Jet competes most closely with Amazon on price for toys, while Walmart has the largest overlap with Amazon's toy assortment. Toys "R" Us prices toys nearly 10% higher than Amazon on average. The report analyzes pricing and assortments of toys across different popularity levels (head, core, and tail) and finds that opportunities may exist for retailers to extend assortments and boost prices in some areas where Amazon discounts minimally or not at all.
In the world of ecommerce, 2015 was a turning point in terms of mobile’s place in the affiliate shopping experience.
More than a device on which to research or browse, smartphones and tablets last year triumphed as sales portals -- mobile sales now represents nearly 1 in 3 sales which occur in the CJ Affiliate global network. Near the end of 2016, sales on mobile devices for some categories will likely account for 40% of global affiliate sales.
In the world of ecommerce, 2015 was a turning point in terms of mobile’s place in the affiliate shopping experience.
More than a device on which to research or browse, smartphones and tablets last year triumphed as sales portals -- mobile sales now represents nearly 1 in 3 sales which occur in the CJ Affiliate global network. Near the end of 2016, sales on mobile devices for some categories will likely account for 40% of global affiliate sales.
Mobile data traffic has quadrupled since 2013. In order to cope with a newly diversified device landscape, engineers have embraced responsive design. Implementing “responsive images” is the most important thing that you can do for a responsive site’s performance.
In this session, we discuss the past, present, and future of responsive images.
For image optimization, reducing the quality doesn’t always lead to degradation of visual experience. In fact, precise adjustment of compression level and fine tuning of encoding settings can reduce significantly the file size without any noticeable degradation. But, there is no standard quality setting that works for all images - it depends on the compression algorithm, image format and content. And manually experimentation is not scalable.
In this webinar we cover how to find the best quality compression level and optimal encoding settings, in order to produce a perceptually fine image while minimizing the file size.
B2B Product Marketing. What is the role of Product Marketing in organizations? What are the most important skills to be a good product marketing manager?
Listen to Professor Ross Walker and Adrian Roitberg explaining the new GPU features of AMBER version 14. With these features, AMBER is now world's fastest Molecular Dynamics package.
Challenges and Advances in Large-scale DFT Calculations on GPUs using TeraChemCan Ozdoruk
Recent advances in reformulating electronic structure algorithms for stream processors such as graphical processing units have made DFT calculations on systems comprising up to O(10 to the 3) atoms feasible. Simulations on such systems that previously required half a week on traditional processors can now be completed in only half an hour. Listen to Professor Heather Kulik, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as she discusses how she leverages these GPU-accelerated quantum chemistry methods in the code TeraChem to investigate large-scale quantum mechanical features in applications ranging from protein structure to mechanochemical depolymerization. In each case, large-scale and rapid evaluation of electronic structure properties is critical for unearthing previously poorly understood properties and mechanistic features of these systems. Professor Kulik also discusses outstanding challenges in the use of Gaussian localized-basis-set codes on GPUs pertaining to limitations in basis set size and how she circumvents such challenges to computational efficiency with systematic, physics-based error corrections to basis set incompleteness
Slides by VMD lead developer Mr. John Stone, a pioneer in the field of MD Visualization. Visualization is essential to unlocking key insights from the results of MD simulations. Mr. Stone explains the many GPU-accelerated features of VMD. You can learn how these features can help you speed up a wide range of simulation preparation, analyses, and visualization tasks.
