Rebecca Day

Supply constraints that limited Sonos’ holiday quarter promotional activity impeded the company's sales in fiscal Q1 ended Jan. 1, said management on an earnings call Wednesday.

Chip shortages and shipping delays prevented iRobot from filling $35 million in Q4 orders, said CEO Colin Angle on the company’s Thursday earnings call. Sales fell 16% year on year to $455.4 million, said the company. Shares plunged14.3% Thursday to close at $62.47.

Following a strong emphasis on green initiatives at its CES keynote, Samsung continued its sustainability push at its Wednesday virtual Unpacked event launching the latest series of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Warner Music Group CEO Steve Cooper cited the company’s “unique position” in the new era of recorded music on the company’s Q1 FY ’21 earnings call Tuesday. At a time when many in the industry see new models and currencies as roads to democratization for creators, Cooper promoted Warner Music’s experience, financial muscle and strategies for the digital future.

Media and tech companies are headed down the stretch for Super Bowl Sunday with special programming and commercial previews, while TV promotions are somewhat muted compared with the big game in previous years, our survey found Monday.

Wage increases and higher pricing from third-party carriers supporting its fulfillment network, plus the COVID-19 omicron variant and capacity constraints due to a tight labor market, contributed to $4 billion in second-half costs at Amazon, said Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky on a Q4 earnings call Thursday. Amazon plans to offset the costs by a $20 hike in its Amazon Prime membership fee, he said.

Consumers are shopping fewer times than they did pre-COVID-19, said National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz on a Friday webcast, recapping the $886.7 billion 2021 holiday sales season and previewing 2022 retail. During the pandemic, consumers shopped less often to avoid contact with others and stay healthy, but buying more and stockpiling “more than they needed,” Kleinhenz said. That behavior may change a bit, but “people get accustomed to doing certain things,” he said.

Dolby revenue fell 10% in fiscal Q1 ended Dec. 31 on the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and a $6 million true-up for the company’s estimates for unit shipments in gaming and consumer electronics, said Chief Financial Officer Robert Park on a Thursday earnings call. “We are seeing year-over-year declines for foundational audio coming off of tough comps, and now issues with the supply chain,” said CEO Kevin Yeaman.

Spotify shares plunged 16.8% to $159.76 Thursday after the company’s Wednesday Q4 earnings report and analyst Q&A. Overall revenue grew 24% year on year to $3.1 billion. It's forecasting $2.97 billion revenue in Q1, said the shareholder letter.

Demand continues to “significantly outpace our supply,” said Silicon Labs CEO Matt Johnson, leading his first earnings call since Tyson Tuttle's retirement in December. Design wins in 2021 grew by nearly 45%, and the company’s sales funnel entering 2022 is about $14 billion, more than it was before the divestiture of the Infrastructure and Automotive business last spring, he said.