Tipsheet: Toys R Us Pushes C.Cards @ Workers | Fired H.Dep Workers Picket | Mall Melees | V Day Cards Out | Flight to Table
Reports of mall disturbances light up social media by Susan Miller at USA Today. “Disturbances that led to some malls being evacuated included reports from Elizabeth, N.J.; Fayetteville, N.C.; East Garden City, N.Y.; Aurora, Colo.; Tempe, Ariz.; Beachwood Place, a suburb of Cleveland; and Memphis. About 10 people were injured during a melee at the Jersey Gardens mall in Elizabeth on Sunday evening, Mayor Chris Bollwage said in a tweet.” Read more
…Fights, disturbances shut down malls across U.S. at Reuters. Read more
Fired Home Depot workers ask community to help them get jobs back by Shaun Ryan at The Daytona Beach News-Journal. “Several motorists driving by gave the men a “thumbs up.” One man, who was headed into the parking lot, turned around and shouted out his window that he was going to Lowe’s instead.” Read more/Pics/Video
…prepared to lose home, cars amid fallout by Jessica Schroeder at NY Daily News. “Spector revealed that due to his current unemployment, he is unable to travel to see his kids — ages 3 and 6 — for Christmas. “I’m going to lose my car and I won’t be able to travel to see my kids in New Jersey for Christmas … It isn’t gonna happen for my kids and it sucks,” Spector said.” Read more
Toys ‘R’ Us pushes credit cards on workers for sales boost by Josh Kosman at NY Post. “The toy retailer recently put signs on tables in employee break rooms urging them to increase Ebitda, or earnings before interest, depreciation ad amortization, by pushing company credit card accounts, a store employee told The Post. “On the back side are mathematical formulas for calculating incremental sales and Ebitda, as though some clerk were actually going to sit down and do this to see just how much money they can make for the bosses,” the employee told The Post.” Read more
Newborn found in New Roads Walmart trashcan reported ‘good, stable and eating’ at The Advocate. “Kyandrea Thomas, 34, or Baker, is believed to have given birth to the child inside the Walmart bathroom, McDonald said. Thomas was arrested and booked Saturday morning into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.” Read more
Amazon’s newest brand, Wickedly Prime, brings its private label food business out of stealth mode by Todd Bishop at GeekWire. “Amazon has launched a new private label food brand that is notable in part because it’s much more obvious that it’s a product of the online retail giant — starting with the name, Wickedly Prime, and the logo, a version of the Amazon smile with a tongue.” Read more
Surging U.S. Dollar Could Blow Up Walmart’s Bottom Line by Brian Sozzi at The Street. “The extent of the damage in the fourth quarter could come as a surprise to many on Wall Street as Walmart’s full earnings guidance of $4.20 to $4.35 a share assumed no change in currency rates when it was issued in mid-November.” Read more
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VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS READY – San Diego: Bargain shoppers focus on items for next Christmas by Roger Showly at San Diego Union-Tribune. “As stores opened, San Diegans stood in lines of 20 to 50 deep at Best Buy, Target and other retailers…Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, most workers got Monday off…“We could see a mini-Boxing Day in the U.S.” with this Dec. 26, Cordero said.” Read more
Former Costco employee awarded $250,000 over customer’s alleged harassment by Lauren Zumbach at Chicago Tribune. “Suppo alleged Costco didn’t do enough to intervene after a customer, over the course of about a year, repeatedly asked her on dates, hugged and touched her without consent, filmed her at the store and continued harassing her after she reported the incidents to managers.” Read more
Here’s what it’s like inside Zulily 3 days before Christmas by Marc Stiles at Puget Sound Business Journal. 19 pics
Metro Vancouver shoppers go mad with Boxing Day blowouts by John Colebourn at Vancouver Sun. “The doors at Best Buy opened at 6 a.m. and Nikic said it was busy all day. “This is the biggest day of the year for us,” she said…“Boxing Day you buy for yourself,” said Nikic. “People are happy here, they are now getting what they want for Christmas.” Read more
Holiday shopping in 2016 evolved into something more civilized by Maria Halkias at Dallas Morning News. Hour-by-hour chart/Read more
Whole Foods managers say they were fired for blowing whistle on unpaid bonuses via NY Daily News. Read more
Fred’s adopts shareholder rights plan after ‘unusual and substantial’ activity in its shares at MarketWatch. “The rights plan, also known as a poison pill, is designed to prevent a hostile takeover of the company and to avoid certain default provisions of its credit facilities from being triggered.” Read more
FLIGHT TO TABLE – Duck blind goes gourmet: Hunters served three-course meal when chef does on-site cooking by Sarah Baker Hansen at Omaha World-Herald. “There’s a line of camouflaged men munching chocolate croissants and cinnamon twists and drinking hot, percolated coffee made on the blind’s two-burner gas stove. And, on this morning, there will be three courses from chef Nick Strawhecker..” Read more
Hilarious photo shows a ring of shopping carts blocking a vehicle that was double parked at Walmart at Daily Mail. Pic
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Walmart truck driver gets lost, ends up overturning off small bridge
Twin Cities getting nearly a dozen more supermarkets in 2017
Fremont council to vote on amended Costco chicken plant plan
Challenge 2017: ‘Pets, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ will dominate the retail landscape
Navy aims to mimic Wal-Mart to get more sailors choosing military health care
Wegmans accused of Fair Credit violations
Consumers did a lot of holiday shopping on Sundays this December
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