Molecular Shape Searching on GPUs: A Brave New WorldCan Ozdoruk
Shape is a fundamental three dimensional molecular property and a powerful descriptor for molecular comparison and similarity assessment; similarity in shape has proven to be a very effective method for predicting similarity in biology. As such shape-based virtual screening has become an integral part of computational drug discovery, due to both its speed and efficacy. OpenEye’s recent port of their shape similarity application, ROCS, to the GPU has resulted in a virtual screening tool of unprecedented power – FastROCS. FastROCS’ speed allows it to perform large-scale calculations of a kind inaccessible in the past and has accelerated more routine shape searching to the point that it has become competitive with more traditional, but less effective, two dimensional methods. Go through the slides to learn more. Try GPUs for free here: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
Introduction to SeqAn, an Open-source C++ Template LibraryCan Ozdoruk
SeqAn (www.seqan.de) is an open-source C++ template library (BSD license) that implements many efficient and generic data structures and algorithms for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis. It contains gapped k-mer indices, enhanced suffix arrays (ESA) or an FM-index, as well algorithms for fast and accurate alignment or read mapping. Based on those data types and fast I/O routines, users can easily develop tools that are extremely efficient and easy to maintain. Besides multi-core, the research team at Freie Universität Berlin has started generic support for distinguished accelerators such as NVIDIA GPUs. Go through the slides to learn more. For your own BI development you can try GPUs for free here: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
Uncovering the Elusive HIV Capsid with Kepler GPUs Running NAMD and VMDCan Ozdoruk
Computational scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and the University of Pittsburg have now resolved the HIV capsid's chemical structure. As reported recently on the cover of Nature, the researchers combined NMR structure analysis, electron microscopy and data-guided molecular dynamics simulations utilizing VMD to prepare and analyze simulations performed using NAMD on NVIDIA GPUs in one of the most powerful computers worldwide, Blue Waters, to obtain and characterize the HIV-1 capsid. The discovery can now guide the design of novel drugs for enhanced antiviral therapy.Also learn how NAMD performs with the latest Kepler GPUs, as well as details about GPU Test Drive (www.nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive) and how to try NAMD on Kepler GPUs for free.
ACEMD: High-throughput Molecular Dynamics with NVIDIA Kepler GPUsCan Ozdoruk
Acellera Founder Gianni De Fabritiis, and CTO Matt Harvey talk about the latest developments of high-throughput molecular dynamics both in terms of applications and methodological advances. Examples are in the context of ACEMD, a highly efficient, best-in-class graphical processing units (GPUs) centric code for running MD simulations, and its protocols. In particular, attendees will learn how the high arithmetic performance and intrinsic parallelism of the latest NVIDIA Kepler GPUs can offer a technological edge for molecular dynamics simulations. Try GPUs for free via: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
This webinar showcases the latest GPU-acceleration technologies available to AMBER users and discusses features, recent updates and future plans. Go through the sides to learn how to obtain the latest accelerated versions of AMBER, which features are supported, the simplicity of its installation and use, and how it performs with Kepler GPUs. To run AMBER free on GPUs register here: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
Mobile data traffic has quadrupled since 2013. In order to cope with a newly diversified device landscape, engineers have embraced responsive design. Implementing “responsive images” is the most important thing that you can do for a responsive site’s performance.
In this session, we discuss the past, present, and future of responsive images.
For image optimization, reducing the quality doesn’t always lead to degradation of visual experience. In fact, precise adjustment of compression level and fine tuning of encoding settings can reduce significantly the file size without any noticeable degradation. But, there is no standard quality setting that works for all images - it depends on the compression algorithm, image format and content. And manually experimentation is not scalable.
In this webinar we cover how to find the best quality compression level and optimal encoding settings, in order to produce a perceptually fine image while minimizing the file size.
B2B Product Marketing. What is the role of Product Marketing in organizations? What are the most important skills to be a good product marketing manager?
Listen to Professor Ross Walker and Adrian Roitberg explaining the new GPU features of AMBER version 14. With these features, AMBER is now world's fastest Molecular Dynamics package.
Challenges and Advances in Large-scale DFT Calculations on GPUs using TeraChemCan Ozdoruk
Recent advances in reformulating electronic structure algorithms for stream processors such as graphical processing units have made DFT calculations on systems comprising up to O(10 to the 3) atoms feasible. Simulations on such systems that previously required half a week on traditional processors can now be completed in only half an hour. Listen to Professor Heather Kulik, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as she discusses how she leverages these GPU-accelerated quantum chemistry methods in the code TeraChem to investigate large-scale quantum mechanical features in applications ranging from protein structure to mechanochemical depolymerization. In each case, large-scale and rapid evaluation of electronic structure properties is critical for unearthing previously poorly understood properties and mechanistic features of these systems. Professor Kulik also discusses outstanding challenges in the use of Gaussian localized-basis-set codes on GPUs pertaining to limitations in basis set size and how she circumvents such challenges to computational efficiency with systematic, physics-based error corrections to basis set incompleteness
Slides by VMD lead developer Mr. John Stone, a pioneer in the field of MD Visualization. Visualization is essential to unlocking key insights from the results of MD simulations. Mr. Stone explains the many GPU-accelerated features of VMD. You can learn how these features can help you speed up a wide range of simulation preparation, analyses, and visualization tasks.
