4th of July EditionA nice long weekend to help celebrate the independence of the United States from British rule. Basically this day is commemorating the Declaration of Independence back in 1776. I believe the actual approval of the document was the 2nd of July however it was later revised and approved 2 days later and hence why we celebrate it on the 4th. Also keep in mind this is NOT the day it was signed but everyone but just the day it was approved. The final signing by everyone didn't happen till almost a month later. After this document was declared, the war still raged on for several more years till mid to late 1783 were it finally ended and the Treaty of Paris was formed. Happy 4th of July everyone ... hope you had a great weekend!
Weekly Update:
I was at this little sandwich place last week getting something to eat when I hear this conversation take place:
Customer: what is that orange colored drink?
Cashier: orange juice.
Customer: oh, I was wondering what drink was orange colored.
Really? Did that just happen? Do people not take a quick moment to think about what they are asking or what they are seeing? I am sure we all sometimes speak before we think but the response to the answer was kind of shocking in the fact they still didn't realize what they said but were simply satisfied with the answer ... go figure.
At the movies:
No surprise here as the tweens and cougars hit the theatres this weekend making The Twilight Saga: Eclipse #1 at the box office for the holiday and earning a 5-day gross of 161.7 million. The number is amazing, however, given the screen count, IMAX up-charge, Tuesday night midnights and the crazies ... it did take a big dip on Sunday. In at #2 is The Last Airbender with a 4-day opening of 57 mil. Hanging in at #3 is "Toy Story 3" with another 30.2 mil and now within reach of the 300 mil cume mark. Drop to #4 is "Grown Ups" with another 18.5 mil and rounding off the top 5 is "Knight and Day" with another 10.2 mil.
Quote of the week:
"It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper." - Jerry Seinfeld
Other News:Here is an interesting list ... in today's economic times, it is interesting to see the top 10 retail power players currently in the country (according to the National Retail Federation). Starting with #10: Best Buy - generated 37.3 billion in sales over 1,192 US stores in 2009. They still managed to open 100 new stores over the last year. I'm glad Best Buy made the list but surprised it wasn't higher. #9: Sears - $44 billion but that is a 6% drop from the previous year. Surprised they are still around to be honest, almost all their stores are antiquated. #8: Lowe's - 47.2 billion which is a 2.1% decline in sales. I'm not a fan of their stores, no one around to help and prices don't seem to be impressive at all. #7: CVS Caremark - 55.4 billion in sales with a 13% increase. CVS bought out Long's Drug thus eliminating one competitor. CVS currently has plans to buy back $2 billion worth of shares. CVS' are ok ... nothing to write home about. #6: Costco - $56.5 billion in 406 stores. I go to Costco all the time, the deals are great. #5: Home Depot - no figures to share but they have plans to buy back shares and I enjoy Home Depot due to great customer service and excellent pricing. #4: Walgreen - last year the chain opened 7,000 new locations and giving them a presence in all 50 states. They also purchased several smaller chain stores and plan on more expansion. Hopefully they won't suffer from over expansion as we have seen many companies in the past cause their downfall. #3: Target - 63.4 billion in sales and opening up the grocery market has moved them up a couple of notches. Who doesn't like a well maintained Target store! #2: Kroger - With retailer stores opening up in the grocer segment, Kroger is able to hold its ground and sees growth in the future. Our local Kroger's are Ralph's and they are my favorite. The #1 power player for 2009 (start of 2010) is Wal-Mart: $304.9 billion in sales and opening its grocery business has kept it strong. Many cities in the US have banned Wal-Mart from their areas as it does in fact decrease property value ... not a fan of their stores and current policies since the founder passed away many years ago.
Facts & Tips:
Panama is the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic.
"Hey, you better do something. I don't wanna be known as brother-in-law of the town nut job; I got enough problems already." - Frank Sivero as Andy in "The Wedding Singer."
posted by McDuck @ 00:32
1 Comments:
I wonder which category I fall into: tween or cougar? Mid-life crisis isn't on there...and hopefully I'm not at my mid-life. And I found your information on those retail stores MOST interesting! I agree 100% with your take on everything.
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