brand to work against the program. Tougher than competing against each other will be competing against Game Stop. As big box retailers vs. a small, focused specialist like Game Stop, execution in the high touch and un-scaled management of used games will be challenging.  Category management, from how the product is taken in, to how it is QC’d, and how it is displayed,  will require a considerable shift in discipline and approach from the largely centralized and uniform process environments Best Buy and Toys R Us are currently managed in.

Apple Verizon Deal = Many Millons More iPhone Sales

February 25, 2009

Analysis of:Will Apple Increase iPhone Value with Rumored Verizon Deal? | seekingalpha.com

An Apple Verizon deal will significantly increase demand and sales of the iPhone. In spite of parading out a stream of other smart, touch screen phones, or iPhone substitutes, nothing Verizon has available measures up to the iPhone total package (from and function).

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