Molecular Shape Searching on GPUs: A Brave New WorldCan Ozdoruk
Shape is a fundamental three dimensional molecular property and a powerful descriptor for molecular comparison and similarity assessment; similarity in shape has proven to be a very effective method for predicting similarity in biology. As such shape-based virtual screening has become an integral part of computational drug discovery, due to both its speed and efficacy. OpenEye’s recent port of their shape similarity application, ROCS, to the GPU has resulted in a virtual screening tool of unprecedented power – FastROCS. FastROCS’ speed allows it to perform large-scale calculations of a kind inaccessible in the past and has accelerated more routine shape searching to the point that it has become competitive with more traditional, but less effective, two dimensional methods. Go through the slides to learn more. Try GPUs for free here: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
Introduction to SeqAn, an Open-source C++ Template LibraryCan Ozdoruk
SeqAn (www.seqan.de) is an open-source C++ template library (BSD license) that implements many efficient and generic data structures and algorithms for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis. It contains gapped k-mer indices, enhanced suffix arrays (ESA) or an FM-index, as well algorithms for fast and accurate alignment or read mapping. Based on those data types and fast I/O routines, users can easily develop tools that are extremely efficient and easy to maintain. Besides multi-core, the research team at Freie Universität Berlin has started generic support for distinguished accelerators such as NVIDIA GPUs. Go through the slides to learn more. For your own BI development you can try GPUs for free here: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
Uncovering the Elusive HIV Capsid with Kepler GPUs Running NAMD and VMDCan Ozdoruk
Computational scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and the University of Pittsburg have now resolved the HIV capsid's chemical structure. As reported recently on the cover of Nature, the researchers combined NMR structure analysis, electron microscopy and data-guided molecular dynamics simulations utilizing VMD to prepare and analyze simulations performed using NAMD on NVIDIA GPUs in one of the most powerful computers worldwide, Blue Waters, to obtain and characterize the HIV-1 capsid. The discovery can now guide the design of novel drugs for enhanced antiviral therapy.Also learn how NAMD performs with the latest Kepler GPUs, as well as details about GPU Test Drive (www.nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive) and how to try NAMD on Kepler GPUs for free.
ACEMD: High-throughput Molecular Dynamics with NVIDIA Kepler GPUsCan Ozdoruk
Acellera Founder Gianni De Fabritiis, and CTO Matt Harvey talk about the latest developments of high-throughput molecular dynamics both in terms of applications and methodological advances. Examples are in the context of ACEMD, a highly efficient, best-in-class graphical processing units (GPUs) centric code for running MD simulations, and its protocols. In particular, attendees will learn how the high arithmetic performance and intrinsic parallelism of the latest NVIDIA Kepler GPUs can offer a technological edge for molecular dynamics simulations. Try GPUs for free via: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
This webinar showcases the latest GPU-acceleration technologies available to AMBER users and discusses features, recent updates and future plans. Go through the sides to learn how to obtain the latest accelerated versions of AMBER, which features are supported, the simplicity of its installation and use, and how it performs with Kepler GPUs. To run AMBER free on GPUs register here: www.Nvidia.com/GPUTestDrive
2. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Executive Summary
Key findings include: Jet competes most closely on price with
Amazon, Walmart attracts shoppers with the largest assortment
overlap with Amazon, and Toys "R" Us is not afraid to be the
most expensive while it simultaneously discounts toe-to-toe on a
third of their assortment overlap. There appear to be
opportunities to generate incremental margins by extending
assortments and boosting prices where Amazon chooses to
discount minimally or not at all.
In this edition of the Boomerang Commerce Retail Analytics
Report, we investigate the toy category, examining price data from
Amazon, Toys "R" Us, Game Stop, Walmart, Target and Jet. We
use Boomerang’s proprietary indices, the Price Perception Index
and Product Assortment Index, to analyze gross prices and
weighted basket prices, as well as the uniqueness of each retailer’s
assortment, and their overlap.
Toys are a unique category because they are so strongly driven by
seasonality, by the popularity of recent movies and by megahit
video game sales.
2
3. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Across the 1,200 toy items covered in this month’s report, Jet came
closest to matching Amazon’s prices followed by Target and
specialist Game Stop. Walmart was priced more than 7% higher,
and Toys "R" Us was nearly 10% higher than Amazon, based on
their weighted Price Perception Index (PPI) rankings. On the
sampled product assortment, Walmart has the largest overlap with
Amazon, with a Product Assortment Index (PAI) of 40%. Startup
Jet already has built up its assortment impressively to match Target
and Toys "R" Us in the 26% to 28% range. Finally, GameStop has
the least overlap with Amazon close to 15%.
