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The Anchor

Industry Intelligence for CRE and Retail

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The Mane Attraction: Haircare reigns for Drybar, Blo Blow Dry Bar, and Madison Reed

March celebrates Women’s History Month, and thus we are turning attention to female entrepreneurs who have created iconic brands that we see in retail and dining.

Caroline Wu
Mar 10, 2023

Kroger/Albertsons: On Track for Early 2024

Updates from Kroger's Q4 2022 update including the impact of food inflation, wage investments, and order fulfillment channels. Additionally, the Albertsons merger remains on track.

Thomas Paulson
Mar 3, 2023

Target: Getting Its Mojo Back, Inventories Look Good

Target's Q4 2022 update reported clean inventories and the continued success of the Ulta Beauty partnership. Target's December visitation momentum carried well into the new year.

Thomas Paulson
Mar 3, 2023

Dollar Stores: Dreiling Re-Energizing Dollar Tree & Family Dollar

On its Q4 2022 earnings release, Dollar Tree’s new CEO Rick Dreiling noted the positive direction of the chain and his ambition to drive further store productivity and accelerated growth.

Thomas Paulson
Mar 3, 2023

Auto Parts Retail: Entering 2023 In Top Gear, with a New Driver for Team Advance

Auto parts retail enters 2023 at a continued high pace as miles driven, the increasing age of vehicles on the road, high used car prices, and plentiful jobs continue to drive demand.

Thomas Paulson
Mar 3, 2023

Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores: Barnes & Noble Making a Comeback

Barnes & Noble's strong foot traffic goes hand in hand with the chain's announcement that it will increase its physical footprint in 2023. We reviewed the recent visit trends in the book retail category.

Caroline Wu
Mar 3, 2023

Box Office Update: Medium-Term Outlook Continues to Brighten

Major media companies and movie studios are pivoting their priorities from solely streaming to giving more consideration to the theatrical window and the exhibition industry.

Thomas Paulson
Mar 3, 2023

Walmart’s 2023: Helping People Save Money and Live a Better Life

As inflation for groceries has remained higher and for longer than management expected, the double-digit rate is depressing sales of Walmart’s discretionary merchandise, which carry higher margins.

Thomas Paulson
Feb 24, 2023

Home Depot: Moderation Demand in 2023 Amid Consumer Price Sensitivity, but Long-Term Demand Story Intact

On its Q4 2022 update The Home Depot called for a “year of moderation in demand for home improvement”, citing an increase in price sensitivity and the ongoing shift away from goods to services.

RJ Hottovy
Feb 24, 2023

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RJ Hottovy

Head of Analytical Research, Placer.ai

R.J. Hottovy, CFA has covered the restaurant, retail, and e-commerce sectors for 20 years as an equity analyst and strategist for Morningstar, William Blair & Co., and Deutsche Bank. R.J. also brings a wealth of experience with early-stage investments as a committee member for the IrishAngels / Vitalize venture capital group. Over the past three years, he advised over 50 food service companies on more than $200 million in early-stage capital raises and M&A transactions.

Thomas Paulson

Director of Research and Business Development, Placer.ai

Thomas Paulson spent 20 years as a Wall Street analyst and a member of asset management teams at AllianceBernstein and Cornerstone Capital, representing top-50 ownership positions including Target, Home Depot, Nike, Amazon, Google, and many more. He brings consumer related expertise and knowledge of enterprises in retail, CPG, financial services, telecom, and entertainment.

Caroline Wu

Director of Research, Placer.ai

Caroline brings expertise in retail, CRE, entertainment, media, CPG, and tourism, and specializes in synthesizing broad datasets into actionable recommendations for growth. She has worked as the US Director of Consumer Insights at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, VP of Retail Insights and Intelligence at Omnicom, and Senior Director at Kantar. Caroline holds an MA in Sociology from Stanford University and a BA in International Relations from Stanford University.

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