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Walmart’s Domination of the U.S. Grocery Market

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Walmart grocery market concentration

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Walmart’s Domination of the U.S. Grocery Market

One wouldn’t expect the grocery department of a big box retailer to spark debate, but Walmart’s high market concentration in the grocery space is doing just that.

By now, Walmart’s rise to the top of the retail pyramid is well documented. The Supercenters that dot the American landscape have had a dramatic ripple effect on surrounding communities, often resulting in decreased competition and reduced selection for consumers. Today, in some communities, Walmart takes in a whopping $19 for every $20 spent on groceries.

Today’s map, based on a report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, looks at which places in America are most reliant on Walmart to put food on the table.

The Weight of Walmart

Walmart has an unprecedented amount of control over the food system, now capturing a quarter of every single dollar spent on groceries in the United States.

Walmart isn’t just a major player — in some cases it’s become the only game in town. In a few of the communities listed in the report, Walmart commands a 90% market share and higher.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 20 towns dominated by Walmart in America:

RankMetro/RegionPopulationWalmart Market Share
#1Atchison, Kansas16,58095%
#2Portales, New Mexico19,73095%
#3Sterling, Colorado22,06891%
#4Deming, New Mexico24,69990%
#5Guymon, Oklahoma21,38590%
#6North Platte, Nebraska37,04387%
#7Wahpeton, N.D.– Minnesota23,03684%
#8Coffeyville, Kansas33,43483%
#9Othello, Washington19,80683%
#10Bismarck, North Dakota135,65483%
#11Helena-West Helena, Arkansas20,17680%
#12Altus, Oklahoma25,93177%
#13Parsons, Kansas20,76177%
#14Miami, Oklahoma32,26077%
#15Sweetwater, Texas15,10177%
#16Grenada, Mississippi21,70676%
#17Huron, South Dakota18,08275%
#18Greensburg, Indiana26,71174%
#19Clarksdale, Mississippi25,08574%
#20Dumas, Texas22,48574%

While it’s more likely for a small town to become dominated by a single grocer, Walmart’s clout isn’t exclusive to rural America. Even in Springfield, Missouri — with a regional population of half a million people — the big box retailer still boasts a sizable market share of 66%.

Super Market Concentration

Under guidelines established by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, markets in which one corporation captures more than 50% of revenue are defined as “highly concentrated.” Walmart’s market share meets or exceeds this measure in 43 metropolitan areas and 160 smaller markets around the United States.

In some states, this trend is even more pronounced. In Oklahoma, for example, 86% of the state’s population lives in a region where Walmart has the majority market share in the grocery sector. In Arkansas — the home state of the megaretailer — half the population lives in this “highly concentrated” grocery market situation.

This degree of market concentration means that a retailer could cut certain products or manipulate prices without fear of losing customers. Worse yet, a company could close up shop and leave thousands of people without adequate grocery access.

An Interesting Caveat

There is a flip side to this story, however.

Walmart has shown a willingness to expand their grocery business to areas that were considered “food deserts” (i.e. low-income areas without easy access to a supermarket).

In a 2011 initiative, the retailer committed to open or expand 1,500 supermarkets across America to help give more people access to fresh food.

With the ground game clearly won, America’s largest grocer is now focused on dominating the next frontier of the grocery market – delivery. Stiff competition from companies like Amazon and Instacart will keep Walmart’s online market concentration in check for the time being.

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Shifting Perspectives: The Top Financial Centers in the World

Perceptions of major financial centers are being reexamined amid shifts in the geopolitical landscape, including Brexit and unrest in Hong Kong.

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world financial centers

Shifting Perspectives: The World’s Top Financial Centers

Financial centers are catalysts for global growth, with tremendous economic influence.

Historically, the rise of nations has coincided with the emergence of robust financial hubs. From London towering in the 19th century, to New York City gaining dominance in the 20th century, broader economic shifts are at play.

Today’s chart uses data from the Duff & Phelps Global Regulatory Outlook 2020, and it highlights changing perceptions on the world’s financial centers.

In total, 240 senior financial executives were surveyed—we take a look at their responses, as well as key factors that could impact perspectives across the wider financial landscape.

Financial Hubs Today

In the below graphic, you can see the percentage of respondents that voted for each city as the world’s preeminent financial center:

world financial centers today

The Status Quo

New York and London are perceived to be at the helm of the financial world today.