ALL Products
$100.70
$102.76
$102.77
$107.38
$109.79
26.11%
27.16%
14.64%
40.16%
28.52%
*Based on the sample of 1200
products collected by Boomerang
Commerce. Walmart has 356
matching products, Target has 188,
Jet has 204, Toys “R” Us has 204 and
Game Stop has 112.
Toys "R" Us priced toy items
nearly 10% higher than
Amazon.
$100.00 100%
3
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
Amazon
$110
$105
$100
$95
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
4. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Amazon
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
HEAD Products
For head (popular) toy
products, Walmart has by far
the greatest inventory overlap
with the Amazon baseline.
Toys "R" Us head product
prices were the most expensive
in the research basket.
Jet posted the lowest average
head prices, running only 2.5%
above Amazon pricing. Then
came Target, 5% higher than
Amazon prices. Jet also
competed most broadly with
Amazon on price; the majority
of its head products in the
sample are priced below the
same products at Amazon.
$102.52
$105.12
$106.86
$108.10
$111.92
31.00%
34.25%
17.50%
46.25%
35.25%
$125
$115
$105
$95
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Price of Head Items Compared to Amazon
A slight majority of Jet’s head
products in the sample were
priced below Amazon.
*Based on the sample of 400 products
collected by Boomerang Commerce.
Walmart has 185 matching products, Target
has 137, Jet has 124, Toys “R” Us has 141
and Game Stop has 70.
67
17
63
19
29
6
18
55
104
91
$100.00 100%
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
4
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
SAME
LOWER-PRICED
HIGHER-PRICED
33
43 169 12 49
85
5. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
CORE Products
In core (medium popularity) toy
products, Jet’s prices were the
lowest in the group. Not only was
its PPI below Amazon’s, but 2/3
of its core products in the study
were priced lower than at
Amazon. The others are priced
well above Amazon, from
Walmart at +7% up to Toys "R"
Us where sampled core prices
were 22.5% above Amazon’s
prices on the same items.
Walmart carried 28.5% of the
baseline core products; Jet was
next with less than 18% overlap
with Amazon. The five retailers’
relatively low Product
Assortment Index ranges suggest
they might find opportunity to
expand core assortments and
capitalize on traffic they
achieved by competing via price
on head products.
$100.00
$107.03
$109.48
$111.92
$122.49
100%
28.50%
12.50%
9.75%
15.50%
Price of Core Items Compared to Amazon
Apart from Jet, the other four
retailers were priced from 7%
to 22.5% above Amazon on
core items.
*Based on the sample of 400 Core
products collected by Boomerang
Commerce. Walmart has 114 matching
products, Target has 50, Jet has 71, Toys
“R” Us has 62 and Game Stop has 39.
$98.71 17.75%
5
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
58
15
47
12
6
3
6
21
44
29
SAME
LOWER-PRICED
HIGHER-PRICED
31
1612 3 24
25
Amazon
$120
$110
$100
$90
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
6. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
TAIL Products
Across 400 tail (low popularity)
products, Walmart was priced
above Amazon on ¾ of the [tail]
toy products that both retailers
carry, Walmart’s Price
Perception Index places it at just
1.3% higher-priced than
Amazon. The other four
retailers, taken collectively, are
priced significantly below
Amazon on tail products. This
indicates opportunity for them
to generate margin by raising
prices. There is potential for
endless-aisle assortment
expansion programs, both online
and in brick and mortar,
enabling profitable growth in tail
items.
$34.41
$50.37
$88.44
$100.00
$101.28
0.75%
0.25%
2.25%
100%
14.25%
Price of Tail Items Compared to Amazon
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
*Based on the sample of 400 Tail
products collected by Boomerang
Commerce. Walmart has 57 matching
products, Target has 1, Jet has 9, Toys “R”
Us has 1, and Game Stop has 3.
For items of low popularity,
Jet and Walmart under-priced
Amazon but none of the
retailers had 10% of
Amazon's assortment.
$59.13 0.25%
6
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
43
1
7
1
1 1
SAME
LOWER-PRICED
HIGHER-PRICED
5
16 3
9
Amazon
$120
$90
$60
$30
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
7. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
TOYS “R” US
GAME STOP
WALMART
JET
TARGET
OVERLAP COMPARED TO AMAZON *
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
TOYS “R” US
GAME STOP
WALMART
JET
TARGET
OVERLAP COMPARED TO AMAZON *
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
TOYS “R” US
GAME STOP
WALMART
JET
TARGET
OVERLAP COMPARED TO AMAZON *
Brand Assortment Analysis
We analyzed 1200 items across 479 unique brands,
including popular names like Disney and Microsoft. The
majority of products in our research basket were
prominent brands. We measured how often these brands
appeared as SKUs at major retailers relative to Amazon.
