Disney (DIS) networks went dark in the early September for 15 million cable TV subscribers nationwide. An operating partner is disputing Disney retransmission fees. Unsurprisingly, gouging customers is a lousy business model.
Longer-term investors should accumulate Walmart
WMT
Legacy businesses are under siege globally. Software is allowing innovative, agile companies to quickly gain footholds and dominate.
The automotive sector is being hollowed out by Tesla
TSLA
Netflix
NFLX
Cord cutting is at the center of the Disney blackout.
Charter Communications
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Variety reported in May that U.S. pay TV subscriptions fell to 75.5 million in the first quarter of 2023, down 7% year-over-year to the lowest level since 1992. Analysts attributed the decline to higher costs for ESPN retransmission fees.
Price gouging has become a go to strategy for failing legacy companies in the digital transformation era.
The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in America. The median price has risen from $49,831 in 2019, to $77,040 in 2023, according to data at U.S. News and World Report. This is three times the rate of inflation. It is noteworthy that vehicles across the automotive sector are rising more quickly than inflation, even as sales volumes contract. The exception is Tesla, where prices are falling despite rising sales.
Leaders at legacy companies need to think more about customers.
Walmart (WMT) operates 11,500 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company in 2022 had revenue of $572.8 billion. Sales in 2023 are projected to grow to $611.3 billion, an increase of 6.8%. Walmart is a legacy business, yet executives have not resorted to price gouging to win favor with investors. They answered disruption from Amazon.com (AMZN) with forward thinking, and a commitment to customers. They leveraged Walmart’s inherent strength; stores.
Ninety percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart. It turns out customers like to order goods online, then pickup up the bagged items in stores. This omni-channel, click and collect strategy gives consumers control, and lower prices.
Click and collect e-commerce orders in 2021 reached $20.4 billion. Walmart accounted for 25% of those purchases, according to Brett Briggs, chief financial officer.
Briggs has been the architect of an aggressive e-commerce acquisition strategy. Jet.com, Bonobos, Eloquii, and Modcloth were purchased for $3 billion, $310 million, $100 million and $60 million respectively. However, buyout occurred in 2016 when Walmart spent $16 billion for a 77% stake in Flipkart, India’s biggest ecommerce company. Execs then spent $1.4 billion in 2023 for additional Flipkart shares.
Not all legacy business will succeed with their digital transformations. Too often their strategies are flawed. Executives put short profits above winning customers. At a share price of $161.57, Walmart stock is attractive on pullbacks toward $140. Investors should accumulate shares into weakness.
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