New York City is home to the two largest stock exchanges in the world—and altogether, U.S. stock markets account for an impressive 43% of global equities, valued at over $34 trillion. Of course, New York is also home to many of the world’s investment banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, and global credit rating agencies.

Across the pond, the London Stock Exchange has surpassed $5 trillion in market capitalization, and the city has been a global financial hub since the LSE was founded more than 200 years ago.

Together, the United States and the United Kingdom account for 40% of the world’s financial exports. But while New York City and London have a foothold on international finance, other key financial centers have also established themselves.

Rising in the East

Singapore, accounting for 2.1% of the respondents’ vote, is considered the best place to conduct business in the world.

Meanwhile, seventh-ranked Hong Kong is regarded highly for its separation of executive, judiciary, and legislative powers.

Despite ongoing protests—which have resulted in an estimated $4 billion outflow of funds to Singapore—it maintains its status as a vital financial hub globally.

Where are Financial Centers Heading?

A number of core financial hubs are anticipated to underpin the future of finance.

Although New York maintains the top spot, some executives surveyed believe that the top financial center could shift to Shanghai, Singapore, or Hong Kong.

world financial centers future

Growth in Asian Hubs

According to survey results, 8.7% of respondents said Shanghai is predicted to be the next global financial hub by 2025. Shanghai houses the largest stock exchange in China, the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), and the SSE Composite tracks the performance of over 1,600 listings with $4.9 trillion in combined market capitalization.

Meanwhile, Singapore accounted for 5.4% of the respondents’ vote. Exporting $27.2 billion in financial services annually, Singapore’s economy has grown at an average clip of 7.7.% per year since the country’s independence, one of the highest growth rates in the world.

The Impending Impact of Brexit

After four tumultuous years, Britain’s departure from Europe took place on January 31, 2020.

Despite a long-awaited victory for the Conservative government, many experts are saying that economic prospects for the region look dim.

We now know that the economy will be between 2—6% smaller in 10 years than it would otherwise have been.

– Ray Burrell, Professor at Brunel University

The UK financial sector could lose over $15 billion (£12B) due to Brexit, and falling investment in the private sector may lead to wage pressure and layoffs.

On the flip side, 51% of UK businesses said that Brexit will be beneficial to business conditions.

A New Paradigm

Although the global financial sector is primarily influenced today by New York City and London, it seems that perceptions are shifting.

While both of these cities will maintain their reputations as massive financial capitals going forward, it’s also clear that hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai will be providing some stiff competition for capital.

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Ranked: The Most Valuable Brands in the World

This infographic ranks some of the world’s biggest companies by brand value in 2020 and visualizes the movers and shakers over the past year.

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Ranking The World’s Most Valuable Brands

Due to its intangible nature, the power of a brand can be difficult to translate to a balance sheet. That said, a brand that truly connects with consumers and stands the test of time can deliver immense financial value.

Today’s graphic pulls data from the 2020 edition of Brand Finance’s annual Global 500 report, which ranks the world’s top brands by value using a multi-dimensional formula.

By quantifying the true value of a brand, investors and key decision makers can identify value that extends beyond quarterly earnings reports.

How much are brands really worth?

A Closer Look at the Leaderboard

With 18% growth in the last year resulting in an eye-watering brand value of $220 billion, Amazon is a clear winner as the world’s most valuable brand—towering over Google and Apple’s brand valuations. As the largest online marketplace on the planet, Amazon relies on innovative technologies and investments in fast-growing sectors, such as healthcare, to create a diverse retail ecosystem.

Although tech companies command five of the top 10 spots in the ranking, brands from more traditional industries are hot on their tails.

Here are the top 100 most valuable brands according to the report:

RankingBrand2020 Brand ValueYoY % ChangeCountrySector
#1Amazon$220B17.5%United StatesRetail
#2Google$160B11.9%United StatesTech
#3Apple$140B-8.5%United StatesTech
#4Microsoft$117B-2.1%United StatesTech
#5Samsung$94B3.5%South KoreaTech
#6ICBC$80B1.2%ChinaBanking
#7Facebook$79B-4.1%United StatesMedia
#8Walmart$77B14.2%United StatesRetail
#9Ping An$69B19.8%ChinaInsurance
#10Huawei$65B4.5%ChinaTech
#11Mercedes-Benz$65B7.8%GermanyAutomobiles
#12Verizon$63B-10.5%United StatesTelecoms
#13China Construction Bank$62B-10.2%ChinaBanking
#14AT&T$59B-32%United StatesTelecoms
#15Toyota$58B11.1%JapanAutomobiles
#16State Grid$57B11.1%ChinaUtilities
#17Disney$56B22.7%United StatesMedia
#18Agricultural Bank of China$55B-0.7%ChinaBanking
#19WeChat$54B6.8%ChinaMedia
#20Bank of China$51B-0.7%ChinaBanking
#21The Home Depot$50B7.3%United StatesRetail
#22China Mobile$49B-11.9%ChinaTelecoms
#23Shell$47B12.4%NetherlandsOil & Gas
#24Saudi Aramco$47BN/ASaudi ArabiaOil & Gas
#25Volkswagen$45B7.6%GermanyAutomobiles
#26YouTube$44B17.5%United StatesMedia
#27Tencent QQ$44B-11.3%ChinaMedia
#28Starbucks$41B4.5%United StatesRestaurants
#29Wells Fargo$41B2.3%United StatesBanking
#30BMW$40B0.0%GermanyAutomobiles
#31Deutsche Telekom$40B-13.6%GermanyTelecoms
#32Moutai$39B29.1%GermanySpirits
#33PetroChina$38B3.3%ChinaOil & Gas
#34Coca-Cola$38B4.8%United StatesSoft Drinks
#35Mitsubishi Group$38B42.8%JapanAutomobiles
#36McDonald’s$37B18.9%United StatesRestaurants
#37Taobao$37B-20.7ChinaRetail
#38NTT Group$36B-12.8%JapanTelecoms
#39Bank of America$35B-3.6%United StatesBanking
#40Nike$35B7.3%United StatesApparel
#41Porsche$33B15.6%GermanyAutomobiles
#42Sinopec$33B14.7%ChinaOil & Gas
#43IBM$33B1.5%United StatesTech
#44CITI$33B-9%United StatesBanking
#45Honda$33B28.6%JapanAutomobiles
#46Marlboro$33B-2.7%United StatesTobacco
#47Deloitte$32B9.6%United StatesCommercial Services
#48Chase$31B-13.8%United StatesBanking
#49Tmall$31B-15.9%ChinaRetail
#50UPS$29B0.6%United StatesLogistics
#51American Express$29B6.2%United StatesCommercial Services
#52Xfinity$29B6.4%United StatesTelecoms
#53United Healthcare$28B-7.4%United StatesHealthcare
#54Sumitomo Group$28B4.5%JapanMining, Iron & Steel
#55Intel$27B-5.5%United StatesTech
#56VISA$27B-3%United StatesCommercial Services
#57Instagram$27B58%United StatesMedia
#58China Life$25B-4.4%ChinaInsurance
#59Accenture$25B-3.8%United StatesIT Services
#60Allianz$25B7.5%GermanyInsurance
#61CSCEC$25B-3.3%ChinaEngineering & Construction
#62PWC$25B-0.3%United StatesCommercial Services
#63Lowe’s$25B3.4%United StatesRetail
#64Mitsui$24B15.8%JapanMining, Iron & Steel
#65General Electric$24B-14.4%United StatesEngineering & Construction
#66EY$24B2.1%United KingdomCommercial Services
#67Oracle$24B-6.7%United StatesTech
#68Cisco$24B7.1%United StatesTech
#69BP$23B2.6%United KingdomOil & Gas
#70CVS$23B9.1%United KingdomRetail
#71Total$23B8.1%FranceOil & Gas
#72FedEx$23B-5.1%United StatesLogistics
#73Netflix$23B8.4%United StatesMedia
#74China Merchants Bank$23B1.8%ChinaBanking
#75JP Morgan$23B15.3%United StatesBanking
#76Boeing$23B-29%United StatesAerospace & Defence
#77Costco$23B32.1%United StatesRetail
#78SK Group$22B-17.5%South KoreaTelecoms
#79Wuliangye$21B30.1%ChinaSpirits
#80Evergrande$21B0.5%ChinaReal Estate
#81Nestle$21B3.4%SwitzerlandFood
#82Hyundai Group$21B-2.8%South KoreaAutomobiles
#83China Telecom$21B-2.8%ChinaTelecoms
#84Siemens$21B-7.2%GermanyEngineering & Construction
#85TATA Group$21B2.3%IndiaEngineering & Construction
#86Mastercard$21B8.4%United StatesCommercial Services
#87Bosch$20B-14.6%GermanyEngineering & Construction
#88IKEA$19B-9.4%SwedenRetail
#89HSBC$19B-3.6%United KingdomBanking
#90Spectrum$19B25%United StatesTelecoms
#91Vodafone$19B-10.3%United KingdomTelecoms
#92Pepsi$19B2.2%United StatesSoft Drinks
#93Alibaba$19B28.8%ChinaRetail
#94Ford$18B-1.4%United StatesAutomobiles
#95AIA$18B17.3%ChinaInsurance
#96Orange$18B-13.7%FranceTelecoms
#97Nissan$18B-4.5%JapanAutomobiles
#98Chevron$18B4.7%United StatesOil & Gas
#99GUCCI$18B20.2%ItalyApparel
#100Dell Technologies$18B-22.9%United StatesTech