Nintendo was a major presence at all 5 retailers; Disney
was consistently at 4 of the 5. The Vtech selection at
Walmart nearly matches (77%) the Vtech choices at
Amazon. You could barely find Melissa & Doug at
Walmart, but the assortment of Melissa & Doug is
plentiful at Jet and Toys "R" Us.
Disney
Melissa & Doug
Nintendo
Vtech
Microsoft
1
2
3
4
5
43
35
30
26
22
Brands with
Highest Assortment
Rank
Selection
CountBrand
7
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
TOYS “R” US
GAME STOP
WALMART
JET
TARGET
OVERLAP COMPARED TO AMAZON *
* If Amazon had 100 Melissa & Doug items in its research sample, Jet had 60.
Nintendo, Microsoft, and Disney
are in ample assortment at
nearly every retailer, while for
Melissa & Doug, you’d probably
choose Jet or Toys“R”Us.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
TOYS “R” US
GAME STOP
WALMART
JET
TARGET
OVERLAP COMPARED TO AMAZON *
8. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Category: Video Games
Video games are a key
category where a single
product can outsell a
Hollywood blockbuster. Jet
comes closest on price
competition, at just 3.9% over
Amazon, but had a Product
Assortment Index of just 14%.
The other four retailers had a
product overlap of 38% or
higher, showing widespread
commitment to the category.
Walmart carried nearly half of
the video games sampled at
Amazon. It may not always be
an advantage to overlap with a
competitor that has Amazon’s
pricing power, but being
stocked on traffic-drivers like
popular video games is crucial
in the holiday season.
Availability of Items
Found in the Sample
$103.93
$105.29
$106.60
$110.23
$106.28
14.07%
48.24%
41.71%
38.19%
45.23%
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
Every toy retailer knows it needs
to be selling video games.
Except for Jet, the group all had
product overlap above 38%.
$100.00 100%
8
5+ Retailers
25.1%
4 Retailers
15.6%
3 Retailers
12.1%
2 Retailers
10.1%
Only Amazon
37.2%
Amazon
$110
$105
$100
$95
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
9. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Category: Action & Toy Figures
In Action & Toy Figures,
Walmart has the smallest
price differentials compared to
Amazon, with a Price
Perception Index of 102,
and the highest Product
Assortment Index at 29.35%.
Toys "R" Us stood out in the
field with sharply higher
pricing at 20.5% higher than
Amazon. We found that 57%
of the Action & Toy Figure
SKUs in the research basket
are offered only at Amazon.
On those 115 SKUs, Amazon
therefore has no major
competition.$102.00
$106.26
$107.03
$109.06
$120.48
29.35%
6.97%
16.92%
22.39%
20.90%
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
Availability of Items
Found Among Retailers 57% of the Action & Toys Figures
products are offered only at Amazon.
$100.00 100%
9
5+ Retailers
6.5%
4 Retailers
12.4%
3 Retailers
9.0%
2 Retailers
14.9%
Only Amazon
57.2%
Amazon
$120
$110
$100
$90
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
10. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
5+ Retailers
Category: Puzzles
In the Puzzles category, Jet
has the largest overlap with
Amazon’s assortment in the
Report sample, and is also
Amazon’s toughest competitor
on pricing with a Price
Perception Index of just
100.3. Toys "R" Us has a
higher Product Assortment
Index (overlap with Amazon’s
sample assortment in Puzzles)
at 19% than Walmart does, at
18% -- and pricing that jumps
out due to being 18% higher
than Amazon’s.
$100.31
$108.63
$113.85
$118.44
N/A
27.36%
17.91%
12.44%
18.91%
N/A
PRICE PERCEPTION
INDEX
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
INDEXRETAILER
Availability of Items
Found Among Retailers
Here’s a small puzzle: Jet picked
this category to battle Amazon
head on, with a product overlap
of 27.4% and pricing that is
nearly a match.
