Tipsheet: Target’s Risky Holiday Bet | H.Dep CFO Speech | WM Can. Self-Checkout
Target plans fewer promotions it hopes will pack bigger holiday punch by Kavita Kumar at Star Tribune. “Target’s bevy of promotions and up-and-down prices confused shoppers last year, Mark Tritton, Target’s chief merchandising officer said at a media briefing. So this year, it is simplifying the approach to have fewer sales events that it hopes will have a bigger impact.” Read more (tiered subs.)
…Target executives also saw room for improvement with its marketing. While its holiday campaign last year…reach(ed) its target audience of families and Latinos, they realized it didn’t do much to inspire young adults without children or empty nesters.
Target’s holiday sales could get a boost from Chip and Joanna Gaines’ new collection by Courtney Reagan at CNBC. “The initial response has been exponential,” Tritton said. He characterized site visits to the web page built to announce the collection as “off the charts. Two to three times traffic for anything else we have done.” Read more
Walmart ramps up self-checkout by letting customers ring in items while shopping by Sophia Harris at CBC News. “When I go up to the checkout, it’s just bing, bang, boom, I’m done,” Schnurr said. “I am addicted.” Starting Monday, Walmart will roll out scan and go in 20 more Canadian stores.” Read more
Home Depot won’t carry pumpkins this year in some hurricane-affected areas by Jeff Daniels at CNBC. “When you have a natural disaster, it changes everybody’s priorities,” said C. Britt Beemer, a retail analyst…”We had a lot of stuff that was going to South Florida, and the orders got canceled on us because of the storms,” said James Hayes, a pumpkin farmer in Meadowview, Virginia.” Read more
Costco Has A Looming Cardboard Problem by Michael Rogus at Seeking Alpha. “I currently serve as the COO of a company that exports to Sam’s, Lowe’s, Home Depot and other smaller retailers…I have firsthand knowledge of production issues involved with corrugated cardboard packaging. The news isn’t good.” Read more
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Hudson’s Bay CEO Gerald Storch leaving company; executive chairman assuming role via Toronto Star. Read more
Home Depot CFO Carol Tome speaks at Women Who Mean Business awards dinner by Jessica Saunders at Atlanta Business Chronicle. “I have seen so much change happen. Now I long for the day when women are no longer a special interest group. But today, we still are we are a sisterhood, and we need to stay together.” Read more/Pics
…Tome met her husband at a toga party: “I am grateful for this Lifetime Achievement Award but I dedicate it to you, Ramon, the man I want to spend my lifetime with,” she said to applause.”
Kroger begins hiring for its first restaurant by Erin Caproni at Cincinnati Business Courier. “Kroger will open Kitchen 1883 adjacent to its Union Marketplace store on U.S. Highway 42 in Union, Ky. It plans to hire 50 employees to staff the restaurant, which will serve “new American comfort food.” Read more/Pic
President/CEO of Murphy USA not losing sleep over electric cars by Kaitlyn Rigdon at El Dorado News-Times. “Clyde said he hired a consultant who put together a presentation concerning electric vehicles, which he presented to the Kiwanis Club members…“You don’t have to worry. We’re not going to be going away any time soon in terms of Murphy USA or selling gasoline,” Clyde said. “I feel pretty good about fuel demand. Especially in the Murphy USA states.” Read more
Top 10 Authentic Brands Study: Amazon, PayPal, Burt’s Bees, Crayola, M&M’s, Lego, Hershey’s, Newman’s Own, AAA and UPS by Tanya Gazdik at MediaPost. Read more
Walmart/Jet unwraps latest weapon in Amazon war by Lisa Fickenscher at NY Post. “The brand, called Uniquely J, launched on Friday with more than 50 items ranging from 1 lb. of organic fair trade coffee for $9.99, a 146 oz. jug of liquid fragrance-free detergent for $18.99 and a 25 oz. jar of tomato basil sauce for $3.99.” Read more
Retail credit cards increasingly come with perks — and a 25 percent interest rate by Abha Bhattarai at Washington Post. Read more (tiered subs.)
Amazon backs German artificial intelligence research hub at Reuters. “Amazon.com will open an artificial intelligence research center in the German university city of Tuebingen, creating 100 jobs over the next five years.” Read more
Apple Pay now in 20 markets, nabs 90% of all mobile contactless transactions where active by Ingrid Lunden at TechCrunch. Read more
hhgregg emerges from a bankruptcy sale as an online-only brand, with stores possible by Matt Linder at Internet Retailer. “When? “That’s a little bit up in the air,” he says. “Sooner rather than later is the best answer I can give you.” Read more
Discounted Apple Watches will be available to millions of life insurance customers by Christina Farr at CNBC. Read more
Take a look at Apple’s first ‘Town Square,’ its most beautiful retail store yet by Lucas Matney at TechCrunch. 26 pics
Police investigate after 65 pounds of weed included with couple’s Amazon order at WFTV 9 ABC. “We were still pretty fearful our home would be broken into, and we didn’t sleep there for a few days,” said the customer. The couple said that after going back and forth with Amazon mostly by email for more than a month, they never spoke to a supervisor.” Read more/Pics
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Target’s new “GiftNow” button is for the picky
It’s 2017 and Amazon only has one woman among its 18 most powerful executives
Joanna Gaines Regains Lead on Top TV Personalities Social Media Ranking
Plus-size retailer to close as mall traffic declines
Unboxing Stitch Fix’s S-1
Americans Are Retiring Later, Dying Sooner and Sicker In-Between
Even Puerto Rico is making a bid for Amazon HQ2
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