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不只是经济拮据的购物者才会精打细算。较富裕的消费者也开始想方设法省钱,他们成为推动美国最大零售商销售持续增长的关键人群。
沃尔玛(Walmart)在上周四又公布了一份出色的业绩,财报显示其季度营收同比增长4.8%,达到1,693亿美元。第二季度销售额增长4.2%,超出了分析师的预期。该零售业巨头将今年剩余时间的业绩指导从3%提高到4%,并预测2024年销售额将增长3.75%至4.75%。
沃尔玛CEO董明伦在上周四的业绩电话会议上表示,公司并没有像一些分析师和投资者担心的那样,经历消费者需求疲软。无论收入水平高低,购物者纷纷涌向沃尔玛。
董明伦表示:“我们看到各个收入群体的客户参与度更高,尽管中低收入家庭的销售额和市场份额都在增长,但高收入家庭依旧是销售增长的主力。”
沃尔玛表示,在所有收入群体中,医疗健康业务和山姆会员店(Sam’s Club)的会员数量都实现了增长。这延续了沃尔玛在今年早些时候发现的一种趋势,即高收入消费者推动销售增长。
最近,总体消费者支出增长令沃尔玛受益。由于通货膨胀逐渐降温和就业市场放缓,消费者在非必需品和大型家居用品方面的消费意愿下降。但他们却大量购买特价商品和食品杂货。
这类商品成为推动沃尔玛销售增长的主要动力,尤其是今年早些时候发布的自有品牌Bettergoods。该品牌通过使用色彩明快的包装以及一系列植物性产品和高端商品,吸引了高收入家庭,满足了他们对更健康、更高端但经济实惠的商品的需求。市场研究公司YouGov在5月份发布的数据显示,高收入消费者更有可能考虑从沃尔玛购物,而不是全食超市(Whole Foods)和乔氏超市(Trader Joes)等其他零售商。
此外,高收入消费者更倾向于在线购物并选择食品杂货送货上门,这一趋势与沃尔玛蓬勃发展的电子商务业务相契合。本季度,沃尔玛的全球电商业务增长了21%。在此期间,沃尔玛的每周活跃在线客户增长了20%,而由门店完成的送货量激增50%,因为沃尔玛承诺在一至三个小时内完成配送。
高收入消费者选择在沃尔玛购物,对它而言是个好消息。但这也是所有零售商应该对消费者支出保持谨慎的原因之一,即使大获成功的沃尔玛也不例外。虽然沃尔玛度过了艰难的经济时期,以及美国大选等地缘政治事件造成的波动,但其首席财务官约翰·大卫·雷尼对分析师表示,无论是沃尔玛还是消费者,都“并非完全不受”经济紧张局势的影响。
前美国沃尔玛CEO比尔·西蒙在5月份接受美国消费者新闻与商业频道(CNBC)《Fast Money》栏目采访时表示:“当经济紧张时,人们会做出反应,高端消费者也不例外。”
其他折扣零售商也发现了高收入消费者中的这种趋势。达乐公司(Dollar General)CEO托德·瓦索斯在6月份对分析师表示,其高收入消费者继续专注于特价品牌,这不仅是谨慎消费的表现,也代表消费者正在试探在哪些方面省钱,在哪些方面消费。
瓦索斯表示:“我们发现,中高收入群体以及一些高收入群体,仍然在选择消费降级。”
西蒙表示,虽然高收入客户帮助沃尔玛在消费者整体保持谨慎的情况下实现销售大幅增长,但从长远来看,该零售商可能很难留住这一关键群体。他表示,沃尔玛通过门店翻新、有吸引力的自有品牌和便利购物等改善了购物体验,但随着对经济担忧的减弱,富裕消费者可能不会将其视为高端购物体验。
他说道:“随着经济挑战的减弱……服务将变得比方便和价格更重要。我们将会看到部分消费者回流。”(财富中文网)
译者:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
不只是经济拮据的购物者才会精打细算。较富裕的消费者也开始想方设法省钱,他们成为推动美国最大零售商销售持续增长的关键人群。
沃尔玛(Walmart)在上周四又公布了一份出色的业绩,财报显示其季度营收同比增长4.8%,达到1,693亿美元。第二季度销售额增长4.2%,超出了分析师的预期。该零售业巨头将今年剩余时间的业绩指导从3%提高到4%,并预测2024年销售额将增长3.75%至4.75%。
沃尔玛CEO董明伦在上周四的业绩电话会议上表示,公司并没有像一些分析师和投资者担心的那样,经历消费者需求疲软。无论收入水平高低,购物者纷纷涌向沃尔玛。
董明伦表示:“我们看到各个收入群体的客户参与度更高,尽管中低收入家庭的销售额和市场份额都在增长,但高收入家庭依旧是销售增长的主力。”
沃尔玛表示,在所有收入群体中,医疗健康业务和山姆会员店(Sam’s Club)的会员数量都实现了增长。这延续了沃尔玛在今年早些时候发现的一种趋势,即高收入消费者推动销售增长。
最近,总体消费者支出增长令沃尔玛受益。由于通货膨胀逐渐降温和就业市场放缓,消费者在非必需品和大型家居用品方面的消费意愿下降。但他们却大量购买特价商品和食品杂货。
这类商品成为推动沃尔玛销售增长的主要动力,尤其是今年早些时候发布的自有品牌Bettergoods。该品牌通过使用色彩明快的包装以及一系列植物性产品和高端商品,吸引了高收入家庭,满足了他们对更健康、更高端但经济实惠的商品的需求。市场研究公司YouGov在5月份发布的数据显示,高收入消费者更有可能考虑从沃尔玛购物,而不是全食超市(Whole Foods)和乔氏超市(Trader Joes)等其他零售商。
此外,高收入消费者更倾向于在线购物并选择食品杂货送货上门,这一趋势与沃尔玛蓬勃发展的电子商务业务相契合。本季度,沃尔玛的全球电商业务增长了21%。在此期间,沃尔玛的每周活跃在线客户增长了20%,而由门店完成的送货量激增50%,因为沃尔玛承诺在一至三个小时内完成配送。
高收入消费者选择在沃尔玛购物,对它而言是个好消息。但这也是所有零售商应该对消费者支出保持谨慎的原因之一,即使大获成功的沃尔玛也不例外。虽然沃尔玛度过了艰难的经济时期,以及美国大选等地缘政治事件造成的波动,但其首席财务官约翰·大卫·雷尼对分析师表示,无论是沃尔玛还是消费者,都“并非完全不受”经济紧张局势的影响。
前美国沃尔玛CEO比尔·西蒙在5月份接受美国消费者新闻与商业频道(CNBC)《Fast Money》栏目采访时表示:“当经济紧张时,人们会做出反应,高端消费者也不例外。”
其他折扣零售商也发现了高收入消费者中的这种趋势。达乐公司(Dollar General)CEO托德·瓦索斯在6月份对分析师表示,其高收入消费者继续专注于特价品牌,这不仅是谨慎消费的表现,也代表消费者正在试探在哪些方面省钱,在哪些方面消费。
瓦索斯表示:“我们发现,中高收入群体以及一些高收入群体,仍然在选择消费降级。”
西蒙表示,虽然高收入客户帮助沃尔玛在消费者整体保持谨慎的情况下实现销售大幅增长,但从长远来看,该零售商可能很难留住这一关键群体。他表示,沃尔玛通过门店翻新、有吸引力的自有品牌和便利购物等改善了购物体验,但随着对经济担忧的减弱,富裕消费者可能不会将其视为高端购物体验。
他说道:“随着经济挑战的减弱……服务将变得比方便和价格更重要。我们将会看到部分消费者回流。”(财富中文网)
译者:刘进龙
审校:汪皓
Pinching pennies isn’t just for cash-strapped shoppers. More affluent consumers are looking to save money, and they’ve been a key demographic in propelling the continued blockbuster growth of America’s largest retailer.
Walmart posted another knockout earnings Thursday, reporting a 4.8% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue to $169.3 billion. Second-quarter sales increased 4.2%, beating analysts’ estimates. The retail giant raised its guidance for the rest of the year from 3% to 4%, expecting sales to increase 3.75% to 4.75% for 2024.
