立即打开
一元店三十年来首次涨价,是通胀所致吗?

一元店三十年来首次涨价,是通胀所致吗?

Nicole Goodkind 2021-11-30
这是该公司三十年历史上第一次涨价,而且会维持很长一段时间。

上周,平价零售商Dollar Tree宣布,所有门店起价从1美元上调至1.25美元。专家纷纷大呼通胀来了。

诚然,当前的通胀处于31年来的最高水平,10月CPI同比增长6.2%,但围绕Dollar Tree种种可怕的说法存在夸大和误导。这是该公司三十年历史上第一次涨价,而且会维持很长一段时间。

“这一决定是持续性的,并不是为了应对短期或暂时的市场状况。”Dollar Tree的总裁兼首席执行官迈克尔·维廷斯基在三季度财报中表示。“公司认为,现在比较适合告别一美元价位的限制,今后才能够继续为客户提供极低的优惠。”

根据美国劳工统计局(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)的CPI通胀计算器,1986年Dollar Tree开张时,一美元的购买力相当于现在的2.25美元。2020年也是本轮通胀恐慌之前,一美元的购买力相当于2.38美元。

几年前,Dollar Tree就曾经尝试涨价。2015年,公司在收购竞争对手连锁店Family Dollar时就开始转变,因为Family Dollar商品的价格超过了一美元。通过细致测试和推广,公司发现客户似乎并未太在意涨价。根据Dollar Tree的财报,今年测试时约90%购物者表示,尽管价格涨了25美分,但仍然愿意继续甚至更频繁地前往购物。

这家公司在上周明确表示,价格变化不是直接应对当前的通胀率,但维廷斯基确实指出,价格上涨可以提升公司“管理整体业务方面的灵活性,特别是在动荡的通胀环境下。”但他补充说,通胀也推动更多的顾客进店购物,提振了业务。

“本季度结束时公司业绩强劲,因为在通胀环境下,购物者越来越重视划算。”他说。

第三季度,Dollar Tree在美国开设了125家新店,平均每天新开超过一家,销售额增长近4%,达到64.2亿美元。

然而,Dollar Tree涨价并非通胀指标,也不应该被用作通胀指标。如果硬要当成指标,该公司向来定价一美元则表明,从1986年开张到2021年通胀增长率为0%,实际上却是通胀率累积上涨了252个百分点。

显然Dollar Tree涨价指标无法体现真实通胀水平。(财富中文网)

译者:梁宇

审校:夏林

上周,平价零售商Dollar Tree宣布,所有门店起价从1美元上调至1.25美元。专家纷纷大呼通胀来了。

诚然,当前的通胀处于31年来的最高水平,10月CPI同比增长6.2%,但围绕Dollar Tree种种可怕的说法存在夸大和误导。这是该公司三十年历史上第一次涨价,而且会维持很长一段时间。

“这一决定是持续性的,并不是为了应对短期或暂时的市场状况。”Dollar Tree的总裁兼首席执行官迈克尔·维廷斯基在三季度财报中表示。“公司认为,现在比较适合告别一美元价位的限制,今后才能够继续为客户提供极低的优惠。”

根据美国劳工统计局(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)的CPI通胀计算器,1986年Dollar Tree开张时,一美元的购买力相当于现在的2.25美元。2020年也是本轮通胀恐慌之前,一美元的购买力相当于2.38美元。

几年前,Dollar Tree就曾经尝试涨价。2015年,公司在收购竞争对手连锁店Family Dollar时就开始转变,因为Family Dollar商品的价格超过了一美元。通过细致测试和推广,公司发现客户似乎并未太在意涨价。根据Dollar Tree的财报,今年测试时约90%购物者表示,尽管价格涨了25美分,但仍然愿意继续甚至更频繁地前往购物。

这家公司在上周明确表示,价格变化不是直接应对当前的通胀率,但维廷斯基确实指出,价格上涨可以提升公司“管理整体业务方面的灵活性,特别是在动荡的通胀环境下。”但他补充说,通胀也推动更多的顾客进店购物,提振了业务。

“本季度结束时公司业绩强劲,因为在通胀环境下,购物者越来越重视划算。”他说。

第三季度,Dollar Tree在美国开设了125家新店,平均每天新开超过一家,销售额增长近4%,达到64.2亿美元。

然而,Dollar Tree涨价并非通胀指标,也不应该被用作通胀指标。如果硬要当成指标,该公司向来定价一美元则表明,从1986年开张到2021年通胀增长率为0%,实际上却是通胀率累积上涨了252个百分点。

显然Dollar Tree涨价指标无法体现真实通胀水平。(财富中文网)

译者:梁宇

审校:夏林

In a move that had many pundits running for the hills shouting about inflation, bargain retailer Dollar Tree announced this week that it would raise its baseline prices in all stores from $1 to $1.25.

While it’s true that inflation is currently at a 31 year-high, increasing 6.2% year-over-year in October, the current fearful narrative around Dollar Tree has been overblown and misleading. This will be the first price increase in the company’s three decade history, and a long time coming.

“This decision is permanent and is not a reaction to short-term or transitory market conditions” said Michael Witynski, Dollar Tree’s president and CEO in their third quarter earnings report. “[The] Company believes this is the appropriate time to shift away from the constraints of the $1.00 price point in order to continue offering extreme value to customers.”

When Dollar Tree began selling items in 1986, a dollar had the equivalent purchasing power of $2.25 today, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator. In 2020, prior to the current inflation scare, it had the purchasing power of $2.38.

Dollar Tree began testing an increase in prices years ago.The shift initially began in 2015 when the company acquired rival Family Dollar, a chain that had already priced items over the dollar mark. Through careful testing and rollouts, the company found that customers appeared unbothered by the increase. About 90% of shoppers surveyed this year by Dollar Tree in test rollouts indicated they would shop with the same or increased frequency despite the 25 cent price shift, according to the company’s earnings report.

Although the company explicitly said last week that their price change was not an immediate reaction to the current rate of inflation, Witynski did note that the increase would give the retailer “greater flexibility to manage the overall business, especially in a volatile, inflationary environment.” But he added that inflation has also driven more customers into the stores, helping business.

“We experienced a strong finish to the quarter, as shoppers are increasingly focused on value in this inflationary environment,” he said.

The company opened 125 new stores in the U.S. this quarter, at a rate of more than one a day, and saw sales rise by nearly 4% to $6.42 billion.

Dollar Tree’s pricing is not a proxy for inflation, nor should it be used as one. If it were, their consistent $1 pricing would indicate that inflation increased at a rate of 0% between their opening in 1986 and 2021, which is off by 252 points.

That’s not a great indicator.

热读文章
热门视频
扫描二维码下载财富APP