Tipsheet: Target removes ‘nightmare’ kids’ carts | CVS halts curbside launch | Coaching tips from H.Depot Exec | Patagonia co-founder Q&A
Target removes kids’ shopping carts after kids went wild with them by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “(Target) pulled the plug on the test earlier this week, just a few weeks into it, after receiving an earful of complaints as customers vented on social media about bruised ankles and shins and the difficulty of managing their children who often got carried away with the carts. They described shopping cart collisions and meltdowns that resulted from parents not wanting to buy all of the items they put in the carts.” Read more
MALFUNCTIONS – CVS pushes curbside pick-up service launch date by Megan Woolhouse at Boston Globe. “(CVS) shut down the service entirely around 2 p.m. Wednesday. “We’re trying to figure out what’s going on,” Pensa said. “What we were expecting versus what we’re seeing has us worried…We really felt like we wanted it to be great when people try it.” Read more
Amazon quietly raises free shipping minimum to $35 in Canada by Josh McConnell at Financial Post. Read more
Wal-Mart to face class-action litigation from investors over FCPA probe by Kim Souza at The City Wire. “Wal-Mart had previously argued for dismissal of the pension fund’s claims citing there was no related financial loss for the investor. “This was a procedural ruling that has nothing to do with the merits of the case. We continue to believe the claims here are not appropriate for class certification. We’re considering our options, including seeking an appeal,” according to a statement provided by Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove.” Read more
NRF: Americans to spend 12% more on Halloween by Charisse Jones at USA Today. “The new poll from the National Retail Federation projects that Halloween revelers will spend $8.4 billion preparing for and celebrating the fall holiday. That breaks down to an average of $82.93 per shopper, vs. the $74.34 spent last Halloween.” Read more
Macy’s teams up with grooming services provider in beauty push at Reuters. “Macy’s will partner with beauty services provider beGlammed to provide at-home grooming and makeup services…The service will be launched in 22 U.S. cities that beGlammed operates in, including Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago and Dallas.” Read more
FedEx CIO talks Amazon, drones and innovation by Michael Sheffield at Memphis Business Journal. “Dogs and children love drones. The last thing you want is a dog’s nose combining with those fast spinning blades” he said.” Read more
Home Depot’s Ann-Marie Campbell’s Coaching Tips by Ellen McGirt at Fortune. “I recently spent the better part of a day with Ann-Marie Campbell, the new head of stores for Home Depot…I was able to observe her during an hour-long coaching session that came together during my interview.” Read more
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Walmart Is Being Sued for Allegedly Bribing the Mexican Government via Fortune. Read more
UPS launches U.S. drone test flights for urgent medical deliveries by Nick Carey at Reuters. “The drone delivered a small package from Beverly, located about 25 miles northeast of Boston, to Children’s Island, a summer camp for children three miles off the Atlantic coast. The drone, painted brown and with a UPS logo on the front, made the journey in about 8 minutes.” Read more
Kohl’s shoppers will soon be able to leave their credit card at home by Krystina Gustafson at CNBC. “(Kohl’s) is rolling out a new capability that allows holders of its store-branded charge card to check out directly from its mobile app.” Read more
Fortune’s 2016 40 Under 40 See the list
REI’s Alex Thompson: Embrace activism only for right reasons by Diana Bradley at PR Week. “Persuading the chief executive of every company to be an “activist” has enormous risks, such as potentially hurting a company’s value, layoffs, or even driving employees away, Alex Thompson, VP of public affairs at REI, said at the PR Council’s Critical Issues Forum.” Read more
Warby Parker co-founder raises $156M for his Boston-based fund by Sara Castellanos at Boston Business Journal. “Elephant is a venture capital firm focused on consumer Internet, mobile and software.” Read more
Robots will hit the streets to deliver your groceries this fall in Washington, D.C. by April Glaser at Recode. “After a pitstop in San Francisco this week, however, the Department of Public Works decided the city is not ready to fully open its corridors to unmanned machines, opting to charge Starship $66 per side of a city block for a permit, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.” Read more
Instacart raises guaranteed delivery payout rates, removing tipping option by Matthew Linley at TechCrunch. “In lieu of tipping, but still looking to continue rewarding the company’s best shoppers, the top 20% of the highest-rated shoppers will be receiving a $100 bonus at the end of the week.” Read more
Patagonia Co-founder Yvon Chouinard on How To Live Smarter by Donna Bulseco at Wall Street Journal. “One thing I wish I’d invented is: WD-40. [It’s] a perfect product. It’s like duct tape—something everyone has, and has never changed.” Read the Q&A (subscription)
Nike Chairman Mark Parker offers unexpected words for co-founder Phil Knight by Matthew Kish at Portland Business Journal. “Knight thanked Parker for the remarks, but jokingly chided him for making them. “Thank you, Mark. You said you weren’t going to do that. But thank you.” Read more
Target employee describes allegedly being bitten by woman accused of stealing by Carmen Chau at News 10 ABC. “…he says his arm became bruised and swollen to the point he could not go to work for three days…“She dropped her bag, which the sad part is, it was baby formula and kids DVDs, like Toy Story, so I mean, it wasn’t anything like high-end electronics,” DiNardi said.” See the video / Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
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