Walmart hasn’t witnessed a weakened consumer that some analysts and investors feared, CEO Doug McMillon said in Thursday’s earnings call. Shoppers are going to Walmart in droves—regardless of how much money they make.
“We’re also seeing higher engagement across income cohorts, with upper-income households continuing to account for the majority of gains, even while we grow sales and share among middle- and lower-income households,” McMillon said.
Walmart reported increases in its health and wellness category and Sam’s Club membership across income levels as well. It’s a continuation of a pattern Walmart noticed earlier this year of higher-income consumers driving sales growth.
The company has benefited from an overall increase in consumer spending recently. Navigating tentatively cooling inflation and a slowing job market, consumers are less willing to shell out on discretionary goods and big homegoods purchases. They are, however, spending big on bargain goods and groceries.
It’s these types of products that have largely driven Walmart’s growth, led by its Bettergoods private-label brand, released earlier this year. With bright packaging and a host of plant-based and premium products, the label has appealed to higher-income households looking for affordable healthier and more premium products. Higher-income consumers are actually more likely to consider buying from Walmart than other retailers like Whole Foods and Trader Joes, according to May data from market research firm YouGov.
Affluent shoppers are also more likely to shop online and have their groceries delivered, a trend that has coincided with Walmart’s burgeoning e-commerce business, which grew 21% globally this quarter. During this period, weekly active online customers increased 20%, and store-fulfilled delivery rocketed 50% as Walmart promised speedy deliveries between one and three hours.
Higher-income consumers flocking to Walmart is good news for the retailer. But it’s also a reason for all retailers—even the high-flying Walmart—to remain cautious about consumer spending. Though Walmart has weathered tough economic times—as well as volatility from geopolitical events like the U.S. election—CFO John David Rainey told analysts the company is “not immune” to economic tensions, and neither are consumers.
“When money is tight, people react—even high-end consumers react,” former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said in a CNBC Fast Money interview in May.
Other discount retailers have also noticed the trend among wealthier shoppers. Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos told analysts in June its higher-income consumers continue to focus on bargain brands, a symptom of not only cautious consumption, but of shoppers testing the waters of where to save and splurge.
“[W]hat we’re seeing is that the next cohort and the one above that—so, let’s call it middle- to upper-middle-income and then in some of the upper-income stratas—we’re seeing the trade-down still come in,” Vasos said.
While affluent customers have helped Walmart soar even when the public at large largely remains trepidacious, it may be hard for the retailer to retain this key demographic in the long run, Simon said. Walmart has improved its shopping experience with store renovations, appealing own-brand product lines, and convenience shopping, but it’s not the premium shopping experience wealthier consumers will look for as economic worries wane, he argued.
“As the economic challenges abate…service will become more important than convenience and price,” he said. “And we’ll see a shift back of some of the consumers.”