$100.00 100%
10
5+ Retailers
2.5%4 Retailers
7.0%
3 Retailers
16.9%
2 Retailers
11.9%
Only Amazon
61.7%
Amazon
$120
$110
$100
$90
BUBBLE SIZE REPRESENTS PRODUCT ASSORTMENT INDEX
PRICE PERCEPTION INDEX
11. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Discount Analysis
Of the mass merchants, Amazon and Walmart discount widely,
at 44% and 42% of their sample inventory. Target limits its
discounting on toys to a narrower selection, just 8% of the
research sample – but cuts deep with 30% median discount
levels. This matched Game Stop, which also discounts narrowly
(7% of its sample) and deeply (25%).
Amazon and Toys “R” Us stood out for discounting widely (44%
and 32% respectively), and deeply (24% for both retailers). Jet,
true to its promise, did not discount.
Discount Frequency
MEDIAN DISCOUNT
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
11
When it comes to selling toys
below list price, Amazon and Toys
“R”Us discount widely and deeply.
Target and Game Stop both
discount narrowly and deeply.
42%
44% 24%
8%
32%
30%
17%
24%
7% 25%
NA
PRODUCTS IN INVENTORY WITH A DISCOUNT
0%
12. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Example Products
On Splatoon by Nintendo, a popular head item, Amazon undercuts its competitors, offering it at $55.99.
The closest competitors – Target, Game Stop, and Toys "R" Us, sell it at the list price of $59.99. Jet is
substantially higher at $67.24 With such head items drawing traffic online, and guiding customer
perception, Jet appears out of step on this SKU.
On a sample tail product, Lego Lord of the Rings from Warner Home Video Games. Amazon’s price is
$36.69, not quite one percent below list price, but far higher than the other retailers who stock it.
Judging from the number of reviews, this product has a following at Game Stop. Tail products where
Amazon barely discounts offer opportunity for other retailers to increase prices without adversely
impacting shopper sentiment or unit sales. Core products, with much higher unit volume, may also be
ripe for new assortment and margin strategies.
Splatoon
By Nintendo
HEAD TAIL
LEGO Lord of the Rings
By Warner Home Video Games
$55.99
$61.11
$59.99
$67.24
$59.99
$59.99
4.5
N/A
5.0
N/A
4.7
4.3
RETAILER PRICE PRICE
508
N/A
5
N/A
109
69
$39.69
N/A
N/A
N/A
$19.99
$19.99
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
4.7
4.3
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
10
33
This illustrates a fairly
common situation:
Amazon discounts on a
hot product and goes
unchallenged price-wise,
while on slower-moving
tail items, Amazon may
be the most expensive by
a large spread.
12
RATING
(OUT OF 5)
RATING
(OUT OF 5)
# OF REVIEWS # OF REVIEWS
13. Retail Analytics
November, 2015
Consumer Toys
Data Research by Boomerang Commerce
Report Terminology
To account for variance in products offerings
at each retailer, we chose to use Amazon as
the baseline due to its position as the largest
online retailer. Our indices are based on
Amazon Best Seller items as well as a selected
assortment of medium and low popularity
products. This creates a broadly representa-
tive basket of items to use for measuring each
retailers’ product prices, weighted basket
price and product availability. For each prod-
uct category (toys, electronics, home and
garden, etc.), we assume that the top 20% of
products are head items, the middle 50% are
core items, and the remaining 30% are tail
items. Based on this assumption, we select
400 random items from each popularity tier
for our analysis, for a total of 1,200 items.
Methodology
We used these proprietary measurements and
indexes developed to precisely track price and
assortment of a wide basket of items sold
online.
Price Perception Index – A proprietary
index tracking gross price difference and
movements across the six online retailers
covering a basket of 1200 products (SKUs).
Price Perception Index is normalized to
Amazon to establish a relative baseline. It is
weighted to accurately reflect the pricing of
“head”, “core” and “tail” items across the same
six retailers covering 1200 products.
Product Assortment Index – A proprietary
index reflecting the selection of products across
five major retailers. Product Assortment Index
is normalized to Amazon to establish a relative
baseline. It is weighted to accurately reflect the
pricing of “head”, “core” and “tail” items across
the same five retailers covering 1200 products.
Head – This is a description of frequently
purchased, popular products list among the
Amazon Best Sellers. Head products most
strongly influence customer perception of
whether a product is expensive or inexpensive.
Core – This is a description of products of
medium popularity that are regularly
purchased but are not among Best Sellers and
are not as popular as head products.
Tail – This is a description of infrequently
purchased products having the least impact on
customer perception of whether a retailer is
expensive or inexpensive.
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