Tipsheet: CVS Beats | Macy’s New Agencies | Radio: Lowe’s Creeps on H.Depot | When Prince Ran a Retail Store
CVS Q1 Comp Sales +4.2% “Pharmacy same store sales rose 5.5%…Front store same store sales increased 0.7%” Read the release
…CVS Health 1Q Earnings Beat Expectations via Fox Business. “Net revenue rose 19 percent to $43.22 billion, beating analysts’ estimates of $43 billion.” Read more
Amazon finally brings its one-hour Prime Now delivery service to the web by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Amazon Prime customers can now place orders for one-hour or two-hour delivery on PrimeNow.com.” Read more
Macy’s Selects New Creative Agencies by Adrianne Pasquarelli at Ad Age. “Before next Christmas, consumers will see fresh marketing creative from Macy’s. J. Walter Thompson has lost holiday duties for the retailer to New York-based Figliulo & Partners and BBH New York. Macy’s selcted the pair to handle holiday 2016 following a review.” Read more
FBI looks for man suspected of attempting to contaminate Whole Foods products with unknown liquid by Christopher Brennan at NY Daily News. “Whole Foods told MLive.com that an employee at the Ann Arbor location had seen the surreptitious spill, and that all the food at the salad bar and hot food bar was thrown out.” Read more
Amazon accounts for 60% of U.S. online sales growth in 2015 by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “Forrester also estimates that U.S. online retailer sales will grow to more than $530 billion by 2020, nearly a 60% increase from 2015.” Read more
**A message from PaintPincher – Never Waste Paint Again! The PaintPincher is an ingenious 8-in-1 paint can spatula that recovers paint, stain, adhesives and more from gallon and quart cans, leaving them 99.9% clean. The PaintPincher is great for Pro and DIY painters and can save up to a cup of paint per gallon! See the video | See the sell sheet | Packaging pic | paintpincher.com Retailers request a sample at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net
Canada: Fired Walmart greeter, 78, gets support from angry shoppers by Andrew Huncar at CBC News. “At his van, Ouimet realized he had left the store with a package of toilet paper in his scooter, which he intended to buy. He said he put the toilet paper in his van in order to change his oxygen tank. But when he returned to the store, Ouimet said he realized he had forgotten to take the toilet paper with him.” Read more
Walmart Introduces Great Value Organic by Christopher Durham at My Private Brand. “A two page spread introducing of Great Value Organics in the U.S. follows the introduction of Great Value Organics in Canada in late 2015. This U.S. version comes with new packaging that closely follows the expected category cues, while still seeming a bit fresher than most of the existing Great Value sku’s.” See the circular / Read more
When Prince ran a retail store by Mark Reilly at St.Paul/Minneapolis Business Journal. “The New Power Generation store, which had sister locations in Los Angeles and London, sold Prince-related merchandise…and showcased souvenirs from his tours and movies. It also functioned as a lab for new distribution methods; apparently the store had a phone inside that would play unreleased songs for people who listened to it.” Read more
Meet the Entrepreneurs Trying to Get Target to Think Like a Startup by Polina Marinova at Fortune. “…He took the call to be polite, but deliberately led with the story of getting his nose pierced. “I was really hoping [the recruiter] would say, ‘Yes, that will totally affect your candidacy,’ so I could be like, ‘OK, now I have a legitimate excuse not to talk to you,’” Stringfellow says. “But he said, ‘No, I actually think that’s a perk.’” Read more
Top two execs at TJX earned a combined $40M last year by David L. Harris at Boston Business Journal. “(Carol) Meyrowitz, 62, earned $19.6 million…That’s actually down from the $28 million in total pay she earned in 2014.” Read more
Radio: Lowe’s Creeps up on Home Depot – Moves from 15th to 4th at Radio Ink. “The top three advertisers for radio remained The Home Depot (60,969), GEICO (37,724), and Walgreens (33,270). Lowe’s aired 28,836 commercials to take the fourth position.” Read more
Who buys what on Amazon: An in-depth look at the electronics category by Stefany Zaroban at Internet Retailer. Read more
J. Crew’s CEO Lists Tribeca Townhouse for $29.95 Million by Candace Taylor at WSJ. “A Manhattan townhouse owned by J. Crew CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler is going on the market for $29.95 million, according to listing agents Shaun Osher and Jim St. Andre of Core.” See the 20 pics (subscription)
Buffett Defends AmEx CEO’s Decision to End Costco Deal via Dow Jones Business News. “However, Charlie Munger, Berkshire’s vice chairman as well as a board member at Costco, had a different opinion on the AmEx decision regarding Costco. “I would have made the opposite decision,” Mr. Munger said of the AmEx choice. “Costco is so powerful,” he explained to CNBC, “they (AmEx) should have thrown away the rule book.” Read more
Cubs wear zany suits, retailer hits home run by Robert Channick at Chicago Tribune. “The first-place Cubs hit the road for Pittsburgh this week with a mandated dress code from manager Joe Maddon — wear a “minimalist zany” suit for the entire trip…A team spokesman said several players went to one supplier — OppoSuits, a 4-year-old online retailer that has established itself as the Brooks Brothers of zany suits.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Chicago: ‘Active shooter’ at Target was just ‘disturbance’ about transgender restrooms
Seattle May Day protests took place largely near a Costco – protesters were “assailing shopping carts” and flipping over pallets outside the store
Angry Woman In Walmart Throws A Fit Over Man Using Food Stamps
100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America: OpenTable Releases Its 2016 List
Father-of-three ex-Marine shot and killed in front of his wife after trying to stop a gunman who opened fire inside a Walgreens
QUICK-SUBSCRIBE to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here