THE NESPRESSO EDITION
10 December 2009
WELL-KNOWN INDIVIDUAL TO DARKEN DOORSTEPS
End of Year Draws Near . . .
There's a well-known individual who will be arriving on your doorstep before you know it. Your reporter need not piece together her shattered crystal ball in order to know the truth behind this statement.
Ah, yes, something tells your reporter that her dear readers have conjured up images of a man with a long, white beard dressed in red, perhaps carrying some sort of hefty sack over his shoulder? While she doesn't deny the impending arrival of such a jolly fellow, this is not the individual of whom she speaks. She speaks, rather, of Uncle Sam . . .
As the days of 2009 wane and we usher in a new year, your reporter fears she may suffer the fate of the infamous messenger as she delivers this news. Still, she presses on . . . in hopes that some good will come of it . . .
On to this week's headlines . . .
DEATH AND TAXES . . .
SC Members Prepare for One of Life's Two Certainties
Despite the dreaded forecast of tax events to come, a silver lining has appeared. Investment clubs that pre-order their Federal and State Tax Printers will walk away with two birds in hand — the Club Accounting 3.1 Tax Printers and a little extra of the green stuff, just in time for the holidays.
Non-members can order the No. 1 Tax Preparation software for investment clubs at a discounted price of just $89.99 for orders placed before Dec. 31. Better yet — StockCentral members can stuff even more of the festive green into their pockets with the pre-order price of just $59.99! Not an SC member yet? What are you waiting for? Don't delay — Join today!
BE IN THE KNOW
Dec. 15 Webinar to Focus on Tax Preparation
What's this? Is that a second cloud bearing a silver lining that your reporter sees off in the distance? Indeed, it is! Your reporter has learned from one of her most confidential of sources that "closing the books and preparing for tax season" will be the focus of this month's New Club Webinar.
There's no reason to be left out in the cold. You, too, can be privy to the latest and greatest information on this topic. Join Doug Gerlach next Tuesday evening, Dec. 15, at 10 p.m. Eastern Time for this free and informative session. But in order to do that, you must sign up today!
MORE THAN PUMPKINS AND COFFEE?
SC Member Responds to Challenge, Offers Keen Insights
Your rather subdued reporter jumped for joy following the response to last issue's Nestlé Forum Challenge from SC Member Tami DeAngelis. "The Thankful Edition of the Stock Central Gazette posed an interesting beginning of discussion of an interesting company — Nestlé — Tami writes on the brand-spanking-new NSRGY Nestlé SA Forum she so swiftly and single-handedly created. "I am taking her challenge and getting started in this discussion.
"A division of Nestlé that I am very familiar with is Nespresso. This component has created a virtual 'frenzy' in the coffee market through some very sophisticated marketing techniques. I speak first-hand as my job at Williams-Sonoma exposes me to both sides — consumer and producer. Nespresso has developed into the fastest-growing division, according to the Nestlé website.
"When I started to work at WS in 2005, our Nespresso line of coffee makers was very upscale and this company only focused on coffeemakers/espresso machines, unlike rival Cuisinart, which made many other types of appliances. I was not told at that time that Nespresso was owned by Nestlé. They all seemed very expensive to me and I continued to use my old Cuisinart machine.
"Beginning in 2007, we started getting more and more training on their smaller/lower end machines which used a 'pod' delivery method of the ground coffee . . . 2008/2009: This training and marketing has increased measurably with their release of a very 'affordable' ($249.95) espresso machine that is both compact and efficient. Our increasing information to provide to skeptical customers was that the pods were made by one of the largest food companies — Nestlé. Let me tell you that these units are selling briskly . . .
So the discussion that I would like to bring up is more about the ADR traded NSRGY. What other divisions (we now know of pumpkins and coffee) are performing well for them? Does anyone out there own the stock? Tell us more, people."
Kudos to Tami for sparking what is sure to be an intriguing discussion, as well as for sharing her first-hand insights into this fascinating facet of the company. Be sure to drop in on this new forum to read the rest of Tami's discussion on Nestlé, follow the link she posted for more information, and add your lively, witty, and wise insights.
What? Is that you? Are you still here? What are you waiting for? See you on the Nestlé forum!
TODAY'S ENTIRELY RELEVANT QUOTATION
"Nespresso . . . has created a virtual 'frenzy' in the coffee market through some very sophisticated marketing techniques. I speak first-hand as my job at Williams-Sonoma exposes me to both sides — consumer and producer."
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SC Member and Nestlé Forum Creator Tami DeAngelis