Tipsheet: WM Pay Pass Apple? | Boxed Shows Off |
Walmart Pay Threatens to Surpass Apple in U.S. Mobile Payments by Olga Kharif & Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “Available in 4,774 stores, Walmart Pay is enrolling tens of thousands of new users a day, up from thousands four or five months ago, said Daniel Eckert, who runs the business. Two-thirds of the customers who try it also use it a second time within 21 days, he said, giving him confidence Walmart Pay will surpass Apple Pay in the U.S. in terms of use by shoppers in stores where they’re accepted.” Read more
Free Shipping From Target, Best Buy Puts Scrutiny on Wal-Mart by Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg. “Target is waiving home-delivery fees for all holiday orders, the industry’s latest shipping promotion. Electronics seller Best Buy Co. has done the same.” Read more
…Target joins retailers in kicking off Black Friday deals early at CNBC. “…announced on Monday plans to offer “early access” shopping for its credit card holders on Nov. 22, the Wednesday before turkey day. That morning, more than 100 deals will go live on Target.com.” Read more
CVS to offer nationwide next-day delivery by Nathan Bomey at USA Today. “CVS CEO Larry Merlo said Monday that the company would begin offering the service in 2018. Stores in Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco will offer same-day delivery…The company will also offer free, same-day from all of its locations in Manhattan starting Dec. 4.” Read more
Gas Buddy – 5 Cleanest Restrooms: 1) Buc-ee’s, 2) Kwik Trip, 3) Kelley’s Market, 4) Hy-Vee Gas, 5) Weigel’s Read report
…Fuel brands that captured the highest ratio of footfall per station: 1) Meijer, 2) Ricker’s, 3) Family Express, 4) Costco, 5) Thorntons Top 10 list
Boxed shows off the automated tech it uses to ship toilet paper and more by Anthony Ha at TechCrunch. “We visited the Union facility, where the company says it ships out 40 to 50 percent of its orders, and where we talked to CTO Will Fong and Vice President of Distribution Rick Zumpano about how technology changes the shipping process. We also got a sneak peek at the autonomous guided vehicles (basically, self-driving carts) that will be involved in transporting goods in the other fulfillment centers.” Video/Read more
Department stores that would have stocked up for the biggest shopping season of the year months ago are still in the process of placing new orders, according to nearly a dozen sources by Nandita Bose at Reuters. Read more
Can Costco Convince the French to Buy Brie in Bulk? by Matthew Boyle & Robert Williams at Bloomberg. “…the store’s membership now totals 49,000 and is growing by about 900 a week, according to Swindells. Swindells said he’ll start the application process for a second site by the end of the year, and envisions about a dozen Costcos scattered around France over time.” Read more
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Roy Price’s Alleged Trail of Drinking and Sexual Harassment Challenges Amazon’s Culture at Wall Street Journal. “Mr. Price appeared inebriated at a number of professional functions, people who worked with him said, and Amazon executives had to help him into a cab on one occasion…Some people in Hollywood also said they came to know Mr. Price as appearing aloof and often uninterested in the details of the multibillion-dollar business he ran for Amazon.” Read more (subs.)
Etsy Q3 total revenue +21.5% Press release
…Etsy shares seesaw despite better-than-expected quarterly sales at CNBC. “Etsy has performed experiments in four areas — trust and reliability, search, marketing, and seller tools — and has seen a key metric, gross merchandise sales, grow almost every week since late May.” Read more
Lidl halts construction on another Charlotte-area grocery store by Katherine Peralta at Charlotte Observer. “Records show Lidl bought the property at 3229 South Blvd. for $4.9 million in January 2016. Since then, buildings were cleared, but progress on the site slowed in recent months, and the property has become overgrown. Lidl won’t say what’s going on with the project.” Read more
Barnes & Noble opens 4th kitchen concept location by Paul Stephen at My San Antonio. “Barnes & Noble is opening a new store concept in Texas, and it means you can get a side of food, wine and beer with your books all in one place…joining existing locations in Folsom, California; Edina, Minnesota; and East Chester, New York, with a fifth coming to Ashburn, Virginia, later this month.” Read more
Bed Bath & Beyond Is Buyout Bait by Gillian Tan & Sarah Halzack at Bloomberg. “At just $2.8 billion in market value, or less than $20 per share, Bed Bath & Beyond is now noticeably cheap. With an enterprise value of a little less than 4 times forward Ebitda.” Value to Ebitda retail rank
Hobby Lobby pres. on TX church shooting: We’re reminded daily there is evil in the world by Matthew Wisner at Fox Business. Video/Read more
HBC Appoints Milton Pappas to Chief Marketing Officer Press release
$9,000 for a ball of yarn? Tiffany & Co. launches ‘everyday objects’ line, calls it art by Anthony Noto at New York Business Journal. Read more
Murray Koffler, Shoppers Drug Mart founder, dies at 93 by Francine Kopun at Toronto Star. “Koffler, born in 1924, took over his father’s two Toronto pharmacies when he was just 17 years old, following his father’s death.” Read more
Tipsheet Extra Stories
Jeff Bezos says this exercise convinced him to quit his Wall Street job and launch Amazon
EBay removes listings of Hawaii beach sand from its website
Exoskeletons make strides at Houston medical robotics symposium
Genetically modified apples are headed to grocery stores in the Midwest
Mall Landlord Taubman Sues Saks Fifth Avenue Over Puerto Rico Store (WSJ subs.)
Walmart shooter’s stepsister claims he was haunted by LSD trip gone wrong
29% of men plan to spend under $50 on the most expensive present they buy, compared to 40% of women
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