Kroger Co

30 Wall Street analysts cover Dollar General (DG). On average, they rate the company a 2.4 on a scale of one (strong buy) to five (strong sell).

Target (TGT), the third-largest mass merchandiser in the US, declared results for 4Q16 on February 28, 2017.

Gasoline sales accounted for 58.0% of Casey’s (CASY) total revenue in fiscal 2Q17. Total gasoline sales fell 4.6% YoY (year-over-year) in fiscal 2Q17.

Despite the slowdown, Sprouts Farmers Market continues to display better margins compared to Kroger (KR) and Supervalu (SVU).

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) reported its 3Q16 results on November 3, 2016. The results relate to the three-month period ending October 2, 2016.

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) is slated to release its 3Q16 results on Thursday, November 3, 2016, before the market opens. Wall Street is expecting a fall of 19.0% in EPS.

Sprouts Farmers Market has displayed industry-leading earnings growth in the past few years.

Gasoline sales accounted for 58.2% of Casey’s (CASY) total revenue in 1Q17.

Target’s (TGT) stock price fell 6.4% to $70.63 on August 17, 2016, after the company released its fiscal 2Q16 earnings.

Target’s (TGT) Signature Categories include Style, Baby, Kids, and Wellness. Target’s Signature Categories outpaced the total business by 3 percentage points in fiscal 2Q16.

Of the 18 analysts who have rated SFM, 12 have recommended a “buy,” and 6 have recommended a “hold.” None of the analysts have a “sell” rating on the stock.

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) reported results for fiscal 2Q16 on August 4, 2016. The value-oriented organic and natural food retailer reported a 14% year-over-year increase in adjusted diluted EPS, beating the consensus by 1 cent.

SuperValu’s stock is currently trading at $5.36, which is 42% below its 52-week high.

In fiscal 1Q17, Walmart’s operating margin declined by about 40 basis points to 4.6% mainly due to a rise in expenses associated with the planned wage rate increase in the Walmart US and Sam’s Club segments.

After Casey’s General Stores’ double-digit earnings growth over the last three fiscal years, Wall Street expects a slowdown in its earnings per share growth.

Smart & Final stores have a smaller physical footprint than other warehouse clubs and grocery chains, but they offer a larger SKU selection.

Let’s discuss Smart & Final Stores’ (SFS) main strategies regarding pricing, private labels, expansion, distribution, and merchandising.

Whole Foods Market (WFM) is likely to see a slowdown in its top line during fiscal 2016. The organic and natural foods retailer could register sales growth of 3%–5%, according to the company’s guidance.

Casey’s has a strong, differentiated, low-risk business model. In fiscal 2015, 82% of its stores were in areas with populations of fewer than 20,000 people.

Casey follows both organic and inorganic expansion strategies for its growth. In fiscal 2015, the company opened 45 new stores and acquired 36 stores.

Casey’s business model focuses on opening stores in smaller towns, where the population is lower and competition is minimal.

Casey’s General Stores’ strong and differentiated business model has resulted in the company’s delivering total returns of 27% in the last year.

The transaction value of the deal between Apollo and The Fresh Market stands at $1,334 million. Apollo is paying 7.9x the EBITDA.

Compared with other food retail chains, The Fresh Market’s performance in terms of profitability has been best-in-class.

The US food retail industry comprises of store formats that range from small grocery shops and convenience stores to large supermarkets and club stores.

The Fresh Market follows both competitive and differentiated pricing strategies.

Taking The Fresh Market (TFM) under its fold would enhance Kroger’s (KR) expansion in Florida and North Carolina, where TFM has 40 and 20 stores, respectively.

The Kroger Company (KR) might be seeking to acquire The Fresh Market (TFM). The Fresh Market’s (TFM) stock rose ~22% on Thursday, February 11, 2016, after the news of Kroger’s bidding hit the market.

The Fresh Market believes that it can achieve better returns by expanding in markets within or closer to its existing markets.

As of October 25, 2015, The Fresh Market had 180 stores across 27 states.

Whole Foods has developed the 365 format in order to compete with value-based organic food retailers like Trader Joes and mainstream retailers Wal-Mart.

In this part, we’ll discuss the company’s upcoming opportunities and potential threats.

A National Bureau of Economic Research study has found that the evolution and growth of warehouse clubs have been the most significant influences on the retail sector over the last 15-20 years.

Frequent recalls not only affect the consumer satisfaction and brand image of Kraft Heinz’s products but also increases the cost factor.

With the increasing focus on health and wellness, the organic food channel has grown at more than twice the pace of the conventional food channel.

Although Sprouts purchases from a large number of suppliers, the company is still dependent on these suppliers for a large part of their purchases.

Sprouts has been expanding its private label menu by introducing new and innovative products. As of 3Q15, it offered more than 1,700 private-label items.

Conventional supermarkets make up 65%, grocery and mass merchandisers make up 25%, and natural and gourmet make up 6% of the supermarket industry’s sales.

Sprouts is a value player in the organic grocery sector, selling groceries at competitive prices from small-box stores averaging 28,000–30,000 square feet.

It’s important for investors to understand SUPERVALU’s current strengths and weaknesses as well as its potential opportunities and threats.

Whole Foods’ net margin was among the highest in its peer group in fiscal 2015. The 12-month trailing net margin for Whole Foods stood at 3.5%.

Whole Foods’ sales for fiscal 2015 earned $15.3 billion—a 8.4% rise over the previous fiscal year, and a 9.6% average rise over the past three fiscal years.

Whole Foods has only trailed Costco in per-foot sales metrics. Costco averaged more than $1100 between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2015.

Organic products are no longer available solely at farmers’ markets and specialty stores but are now available at local and traditional grocery stores.

Whole Foods spends less on advertising and marketing than conventional supermarkets, relying on word-of-mouth recommendations and customer testimonials.

With 433 stores across the US, Canada, and the UK as of September 2015, Whole Foods has long been considered a synonym for organic and healthy food.

We will do a SWOT analysis for Kroger (KR) and look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the company.

Kroger (KR) is a well-established player in the natural foods market. The company offers over 15,000 natural and organic food items.

Kroger’s (KR) revenue reached an all-time high of $108 billion in fiscal 2015, which ended January 31, 2015, up by 10.3% from fiscal 2014.

Efficient supply chain management is vital to a retailers’ day-to-day operations. A good distribution network optimizes product freshness, reduces waste, and lowers costs.