Tipsheet: Kroger +4% | Women w/Power: Brewer #19, Campbell #20 | Target the Digital Media Giant | Macy’s Gets Apple Store | Wgreens Divest 1,000?
Kroger Q2 Total Sales +4.0% Press release
Fortune Names 2016 Most Powerful Women (Foulkes #12, Brewer #19, Campbell #20, McKenna #33, Ballard #42) See the top 51 list
MACY’S FIRST DEPARTMENT STORE TO HOST APPLE STORE by Phil Wahba at Fortune. “President and CEO-designate Jeff Gennette told Wall Street analysts on Thursday that Macy’s signed a deal with Apple to open an Apple store within its 1 million square-foot flagship at Herald Square in New York. Not only is Macy’s the first department store to host one of the tech giant’s emporia, but it will also be able to sell the Apple Watch at more than 180 stores in time for the Thanksgiving to Christmas rush.” Read more
Restoration Hardware Q2 Brand Revenue -3.0% “Net revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2016 increased 7% to $543.4 million from $506.9 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015.” Press release
Ad Age: Is Target The Next Digital Media Giant? by Adrianne Pasquarelli. “(Target) will host a launch party Thursday afternoon in Manhattan to announce the program’s expansion to advertisers beyond those found on Target shelves, including automotive brands, financial firms and travel companies. “What we have packaged is access to our guests,” said Kristi Argyilan, who joined Target two years ago as senior VP-media and guest engagement.” Read more
Jessica Alba’s Honest Company has been in talks to sell to a big consumer product giant by Jason Del Rey at Recode. “Sources indicated that the buyer is likely to be a big consumer product company like Procter & Gamble or Unilever.” Read more
Home Depot’s CEO Craig Menear Presents at Goldman Sachs Global Retail Broker Conference via Seeking Alpha Full transcript
This Macy’s plan to boost sales doesn’t have anything to do with clothing by Katie Little at CNBC. “Jeffrey Gennette, Macy’s president and soon-to-be CEO, indicated at a Goldman Sachs conference on Thursday there could be additional expansion of food and beverage in the future…”…the scalable model to be able to get food and beverage out to more of our doors is what’s on our mind.” Read more
Washington Post: Retailers look to wean shoppers off the 24/7 discount party by Sarah Halzack. “Promotions are like city buses these days,” said Joel Bines, managing director of the retail practice at consultancy AlixPartners. “If you miss one, there’s going to be another one that looks just like it coming down the road behind it.” Read more
H&M may be repeating Macy’s mistakes by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “Already boasting more than 4,000 shops around the globe, the Swedish retailer has plans to boost its store count between 10 percent and 15 percent annually. That includes roughly 425 net new stores in 2016. Yet at the same time, H&M’s sales growth and profitability per square meter are slowing.” Read more
**A message from Fabe – Italian hand-crafted pillows prevent and relieve neck and back pain. Fabe’s Ergo Praxis pillow supports and aligns the head and neck to prevent cervical pain. Created in cooperation with Ludes University in Switzerland – it gets the body in the right position for a good night’s sleep. 100% Made in Italy. Ergo Praxis Specs | Fabe Website | Retailers request samples at info@shiftmarketinggroup.net. Italy-America New Product Connection
Walgreens expects to divest up to 1,000 stores in Rite Aid acquisition Press release
Amazon names Cornell Tech founding dean and Xerox veteran Daniel Huttenlocher to board by Taylor Soper at GeekWire. Read more
Commercial furniture business thrives after breaking off from Target by Nick Halter at St.Paul/Minneapolis Business Journal. “About that Target relationship: It’s good. Litwin said Target tapped Atmosphere for a “massive” amount of work, including a buildout at the company’s Brooklyn Park campus to make room for employees relocating from the now-vacant 394 campus, and renovations at Target’s downtown headquarters buildings.” Read more
Denver: All nine Albertsons stores to be re-branded under the Safeway banner – but the fried chicken stays by Emilie Rusch at Denver Post. Read more
Jos. A. Bank sales decline 16.1 percent in second quarter by Holden Wilen at Baltimore Business Journal. Read more
99 Cents Only Stores Q2 Comp Sales +1.1% Press release
Petco Announces 13 New Stores in September “This latest slate of new store openings will also be complemented by the rebranding of 31 select Unleashed by Petco stores, located primarily in Colorado, Georgia and Texas, to smaller format Petco stores.” Press release
Walmart’s Coke display remembering 9/11 sparks outrage at My Fox 8. Pic/Video/Read more
…Texas mattress store blasted for tone-deaf ‘Twin Tower Sale’ commercial, days before 9/11 by Denis Slattery at NY Daily News. Video/Read more
KOBUK THE DESTROYER – Nice Trash Can! Let’s See What the Bears Think by Harriet Torry at Wall Street Journal. “If your product survives a 60-minute mauling, congratulations—you’re bear-resistant! That stamp of approval is coveted by makers of products for campers and rafters, not to mention trash bins. But it’s no slam dunk. One grizzly, Kobuk, is so skilled at defeating the lids and latches, or the sides, of food containers that he is nicknamed The Destroyer.” Read more (subscription)
Tipsheet Extra Stories
The Hill: 2016 50 Most Beautiful
NY Times: How to Pick the Fastest Line at the Supermarket
Patent filing: Amazon drones could hitch rides on trucks or buses
Amazon Said to Seek Sports Streaming Rights From Tennis to Rugby
Fortune 2016 Most Powerful International Women
Over 3,000 of David Letterman’s TV Props and Costumes, Spanning 31 Years, Will be Sold Online
QUICK-SUBSCRIBE to Eye on Retail Tipsheet here