American retail giant Walmart enters 2020’s top 10 ranking with an impressive brand value increase of 14% to $77.5 billion. The retailer’s recent success could be partially attributed to its growing strategic partnership with Microsoft—which currently sits in sixth place. By tapping into Microsoft’s cloud services, Walmart can now provide a digital first retail experience for its customers.

Another brand that has experienced remarkable growth is China’s leading insurance company, Ping An. With 19.8% growth, resulting in a brand value of $69 billion, the financial conglomerate’s aggressive focus on fintech R&D has garnered the company 200 million retail customers and 500 million internet users—making it one of the largest financial services companies in the world.

While the majority of the world’s most valuable brands hail from the U.S. or China, which brands lead by region?

Most Valuable Brands by Region

Not surprisingly, Amazon leads as the most valuable B2C brand across the Americas, with the exception of Latin America. Beer brand Corona, was crowned as the leader in this region, boasting a brand value of $8.1 billion.

most valuable brands supplemental

In Europe, German companies outperformed other countries, with automotive brand Mercedes-Benz holding the title for the most valuable B2C brand for that continent—despite China being its biggest market.

On the other side of the world, Samsung reigns as Asia’s most valuable B2C brand. The company owns 54% of the nascent 5G market globally, having shipped 6.7 million 5G phones in the last year alone.

A Brand Eat Brand World

Whether brands are regional or global leaders, they still face the threat of being knocked of their perch by brands experiencing significant growth.

Climbing to the Top

With an increase of 65% to $12.4 billion, Tesla is officially the fastest-growing brand in the world. Despite concerns over not being able to keep up with demand, the electric car company is expected to exceed 500,000 vehicle deliveries in 2020. Having recently posted over $7 billion of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019, the success of Tesla’s innovative models is sure to rattle the automotive brands in the ranking.

However, not everything comes down to innovation. European retailers Lidl and Aldi have seen growth of 40% and 37% respectively, and are only getting started.

After disrupting Europe’s entire supermarket industry by offering quality products at significantly lower prices, the chains now have their sights set on the U.S. market, with Aldi expected to surpass Kroger in sales.

Despite the unprecedented disruption caused by e-commerce, the popular assertion that entering digital operations brings instant success while bricks and mortar stores are doomed for extinction is being proved wrong

—David Haigh, CEO Brand Finance

In contrast, there are also well established brands that have struggled to retain brand value.

Racing to the Bottom

Chinese search engine Baidu—also known as the Google of China—recorded the largest drop in brand value, decreasing by 54% to $8.9 billion. The brand has struggled with a poor reputation and intensifying market competition. As a result, the brand’s revenues and subsequently its brand value were heavily impacted.

Boeing is a prime example of the unpredictability of brand value. As a company that once imbued trust and excellent safety standards, the brand’s value has dropped by 29% due to the recent reports of accidents that have tarnished its reputation.

The True Power of Brand

Boeing’s recent hardships reflect the volatile nature of brand value. While 244 brands in the entire ranking have increased their brand value year-over-year, another 212 have taken a hit.

Part of a brand’s purpose is to manage reputation, retain loyal customers, and generate awareness. Given that a brand is the sum of its parts, the ranking proves that an issue with any of these things could trigger a chain reaction, negatively impacting a brand’s bottom line.

So is it worth companies investing in their brand? All signs point to yes, for now.

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